Ten Tips to Make Your Blog The Place to Be

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about blogs lately. Some people scream from the top of their lungs that blogs are dying and no one comments on their blogs and Twitter and Facebook RUINED the blogosphere. If that’s true, then why do I still see blogs with hundreds of comments, and authors still conducting blog tours?

Blogging is not a dying medium.

It’s a poorly used medium. So I thought today might be a good day to tackle a little author blog housekeeping to help you maximize your time to write more books and entice visitors to stay on your site for a while. Because we don’t have to choose between writing great books and branding ourselves. We can do both with just a little adjustment.

So here we have Ten Tips to Make Your Blog Sparkle (but not literally, because only vampires do that…)

1. Break up large chunks of text.

I’m fairly conscious of this every time I write a post. I don’t have the greatest attention span. My eyes glaze over large chunks of text. Make it easy on your readers eyes. Keep paragraphs no longer than three to six sentences.

2. Use lists to make your point.

Most people are reading blogs on the go. Maybe they’re reading on their tablet or their phone. Use header tags to separate your main points and to break up text.

3. Make backgrounds easy on the eyes.

Notice how my background is kind of dark? That’s okay, because where the text is found, the background is light. Being a graphic designer, I’m constantly assessing and reassessing how colors look together. A black background with white letters screams amateur 1990s web design. Don’t be that guy. I won’t spend any time on a website like that, because my eyes get enough strain from writing on my computer all day.

4. Pick blog titles that will engage your audience.

As long as it relates to your subject matter that is. You need to spend some time coming up with the titles. I usually do the titles last, so I can find a title that relates to the post I wrote and will raise a question that people want to answer. I don’t always succeed,because, let’s face it, titles are not my strong point, but I do give it a good go.

5. Give readers your name… right there in the title.

My blog name is Pucks and Pearls. But that’s not nearly as important as getting my name in front of people. So, my header has my name on it, and not my blog name. We’re blogging to build our author brand, so why wouldn’t you use your name in your blog name? People buy from who they know, and more importantly, who they LIKE.

The best blogs out there are people who have left us with happy emotions. They don’t just write informative posts, but also spark conversations. We don’t talk at people because they need to feel included in order to participate in the conversations.

6. Add widgets/follow buttons to all social networks.

Not everyone loves Twitter like I do. Not everyone loves Facebook. And not everyone has an unhealthy obsession with Pinterest like I do. But you can find me on most social networks. Why? Because not only do I want to keep up with them all in order to tell you guys, but I recognize that each platform comes with its own audience. Is there overlap? Yes.

For that reason, I don’t recommend you signing up for every social network. Sit down and try them out and see which ones you do like. I’m primarily on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest. Occasionally, on Google Plus when I have the time. Those are the ones I enjoy.

7. Add share buttons for all your posts.

WordPress is pretty good about this, because you can install plugins that do this job for you. Even if you don’t Facebook, a lot of your readers do and enjoy it. Give them the tools to share your wonderful nuggets of wisdom with their world.

8. Add a subscription widget.

RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication. This adds the capability for readers to get your blog in a blog reader. It’s kind of like home delivery. You’ll see my little subscription button right there on the right, and right under it one for my newsletter. I’m not delivering a newsletter regularly yet. It’s basically for announcements right now, but I do intend on doing a regular newsletter in the future. But the point is that I’ve made it easy. If somehow you missed the form, it’s also right there in my navigation. Readers love easy.

9. Mind the language in your posts.

No, I’m not talking about cuss words. Some people, like Chuck Wendig, make that work really well, while others avoid cussing. Here I’m talking about how we talk to people. Do we use an extraordinary amount of “I” and “me” in our posts? We don’t want to sound like we’re lecturing or sound like we’re full of ourselves, or are obsessed with the “royal we” style.

10. Ask questions. Spark debates, but don’t offend.

The goal of our blog is to entice conversation, because then it’s like hanging out at the water cooler and chatting with our friends. It’s like throwing a party when you post. You need to be a good host or hostess. It took me nearly two years to figure that one out. But if you can’t be a good example, be a horrible warning.

So, speaking of questions at the end, let’s discuss! What other blogging tips would you add to this list? What’s the biggest turn off you have seen on a blog? The one thing you loved seeing on a blog? Tell me about it in the comments!