The 9 Habits of Highly Effective Blog Posting

I'm the sort of person who enjoys following routines and fixed ways of doing things - so naturally guidelines, basic rules and instruction manuals work very well with me. Which boils down to this - Why did I not find this article Nine Signs of an Effective Blog Post by Darren Rowse, who is a professional in the blogging field much earlier? I started blogging since 2007 and still am. This is useful for anyone who wants to start their own blog, or trying to improve :)

Here are the nine things to do to make a successful blog post... Remember, you must always try your hardest to satisfy all nine of the criteria's! Here goes!

1. The Headline

Like the start of an essay, the introduction is the preview of what is coming ahead - if it's not interesting enough, chances are its not going to captivate you enough to read the remaining parts of the essay. Bear in mind that there are many other things out there trying to grab your attention - and a play with words that is fascinating and relatable to prospective readers.

Though not the best example though "effective", it gives you an idea on how to catch the audiences attention. You either promise them a benefit, or simply cause curiosity for them to read on!

2. The Content

If you are lucky to find illustrations in the forms of images in the form of pictures, graphs and others - its best to use it to your advantage. Remember to make it relatable to your topic and your audience. Our brain loves colors and the saying that a picture paints a thousand words - is true!

There are many ways to capture reader's attention. Here's the one of the example: This is the Hierarchy of Needs by Abraham Maslow. This example summarizes the 5 major stages/points of this principle and it is easy to read, understand and most importantly, its easy on the eyes and is captivating.

3. The Introduction

The reason why students can barely stay awake reading text books because it is filled with little lined words in black that is mundane, repetitive and *gasp* non-stimulating. Therefore, it is important that your header and introduction is clear to transmit the most precise points of the reading (ie: the benefit, why, what, who and etc). It is important at this point to reinforce the benefits, explain what is upcoming, establish your goodwill and credibility and of course, how does this relate to the audience you're trying to reach.

Remember, you want an active reader, not a passive one on their way to dreamland! :P

4. The Background

Picture yourself trying to revise for your final exams that happening in 3 hours while your little brother is raging on his World of Warcraft game, your mother is watching television while your youngest sister is yapping away on the phone. Chances are that nothing will go in and you'll end up frustrated, and just leave your exam to the hands of the Gods because it's too difficult. Same goes with blog posting - be precise, clear and avoid clutter, too much distractions and maybe it's a good idea not to put music that can steer the attention away from the main topic.

Remember, less is more! And crystal clear is always good!

5. The Sequence

Picture this: Imagine if you were to ask someone for directions from Inti College Subang Jaya to Carrefour and the person decides to tell you the way from the ending point instead of the starting point. If you manage to still find your way - you're a genius! But I think almost everyone if put in this situation, we would be so confused they wished they didn't ask earlier on. Therefore, it is always important for the writer/author to place the points in a systematic order for easier understanding and linkage by the reader.

Here's an example of systematic writing/illustration and I believe even if the most art illiterate person were to try, he would be properly guided and lead that his attempt would be quite fruitful no matter what.

6. The Points

To create a successful blog post, once has to be persuasive. You must be credible, reasonable and make sense enough for your readers to understand your point of view and hopefully agree (not necessarily 100%) with your story. Remember never be undermine the knowledge of your readers and just make something up without evidence, and always appeal to them with statistics, stories and even through their emotion.

Remember, persuasion is power! And a very powerful tool! :)

7. The Hook

Now that you have established an captivating start, it is also equally as important to maintain that level of interest throughout the blog post. You must remember that there are many other blog posts out there fighting for the attention of your reader and remember to play it smart. You don't need to be slap-stick funny, you just need to keep your readers on the hook till the end.

Remember, criteria number 7 of an effective blog post is to be... you guessed it - Interesting!

8. The Credibility

Besides being interesting, persuasive as an author it has be to be believable. In short, you have to be credible in what you say. Would you believe if someone suddenly shouted "Hey! Mountain so and so is the highest in the world!" Our response would most like be "dude, get your facts right." For we all know that the highest mountain in the world is Mount Everest - and therefore it is important to know what you are saying. Be sure to state your sources, put your points correctly to earn the hard-earned trust of your readers!

Don't be like the boy who cried wolf too many times! You'll lose your reader's trust and that is something very difficult to earn back!

Last but not least...

9. The Impact

Finally, if you have satisfied the last 8 criteria's, you just need to tick off one more to make this post a roaring success. In the end of the post, to cause or be the cause of action is to have simply - touched the hearts of your audience. You must try your best to leave the audience is awe, or maybe wanting more - or just enough for them to get started and moving.

Remember, its important for action to happen or your post might just be like the others. Remember to inspire, and help your readers aspire!

Alright, I am done with my summary and understanding of this piece. I had a lot of fun doing it but more importantly, learning from it. Please feel free to leave your comments, and to everyone else - enjoy your weekend! :)

Happy Friday!