The Art Of Blogging
Blogging is one of those things that require just as much proper implementation of technique as it does an approach with a certain degree of art.
You can read about all of the whiz-bang tips, tricks, and advice on how to make your blog pull in the numbers, but if you disregard certain intangible aspects that make a blog connect to your readers on a visceral level, it is a bit like bullets hitting paper–no impact and little results.
One of the keys to the effectiveness of a blog is its ability to connect to its readers beyond a purely informational level. As unique as your chosen niche may be, chances are someone already has a similar blog posted online…perhaps even several “someones”…
So how do you make your blog stand out from all the other blogs on the scene? Obviously, you should be as well-versed as possible in the particular topic that you have chosen for your blog. Any potential readers will rely on you to provide relevant and useful information, and any attempts to wing-it by providing second hand or erroneous information will likely result in your readers leaving your blog in droves…provided they even check it out in the first place!
You should also strive to make your content as informative as possible without coming across as too stodgy or academic. There are already scores of textbook out there–even about the subjects that you are writing about–and if they wanted the dry, scholarly approach, there are few reasons why they should go to a blog to get it! Try to keep your writing casual, informal, and approachable within reason, and you will have a better chance of connecting with more readers.
That being said, being informal or casual is no reason to throw grammar and punctuation rules out the window. Sure blogging tends to be a lot less formal than other types of communication, but unless you want your readers to lose patience quickly–or worse, doubt the veracity of your content–it would be best to stick to language that is universally understandable, and follows the rules of grammar.
