By: Akhil Shahani
As an entrepreneur who has seen his share of success, you probably have a wealth of wisdom founded on practical experience. If you’ve wanted to share your thoughts with others with similar interests, but didn’t have the time or inclination to author a bestselling book, writing a blog is just the thing for you. Indeed, most CEOs are taking to it in a big way. Why not join the gang?
The most important criterion while writing a blog is to do it with passion. The second is to ensure that the content is of high quality. Also remember that getting and holding the readers’ attention immediately is particularly important in blogging. Why? Because there are millions of blogs out there on the internet and there has to be a good reason for someone to stop at your site and stay. Here are some of them:
o Write on a subject that’s close to your heart – For a businessperson that could be technology, employee motivation, business ethics or something else. This topic will be your theme and the more passionate you are about it, the better your writing will be. People read blogs because they are interested in the personal opinions of people like themselves, and therefore, cold, clinical writing won’t hold water.
o Be conversational – Writing a blog is not the same as crafting an academic treatise, so complex, elaborate text is out. Imagine you are talking to a group of friends. Write in a friendly way – do not talk down to them and keep up a conversational tone at all times. That way, you’ll encourage your readers to write back, and that is the true measure of your blog’s success.
o Credit your sources – Never use someone else’s content without giving them due credit. Always acknowledge your sources and link to them; use quotation marks when you write something that is not in your own words and if you want to post a few paragraphs from another site, please ask for permission first. This is not just basic courtesy but will also ensure that you stay out of potential trouble for copyright violation.
o Think before you post – Content is king in a blog. So write thoughtfully and knowledgeably on your chosen subject. Do not rant and rave and make your readers run for cover! Another important point to remember is to stick to your topic; do not digress too much from your intended purpose. You will quickly lose readers if you do.
o Link to interesting stories – If you talk about something interesting that you found online, provide a link to it. Nothing is more annoying to a reader than having to search for a way to get to something on the Net. Be sure to link to articles, books, products, other sites and anything else you mention in your blog.
o Respond to comments – Always, always remember to respond to readers’ comments. Nothing drives away a reader faster than not having his or her comment answered. It also implies that you are a serious blogger and care about what your readers think.
o Write concisely – Give the maximum amount of information using the optimum number of words. An introduction of 250-300 words is usually adequate. Clear, concise writing laced with appropriate humor is sure to win you a big fan following.
o Use catchy titles – The headline should draw the reader in. When writing a blog, take care to use descriptive phrases that reveal the purpose of the article. A reader typically decides whether to continue reading the post or not, by looking at the title of the blog entry. Tell as much of the story as you can in the headline.
o Post regularly – You need to write frequently and regularly to keep your blog fresh and in your readers’ minds. The blogs that attract the most readers are the ones with constant and consistent updates.
o Write effectively – Use bulleted points to draw attention. Insert sub headings and keep the sentences and headlines short and to the point. Use the “inverse pyramid” structure – mention the core ideas first and fill in the details in later paragraphs. The first two sentences should be enough for the readers to decide if they want to continue reading.
o Edit your post – Review your content before posting. Proof-read for typos and glaring grammatical errors. This is also a good time to take an objective look at your writing to ensure that you don’t have something offensive or incorrect in it.
The Web has a way of changing things as we know them. Now, you can have thousands of people read what you have to say on any topic. So, find that passion of yours and start blogging – who knows where it may lead? To a published book, perhaps!
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Hi, I am Akhil Shahani, a serial entrepreneur who wants to help you succeed. Over the years I have run many successful businesses & made many mistakes on the way. I have created www.aykya.com to help you benefit from all I’ve learned on my journey. Please visit us & download our special ‘Freebie of the Month’ as a thank you for your visit.