The communication era in which we find ourselves has completely revolutionized the many ways in which we communicate on a daily basis. A blog, which is likened to an “online personal essay” (Marsh, Guth & Short, 2009, p.108), has become a widely used media that people can use personally or professionally to build a network of followers with which to communicate and collaborate. “Blogs are informal, informative and often entertaining” (Marsh, Guth & Short, 2009, p.108). The goal is to create an effective blog, which is one that will capture the viewer’s attention, keep them coming back, and motivate them to join in on the dialogue, all of which requires meaningful content and visual appeal.
If the blog design is visually unappealing, the likelihood that the viewer will stay long enough to read the content is pretty remote. Michael Martin, founder of Pro Blog Design, states that there are seven elements to making a blog look good: structure, balance, color, small details, clarity and emphasis, remarkability, and functionality. According to Martin, the blog design should be easy for the viewer to follow with a color scheme and enough white space to make it easy to read; emphasis should be placed on the most important elements; and it should be functional (Martin, June 26th). A blog that is visually cluttered with irrelevant material will quickly lose the viewer’s interest. The viewer will leave the site and remember it no more, which is not the goal of a successful blog. “Design is not important solely when the visitor is on the site, but also when they have left it” (Martin, Sept. 24th). Ultimately, the blog needs to be authentic and memorable.
One of the easiest ways to authenticate a blog is to add personal photographs or other images. The use of images can break up the text, making it easier for readers to continue reading the content. A recent study conducted with EyeTrackShop on the way social media users view profiles revealed that users focus on images and the text nearby, which indicates that the use of multiple images can help guide readers down the page (Clay, 2011, para. 5). But, personal photos and other images alone are not enough to attract returning viewers to a blog.
Blog content is a vital part of creating an effective blog. Blog posts need to be informative, yet interesting enough to hold the reader’s attention. People want to be entertained, and if they can simultaneously learn something new, or be brought up-to-date on a particular topic of interest, the odds of their returning to the blog significantly increase. Incorporating humor and sharing real life stories are great ways to entertain and inform viewers. The abundance of reality television programs is proof positive that people enjoy peering into the lives of complete strangers. Jenny Seeby with Ezinearticles.com writes, “People love real life experiences. What about the things that have gone wrong? Gone right? It only has to be vaguely related to your topic – as long as you can find some link with it, you’re fine” (Seeby, n.d., para. 6). Nevertheless, blog content needs to be current in order to maintain relevance.
No one wants to read the same material over and over; therefore, blogs need to be updated frequently. “You must post regularly to keep people coming back and in order for them to regard it as a useful source of information” (Seeby, n.d., para. 7). We live in a world in which there is nothing as constant as change, and viewers want to read fresh and new blog posts when visiting a site. A blog that is not updated on a consistent basis communicates to the viewer that the author is passive about the subject matter, and the blog will not be viewed as a credible source. However, updating a blog does not have to become a full-time job. Simplify the process by sharing the material of others sometimes and be sure to give credit where credit is due.
People blog because they have something to say; therefore, they will be glad to have their blogs cited, provided they are given attribution. Likewise, posting outgoing links to other sites may inspire them to return the favor and generate incoming links back, which can help earn a blog a higher rank in search results (Clay, 2011, para. 7). Additionally, sharing information from other sources is a quick and easy way to bring fresh content to blog viewers. In today’s fast paced lifestyles, people place a high priority on convenience. Having access to multiple sources through their favorite blog is convenient, similar to Walmart’s Supercenter concept of one stop shopping. This type of blog management helps to build relationships with blog viewers, which will likely encourage them to engage in conversation through posting their comments.
According to Seeby, “The best blogs get lots of comments” (Seeby, n.d., para. 10). “Blogs actively invite written responses, offering a Comments link to allow readers to agree, disagree or extend the discussion” (Marsh, Guth & Short, 2009, p.108). Blogs with lots of comments are a testament to the richness of the information being exchanged. The comments, along with the other elements previously described, are things for which to be on the lookout when reading and evaluating a blog.
Learning to create an effective blog is a process that takes practice. It involves reading lots of blogs and taking note of what works and what does not work on each one, then applying the learning to my own blog. Just like any writer, I have something to say and my goal is to write something that others desire to read.
References:
Clay, K. (2011, December 1). Five critical components of a blog post. Lockergnome. Retrieved on December 4, 2011 from http://www.lockergnome.com/social/2011/12/01/five-critical-components-of-a-blog-post/
Marsh, C., Guth, D., & Short, B. (2009). Strategic Writing: Multimedia writing for public relations, advertising and more (2nd ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
Martin, M. (June 26th). 7 elements to make your blog look great. Pro Blog Design. Retrieved on December 4, 2011 from http://www.problogdesign.com/design/7-elements-to-make-your-blog-look-great/
Seeby, J. (n.d.). What makes a good blog? Ezinearticles. Retrieved on December 4, 2011 from http://ezinearticles.com/?What-Makes-a-Good-Blog?&id=5035914
No comments:
Post a Comment