blogs

Jan 29 2013

A Better Blog: Episode 2

Make your Blog Scannable

Good blog posts can be scanned with the eyes. In order to make this possible, use bold text to make the important content stick out. Make things like dates, times, and people appear in bold type. When a reader is scanning over the content, this important text helps them decide if the content is worth slowing down for.

Changing colors is discouraged. For some visitors, this can make reading the blog more difficult. Stick to standard ornamentation to text by using boldface and italics to emphasize important points.

If you have a really long blog post, consider using headings to break up sections. You’ll find the tool for adding headings in the Visual (expanded) toolbar in WordPress.

By John Hendron • Learning for Teachers • • Tags: blogging, blogs

Jan 28 2013

A Better Blog: Episode 1

This is the first of a series of ten new blog posts on making a better blog. Today’s is about choosing a great title.

Great blogs are made up of great blog posts. More often than not, great blogs have more frequently-updated content, as opposed to long blog posts. Some folks like to think in daily units, some in weekly. But don’t feel you have to maintain a schedule. Good blogs deliver fresh news, when it’s fresh.

What makes a blog post delicious? If we think of a blog as a smorgasbord or type of edible buffet, then each blog post is a different type of food. Posts people want to read, we could say, are delicious. What’s the recipe?

It starts with a good title.

The title should relate to something mentioned in the blog post. It’s easy enough to list a week or a date and to cram everything going on that you’ve planned into that blog post. But over time, the dates aren’t so important. In fact, the blogging software is time- and date-stamping each and every post. Instead, what stands out? If you have too many things going on within one post, then maybe you need to split them up.

A good title will draw people in. And it can also help them stay away. If the content isn’t relevant to your audience, they’ll thank you for saving them time.

Above all else, something in the title of your blog post should relate to something unique about the post.

As with each of these tips, I am leaving comments open in case other readers have examples or additional insight to share!

By John Hendron • Learning for Teachers • • Tags: blogging, blogs