If you’re looking for a Top 10 list, you will not find it in this post. However, I will share what I’ve learned during my research on “How to Become a Better Blogger”.
I found a lot of sites offer so many tips out there. Most of them churned out posts just for the sake of creating new posts. They varied in style, but generally gave out the same tips. The posts that tickled me were about bloggers comparing blogging to a life experience. Some of the good ones were Blogging and Rabbits, Confucius Blog, Blogging like a Storm, and Blogs are like Cafes. These sorts of tips do get repetitive after a while, and they don’t really provide that much value to me.
A blog’s main form of communication is through words. It’s very important the written words are understandable. It’s something I’m striving to do with my blogs. When it comes to blogging advice, I tend to gravitate toward bloggers who are writers. They have the best tips all around, such as correcting grammar and spelling mistakes, exercise good writing habits, or how to overcome writer’s block. These people are:
If you’re serious about blogging as I am, you can start by subscribing to their RSS feeds and note their writing tips. I learned quite a bit from them in just the past few weeks. I’m glad these people are available to help me become a better writer, and a better blogger. Use them, today!
Building IT
Jot It Down
I always blog best after a few drinks.
Periapex’s last blog post..A Sexy Root Canal?
Periapex: you, my friend, is the reason Comments Moderation in WordPress a Good Thing(tm). π
I’m the same way. I love the idea of relating two things that you would have never thought relatable – no matter what it is.
Thanks for the shout, I’m very honored, in a humbling kind of way. ;o)
J.F.H.’s last blog post..What One Month of Blogging Has Taught Me (and some stats)
Hi Jay. The parallelism (metaphor?) posts can be interesting if it’s done once in a blue moon. I actually came up with one the other day. I’ll write a post about it and look forward to read people’s reaction.
*blushes* Aww, I’m so touched that you think of my blog as a resource. I had to admit when I first started reading this I thought I might get denounced as a writer who, “churned out a blog tips post just for the sake of it”. *chuckles* That is the power of meme’s and I do have a very popular tips post about blogging.
I think the most important tip for all bloggers is to provide value. Readers are consumers. They’re out there because they want something. Part of our job as writers is to choose our target market (the people who want what we can give them) and then deliver. Just like any other consumer driven business, blogs need to work hard to keep customers coming back.
There you go, a blog tip: Blogs Are A Consumer Driven Business. π
Rebecca Laffar-Smith’s last blog post..Does All Writing Teach?
Metaphor = This something IS that something.
Simile = Something IS LIKE something.
I think “parallelism posts” is a perfect name for the posts you mean. It is posts that compare the similarities between two things. I love those kind of posts on occasion too but sometimes it can feel like the blogsphere has been taken over by them.
Rebecca Laffar-Smith’s last blog post..Does All Writing Teach?
Hi Rebecca.
You are right about us being consumer driven. As readers, we always think what we’re getting out of it. But as bloggers, we should take a step further and share what we learned, as truthful and as complete as possible. No gimmicks, no fancy marketing. I guess I just long for the purity of blogging.
I have a few “blogs about blogging” feed in my readers and I browse their tips everyday. Pretty useful!
Zhu’s last blog post..Things That Suck
You wouldn’t moderate me…would you?
And what is this purity of blogging stuff? It’s like I just turned down the wrong alley and now I’m in the middle of a blogging cult.
Just kidding. I’ve just had some single malt GlenSomethingOrTheOther. And that’s a Good Thing.
Periapex’s last blog post..Curiosity Can Kill Cats and Me.
@Zhu : yeah, some of them are pretty good. Maybe I was just reading way too many in the past few weeks, that they seemed to be talking about the same things all the time.
_
@Periapex : blogging cult? I’m not the one living in a compound, surrounded by acres of trees, in the middle of nowhere. π Anyway, I am 87% addicted to blogging, remember?
Well it looks like blogs out in the midde of nowhere can still get hacked…Gotta find the entrypoint and see what might have been modified.
Periapex’s last blog post..Curiosity Can Kill Cats and Me.
[…] How to Become a Better Blogger – The Blog of Rudy Amid – If I was going to do a Daily Read focusing on writing blogs, this would be the collection of blogs I’d mention. Please not onyl visit this post and read it, but make sure to visit the blogs he mentions also. Especially if you want to improve your writing. […]
I guess I just long for the purity of blogging.
I think the purity of blogging comes from those of us who truly love to blog. We aren’t in it for the money, we just want to share and give to the greater community, make friends, and get to know remarkable people who share our interests.
Rebecca Laffar-Smith’s last blog post..Does All Writing Teach?
Hi Rebecca. Exactly! That summary should be in every blogger’s tagline/motto.
Just found this–thanks for the kind mention! I’m 100% in favor of detailed blog posts for the very reason you were all just discussing–it’s more valuable.
Jennifer’s last blog post..Interviewing: Phone vs. Email
Hi Jennifer. I’m glad to be able to mention you and the other great writers in the blogosphere. I hope I can continue to deliver more value with my blogs, even though sometimes I don’t write long posts.
First time visitor from Entrecard. Great post. I am the furthest thing from a natural writer and it’s often that I get writers block. What works for me is when I get an idea I type it out without checking for grammatical errors/structure. That way, all the ideas are down on paper first, then structure second.
The Smith Manoeuvre’s last blog post..By: Information Web Net » Blog Archive » Comment on The Smith Manoeuvre – A Wealth Strategy (Part 1) by Ed ?
That is a very common way to start writing: just type away and let the ideas pour out. I’ve heard that from many writers and bloggers, so it obviously works. I still have to develop the discipline to do it. I always get distracted one way or another.
Its interesting you bring that up. Since I am so new to blogging (well, essentially, blogging for a purpose) I have the tendency to scramble for things to write about since, what I think is interesting, my development in design, takes so much time to accomplish that it becomes boring and hard to follow.
SunRhythms’s last blog post..I like Light Sabers!
great advice.. funny cause i started a blog and for 2 years never read anyone elses… somehow I was successful anyway… but the improvement i’ve seen since i began subscribing to rss feeds several months ago is crazy
Bobby Rio’s last blog post..Giants Win Super Bowl
I find that a key to better blogging is simply reading others. I don’t mean two or three of your favorites but at least 50 blogs a day. You will soon see which ones keep dishing out the quality and the next time you write a piece you’ll think to yourself ‘Is this the kind of post that I would skim over or really digest..’
Bruce from the Bookshop Blog’s last blog post..How to Package Books for Shipping
@SunRythms:
I think I know what you mean. Sometimes I do spend way too much time on how my post is going to LOOK, rather how COMPLETE it is.
_
@Bobby Rio:
Yeah, me too. I started reading some of my old posts, and I started to cringe! I couldn’t believe the words that I had written. It was bad most of the time.
_
@Bruce:
It also helps to do a sanity check and start trimming those 50 blogs a day down to a handful a day. I find out of those 50, they tend to talk about the same stuff anyway. So I narrow them down to the ones with “authority”, and stick with them.
Thank you for the honorable mention, and the link. It sure is flattering to be put with such great company!
Melissa Donovan’s last blog post..Iβve Been Interviewed – Announcement and Exercise
Hi Melissa. You’re welcome. You belong in such great company.
Thanks so much for these great resources! I’m always eager to learn more. I’m subscribing to your feed too so I can continue to read your blog.
Connie’s last blog post..I’m A Wreck
Hi Connie. Welcome to the party! It’s always nice to connect with new people. Please let me know if you need to pick my brain. π
[…] are great blogging tips from Darren Rowse and Seth Godin. Right now I’m concentrating on how to write, because if you can’t understand me, you won’t like what I’ve […]
[…] my attempt to do a Blogging Parallelism post. It’s a tribute to Chris Rice’s inspirational music “Other Side of the […]
I just did a post on exactly how impressive great writers are since the only medium they have to work with is words. Come gather round my campfire and check it out. Rick
Rick’s last blog post..You are all entitled to my opinionβ¦
Hi Rick. Are all great writers suppose to have an attitude? π You have a nice blog, by the way.
I just write whatever I can think off, English language is not my food since birth. All that i can do was write just to make visitor to understand my content. Before this I’m using Whitesmoke software to check my grammar but since the trial expired, I had to rely on my self.
Halim-Belajar SEO’s last blog post..Create your own free website | Step by step | newbie guide
Hey Halim,
Writing does take a lot of practice. Keep reading the websites that I recommended in this post, and read some other ones. I’m quite certain you’ll improve your English, even though it isn’t your first language.
Thanks for the useful links and tips! I’ve been suffering from blog *block* lately π
Angela’s last blog post..the survey for people who make websites
Hi Angela,
Well, I hope either I, or the people listed above, can help you unblock your creativity.
If you’re looking for topics, I can always use more gardening tips. π
So true.. there are a lot of articles out there giving blogging tips and some are not useful to me either. They are repetitive. I do agree with what you said, blogging help us with our writing skills including grammar and spelling. Thanks for the tips ;0
Hye Munar’s last blog post..Google Chrome Browser Released For Download on Tuesday
Hey Hye (not a typo! π
Glad to have helped. Anything to make the blogging experience more enriching and rewarding.