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CrossCountry
08-02-2012, 08:39 PM
Hello,

Earlier this week I started to microblog. In trying to write good blogs I did a search for "the anatomy of a blog" but all I got were very technical aspects about the blog, the SSL, the comments, and other mechanics. What I am really looking for, is more like a formula.

For example, PR Releases have a standard format, the title, the lead paragraph has to respond the questions, who? what? where? when? why? And then, in matter of descending degree of importance we begin to write the details in the follwing paragraphs. Would some of you share your formula?

Thank you

Harold Mansfield
08-02-2012, 11:03 PM
My suggestion, don't search for tips on successful blogging. It's a mess of information and misinformation. Search for tips of successful copywriters, and marketers,

websonalized
08-02-2012, 11:18 PM
I think I understand what you mean.

Well, not exactly a formula, but use a conversational tone. I say write topics that are easy for you to discuss and connect to other industries or that somehow get an angle that your target audience can related.

Then, first paragraph sort of a background of the little story you are going to narrate, maybe something triggered your creativitiy. What was this thing? Then, still in the intro, state what the gist will be about.

The other paragraphs unfold the story, and wrap up with a lesson, or something you discovered.

The idea is to make it a second nature.

KristineS
08-03-2012, 12:11 PM
I think the formula depends on the blogger. You want to keep your most interesting information or ideas in the first paragraph to hook the reader. Other than that, it really depends on how it works best for you. Some bloggers are more comfortable with a more conversational style. Others like to be more professorial. Write how it feels comfortable for you and make your posts something to which your audience can relate.

There really isn't any standardized format for how a post should be. Each blogger does it a little differently.

vangogh
08-03-2012, 06:06 PM
There's no formula for blogging success. If anything blogging by formula would kill a blog. The things you mention (title, lead, etc) are important though and they work the same way they have for everything ever written. A good title or heading will get people to click and visit your posts and get them reading your opening paragraph. Your opening will get people to continue. Good use of subheadings throughout a post will also help people scan the whole thing before deciding if they want to read. Ideally someone could get the gist of what you're saying by reading only the heading and subheadings and perhaps your lead paragraph.

However there's not one way to have a successful blog. It depends on your topic, your strength in creating content, the kind of people you want to attract, and what they want to see. The best thing you could do is get started and see what works and what doesn't. Blogs tend to be more informal, though they don't have to be. Try different things and always look to improve on what you've done. If you keep at it and keep working to make things better based on what your audience wants you will find your voice.

Having said that it can be good to launch with what some call cornerstone content. It's longer form content, often a series of posts, that really lets people know what your blog is about. Here are a couple of posts about it from CopyBlogger that will explain it better than I could.

How to Create Cornerstone Content That Google Loves (http://www.copyblogger.com/how-to-create-cornerstone-content-that-google-loves/)
How Cornerstone Content Gets You Traffic and Subscribers (http://www.copyblogger.com/cornerstone-pages/)

While you're at CopyBlogger look around. There's a lot of great information about growing a blog, specifically to build a business. Look on the right hand side for the tutorials. I'd recommend starting with content marketing since it will give you good information about how to approach your blog and why you're blogging in the first place. Search the site for the series on writing headlines. Try searching magnetic headlines. I think that's what it's called. It offers formulas for writing headlines that you can then customize and make your own.

DTGeorge
11-11-2013, 08:26 AM
Van Gogh has some great links - you can certainly start with Copyblogger, which has a number of resources that will teach you to put together powerful blog content.

Problogger is another great resource for finding information on putting together great blog content



Hello,

Earlier this week I started to microblog. In trying to write good blogs I did a search for "the anatomy of a blog" but all I got were very technical aspects about the blog, the SSL, the comments, and other mechanics. What I am really looking for, is more like a formula.

For example, PR Releases have a standard format, the title, the lead paragraph has to respond the questions, who? what? where? when? why? And then, in matter of descending degree of importance we begin to write the details in the follwing paragraphs. Would some of you share your formula?

Thank you

vangogh
11-12-2013, 01:10 AM
I'll second the recommendation for ProBlogger. I don't read it as much anymore, but when I was first getting started it was the site to learn about blogging.

Dana_White
11-12-2013, 05:03 PM
I think the formula depends on the blogger. You want to keep your most interesting information or ideas in the first paragraph to hook the reader. Other than that, it really depends on how it works best for you. Some bloggers are more comfortable with a more conversational style. Others like to be more professorial. Write how it feels comfortable for you and make your posts something to which your audience can relate.

There really isn't any standardized format for how a post should be. Each blogger does it a little differently.

This is really solid advice. As cheesy as it sounds just be yourself. The most important aspect of succeeding with blogging is to post quality content and post often!

vangogh
11-14-2013, 12:11 AM
Being yourself is important. A large part of what blogging does is it lets you connect with people. You'll have more success connecting and building relationships when you're being your genuine self than pretending to be something you aren't.

ryantc
11-18-2013, 08:35 PM
I try to write about my niche's pain points...or questions they have...and I try to give them a solution. One recommendation though...spend 50% of your time on writing blog posts and 50% on promoting your blog posts.

vangogh
11-20-2013, 02:40 AM
Pain points and solutions are a good approach Ryan.. Good point too about spending time promoting your blog. It's something people forget, especially early on. Once you build an audience, your audience will do a lot of your promoting for you, but you definitely have to get the ball rolling early on and you still need to keep promoting after you have readers.