When you read as many blogs as I do you start to notice things. Little things. Things that get under you skin after a while and make you just want to slap somebody and scream, “Enough!” But, we live in a civilized world and, you know, you can’t just go around slapping people any time you feel like it, right? Here are 10 things I wish all bloggers I read would do so I can stop worrying about getting arrested.
Get to the point
I don’t care how busy your life is right now and I don’t care why you’ve been away from your blog for a few days. You’re here now and the title of your article says you’re going to tell me how to generate traffic with Tumblr. Please shut up and get to the point.
Learn how to format their text
Do these bloggers not understand what that preview button is for? No matter what platform you’re using there’s always a preview button – use it, please.
Learn the rules regarding paragraphs and double space at the end of each one so I can see where one paragraph ends and the next begin. One huge blog of unbroken text is almost impossible to read.
Create headings, sub-headings and bold text to pull out the important points you want me to see so I’ll be sure not to miss them – especially since everything’s all jumbled into one paragraph.
Limit their links
I appreciate you including links to relevant content in the body of the article, really I do. But please limit those links. More than three and you’re obviously trying to include too much information. If it’s that important, write another article.
Quote their sources
Don’t tell me that Matt Cutts had something interesting to say and then serve me a link. Quote him. Tell me what he had to say and then include the link. That way, I won’t have to leave your blog to get this valuable information. See how that works?
Be unique
Really? Another Top 10 Twitter Tips post? Seriously? Is that the best you could do? C’mon, man. Look, I know there’s a lot of competition out there and when a thousand other bloggers are all talking about the same thing there’s bound to be some overlap. But I read your blog because I like YOUR viewpoint. So tell me what this means to YOU.
Be concise
Quit leaving out steps. Make sure all 10 steps or 100 steps are there and make sure they’re in the proper order. And if necessary, please explain them for those of us who don’t necessarily understand the jargon or slang you’re using.
Be relevant
I didn’t come to your gardening blog because I wanted to find out how you’re using Twitter to increase your traffic. If I want to know something about Twitter I’ll go visit someone who’s an expert on Twitter, not tomatoes.
Grab my attention
I know we’re supposed to provide top quality information, but “information” doesn’t always have to be presented in a textbook format. Remember how boring it was to read an encylopedia (back when we HAD encyclopedias)? That’s what your articles are beginning to sound like. Take a walk. Visit with friends. Go out and get a fresh perspective on life and bring it back to your blog.
Stop showing off
I know you’re the expert, that’s why I visit your blog. It’s not necessary to remind me in every other paragraph “In this article I showed you…” and “In this article that won an award I said…” It’s distracting and most of those links aren’t even relevant. You’re just showing off.
Quit blogging
After you’ve been blogging for a while you tend to forget there are actually people out there listening to you. Oh, you see the traffic number, but the blush is off the rose, so to speak, and you’re just sort of operating on autopilot. You get all caught up in lists posts and How-To articles and “template-style” blog posts just because they’re quick and easy.
I wish the bloggers I read would quit blogging and get back to having one-on-one conversations with their readers. I started following these bloggers because I felt some sort of connection with all of them but now I kind of feel like there’s nobody home when I visit.
What do you think? Let me know in the comments below!