Tips For Being A Better Blogger
	Posted By: abelajohnb Greetings All, Yesterday I spent a good amount of time writing up some helpful tips to different members of ChristianBlog.Com on how to become more proficient bloggers, gain a bigger audience, properly format their blog entries, helping to keep readers attention, trying not to loose readers attention, and the biggest of all, not offending your readers. For the most part, most of what I shared with our members went over really well. Sadly a few of them took my tips as criticism, but I suspect that is something that one will always face in helping others. Except for those few who did take my comments as criticism, they all suggested to me that I post all of my thoughts into a blog entry for the general public. So, here is a result of yesterdays tip-sharing! Without a doubt the biggest complaint we here is when people do not use paragraph breaks. Spend some time hitting that "enter" button and put some paragraph breaks into your Blog Entry! Use BBCode such as bold and italic to highlight - but do not overdue it - and stay away from entire lines of SHOUTING which really annoys most people. Never criticism a man or women in the ministry. Most people simply do not want to read about a person in the ministry being criticized; it will make them stop reading your blog on-the-spot almost every time. Try not to over-do smilies. You really do not need a smilie at the first and/or end of every line of your blog Try to use "title breaks" when you are switching from one point of thought to another. A title break every few paragraphs does a LOT to keep readers reading your blog entry. Almost every serious blogger I read - regardless of the blogging website - has had to learn to do this. At some point, people just start skipping over stuff, and our job as authors is to keep them engaged, and in the blogging world, this is best done via bold breaker-marks (or whatever you want to call them). See my "Ahh, The Start of Something New!" as a prime example of using "title breaks". When quoting others, or Scripture, always use the "BBCode Quote" to help break things up into a logical format and to help make things much easier to read. Plus, for some weird reason, Christian tend to read everything BUT Scriptures when they are reading blogs... so by throwing verses into a "BBCode quote"... it helps forces them out of the norm and forces them to realize they should read it. (usually) Perhaps the biggest tip serious bloggers are doing these days is ending their blog entries with a way to engage the reader to respond back. This doesn't have to be an open-ended-question of sort... but just some way to engage the reader to WANT to respond, rather then just responding to say "hey, nice blog". Sometimes this means less factual data and more real-life stories that are easy to relate too (people engage in things they can relate to). Sometimes this means flat-out stating "so this is what I believe, what about you?" (though this is tended to be discourage within every blog a person writes), and sometimes it just means spending a few paragraphs at the end of your blog sharing your own personal thoughts, outside of the direct content of your blog topic, yet weaving the topic into it. You know, some kind of personal story that you experienced in your own life about the given topic. Sometimes Blog Entries read more like "bible study" then a persons thoughts - and most Christians are "bible studied out"... if you know what I mean. Anyway, you should get the point... try to find some way to engage the readers to respond, rather then just leaving it up to chance that they might respond, just for. Try your best to make the majority of content within your Blog Entry relate to your "Blog Title". There is nothing worse then clicking into a Blog Entry only to find out that 90% of the blog has nothing at all to do with what the Blog Title said the blog would be about. That is like going to a Toyota dealer and all they have on their lots are Fords. (I own both, so no ragging on me here lol... and yes, I've own a chevy too LOL) The use of A LOT OF CAPS is typically frowned upon too... most people just don't like it when people do that. While we authors think it helps people understand - or to really get - the point, in fact what happens, is when you do that a lot within a single blog entry, people start "reading over" the ALL CAPS... human nature is unpredictable lol. Try to stay on-topic. "Rabbit chasing" usually does not work as good in blogging as it might in our pastors sermons! People want to stay on-topic when they are reading, so try to honor them as much as possible by doing so. Of course, there are going to be times when you just need to completely change directions within your Blog Entry, but when you do so, be sure to use the "Title Breaks" I mentioned above, so the reader knows you are going to be switching topics. Another thing most top blog authors have learned over the last few years since blogging has taken off is there is this fine-line between "when to reply and when not too". Most top blog authors agree that you should not really respond to your own blog entry unless there has been a direct question back to you by multiple people. They have learned that you should almost never reply to a challenge from a commentor, as typically in responding to them you tend to loose the "readership interest" of everybody else who might read the blog. It seems that while people -want- the blog author to respond, in doing so that causes others to not respond *after* the blog author has responded. LOL, just count how many blogs between the top bloggers here at ChristianBlog.Com where we have blogs with multiple comments, and the Blog Authors own comments are the last one in the blog LOL... I really don't get why that is so... but it seems to be so. I've learned this one the hard way... and still forget it at times lol. Try to stay away from terminology that only you know what the meaning of it is. I have this thing my friends laugh at me about all the time... infact they have come to call it "Abela-ism" -- in which I'll just make-up totally weird "one-liners" out of nowhere. In a room of friends that is one thing, when writing to a global audience, it is something completely different. Back when I was a missions director we always use to try to teach those going on their first mission trip to stay away from "churchie terms" when talking with somebody who had zero-idea of Christianity. We Christians have got a whole dictionary of terms that it seems only we use, but in the process of being a really great blog author, we have to realize that we need to shy away from using that whole dictionary Something else that some of the other top bloggers (at least here at CB) have learned works is to "feed off each other". Take a concept in somebody else's blog and write off of it's concept -- I'm not talking about writing about the "same topic" as they did, but something they've talked about within their blog that you can spin-off of it and go with. When you do this, be sure to include a BBCode link back to the persons blog where the idea came from - what this does is cause a sort of "internal relationship building" between bloggers -- and as certain bloggers gather fans who read their material grow, when they start linking to other bloggers blogs, it can grow your own readership-base. Check out the "BBCode: How Do I Link To Another Blog Entry?" for how to link to another blog entry within ChristianBlog.Com! Try not to leave people 'hanging' about the topic you are talking about. Most of us are not mystery writers in the process of writing a multi-book series. If you open a topic, try to close the topic. It just really frustrates most people when blog authors open a topic but fail to close the topic. Before you press the "publish" button, go through and read your blog a few times to make sure you've closed all the topics you brought up. While I am at it, allow me to mention a really great blog entitled "Making ChristianBlog.Com Your Primary Blogging Site", written by one of our Top 5 Bloggers, that goes into detail of how newer bloggers can get the most out of ChristianBlog.Com! One of the greatest things I think I shared yesterday was this: Quote: Pretty much everybody agrees, the idea behind being a blogger is two-fold: (1) To find a release within ones-self of that urge to write/share with others. (2) To build a loyal base of readers who stay up-to-date on everything you publish, engage you when you do publish, and thereby continue to be successful in growing your base of loyal readership. In your research, writing, and final reviewing of your blog entries, try to keep those two ideas in mind. (a) Am I writing this for myself or for others? If for myself, do I really need to share it with a global audience? If I am writing it for others, am I being sensitive to them and will it read like I am intending it to sound? (b) Will what I am publishing help grow my reader base? Will it be something my existing reader base find this something they will enjoy reading? While this new publication help draw in new devotees? And, in closing this, I will share this... Our "motto" at ChristianBlog.Com has always been: "A website where people can be blessed, and bless others!". It would be my greatest hope that in your course of striving to be a blogger, that you would keep that motto in mind -- really stop and ask yourself, "Is this going to bless others??" -- personally, I hope it will, and I hope with these tips, and any other tips that I invite everybody to share, that we can all help be both a blessing to others, and be blessed in the process! For Christ's Ministry, John B. Abela Founder/Owner, ChristianBlog.Com permalink   Posted: 04/09/08 7:56am - Total Views: 1,217 - Category: Site News   View: Backlinks Similar Blog Entries:   New Blogger,  Granny blogger,  A Few HouseHold tips,  brand new blogger,  New Blogger: Help Getting My Hubby To Church With Us???,  Blog Tags:   bloggers,  christianblog,  entry,  read,  topic,  writing,

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	blessings2you
	Posted by:  blessings2you  (Posted: 04/09/08 8:33am) permalink Thank you for taking the time to help us do a better job of being a "blogger" vs. a writer. I didn't realize how much of a difference there was between the two until recently. I am sure I can learn these codes, it will just take practice. I will certainly try to incorporate many of these suggestions into my blogs. Thank you again. B2Y Quote Comment:

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	iraqivetsgtret
	Posted by:  iraqivetsgtret  (Posted: 04/09/08 8:58am) permalink ty john for sharing this wisdom and insight.my whole focus on blogging changed from being about what "i' want to what god wants me to do to bless others. Quote Comment:

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	kraftykatz
	Posted by:  kraftykatz  (Posted: 04/09/08 9:30am) permalink I had not thought of writing being different then blogging. Everything you mention, all the tips, that is why some books and some authors are checked out of the library on a regular basis and some rarely. I have found reading all CAPS very hard as the words seem to my eyesight to all run together. The same is true when all lower case letters are use. It is like one very long word on a page. Using the BBCode has not been successful for me, but I will keep trying. KraftyKatz drinking Earl Grey tea Quote Comment:

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	happytoberestored
	Posted by:  happytoberestored  (Posted: 04/09/08 10:55am) permalink John, Thank you for taking the time to post this for us all. It is greatly helpful! h2br Quote Comment:

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	greybear
	Posted by:  greybear  (Posted: 04/09/08 11:20am) permalink Now how in the world am I suppose to remember ALL that! Geez! Ok, good points and certainly worth reading a couple of times LightHeaded, GB Quote Comment:

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	savedbyegrace
	Posted by:  savedbyegrace  (Posted: 04/09/08 11:21am) permalink John, Absolutely wonderful tips and hints, although I agree that I am not having tons of luck using the BBCode. I'll try a bit more on that. And I can't imagine anyone taking offense at your words of wisdom here. YSIC, Gracie Quote Comment:

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	abelajohnb
	Posted by:  abelajohnb  (Posted: 04/09/08 12:53pm) permalink Hello All, Thank you to everybody who took the time to respond, especially those of you who I already shared some of this with either in blog entries yesterday, or via private messages yesterday! I'd like to address some of the comments so far as some of it is good-stuff !! blessings2you wrote: Thank you for taking the time to help us do a better job of being a "blogger" vs. a writer. I didn't realize how much of a difference there was between the two until recently. I will certainly try to incorporate many of these suggestions into my blogs. Yes, I use to publish articles and when I got into blogging (especially within a community blogging website, like ChristianBlog.Com) I quickly learned I needed to rethink the way I approached my writing. Unlike writing for magazines, in books, or other publications, blogging has something unique to it... instant feedback from your readers ... that we just do not have in the article/book realm! It really forces you to think before you hit that "Publish" button! iraqivetsgtret wrote: my whole focus on blogging changed from being about what "i' want to what god wants me to do to bless others Yeah, no doubt!! I typically write one or two major articles a quarter - but often find that I cannot publish them here at CB or my other personal blog websites, exactly because of that! When "writing" and not "blogging" one is writing for publishers, or managers... when blogging, one is writing for themselves and fellow bloggers -- often a much different crowd then published article readers, so finding the "what does God want me to say" verses "what does my publisher want me to say" are drastically different LOL. kraftykatz wrote: Everything you mention, all the tips, that is why some books and some authors are checked out of the library on a regular basis and some rarely You know, that is a very good point kraftykatz! Here pretty soon I am going to have an article published called "At what point is the periodic victory to great a price for religions of this world?" which I am sure will get some serious attention. But you know what, me posting that kind of a topic at a Blogging website... that could cause some serious issues within the whole "real time public feedback" reality of "blogging". At least when publishing stuff in print format, the chances of getting getting "hate mail" is always there, but in the blogging world... you can just about expect to receive a bunch of "hate comments" from those who disagree with you! kraftykatz wrote: I have found reading all CAPS very hard as the words seem to my eyesight to all run together. The same is true when all lower case letters are use. There ya go folks... it's not just me who finds it really hard to deal with! savedbyegrace wrote: I agree that I am not having tons of luck using the BBCode For all of you who do not yet grasp the BBCode stuff I talked about, see our page on BBCode for some details about BBCode, how to use it, some of the different BBCode we allow - and even some "hidden" BBCode features savedbyegrace wrote: And I can't imagine anyone taking offense at your words of wisdom here. Yeah, who would have thought that me trying to help somebody would case them to get all hiffy at me... Again, thanks for all the comments folks -- and please, if you have any of your own tips, feel free to add a comment to this blog with your tip!! John B. Abela Quote Comment:

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	lmforrest
	Posted by:  lmforrest  (Posted: 04/09/08 4:12pm) permalink I'm a little late in the game here but I say thanks too. I have no idea how the BBCode works either. My attempt to use it failed so I'll check out the page you mentioned. Peace! Quote Comment:

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	blackrose65
	Posted by:  blackrose65  (Posted: 04/09/08 5:31pm) permalink I didn't know what BBCode was either! And I didn't know if italics would work... thanks for the tips! didn't mean to annoy... Quote Comment:

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	papillionkiller
	Posted by:  papillionkiller  (Posted: 04/12/08 7:51am) permalink Really like these tips, seeing I'm not the writer in my family, I get a lot of critiques but little help. Why is that? To much like work for them I guess. Only thing I didn't see in your tips was "Prayer". I pray before I write and before I hit the Publish button. Except for one I wrote and I feel bad about that one. Anyways, Thanks John. And Bear, I took notes. Quote Comment:

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	abelajohnb
	Posted by:  abelajohnb  (Posted: 04/18/08 9:29am) permalink wow, slacking off on responding to my own blogs lol. lmforrest wrote: I'm a little late in the game here but I say thanks too. I have no idea how the BBCode works either. My attempt to use it failed so I'll check out the page you mentioned. You are most welcome! Glad to know you have enjoyed the website! Yeah, BBCode is funky until you figure it out... then it's really easy. The page I linked to above should explain it all blackrose65 wrote: thanks for the tips! didn't mean to annoy... You are most welcome too! oh, and you never annoy me blackrose papillionkiller wrote: Only thing I didn't see in your tips was "Prayer". I pray before I write and before I hit the Publish button. Yeah, sorry about that. In the past I have shared a LOT about how I typically let my blog entries sit in the "not yet finished/published" section for 5-10 days, before I hit that "submit/publish" button. I learned while doing article publication that the #2 most important thing you can do (#1 being: making sure your theology is correct) is to make sure that what you have writen is what you really want to say. It was at that time that I got into the discipline of letting my writings sit for a week or so before I sent them off to the publisher. Obviously, blogging is a slightly different thing then article publishing, but I have just sort of "carried over" that habit of letting my stuff sit for awhile, and reading it every two days while it sits, before I do any final release of the content. Thanks for bringing up the point of prayer! John Quote Comment:

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	penguin
	Posted by:  penguin  (Posted: 04/18/08 3:23pm) permalink Thank you for that information. I caught a few things wrong with my posts and I'll try to correct it. Although, I've had some of my blogs receive up to six or seven comments, I have often wondered how some other bloggers get up to 15, 16, or more. Most of mine has about two. I'll try my best to keep your suggestions in mind and will try to articulate and communicate my messages better. God bless and thank you very much. Quote Comment:

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	abelajohnb
	Posted by:  abelajohnb  (Posted: 05/08/08 11:35am) permalink penguin wrote: Thank you for that information. I caught a few things wrong with my posts and I'll try to correct it.Although, I've had some of my blogs receive up to six or seven comments, I have often wondered how some other bloggers get up to 15, 16, or more. Most of mine has about two. I'll try my best to keep your suggestions in mind and will try to articulate and communicate my messages better. God bless and thank you very much. Hey penguin, I think most bloggers struggle with the "how many people comment" factor. As somebody who has been around the "blogging scene" for a few years now, I can tell you one thing for sure... I have zero/nadda/zilch idea what makes some blogs get a bunch, and others get none, or very few. I run a couple of smaller private blogging websites away from ChristianBlog.Com where I post stuff specific to what the blog websites are about (product reviews, pastoral ministry, intercultural ministry, etc), and sometimes I write something that think will really rock, and they seem to get no attention... and every so often they do... but why, I got no idea. I think at a social blogging website like ChristianBlog.Com, it really has a few factors: How many members we have, (obviously the more we have, the better chance there is of somebody liking what you publish) How many friends you have, (because friends typically follow what their friends are publishing) What time of day you post, (oddly enough, this does play a big part in things) What date of the week you post, (like the above, if you really care about it, and start to study how the website activity works, there is _some_ level of madness to this issue) Whether you post a blog about something new or not (because everybody gets tired of reading about the same things day-after-day) How long of a blog entry you post (most people won't spend more then 80-minutes reading a blog) Whether your blog entry reads quickly or not (for the reason explained above) And, of course: Whether or not your able to share something new to the readers (because we all like to say, "hey, never thought of that before!" factor) Personally speaking, a quick glance at my own blog entries will reveal to you I've not really nailed-down most of these factors myself... because I (like you) just don't seem to get much of a response to some of my blogs... guess I just gotta work harder at it... or stop caring if people respond or not. meh. John Quote Comment:

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