Howdy Gang! How're you coming on those resolutions? Me either... Still, it's times like these we have to remind ourselves: What would Brian Boitano do? Know what I'm sayin'?
You might (or might not) recall, not long ago I began a new reoccurring feature on this blog called Blog Science. (Guess I can't call it reoccurring yet 'cause this is only the 2nd post. I digress...) In this new feature we're basically going to take a hard look at blogging 'best practices'. Hopefully we can come up with some new ideas and/or insights that will improve our blogging. Or perhaps we'll just create a forum to bitch about the things we don't like. Either way, we grow, which is the point.
DISCLAIMER: I'm no expert or anything, but like most politicians I enjoy pretending I'm one. No, if you want blog expertise, go check out blogs with follower numbers in the Ks. In all seriousness, this is more about creating a dialogue between bloggers. So don't just sit there, tell us what you think!
Today's installment of Blog Science is going to examine the lucky few. The cream. The elite. No, I'm not talking about the the 1%, I'm talking about the blogs you actually read. I suspect I'm not alone when it comes to my blog diet: I've got many on my plate, but actually get around to eating only a few. My eyes are much larger than my stomach, as it were.
Now before you get all 'hate crazy' on me, understand it isn't because of some kind of weird follower Internet ponzi scheme. I didn't just follow a bunch of blogs, hoping they'd follow back, and then completely ignore them. This blog thang doesn't go down like Twitter, after all.
(thanks be to God--mazel tov! mazel tov! Sorry, we caught Fiddler at the local theater a couple of weeks ago and it's been in my head ever since...)
I can honestly say I've read at least a portion of every blog I follow and followed them because I truly enjoyed what I was reading. It is also a way I've thrown my support behind the friendly faces I've met around the WWWebs. Unfortunately, as I've said before, there are far more awesome blogs out there than there are minutes in the day.
Chances are, if you've been blogging for a year or more, you've run into a similar predicament. This post isn't about solving that problem. There are far more organized folks out there who can tell you how to sort out and prioritize your Google Reader list. There are also far more ruthless folks out there who can tell you when/how to cut people off your blog lists to keep it paired down to only the essentials.
What we are going to do is try to understand why we read who we read. Essentially, who makes the cut and why? In order of importance, here we go:
Loyal Customers Get Dibs -
Okay, this one isn't rocket science. The blogs I most frequent, especially to the extent of leaving comments, are the blogs of people who visit my blog and leave comments. Call it reciprocity, brown nosing or whatever. The fact of the matter is that I favor people who acknowledge my existence. I think most bloggers do this, but if I only have time to read AND comment on a couple of blogs during the day, I usually track down the people who frequently visit my blog.
This doesn't mean they are the only blogs I read. It just means they are the blogs I go out of my way to read, if that makes sense.
The GOOGLE Made Me Do It -
So I have the cute little iGoogle homepage thing going on. If you aren't familiar with it, you can basically create a custom Internet page with all of your favorite Web content on it. Why? Because it's awesome to be able to see your new e-mail messages, top stories on CNN, Twitter feed, Facebook updates, weather, etc., that's why. It's my homepage, so it's the first thing I see when I jump Online. You can learn about and get it HERE.
As part of my iGoogle page (at the very top, no less) I've got my Google Reader feed. It updates real time, so when someone posts a new blog update it pops up. It has become my blog lifeline. I know there are more efficient reader managers out there, but this one is the most convenient for me because I see it 10-15 times a day.
The downside? I tend to only see the blogs that have been updated recently. So if you posted in the AM and I get on in the afternoon, your post is waaaayyyy down the feed. Unless I'm dedicatedly searching through the list (which I do from time-to-time) I probably won't see it.
What I try to do is pick out a blog or two each time I'm on the homepage, that way I get a sort of eclectic mashup of reads from my blog list. Unfortunately, that means I don't consistently get to the same blogs.
Assuming again that I'm not the only person to use iGoogle feed lists (or something similar), here are some ways I choose which blogs to read:
Title of the Post: In my list I see the title of the post and the name of the blog. That's it. If I want more detail I have click the title (it then opens up in-page to reveal the entire blog post). Thus, one way to make sure I read is have an awesome title to your blog post. Something to get me to CLICK. Granted, this will vary from the interests of the reader. Some people scour for ePublishing content, others for craft tips. So try to cast a wide net with most of your post titles. Enough detail to tell what the point is, but broad enough to appeal to many.
Opening Paragraph: I can usually tell from the opening paragraph of a post if it is going to be about what I was expecting from the title. Consequently, I read that first line or two or three to scrutinize the relevance of the post (or how the message will be presented). Sometimes it catches me with humor, other times with information. Either way, make your openings good and I'll read all of it. If I read all of it I'll probably jump to your blog and say so. I might even take it to the Twitters.
The Early, Middle & Late Bird Gets the Reader: Knowing that some people only see the most recently updated blogs, and that some people only look in the mornings, at lunch or in the evenings I guess it makes sense to stagger when our posts go live. This is something I haven't tried, but based upon my own habits I think it merits some investigation. I know it works for Twitter. (FYI don't Tweet at the same time every day, or only a portion of your followers are probably going to see it. Not everyone stays connected all of the time. Tweeps are creatures of habit, too.)
Frequency: Another easy one. The more you post, the more likely people are going to find you. The more people find you, the more likely you are to create...
BUZZ -
Hate this word? I kind of do, but it's probably relevant to this conversation. If I'm on the Twitter, or other blogs, I pay close attention to what my Web Friends are saying. If a trusted blogger or Tweep says, "CHECK OUT THIS BLOG! IT CHANGED MY FLIPPIN' LIFE!" I'm going to check out the blog.
How do you get "BUZZ"? As best I can tell, two factors contribute greatly: 1) Write something worth reading. The good stuff has a way of getting out there. Study how to phrase your Tweets and blog titles. Learn how to share them effectively (What we're doing right here!) and fire with both barrels. 2) Do unto others. Help other bloggers get the word out. If you read something you love, share it on Facebook, Twitter, etc. They will typically treat you the same. If they don't, don't sweat it. Karma is as Karma does, momma always said.
Those are the three biggies that sprang to mind. What about you? Who do you read? Why do you read? Share your tips and tricks or we'll hunt you down!
~EJW~
It's beginning to look a lot... well, you know the rest. :) Have you nailed down your gift shopping yet? The crowds are likely going to be ugly this weekend, so for the sake of your sanity I hope so. If not, grease your wheels with your favorite warm beverage, a good breakfast and get to it! Just play nice... It might be me you're cutting off and/or yelling at in the parking lot.
Like my waistline this time of year, I've let the old blog go a bit. As such, I'm looking for ways to inject new life into Ye Old Web Diatribe Device to start the new year off on the right foot. One thing I've decided to do is start a new regular (hopefully) series on the science of blogging.
Not that I'm going to speak from a position of expertise. 300 followers do not an army--or a Kardashian--make, after all. I'm just going to talk about things I've noticed and/or tried in the name of blogging. Hopefully it'll prompt some discussion and we'll all learn something. At the very least it'll give me something to talk about on more than a semi-annual basis. (Okay, I haven't been THAT bad. But it feels like it.)
First up: BLOGGING IS HARD
There, I said it. It's painful to admit, I think, because it isn't supposed to be difficult for a writer-type. Our lives are consumed with figuring out how to communicate thoughts and ideas via words. Consequently, filling a blank screen with a few paragraphs 2 or 3 times a week should not be difficult. Or at least it shouldn't appear to be difficult. There's proof. The best blogs seem effortless:
They are ALWAYS clever.
They are ALWAYS important.
They are ALWAYS on topic.
They are ALWAYS on schedule.
To make it worse, the Web is chockablock full of these ace blogs. Don't know about you, but my blog reader list is absolutely running over with folks who make this stuff seem like cake. Seriously, I think some of you must have teams of ninja elf idea generators chained in your basements. Their only job is bring you great ideas for blog posts. If you don't like them, you feed them to the Kraken. (The idea, not the elf. This is a family blog...) You make it look that easy.
Me? I've got no elves or ninjas (or Krakens .... damn). I've only got me, a desk, a computer, coffee, two extremely lazy dogs and a HUGE small case of inferiority complex. My post generating process goes something like this:
Self - "Oooo, a new comment on one of my blog posts!"
*Clicks to check e-mail*
Self - "That's really sweet, but I wrote that blog post like a month ago. This person is seriously late to the party."
*Hits 'reply' to fire off a thank you note. Types 3 paragraphs of exceedingly witty e-mail before realizing they don't have an e-mail account linked to Blogger. Curses. Decides to go directly to the blog post and click their profile to leave a comment on their blog. Realizes that month old blog post was actually the last time I posted. Curses.*
Self - "I've got to post something new. Like now!"
*Checks Twitter feed for interesting topics. Spends 4 days drafting 15 page opus-post on the dangers of over-indulgent writing. Gets distracted reading other blogs. Realizes someone else said exactly the same thing about over-indulgence two days ago. Curses.*
Self - "Guess I'll blog about how screwy the publishing business is right now. Again."
My point is that this isn't exactly a painless process. I also suspect I'm not alone in thinking so. So if blogging isn't easy, but it's supposed to look easy, what's to be done?
Here are some things to try that'll make people think you know what you're doing, even if you don't:
(NOTE - I probably fail on some level at all of these. See # 5 to get the point.)
1. Read Other Blogs: Read the good ones. Read the bad ones. Learn. Learn. Learn. Don't just read for content. Read for presentation. Read to see how others infuse their 'voice' or style into their blogs. Good habits rub off, just like your momma said. Apply any and everything that looks like a good idea. The key to looking like a pro is emulating one.
2. Routine: Yes, blogs can become stale very quickly (both in the reading and the writing of) when they get overly structured. (Think about bloggers who post daily and every day is dedicated to a specific thing. If you're not a content blogger, I'd advise against that.) However, having some sort of schedule or routine creates the feel of something dependable and professional. Pick at least one post each week that will have a reoccurring theme, refine it until you do it very well, and then never let it die. A percentage of your followers will come back every week just to read that one feature, and they'll typically look around to see what else you've been up to. (I know, because I do it as a reader.)
3. Title Your Posts Well, & They Will Love You: When you have 200 to 300 blogs in your reader list, you just can't get to everyone all the time. What do I do? I cherry pick, of course. Looking at most recent posts, I usually start with the bloggers I'm most familiar/friendly with and then I look for interesting post titles. I'm not suggesting utter sensationalism in your titles for the sake of getting a click. (I've seen this, and it ticks me off a little.) You have to deliver on what you promise in your titles or that one click won't yield a comment. Worse still, you might even lose a reader. Try for something catchy AND relevant.
4. Always Make A Point: Speaking of titles, always have a point to a post. I'm not talking about preaching, either. I'm talking about having a clear idea of what you're hoping to communicate when you start writing. It can be a GIGANTIC concept, or could be to simply tell people that you really loved the most recent book you've read. Either way, simply knowing what you want to say before you start will always yield a more polished result. Understand that you'll sometimes nail it, and other times miss. The effort you put into trying to convey a message will always be evident, however.
When you're done drafting, re-read your post and make sure your point is conveyed.
5. Never Quit: Blogging isn't an exact science. Readers are fickle. Some will leave you if you talk about having a martini, others will love that you're a wino. You're not going to fit everyone. The way to get around this is to keep putting yourself out there so the people you do fit can find you. You don't get to be a great shrimper by casting out your nets once a season, calling it quits when you only drag back an old tire and a handful of shrimp. You keep trying new areas, new tactics, until something works. Blogging is the same. You'll fall off the horse. You will. You just have to keep trying. Nothing says professional like persistence and dedication. After all, you can't raise a garden by sittin' in the shade.
What about you? What do you do to make blogging easier?
~EJW~
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