Back in March, I came up with a post listing 5 writing habits you may want to try on your blog. Looking back, it had a pretty good reaction to it and I figured I should make a follow up post to it with another 5 writing tips.
So to basically sum up the last post, a writing habit is different from a writing style. They sound similar, but a writing habit (like using headings, or lists) all contribute to your writing style (the tone of your post).
Want more great Writing Tips? Check out our Writing Tips category!
1. Write Headings Before Content
I find that if you outline your post with all of the headings you are going to include in a post before you actually get to writing your content is an amazing way to map out your whole article.
I find that by mapping out your post structure with headings, it will help you filter out the good ideas and the bad ideas from your article. With a “content filter”, if you will, it will keep your post very clear and full of great information instead of stuff that isn’t really valid.
Another positive I see by doing this is you can see your last heading as a finish line for your post. So you pretty much know when your post will end, and you will look forward to getting to that last heading. In result, you will undoubtedly write better.
2. Coin a Term, Quote or Phrase
Coming up with your own phrases or quotes in a post is really a great idea. As with any other quote, it can really help reinforce your writing — except the different between this quote and someone elses quote is the fact that it’s your quote!
In a recent post here, How to Read a Blog Post Effectively, I made up my own quote and added it to the beginning of my post which I thought was pretty cool.
You need to really analyze in full detail what you read. Don’t read for the sake of reading, expect to walk away with some new knowledge in hand.
In the sidebar here, there are some great quotes from great bloggers you may want to read for a little idea of what makes a great quote.
3. Try Some Different Formatting
Recently at Blogussion, we have been adding some new formatting to our posts. I thought some of these were pretty cool, and more and more we have been adding these to our blog posts.
Drop Caps
We now start all of our articles with a cool magazine styled drop cap letter. I feel like it adds some emphasis to the opening paragraph, and can help draw in readers to reading the article. This is a very simple effect to achieve on your own blog, and you don’t have to use the Thesis Framework to have a drop cap.
This is the exact code we use for Drop Caps here, and you can just paste this in your CSS:
.drop_cap {
font-size: 3.571em;
line-height: 0.76em;
padding: 0.04em 0.12em 0 0;
}
And on whatever letter you want to use it on, just add <span class="drop_cap"></span> around the letter and the effect will take place.
4. Add Some Jokes, or Fun Little Commentary
You don’t have to be serious in all of your posts, you can add some jokes here and there. I find that it adds a lot of writing personality, and in result you will be able to connect with your readers better.
I find that if you can effectively add something like a little joke in parenthesis, it just makes the post all the more better to read. Like I say on here a lot, don’t show yourself off as just another blogger, but as a human.
5. Link out more than you link in
Linking to old posts on our blog is something we should always do (hell, I did it like 3 times this post). But I feel like we are so consumed in being the best in our niche that we don’t want to link out to other blogs. Other blogs will post some useful articles that can help reinforce your own article. A quote taken from our sidebar:
Link to your enemies. Link to your competitors. Link to everyone. Instead of being sticky, be linky” – Scoble, Israel
So, just to be a little link, here are some articles that you might want to read to develop a better writing style from other blogs in our niche.
- Blog Writing Tips to Turn Ideas into Great Content
- How to Develop an Efficient Post Frequency
- The Art of Writing Damn Good Blogs
- A Simple Way To Develop Writing Ideas For Your Blog
- Blogging consistency and keeping a regular blog posting frequency
What Do You Do?
What are your writing habits? How have your habits developed your writing style on your blog? Share with us in the comments, I’d love to pick up on some new tricks!
27 Discussions
Linking out and being more interesting are definite musts for developing great content. Coining terms and phrases is helpful if you use them in pillar articles or argumentative posts.
Corey Freeman’s last blog post..Warning: Stop Writing About the Same Thing!
Hey Alex! Great post. I haven’t been blogging much lately due to the redesign of my new site and blog, but your ideas here have the wheels turning in my head again. I love the drop caps formatting, it adds a little something extra to the post.
I also agree that jokes and a little fun is a great way to let your personality show in your posts. I can’t wait to get writing on my blog again. Thanks to you, I will be up and running again in no time.
That’s awesome Jennifer, with the new design and the new ideas for content, I’m sure you will have a really great blog.
I’m having a good time designing for you, so I’ll make sure I make your design the best I can so you can get blogging again with a great look!
You Rock Alex! I love the design you have come up with for my new site. I am still reading a bunch of the posts in your Archives to get a few more ideas. You have a ton of great info there.
Thank you!
Nice post and great tips. I like number 4 about adding some funny stuff in there because it does add personality and lets the readers know you’re pretty much just like them.
Make Money Blogging’s last blog post..The Offices of The Web’s Biggest Bloggers!
Do you ever add jokes, or add a little commentary to your posts?
Great post Alex, I definitely should map out my writing first it would save me some time.. I tend to get carried away sometimes and realize that I’m off topic so I have to write again…
I already do like to add my own quotes and always try to link out to 5 others different blogs to provide complimentary resources for my readers.
It’s nice of you to share the code for the dropcap, I may use that too maybe in the future.
Nicolas Prudhon’s last blog post..Self-hosted WordPress on a Shoestring Budget
I definitely know what you mean Nicolas, sometimes when I write fast I kind of lose my concentration and just start writing whatever really.
The drop caps are a great effect, and they’re so easy to add. Definitely try to add it for a fun little effect.
Kindly tell us how do you put keywords with the SEO perspective. Suppose I am using adsense in my tech related blog, than how I will find out those words which have high pay on single click and less competition as well.
Kindly guide … friends told me that this blog is really handy and can help you as well.
Hey, great question!
I’m no SEO Expert, but I can give you a tip for picking keywords.
There is this cool thing, Google’s Keyword Tool, and there you can see which keywords are searched the most, how many websites show for the keyword, and more. It may help you pick which keyword you want to use for your Adsense.
Let me know if that helps…like I said, I’m not that keen on SEO, and I have never used Adsense.
I normally find I struggle to come up with a title to a post.
That can be hard, but try reading my tip in the first part of this post. Basically, I say to write your content, then go to writing your title. You never know, it might help you.
Before putting me on “writing mode” I take notes everywhere and every time. I make what I call an “outline” very similar to the writing headlines before content and it help me a lot to come up with a bunch of new ideas, also a single post can turn into two or more post with this technique.
If you’re going to use an image look for some before start, just for inspiration, but don’t overlook, content is more important.
Great post dude, thanks for the drop caps tip!
I usually do mind mapping on a piece of paper beforehand. I write out any headlines I come up with, then apply the ideas I came up with under each of them. It makes me amazingly organized, and helps me write much more efficiently.
Are the codes you’re giving here also Thesis only?
Dennis Edell’s last blog post..Article Marketing Made Easy
That code will work for any site. It’s only CSS, so it will work on anything.
Good to know, and #4 is my favorite.
Dennis Edell’s last blog post..Article Marketing Made Easy
No problem.
I do like #4, and I see it a lot in your blog posts come to think about it (especially that one where you wrote about threaded comments).
That extra personalism goes a looooong way for sure. Who ever don’t like it is too stuffy for my blog.
Dennis Edell’s last blog post..Article Marketing Made Easy
Thanks for the cool magazine styled drop cap letter tip, something I have been trying for a time. Not too happy with a graphic. Will try your CSS code soon.
funbiz’s last blog post..Optimizing Your Website With SEO Organic Proficiencies
No problem! Are you going to add it to your blog?
Nice work Alex, a very well written out piece. It’s a shame that I only “follow” or “do” only 2/5 ways you have suggested
I’ll definitely be looking into doing the other three as well. I’ve tried the 4th pointer quite a bit extensively; “being funny” – but its had its fair share of a negative impact… I guess we all learn from our mistakes
I think #4 is the second most important one up there.
Which are the 2 tips you do follow up there?
And I haven’t seen you around the blog in a while! Where you been?
I don’t use headings. I usually just have a title and a post. I do like to link out without an expected return. I do like funny quotes and I might try to add some into my blog. Thanks for the great post
So you just write paragraphs? That’s neat, I haven’t seen many people blog without some kind of heading on their blog. Way to stand out!
Of course you don’t use headings Kai because your posts are short.
Now that you are working on longer posts, it’s something you may want to consider a bit to facilitate the readability of your posts.
Nicolas Prudhon’s last blog post..Would You Like to Always be the First to Comment?
I do most of these!
And others… but some of that I leave for people to figure out on their own. =)
Alex, you’re on my todo list, expect an email contact sometime in the next few weeks. Had some hosting issues, gotten way behind.
Dave Doolin´s last blog ..World Class Copywriting: Are there Bird droppings on your catapult?
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