Writing better blogs before, during and after With all the hundreds and even thousands of people writing blogs on a regular basis, it is only to be expected that some of them will be written in…well, let’s be charitable here, a less than perfect way. Some may argue that the point of a blog is precisely that you don’t have to censor yourself in any way, and that errors in grammar, spelling and content are part and parcel of the whole deal. While this is true to some extent, it is important to remember that once you have posted in your blog, anyone from a few people to practically the whole world will be able to read it, warts and all. If you are at all concerned about being able to be understood, then you must at least try to make some effort to avoid any glaring errors to improve your marketing strategy In many ways, blog writing isn’t really all that different from any other form of writing. The normal grammar and spelling rules apply, and you should still present your thoughts and ideas in a fairly coherent way. Of course, now you are writing for an online audience and that is where the main difference lies. The Internet reader is a notoriously fickle and impatient lot, who expect to get their chosen content quickly and easily. If they feel like they have to jump through any unnecessary hoops to get to the heart of your message, they will in all likelihood merely hit the back button on that browser and go off in search another source of information. Before you even start to write your blog post, you should plan it out in such a way that people will actually want to read it. This can involve anything from doing some research or getting your thoughts in order–anything that will make your post speak to your readers instead of coming across as a jumble of incoherent thoughts. You may also want to write your blog posts while you are offline. With high-speed Internet connections having been the norm for a number of years now, it is way too easy to log on and dump all your thoughts as they come to you right in your blog. While there is something to be said for stream of consciousness writing, a blog that is meant to be viewed by hundreds and perhaps even thousands of people is not necessarily the place to do that. Writing offline will give you a chance to think things out before you commit them to the webpage, and allow you the opportunity to correct any errors in grammar, spelling or even judgment. When you are ready to begin writing your blog post, do not try to pass yourself off as someone you are not. Being yourself is always the best way to go about it, and any attempt to do otherwise will likely be come off as stilted and unnatural. You may want to try reading your post out loud either to yourself or to a friend. If it sounds odd to you or if your friend calls you out on it, you are probably not writing according to your personality. Try to resist the urge to be too wordy or verbose. You are not trying to impress anyone here–at least not with the number of words that you know. Instead, focus on providing the necessary content in as concise and economical a way as possible. One helpful tip is to write as if your blog post will only be scanned quickly instead of being read leisurely in full. Maybe those who are interested in what you have to say will read the whole article, but what about those who aren’t quite convinced? If they can’t get the point of your post by merely scanning down the page quickly, they are likely to just abandon the effort. Some of the things that you can do to make to your blog post stand up to quick scanning are: Getting to the point of the post within the first few sentences Keeping your paragraphs short and succinct Using headers and sub header to clearly define the different sections of your post Using bullets or numbers for your lists (hey, we’re doing it here!) and finally, highlighting important words by making them either boldface or italic. When you are done writing your blog and after all the necessary grammar and spell checks have been done, leave it to simmer for a few hours at least, and come back to it again before posting. This will give you a clearer and more objective view of what you have written. While you should try to work within these guidelines at first–particularly if you are new to blogging–they are by no means hard and fast rules. Blogging is as much art as it is science so get the basics down and adjust them to suit your purposes when necessary.        Art and Photography Blogs  Automotive Blogs Blog Stuff  Books and Literature Blogs Business Blogs   Computers and Internet Blogs   Cultural Blogs  Dating Blogs  Travel Blogs  Education Blogs   Entertainment Blogs   Environmental Blogs   Faith and Religion Blogs  Financial Blogs  Game Blogs   Health Blogs  Hobby Blogs  Home Business Blogs  Humor and Joke Blogs International Blogs   Job and Career Blogs Lifestyle Blogs  News Blogs Personal Blogs    Pet and Animal Blogs  Political Blogs  Science Blogs   Sex Blogs  Shopping Blogs  Sports Blogs   Technology Blogs  Teen Blogs   Travel Blogs   Web Hosting Blogs Work at Home Blogs   Writing Blogs
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Is Blogging The New American Expression?

The Internet phenomenon known as the web log, or as it is more familiarly known, blogs, has truly taken the world by storm…the cyber world that is. It seems that even the most technologically challenged average man or woman on the street has taken to this modern day hi-tech equivalent to the diary of years past in a big way. This is totally understandable–at least with regard to the technology–as there is actually very little in the way of computer knowledge required to have your own blog.
Of course, the cyber geek community is well represented in the world of blogging, but even people you wouldn’t normally expect to have blogs–we’re talking children, senior citizens, high-powered corporate executives, and even the traditionally techno-un-savvy housewives–are getting on the act.
As we mentioned earlier, a weblog is simply a form of online diary or journal that people originally used in much the same way they would their real world counterparts–that is for writing down their thoughts and ideas. Over time however, blogging came to grow beyond an avenue for self-expression. It gradually evolved into a means for people to communicate to a specific group of people and have them communicate back at them. But we are getting ahead of ourselves here.
A blog can be as private or as public as the owner wishes it to be. You are free to keep it anonymous or you can choose to post under your real name. You can also restrict accessibility to a select group of people, or you can open it up for anyone to see. Many people use the potentially anonymous nature of blogs to express what they would not normally express in real life for whatever reasons. Some people who are shy and timid in real life can find that the anonymous nature of blogs gives them free reign to say what they really want to say. A natural extension of this freedom of course is actually presenting an online persona that is radically different than the one you are in real life. Now this situation presents some significant implications. On the one hand, a blogger may be able to connect to a group of people with whom he or she might have trouble relating with in real life. On the other hand, this opens up the possibility for less than accurate representation from either side. Blogging itself is neither good nor bad, but like the Internet in general, it is only as good or as bad as the intentions of the people who are using it are.
As to the reasons for having a blog…well, they are almost as numerous and as varied as the people who write them are. The personal blog-slash-online diary is of course one of the more recognizable applications, but many people in the corporate and business worlds are finding many different and more practical uses for blogging. Blogs can be used as a form of advertising for example. They may also be used by a business owner to communicate directly with his or her customer base. When used in this manner, there is also the added advantage of two-way communications between service or product provider and customer that is simply not possible any other way. Employers can also use it as a way to update employees on the day’s itinerary, thereby making it an effective “bulletin board” for staff to keep in touch with home base, so to speak.
Blogs have also been used by writers to showcase their skills to potential employers and possible even get free critiques of their work.
One of the most attractive things about a blog is that no one can tell you what you can or cannot write. This privilege however is not one that should be taken lightly. Remember: once you put your thoughts out there, it is there for other people to see. Of course, you can always restrict access to your blog, and even edit messages as you wish later on, but at least a few people are bound to see it. A good rule to live by is never post anything that you would not want to haunt you in real life.
The widespread popularity of blogging has given rise to the question: is this now the new form of American expression? While it has no doubt embedded itself into the national consciousness like no other phenomenon in recent history, blogging is by no means the sole domain of the United States. Furthermore, there still exist other avenues of expression, communication and information exchange that–although dwindling–will probably remain with us for a long time to come. In any case, blogging is the here and now and will likely continue to be a part of the human dynamic for the foreseeable future.