I’ve been writing about blogging for a while now because it really is a big movement in journalism and writing and just communication in general. But it’s been some time since I’ve written a post about blogging basics. Blogging is a slightly different form of written communication than writing articles for print. Sometimes I’m surprised at all the different terms that bloggers use when writing about how to blog. So, I’ll make it simple.
Start by clearly stating what you’re writing about. Don’t rely on cute titles. And don’t follow the old rule of ending with the most important thought. Start with the most important thought and go from there. Readers don’t always make it to the end.
Write short paragraphs. People usually scan through text on a web page quickly and shorter paragraphs keep them from skipping ahead to the next paragraph. The extra white space on the screen can actually help the reader stay focused on your words.
- Bullets and lists are also a good way to break details down into shorter segments.
- Bold for emphasis! But don’t go overboard.
- Italics are harder to read and should be restricted to short, needed text, such as book titles.
- Underlining often indicates a link and probably should only be sued for that.
- ALL CAPS is considered shouting. DON’T use it unless you mean to shout.
- Text size can be changed to indicate headings, but it’s not a good idea to change text size within a paragraph.
I prefer a consistent font and font color. Yes, I’ve read advice that says “vary the font and font color to draw the reader’s attention.” I’ve also worked since 1995 on corporate websites and seen all sorts of attention getting variations. I could write a blog post about them. (Maybe I will.) But trust me, changing font size and color can be dangerous.