Blonde Productions Group

The novelty has worn off. Blogs have become so ubiquitous that it’s tough to find tightly-written, purposeful blogs.

If you want your blog to be a standout, start by outlining the points you want to convey. Connect the dots by filling in the facts. Elaborate. Then once you have a first draft, perform a word count and downsize your blog by half. A wise journalism professor explains it this way, “Pretend as though each word costs money.”  Write like you are putting together a paid newspaper obituary and odds are you will be brief.

By now you may be thinking this is a blog, not a thesis. Only seasoned bloggers write off the cuff. If your blog is boring or pointless it will be significantly harder to develop a reader following. Like a newspaper column, the objective in blogging is to find a niche and cultivate a loyal audience.

A successful blog is distinguished by writing style. A salty, yet relevant tone can be tough to achieve. Humor is a wonderful gift, but don’t over-do it.

The most important thing to consider is how to make your blog googlable. (Dear Google, Thank you for having such a relevant company name that “google” is now recognized by Webster’s as a verb and an adjective). Consider what potential readers are likely to search relevant to your subject matter and deploy those words and phrases as often as possible in your blog.

If you need more tips on how to make it googlable (also known as optimized for search engines), consult with SEO expert Jarod Clark of Unleaded Software. He can be reached at jarod@unleadedsoftware.com.

PR-in the moment

Consider what “press release” means: information officially released to the press for the first time. The key is to make it newsworthy.  No matter the topic, it must be written as if it is important that moment. If stale or trite in the least it will be cast aside for more urgent communications. Oh, and don’t forget to put it in the standard format.  See a sample at http://blondeproductionsgroup.com/blog/.

Web writing done right

As important as it is to be concise in a blog, it is even more crucial in writing copy for websites.  No one wants to wade through text-heavy web copy. Use a bold san serif font and make use of white space to achieve aesthetic appeal. Yes, you need a brief attention-getting headline and introductory sentence, but other than that, rely on highly direct copy. Avoid type that is hard on the eyes because it is a proven fact that it takes longer to read text on a computer screen than on paper.

No matter what

It is important to proofread more than once. When a reader finds typographical, grammatical or spelling errors, it discredits the author/source.

THESE WORDS DON’T FALL OUT OF MY HEAD. As a writer, that phrase courses through my head when a client or editor or graphic artist wants me to “write up a little quick….” If they’re a client, they tick off the purpose for the writing and all its seriousness and sometimes add, “This shouldn’t take you too long.” If they’re an editor, they call panicked that another writer failed to turn in their copy and that I was the next logical call to make. And oh, by the way, the deadline is COB (Close Of Business) same day. If they’re a graphic artist, they’re likely stumped for copy because, well, that’s not what they do for a living.

Writers aren’t taken seriously, I’ve learned over decades of manufacturing verbs, adjectives and pronouns. English degrees are often interpreted as the choice college undergrads make when they can’t decide on a major. J-school is increasingly something you do before going to law school, a career that ensures that you’re really going to make the money.

Of course, writers have to take part of the blame. As writers, and not so much talkers, we tend to put our heads down and write. The only noise in the room is a cd playing, ambient noise that helps us get into our writing space. I’ve been known to play the same cd over and over for 14 hours straight on a writing project. There was the time my upstairs neighbor couldn’t take another stanza of Madonna’s American Girl album and let me know as much, pounding at my door and shouting, “Are you trying to give me a message?! Well, I’ve got one for you!”

At first I was stunned at his interpretation of my choice in easy listening. Then the more bemused I became as I understood that he really had no affection at all for “I’m so stupid” (one of my personal favorites on the recording), the greater he took offense. Let’s just say it did nothing for our HOA relations.

The point is that writing is as much a science as blood testing in a hospital lab. It’s as much an art as architectural drawings. It’s as serious a business as being a teacher, a cop, a judge. I wouldn’t think of performing surgery because I’d had one; but I know doctors who don’t believe their copy needs editing.

So the next time your editor, your boss, the chairman of the volunteer board you serve on asks you to write a little something up, stop them in their tracks. Tell them that you’ll email them a Project Scope that delineates what you need to know about the writing project so that you can deliver copy that’s on target and on time. Then prepare a formal document that sets you forth as the professional you are. You’ll be surprised at how this single step can take you one rung higher. Toward heaven, perhaps?