Whilst marketing and promotion are arguably the most important factors for a blog to succeed, creative writing is still a determining factor in the equation. Writing posts good enough to grab readers’ attention is a daunting task. On the web, people SKIM through text, so it’s imperative you be able to write with color and panache. Oh, it’s hard work, definitely. And I don’t claim to be even remotely an expert in doing so. But I am learning, so I’m sharing what I had learned as of late.

1. Be human. Share personal experiences.

I don’t mean you should bombard us with info about your life. Depending upon the nature of your blog, readers won’t be interested about your toilet breaks or anything similar, unless it’s related to the matter you’re discussing. What I’m talking about is that if you show a part of yourself to your readers, they’ll get a glimpse of your personality. In spite of the seemingly impersonal nature of the web, some readers embrace bloggers due to their personalities more than their writing. Proof? Just take a look at Perez Hilton. The caustic celeb-blogger is loved by millions all over the world for his flamboyant, scathing attitude. At the same time, if you show readers that you’re as human as they are although you know your niche quite well, they tend to be more communicative and chances are, one-time visitors would come again.

2. Cite examples.

While discussing theory is great, it would be so much better if you can paint a picture with examples. Readers will be able to visualize what you’re trying to say and they’ll be able to digest the information much easier. As I said, people skim on the web — the crux of an idea might miss them if you bore them with cut-and-dried information.

3. Try making connections between two irrelevant aspects.

On my post, How to Make Blogging Sweeter the Second Time Around, I likened blogging to marriage, which, hopefully, made it easier for some to understand. Think of personification (giving human-like characterizations to inanimate objects). Anything which can help readers relate more to the topic would be great.

4. Try to perform experiments first then posting about them.

If you don’t have relevant experience to detail, performing experiments for the sake of a blog post would be great too. In my StumbleUpon article, I mentioned I would be performing a linkbait experiment. It’s currently on the works and will detail about it soon. When performing experiments, keep detailed findings and results as you go along so you can make decent case studies out of them. Doing this, you don’t just share experiences with your readers, but you actually learn with them, leading to a more personal experience.

5. Be descriptive.

Capture your audience’s imagination of a description of what you’re writing about. Try not to be mundane. Using the right adjectives, you’d be able to paint a mental picture, which would stick in their minds through time.

This entry was posted on Thursday, January 17th, 2008 at 3:27 pm and is filed under blogging. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.

About the Author: