Becoming a Better Blogger

Becoming a better blogger

Steve ButtryEveryday Health

June 8, 2012

Read more about it• stevebuttry.wordpress.com• slideshare.net/stevebuttry• @stevebuttry• stephenbuttry@gmail.com

Plan for the dayMorning:•Blogging•Reporting with social mediaAfternoon:•Digital storytelling•Work w/ the tools (bring a story idea or two)

Introductions

What’s your blog about? (6 words or so)

Who’s your community? (6 words or so)

Factors in blogging success• Idea• Format• Headline/SEO• Writing• Links• Visuals

• Voice• Authority• Conversation• Frequency• Trust

Where do you get ideas?

Possible formats• Brief• Video (w/ intro)• Photo gallery• List• News story• Data viz

• Chart/graph/map• Q&A• Narrative• Poll• Curation• Quiz

Relevance rulesKeep SEO in mind as you write, but …•Relevance matters; popular but irrelevant keywords can hurt you•Quality matters•Social matters, too, and people share good reads•Relevance matters in links

Keywords in headline• What words would you use to search for

this post?• Use those words in headline• If possible, start headline w/ key phrase• Check Google trends• Use full names• (VIDEO) in headline

Keywords in lead• Most important: good lead• Sharing drives traffic, too, so don’t write

for search engine• Edit for search engine; would search

terms help or hurt original lead?• If keywords don’t work in lead, be sure

head is strong & use them high

Writing for a blog• Writing must be clear, engaging• Take responsibility for the quality of your

work• Read your work aloud• Take a polishing read through before

publishing (or right after)• Short is OK, but so is long

Links help people find you• Relevant outbound links boost

Googlejuice• Pingbacks bring you inbound links &

boost Googlejuice• Add links as you do research• Consider expanded linksConsider whether context implies

endorsement of linked views/content

Links help users & you• Links provide context (& don’t provide

unnecessary background)• Links boost authority, credibility• Sending users away works for Google; it

will work for you, too.

• Videos• Photos• Slides• Graphics• Curation

• Audio• Tweets• Source documents• Maps

Think beyond writing

Blogger’s voice• Discuss w/ editor whether any type of

opinion is appropriate (advocacy, commentary, analysis)

• Personality engages audience, w/ or w/o opinion (humor, perspective)

• 1st-person & 2nd-person are engaging• Be genuine

Blog with authority• Authority is rooted in accuracy• Transparency builds authority• Attribution & link appropriately, for

credit but not for cover• Say what you don’t know

The blogging conversation• Crowdsource (specific questions: “Do

you know anyone who …?” “Did you see …?” “Has this ever happened to you?”)

• Consider ending post w/ question• Stimulate/continue conversation in social

media• Engage with comments

Extend the conversation• Effective use of social media (Facebook,

Twitter, YouTube, Foursquare, Pinterest, etc.)

• Relevant comments (w/ links) on related blogs (no spamming!)

• Emails/tweets/#hashtags call to attention of influencers

When should you blog?• When you have something to say• Frequent, regular posts build loyalty• Weak posts hurt credibility• Frequent updates on unfolding stories

keep people coming back• Short posts are good

Standards• Verify information• Completeness & fairness come over time• Say what you don’t know• Attribute & link• Acknowledge changes & updates• Correct quickly & transparently• Trust builds slowly, vanishes quickly

Read more about it• stevebuttry.wordpress.com• slideshare.net/stevebuttry• @stevebuttry• https://www.newsu.org/introduction-to-

reporting • stephenbuttry@gmail.com