Top Ten Ways to Blog and Bore Your Visitors to Itty Bitty Bits

1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic by 24 people | Log in to rate

Ranked #3,815 in Business, #70,330 overall

How To Write a Boring Blog

Blogging well is hard work, but then again, so is anything that's worthwhile. Here are a few tips and things to avoid while you're planning and executing your own blog, whether it's for business or pleasure.


I'm also including several blogs and references (on the GOOD side) to show you several personal and business blogs that avoid the problems I'm going to show you, as well as giving you a list of places to start getting your great blog the attention it deserves.

This is also a chance to get another link pointing back to your blog by adding it to the list near the end of this page. Don't pass up any opportunity to get people pointing at your work of art!

What's the Risk of Boring Blogging? 

I mean, c'mon, really...

There is no risk. If you are writing a personal blog and nobody shows up twice to read it, you've probably lost nothing at all.

That's right. There is no risk. All you may do is bore a handful of people once or twice, and amuse your school buddies.

However (and there's always a however) - if you are blogging to represent a business or blogging for a living or blogging to support your brand, the risk is great. Even though there are supposedly over 70 million blogs in existence, you can and probably will get yours read. Make sure it represents what you mean it to represent and does not cast your business (or yourself) in the wrong light.

Signs of a Blog in Trouble 

When to click away - in some cases, FAST

1

Vote Up
Vote Down

typos typos typos

7 points

2

Vote Up
Vote Down

latest post was sometime last century

6 points

3

Vote Up
Vote Down

more ads than content

4 points

4

Vote Up
Vote Down

sidebar weighted down with send-me-money widgets

4 points

5

Vote Up
Vote Down

content is heisted from another website

4 points

6

Vote Up
Vote Down

colors are making your eyes bleed

4 points

7

Vote Up
Vote Down

animated everything!

4 points

8

Vote Up
Vote Down

content is reprinted entirely from an article publisher

3 points

9

Vote Up
Vote Down

content is heisted from another blog

3 points

10

Vote Up
Vote Down

reeks of '1337'speak

2 points

Do You Blog? 

without giving away any details...

Loading poll. Please Wait...

Breaking Up is Hard to Do.. NOT 

Or is that what you meant to type before pushing the Publish button?

One evening a few years ago, I was perusing Bravenet's version of Top Ten and Recent Posts, and happened onto a post titled (something like) Ooops. I did NOT Mean To Say That!! I clicked on inside to see what this person did not mean to say.

(Note, I'm paraphrasing here, both to protect the original writer's acute embarrassment and because I can't remember the exact wording, and wouldn't repeat it if I did...)

Dear Jason (the post read)-
I did NOT mean to say what I said in that last post about Ginny. Honest I did not! I guess something slipped out and I didn't mean to cause problems by blogging that she had gone out with Russ last weekend when she had told me that she said she was busy to go out on a date with you. That was SOOO WRONG of me. I'm TOTALLY sorry.

You get the drift?

The damning post had been deleted, so I suppose we can only guess that our dear writer had inadvertently let loose something about Ginny's date with Russ, quite possibly told to the writer in complete confidence.

Don't do this. People read blogs, whether they want to admit it or not. Think of the blogging community as a very small town filled with 74 million of your closest friends, all of whom are hanging on your every word. (We'll disprove this in a few minutes, but it's a good analogy for this example.)

Did You Leave Your Diary Open on Purpose? 

Who's going to read your blog?

Remember that those innermost thoughts are going into the big tank of innermost thoughts that can be read by everyone and his pet ferret.

If you're blogging to entertain a few of your closest friends, you may wish to consider using MySpace or a similar social networking environment where you can easily control who reads (or does not read) your innermost thoughts.

If you intend your blog to be a public event, remember that what is posted to a blog tends to 'stick.' Resist the temptation to use the blog to reveal information that you may later regret speaking out loud.

No Visitor Policy 

How to Make Sure your Blog is Never Read Twice

1

Vote Up
Vote Down

scramble

If you say your blog is all about fashion, be sure to throw in frequent posts about completely off-topic subjects like iPhones and your sister's band. Keep your visitors guessing.3 points

2

Vote Up
Vote Down

stagnate

Write one brilliant and thought provoking post. Write nothing else for at least four months. When you think that people are in danger of coming back to check if you've written something else, reset the timer and wait another four months. Repeat as necessary until absolutely no traffic can be detected.2 points

3

Vote Up
Vote Down

waffle

Change your opinion on your focal topic frequently. Make sure nobody knows what you're thinking for sure.1 point

4

Vote Up
Vote Down

incriminate

If someone tells you something in confidence, don't walk, RUN to the nearest computer and post the secret on your blog. Violate that trust - hut, two, three, four!1 point

5

Vote Up
Vote Down

blofuddle

Make stuff up out of thin air and present it as hard cold fact. Want a new technology to emerge? Invent it here and blog about it like mad. When challenged on its factuality, look innocent and slightly offended. This works well for business blogs, if lowering your credibility is a goal.1 point

6

Vote Up
Vote Down

threaten

Pick a target, any target. Slice them to bits, whether they deserve it or not. Hammer on their very existence, then wait a day and do it again. Make sure to publicize this post everywhere you can. Your trust factors should begin to tank in no time at all.1 point

7

Vote Up
Vote Down

reinvent

Pick a topic that you know nothing about. Never been to Paris? Write endless tomes on the lifestyle and ambience of Paris. When someone calls you out as a fakexpert, act imperious and highly offended, even if you don't know your Champs Elysee from a hole in the ground.1 point

8

Vote Up
Vote Down

mumble

Post three-line entries comprised entirely of links to a product you sell. Explain nothing in the post, just give em the links. After all, your visitors should follow your recommendations blindly, even though you haven't given them a reason why they should, right?1 point

9

Vote Up
Vote Down

list

Be uninvolved. Just the facts, ma'am. It weighs 3.2 ounces. It fits in a coat pocket. It is blue. There are two straps. It is made of steel. It is new. It is for sale. [yawn]1 point

10

Vote Up
Vote Down

bore

Better than listing, even, if you want to be absolutely sure of gaining no repeat traffic! Pick one topic. Write of NOTHING else. Ever. Find four hundred different ways to say exactly the same thing about this topic, if that is at all possible. Hammer on it over and over and over and over and ...1 point

Got Blog Paralysis? 

Loading poll. Please Wait...

Ok - I Promised... 

It's not all bad stuff and caveats and warnings. As much as it may seem like it, the blog world is not completely populated with overflow from diaries and places that should have saved the ink. There are some excellent resources out there, and here's a few for you to look into.

Note: THIS is the part that will grow steadily. I've just started out with a couple of pearls of wisdom resources. I'll add to it, bringing in more of the sites we should truly trust and turn to constantly.
Andy Beard
Blog Search Engine Performance, Wordpress, Niche Marketing, Affiliate Marketing Tips and Social Media with Original Opinion and Loads of Attitude - Andy Beard may not be the Godfather of Blogging, but he is definitely a powerful presence. I find his advice to be definitely worth reading and bookmarking (and RSS'ing).

Learn Blogging at the Feet of a Master 

and follow @problogger at Twitter

Well, two masters actually: Darren Rowse (@problogger) and Chris Garrett.
ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income

ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income

by: Darren Rowse, Chris Garrett

Amazon Price: $15.74 (as of 07/06/2009)Buy Now
List Price: $24.99

Problogger.net is where bloggers worldwide go for advice and information on enhancing their blogs presence. Whether youre just starting out or have been blogging for years, these two professional bloggers show you how to turn your passion for blogging into extra revenue. This practical guide to creating and marketing a blog with the potential for generating a six-figure income shows you how to choose subject matter that works for you, handle technical issues, and evaluate your blogs success so that you can use your blog to generate income indirectly.

What Do You Blog About? 

(if you blog, of course)

Loading poll. Please Wait...

Branded (Ominous Music goes here) 

I can give you a few dozen resources where you can go read a few tons of marketing discourse on the importance of branding. They can give you all the right official words on the topic.

OR I can demonstrate it here.


Click here for your favorite eBay items

You all know that one, right? You don't even need to read the four letters to develop the immediate impression that you are looking at something to do with eBay.

Now, with apologies to eBay...



You didn't even have to think twice, did you - without a second thought you KNOW that isn't an eBay logo. The letters are wrong, the colors are wrong, the whole thing is just.. WRONG.

Why is this important?

Well, think about your own personal or business presence for a moment. If you have a logo or a presence that shows up constantly, or a blog approach that people begin to associate with you or your business, that's branding.

Whether it's here or on your website or on your blog or on your MySpace or on your Facebook, it all adds up to the presence that people associate with you. Mine's the picture of the fern.

If you keep your branding constant and consistent, people will begin to recognize you wherever they find you. This can be a good thing. (Of course, it can also be a bad thing - so make sure that your brand is associated with what you intend it to be associated with!)

Fingernails on Chalkboard Time 

Loading poll. Please Wait...

Differentiating Yourself 

Words from a guru - we should all listen

Darren Rowse talks about how to differentiate yourself from the throngs of blogs being launched every minute. He also discusses branding (and how the tiniest things speak volumes about you).

Darren is the voice of Problogger Blog Tips, a veritable gold mine of greatness.

Differentiate Yourself as a Blogger

http://www.ProBlogger.net - as successful blogs find ways to stand out from the crowd. Here are a ways that they do it.

powered by YouTube

I Didn't Write This Book... 

...I just wish I had

As I said, I love blogs and blogging. I've done it wrong, I've done it better, I've done it ok and, like many, I can always stand some solid advice and improvement. Here's one place I suggest turning for the advice.
No One Cares What You Had for Lunch: 100 Ideas for Your Blog

No One Cares What You Had for Lunch: 100 Ideas for Your Blog

by: Margaret Mason

Tired of filling up your blog with boring posts? Take the next step and get inspired to create something unique. Author Margaret Mason shows you the way with this fun collection of inspirational ideas for your blog. Nobody Cares What You Had for Lunch: 100 Ideas for Your Blog is a unique idea-book for bloggers seeking fun, creative inspiration. Margaret gives writers the prompts they need to describe, imagine, investigate and generate clever posts

Amazon Price: $13.59 (as of 07/06/2009) Buy Now

Fight Back! Let your Voice be Heard!! 

(or just leave us some nifty comments... your call)

So, how'd this little doodad on blogging sit with you? Let us know and, who knows, we might just blog about it sometime, some day, somewhere.

And, by the way, it's quite all right if you express opinions other than my own - whatever you can say in 300 characters is great by me. Love it, hate it, disagree with it, want to take it home and feed it chocolate - it's all good.

Lensmaster

GrowWear wrote...

Great presentation and resource! ...Thank you for the opportunity to add my blog.

ReplyPosted December 22, 2008

Lensmaster

vbright105 wrote...

Great Lens! I enjoyed it and thanks for letting me add my blog.

ReplyPosted December 21, 2008

Lensmaster

poutine wrote...

I have added my blog and thank you for the opportunity to share it.

ReplyPosted November 30, 2008

Lensmaster

YesterdaysClues wrote...

Very creative lens. Gets your point across while still being fun, fun, fun!

ReplyPosted October 28, 2008

Lensmaster

beeobrien wrote...

Thanks for the great guide. I'll try to follow your advice.

ReplyPosted May 13, 2008

Lensmaster

flighty02 wrote...

Hi, just dropped in from lensmaster soup, thanks for providing a very useful lens. I have only got a blog for pleasure really, to give me some experience as to what I can do at a later date, you have given me a good idea what not to do anyway :)

ReplyPosted May 03, 2008

Lensmaster

Susan52 wrote...

I appreciate this great advice. Love your style!

ReplyPosted April 06, 2008

Lensmaster

riff999 wrote...

Very entertaining style of writing. Thanks for the tips!
~Jane

ReplyPosted March 22, 2008

Lensmaster

hgedwards wrote...

Thanks for a lot of good information! This lens is a great resource for blogging beginners like me. Simple and direct. I love it!

ReplyPosted March 16, 2008

Lensmaster

dazwantsuuk wrote...

Great blogging lens a bit long but very informative;)
Web 2.0 Wealth System

ReplyPosted August 25, 2007

 
Next Page
1 of 2 pages