It’s often really hard to just launch into writing a blog. Beyond the possible technical challenges, there’s also the inevitable questions like “what do I write about?”, “what should I sound like?”, and “will anyone even read this junk?”…. I find one of the best ways to get inspiration, ideas, and hopefully peace of mind, is to read other blogs. Don’t copy them, but pick out what you like and don’t like about them. What works? What doesn’t work? But ensure you use your own voice in your blog.
Look at how the bloggers connect with their readers (or don’t), how they use language, but also how the posts themselves are set up in terms of how they look. Are the titles effective? Are they tagged and categorized clearly? Is the message engaging?
For some ideas, you can take a look at this list that a colleague at BCIT and I developed for their Technical Writing Program’s annual Alumni Lunch:
For Business/Writing:
- Seth Godin www.sethgodin.com
- 6S Marketing www.6smarketing.com/blog
- Out-Smarts Marketing www.out-smarts.com/blog
- Scott Berkun scottberkun.com/blog
- Grammar Girl blog.quickanddirtytips.com
- Steve Slaunwhite www.steveslaunwhite.com/blog
- Rhonda Page www.knowyourdifference.com
For Pleasure:
- The Oatmeal www.theoatmeal.com (language warning)
- Hyperbole and a Half hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.ca (language warning)
- Cake Wrecks www.cakewrecks.com
- 27b/6 www.27bslash6.com (language warning)
- Upworthy www.upworthy.com
- The Happiness Project www.happiness-project.com/
- Climbur www.climbur.com
Whether you learn from good blogs or bad, don’t let anything stop you from just going for it!
Geraldine