blogging for beginners: get writing

1Get writing!

2 Make it scannable• Lists • Formatting – bold, italics• Headings and sub-headings• Pictures• Blockquotes• Short paragraphs http://www.problogger.net/archives/2006/02/20/scannable-content/

3 Imagine you are copywriting

Sell the post to your readerSave the time of your users

4 Increase your vocabulary

• Lists of useful links• Opinion piece• Expert advice• News• Build towards an

event• Report on an event

• 5 top ways to... • Promote a new

resource• Tell a story/case

study• “Reply” to another

persons blog post• Q&A/agony aunt

5 Task: 15 minutes to write a blog post• Take your topic and style cards• If you are stuck, use the “20 Blog

Topics To Get You Unstuck” sheet!• Preview your post• Don’t publish – schedule for 16.00

6 Pictures• http://www.flickr.com• http://www.librarything.com• http://search.creativecommons.org/ • Or use your own...

Please check copyright and licensing!

See also: Creative Commons licences

7 Embedding• Slides - http://www.slideshare.net/

– Copy and paste code into HTML tab• Video – use embed button

8 Write fastHow to write fast– Know what you want to say– Pick a format– Write it all in one go– Review, correct and publish. http://www.problogger.net/archives/2008/12/30/how-to-write-

fast/

9 Write fast• Cheat – Ask others in your team to

contribute posts or quotes• Write or die...

http://lab.drwicked.com/writeordie.html

• Practice

10

Keep learning...• Get tips from other blogs...

– Problogger• Subscribe to other careers blogs• Join Twitter• Interact with other bloggers

– Post comments

11

RSS readers• Google Reader

http://www.google.com/reader/ • Bloglines http://www.bloglines.com/ • Netvibes http://www.netvibes.com/ • Pageflakes

http://www.pageflakes.com/