Content Is King

The uber-anonymous (but findable) Washwords has just taken her
blog on words, writing, wonderings, wanderings and Washington D.C. to
her own domain at http://washwords.com/words.
She’s trying to follow all her own advice and that of others as laid
out here, but she’s sometimes distracted by bright shiny objects. She
is a former journalist with clips from publications including Newsweek,
the Washington Post; a radio appearance on WAMU’s Metro Connection, and
a slew of work at publications you’ve never heard of, where she learned
a TON. She is thrilled to be here guest blogging at Blogging Basics
101, where she has already learned so much from all of you. Hope
something here will begin to return the favor.

In journalism (and other forms of storytelling), the rule is simple: content is king.

Crazily enough, in this social media Web 2.0 world, what I’m
learning is that everything old is new again. Tips and teachings from
editors past and a journalistic life past keep coming back around,
finding their way into my blog writing, much to my surprise. And I’m
not the only one who’s noticed.

Because despite all the widgets, and chicklets, in the blogosphere, content is (still) king.

But there’s content and there’s CONTENT. So how do you make your
blog content sing? Consider these five tips on Web 2.0 blog content
from a hard-copy world gone by and yet, still very much alive in this
blogger’s heart.

1.) Be content-centered. Remember, content is king. Yes
getting hits and Google Page Ranks are important. So is making a design
that sells and branding yourself. That will come. Focus on producing
top-notch SPECIFIC content.

In  Passion, Honesty, Content and Light-Footedness – Ingredients of Successful Blogging, Darren Rowse of ProBlogger reflects on interview with an Australian blogger Alborz Fallah (CarAdvice.com.au)
who built his blog from a hobby to a million dollar business in just
two years. He notes Fallah’s passion, his honesty and his devotion to
content and content first.

Even in times when his site disappeared from Google he wasn’t distracted from his primary task of producing engaging content.

Further, Rowse praises Alborz’s approach to picking WHAT content he
will write about – Alborz started with three blogs on three different
topics winnowing down which one worked best. Rowse did the same, except
he notes that he started with 20 (which he doesn’t recommend!) The
point is both Rowse and Alborz did eventually settle on ONE theme, ONE
niche. (For more on niche marketing, why not check out Ed Dale and Dan
Raines’ Thirty Day Challenge, starting August 1.)

2.) What’s in it for them? In journalism, editors’ constant
refrain was to remind myself what the reader would ask "What’s in it
for me?" It’s not enough to write something pretty, or even
well-written, it has to be useful!

Want to know how to hit the mark with your readers? Ask them!
That’s what Lynn Terry of ClickNews! did when she made creating great
content her July goal. (Focus for July: Content):

I started by asking them what they wanted, both in a fun
blog post here at Clicknewz and also in a heartfelt email to SSWT
readers. This is always the best place to start when it comes to
content development, and there are several ways that you can put your
ear to the ground and find out what your target market truly wants.

How did she find out specifically? She… asked! She also checked
the keywords searched for that led readers to her blog and she pondered
what they discussed in the comments on her blog and others.

Write to encourage discussion. Read and write RELEVANT comments. Be
a part of the conversation and make your blog a part. Use quotes and
trackbacks. Have "regular" sources but never leave the new reader out.

3) Do your homework. "Naked opinions don’t carry much weight," sums up Brad Schorr in his excellent Word Sell post "Attract RSS Subscribers with Quality Blog Content | Word Sell, Inc. Always support your ideas with examples and facts.

As a journalist, an editor told me he could always tell when I
hadn’t done enough reporting. The result was the flowery rambly
language of what he called the "wind up."

I found myself telling folks the same thing in all kinds of writing.
Do your research – don’t know what you’re talking about and it will
show. The journalistic rule was three sources for each fact (EACH. FACT
as I learned as a researcher at Newsweek.)

4) Edit. Then edit again. Some bloggers and blog advisors
suggest spending as much time on the editing as the writing. I’m not
sure that’s my style but what does help is recognizing that the
mechanics matter. Sloppiness can derail a reader fast.

A trick from editors past that I’ve now passed on to those I’m
editing is to read your work aloud. This helps with rhythm and flow and
also tells you when (ahem) it’s getting too long. If you’re getting
bored or lost… so are your readers.

Other mechanical tips:

• Write tight. Short sentences. Short posts. "Jumps" so the
  reader isn’t overwhelmed with gray matter, whether on a newspaper page
  or a Web page.
• Headlines matter. Pick your words carefully to tease and pique interest without being overly gimmicky.
• Orienting "guideposts" help - use subheads, bullets, numbered lists (smiles).
• Have "nut grafs" aka the explanatory paragraph early in a
  post that explains what’s been happening so far, so a new reader
  doesn’t feel left out or too confused to go on.
• Graphics help. But, as in print journalism, follow the rules
  of dominant art, rather than a cacophony of text and pictures and
  flashing dancing bananas (okay dancing bananas don’t often show up in
  newsprint.) I’m not as sold as video and podcasts and other techy tools
  as many of my peers yet, so maybe I’m just being a luddite. What I
  would say is keep your page simple. Busy doesn’t often work. it just
  gives folks a headache.

5) Love it. Finally, the biggest truth, in writing of any
kind: You have to absolutely love it, be passionate about it – whether
"it’s" getting the truth in a story, revealing a character in a novel,
or attracting and keeping readers coming back to your blog. Care about
it (another good reason for a niche). Carry a notebook, read and write
and rewrite constantly. Run your daily experiences through the filter
of your niche, your blog, your writing. Let your love be infectious. It
will come back…in multiples.

Want more on content? There plenty out there.

For starters, I recommend:

• ANYTHING by Lorelle on WordPress (try this one: Question: What Will You Not Blog About? « Lorelle on WordPress)
• Anything on Problogger by Darren Rowse. Do a search for content.
• Word Sell, particularly Attract RSS Subscribers with Quality Blog Content | Word Sell, Inc.
• Word Sell recommends Liz Strauss, Joanna Young, Yvonne Russell and Karen Swim for conversational bloggers.
• ClickNews, particularly The Secret To Writing Really Great Content
• PotPieGirl, particularly How To Increase Blog Traffic and Improve Your Search Engine Exposure with Blog Content | PotPieGirl.com (and she’s not talkin’ SEO or AdRank)
• SEOmoz particularly SEOmoz | Content is King, Baby!
• Chrisg.com, particularly Diggbait, Linkbait, Flagship Content and Authority @ chrisg.com
• Doshdosh, particularly 16 Effective Strategies to Expand Your Blog’s Reach in 2008
• And of course, our illustrious hostess, Melanie, here on Blogging Basics 101

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