Please can we start writing proper blog posts?
 Now everyone is on Twitter, Facebook and god knows what else the pressure is on to produce content. Web pages have to be filled, blog posts made in line with the demands of search engine optimisation and features posted to lure people into following you.
There is one form of article that has popped up time and time again - and yes I am guilty of this - the top 10 tips feature. The idea is you give your reader a list of things connected with a topic that in some way makes you appear insightful or helpful. They're easy to write, don't take a huge amount of time and - frankly - can be rattled off pretty quickly. So for you there's a lot of plus points in going down this route, which might explain why there's an explosion of these articles, from "top tips to building a facebook page" to "6 steps to Twitter heaven."
Unfortunately this style can quickly become repetitive, not just within your own blog but when read within the context of others as well. Instead of being insightful your article can be lost in a sea of "me too" posts that get quickly passed over. Indeed it might not even get to that stage as the unappealing title gets ignored. At best you might be able to hope to draw in a couple of new readers, but if all you're going to do is rattle off lists you will start to slip down the attention span pecking order.
Moving away from the list format isn't as difficult as it seems. You can still start with your list of ideas, but instead of giving each a heading find ways of weaving them together to form a narrative - a story if you will. Without the jolting headers that accompanies the list the text will flow more naturally, drawing the reader in. One idea should flow to the next, building up a picture in the reader's mind that is compelling to them and makes them want to consider what you are suggesting. Careful use of the first person (explaining how "I" applied the ideas) or the second (how "you" can apply them) can add to this effect, particularly if you add anecdotes or case studies.
You may also save yourself some effort. With more freedom to explore your ideas you could easily find a "top 10" becomes a series of 3 or 4 individual pieces, each exploring a triplet of individual concepts. Instead of scrabbling around looking for the next list to publish you could find yourself pulling together three or four hundred words quite easily.
My advice: drop the clunky top lists, start writing stories and learn how to structure a paragraph!
Previously on this blog...
the global leader in Contact Center Consolidation 2.0
2.0 has become a meaningless addition to already poor tag lines.
A dozen beautiful images of Saturn
Wired presents a dozen of the best images from the Cassini mission
Setting up shop in a new country: beyond the website
Building a website for multiple languages is not just about translation. It is a critical business decision that has to be taken carefully.
Why call centre staff deserve your respect
If call centre staff set the first impression for your business, why do we treat them so badly?
Becoming a Specialist? A hard decision to make ...
Specialising requires hard strategic decisions to be made about your business.
When good people move on
Losing a member of staff to another company is not necessarily a bad thing
The quest for quality in Agile Software Development
Why quality assurance remains a central part of project management, regardless of the use of Agile methods
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