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Blog Post Consumption – A Few Tips

Posted by John Saddington on Jan 1, 2009

thumbs-upHappy New Year!

In light of the coming year and TONs and TONS and TONS of great stuff that’ll be happening in the blog world, I thought it would be great to have the year open up with a “quick tip” for making the best blog posts ever.

First, let’s admit we’re all a bit A.D.D. when it comes to online browsing, reading, and consuming of content.

… Ok.  So are egos are now in check.

One of the best strategies for making your blog post consumable (and as a reslt enticing for others to come back) is to make it scannable.

What does this mean?  It means the following:

  1. Brevity. Keep it short, to the point, and easy for the reader to “get the message” fast.  This has a lot to do with the “type” of blog that you run and the content, but don’t write a dissertation every, single, time.
  2. Line Length. If your readers strain their eyes and/or neck so that they can consume your content, you’ve failed. 12 to 16 words per line is about right, studies have shown.  I have broken this cardinal rule and aim to fix it early this year with a redesign!
  3. Paragraphs are Epic. Processing blocks of text in small bits is far easier than trying to consume large blocks of content.  It also adds a design element of “white space”… which people say is all the rage.  I agree.
  4. Headers and Subheaders. This helps a person follow flow. It makes space for new sections of idea and thought.  Use profusely.
  5. Bullet Points and Lists. They are good.  No, great.
  6. Bolt and Italics are still cool. Use wisely.  Typography is a good thing.  I need to work on it here at ChurchCrunch.
  7. Text is simply too boring.  Get some pictures.

So cheers to a new year and better blogging!

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John Saddington

John is the Chief Editor @ The 8BIT Network and Senior Blog Junkie here at ChurchCrunch.He enjoys Triple-Tall Americanos, developing Wordpress Themes, and a few other Random Things.

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17 Responses to “Blog Post Consumption – A Few Tips”

  1. AdrianRodriguez
    Thursday, January 1, 2009 at 3:09 am

    Awesome post. I think I do just about everything their. My width of my content is small, so I have no trouble with 12-16 words per line. I love using images, because it creates a more visual experience than just text and typography is a plus.

    Reply
    • human3rror
      Friday, January 2, 2009 at 11:54 am

      definitely. you're a designer… you would know!

      Reply
  2. Ancoti
    Thursday, January 1, 2009 at 3:49 am

    Great suggestions! I try to follow as many as I can. I also say to write from your heart first and head second. If you do, you will write as God moves you to do, not necessarily reacting to what others say or think. Let God on your heart and you can deal with the people trying to get into your head.

    Reply
    • human3rror
      Friday, January 2, 2009 at 11:55 am

      i'm a head guy… heart is sometimes rare… that's more for my "other" blog… ;)

      Reply
      • Ancoti
        Saturday, January 3, 2009 at 4:01 am

        But would it not be great to be both at the same time all the time? That is probably what we have eternity with Jesus for.

        Reply
  3. CaroleTurner
    Thursday, January 1, 2009 at 3:53 am

    Thanks.

    Reply
  4. Leo Wurschmidt
    Thursday, January 1, 2009 at 3:59 am

    Brevity A definite problem of mine. A simple thought can turn into a complete dissertation. That is always a good reminder for me. Bullets and lists: they are something that are underutilized on my blog.

    Reply
    • human3rror
      Friday, January 2, 2009 at 11:55 am

      … hehe. this one's for you bud.

      Reply
      • Leo Wurschmidt
        Saturday, January 3, 2009 at 2:07 am

        You rock! It is much appreciated my friend.

        Reply

  1. 7 tips for making better blog-posts | The Daily Scroll

    [...] 7 tips for making better blog-posts January 2, 2009 John Saddington, Church Crunch [...]

  2. churchcrunch (churchcrunch)

    New blog post: Blog Post Consumption – A Few Tips http://tinyurl.com/9dl2q9

  3. human3rror (human3rror)

    Make your Blog POSTS Easy in 2009 for your readers!!! ::::::::: New blog post: Blog Post Consumption – A Few Tips http://tinyurl.com/9dl2q9

  4. leoschmidt08 (Leo Wurschmidt)

    RT @human3rror: Make your Blog POSTS Easy for your readers!! New blog post: Blog Post Consumption – A Few Tips http://tinyurl.com/9dl2q9

  5. leoschmidt08 (Leo Wurschmidt)

    Help your readers digest your writing. Great post on how to make your posts easier to read for your audience. http://bit.ly/DRLy