Those Blasted Bungled Botched Blogs

Bad articles thrown in the wastebasket

I’m kind of particular about what I spend my time reading.  There’s just not enough time in the day for reading badly written blogs, yet small businesses trying hard to get some momentum, some attention, frequently turn to putting out blogs that aren’t well written just for the sake of getting more eyeballs.  Not a good strategy since your blog can contribute to your overall brand.

I don’t know the author, but if you have a few extra minutes and want a good example of what not to do, go to “The Hyperlink In Between Written Content for Sites and Branding.” I’m not sure whether they were making a joke to make a point but I’m sure you’ll see what I mean.

Here are some of my thoughts:

  1. Make Sure that Punctuation and Spelling are Correct-This seems obvious but I must admit, I see mistakes all of the time.  It is really about attention to the details.  If you are focused on the details in your blog, then you’re probably focused on the details of serving your customer.  For some great direction and many humorous tips, I recommend Liz Craig’s blog.
  2. Give People Credit Where Credit Is Due -As was once said, “when you steal from one person it is called plagiarism, yet when you steal from many, it’s called research.”  (I can’t remember who to give credit to for this quote)  It is really easy to put links into your blogs that will take readers to your source’s website if they would like to learn more.  It helps their website by having an inbound link and it is the right thing to do.
  3. Be Careful When Using Humor-It is really a cool thing if you have the talent to be funny when you write but you know, it’s not really all that easy.  That’s why comedy writers get paid so much. What seems funny to you may not be to your readers and in fact could alienate them.  If you are a frustrated comedy writer and your blog is your outlet, use humor cautiously and judiciously.
  4. Give your Opinion on Your Subject-If all you’re providing is information, people can go to a zillion places on the Internet to get information.  What people really want to know is what your spin on this subject is.  Why do you have a passion to write about it?  Let people inside your head (I know in my case that’s a scary place to be) so they’ll get to know you and you become a person to them instead of just a company.  This is where you can build trust.
  5. Have Fun and Tell Stories-People will travel far to hear a good story.  Surely you have actual life experiences that can bring a rich texture to your subject and help your readers relate to what you’re saying.  It will gain you many loyal readers.

I’d love to know your thoughts.

David

The CMO Outsource

30 thoughts on “Those Blasted Bungled Botched Blogs”

  1. David,

    I went to that article you linked to. Noticed you had left a comment similar to what you said above, and they actually left it out there. Not only can’t they write, but evidently, they can’t read, either, or they would have recognized a pan when they saw it.

    I couldn’t find a way to comment, or I would have said the article looked as if it were written by a robot who didn’t speak English very well.

  2. Thanks David. Some good tips for blogging. Agree with you on more stories and opinions. I see some blogs that just post cool stuff w/out a take on it. That’s kind of what I do w/ my blog, post ads I like and such, and write a little something about them. Thinking I can do more though. Maybe make a spin off a new concept in the industry as opposed to just a single ad I see. I’ll try some new tactics. thanks again!

  3. Hi, was just browsing through the internet looking for some information and came across your blog. I am impressed by the information that you have on this blog. It shows how well you understand this subject. Bookmarked this page, will come back for more. You, my friend, ROCK!!!

  4. I just wanted to comment and say that I really enjoyed reading your blog post here. It was very informative and I also digg the way you write! Keep it up and I’ll be back to read more in the future

  5. Hello – I must say, I’m impressed with your site. I had no trouble navigating through all the tabs and information was very easy to access. I found what I wanted in no time at all. Pretty awesome. Would appreciate it if you add forums or something, it would be a perfect way for your clients to interact. Great job!

  6. Hey – nice blog, just looking around some blogs, seems a pretty nice platform you are using. I’m currently using WordPress for a few of my sites but looking to change one of them over to a platform similar to yours as a trial run. Anything in particular you would recommend about it?

  7. I’d be inclined to concur with you here. Which is not something I typically do! I enjoy reading a post that will make people think. Also, thanks for allowing me to speak my mind!

  8. Thank you for your comment. I would prefer if you use a portion of my article that you provide a link to my blog. Thank you and good luck.

  9. Hi. I wanted to drop you a quick note to express my thanks. I have been following your blog for a month or so and have picked up a heap of good information as well as enjoyed the way you’ve structured your site.

  10. Greetings to all, This webpage is good quality and so is the manner in which the issue was developped. I like some of the comments too though I would prefer we remain on the topic so that to add value to the point. It will be also encouraging to the one who penned it down if we all could mention it (for those who use social media such as a delicious, twitter,..). Thanks again.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *