What Makes A Good Blog?

     What makes the elements of a good blog? It takes content, readability, good usage of social media, good usage of images, and a good place to have a discussion. After all, what is a blog? It's a place to have a discussion about any topic you want. You post your opinion on a topic, then you back it up, with your version of the truth.

     Yet, so many people try to blog, and so many fail? Why? It's because one or more of the essential ingredients to the blog is missing. Think about a cake. If you don't have all your ingredients, or you have too much of one ingredient, your cake comes out horrible.

     This is true with the blogging world. If you are missing one or more design element, your blog will not make sense to some people. For example, you could make a very well placed argument. However, some people, when they see many lines of text, they just shut off. Keep them interested with visual aids. “Graphic design elements can make your blog stand out from the crowd. Well chosen pictures help to get your ideas across easier and provide a visual appeal that will make visiting your site much more enjoyable for viewers. Pictures and graphics that are related to your content give readers a preview of what your blog has to offer and also add a visual appeal that will draw readers in and keep them interested.” (Wildfire Marketing Group, 2013, para. 4)

     An example is the blog of fellow classmate Jeannie. (http://thereshouldbea12stepprogramforthis.blogspot.com) We see that in her blog, she uses many images. However, she also understands one of the key elements to this, and that is using the correct images. In her blog, entitled, “Your Faux Pas is Showing,” we see that she uses images that are suitable to the blog topic.

     We see that in this blog posting, she uses a stone with the numbers one through ten, written in Roman numerals, which is thought to represent the ten commandments. One of her assignments was to read a piece called, “Ten Commandments of Intercultural Communication “ by Martin Hahn. Thus, she has intrigued the reader, just by the image.

     Next, we see an image of the differences in handshakes between Microsoft founder, Bill Gates, and Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg. The difference stands that Bill Gates had his free hand in his pocket, when he was shaking the hand of the South Korean prime minister. This sparked a debate on etiquette in foreign countries. Again, the picture is on topic, because she was explaining how each culture has a different faux pas, when it comes to non-verbal communication.

     When incorporating images on my blog, I plan on using the same tact. Keep it to the point. If I was writing a blog post on Manchester United, I would not want Liverpool's logo in the post. That would confuse the reader.

     Readability is one of the tougher parts of blogging. Of course, you want to have great content, but people have to read the content. Would you sell a pair of glasses with scratches on them? “Easy to read content is one of the most important elements of an effective blog design. Large font size, contrasting color against the background, sufficient line and paragraph spacing are some ways to ensure content is easy to read.” (Kronik Media, 2011, Para. 3)

     In classmate Stewart's blog (http://stuartphillips.blogspot.com), we see one of the things not to do. One of the first questions any blogger should ask themselves is, “are all my posts in the same font and the same font size?” If the answer to any part of this question is no, you have to revise the blog immediately. I noticed that one of Stewart's blog postings has a bigger font size than the rest. While you want a good, large font size, you have to keep all the blog postings consistent.

     It would be like going into Burger King, and not having all the burger patties the same size. You could end up with a Whopper that has a huge amount of meat, or you can end up with a Whopper that has very little meat. You're going to end up with unhappy customers, if you go down this road. Eventually, you will end up angering all of them, because at some point, you're going to give a smaller portion to everyone.

     I have always treated by blogs, like they were restaurants. Consistency matters more than people think it does. When you are consistent on the smaller things, you can then work on the bigger projects. One of the bigger projects is the emphasis on content. After all, this is why people come to your blog, is it not? Your content, like the smaller things, has to be consistent. One of the bigger pitfalls I found with earlier blogs I had, was that I would bounce from politics, to sports, to social commentary, ect. People would get my message confused.

The blog that I am using for class, is a place where I can showcase my writing skills. This involves my freelance writing, as well as my writing for class. You will not find my social commentary, political commentary, or even sports commentary on this blog.

In classmate Annaliisa Garcia's blog, (http://eatingbeansinchina.blogspot.com/) she has her writings for class, but also, she has some of her commentary on China, and her experiences living in the country. While I think she will be a great ambassador, for people who want to move to China, the question should be asked, does it belong on the same blog with topics dealing with communication? Some one could get confused, as to the purpose of the blog.

To summarize, proper usage of images and consistency with the content and the little things, like font size and font type could go a long way in determining the success or failure of a blog. The truth is, many of us are great at one part of the blog, and then struggle with other areas. Consistency is the key, in the end. Once you master consistency, then everything else just falls into place.

References

Sing, K. (2011) Fifteen Elements of a Great Blog Design. Kronik Media. Online. http://www.kronikmedia.co.uk/blog/15-elements-of-great-blog-design/2133/

Wildfire Marketing Group. (2013) Five Components of a Successful Blog. Wildfire Marketing Group. Online. http://www.wildfiremarketinggroup.com/five-components-of-a-successful-blog/

Phillips, S. (2013) Wandering One. Blog. http://stuartphillips.blogspot.com/

Garica, A. (2013) Eating Beans in China. Blog. http://eatingbeansinchina.blogspot.com/

Swint, J. (2013) A Blog For Class? Blog. http://thereshouldbea12stepprogramforthis.blogspot.com/?zx=f18c35f0afce3a60