Guidelines for Beginner Bloggers

I've been telling myself that as soon as I finish school, I will test my new and improved writing and communications skills through the art of blogging. I just needed to decide on a specific topic to write about that keeps my creativity flowing and my audience interested. Then I began my final course at Ashford University.

The Thinker - Google Images, 2015

This COM480 Communications Studies Capstone course requires the students to create a blog that touches on everything we have learned about communication during the course of our education.

What better time than now to try my hand at this new and exciting medium.

So, what is blogging and how do I get started?

A blog is an online communications tool that has become a popular way for individuals and companies to communicate with audiences on a variety of topics.

The Gingerbread Gem - Google Images, 2015

It can be used to make money or as an outlet for creative purposes. It can be used to educate people and as a source for bringing a community together. It can be used by businesses as a communication channel to reach customers and receive immediate feedback.

As with any type of communication, it is important to follow certain guidelines to ensure the message reaches the right audience, at the right time, through the right channel.

Following these guidelines will help to increase the traffic to a blog, making it something the audience wants to read and share.

Purpose

When creating a professional blog that will attract readers and keep them coming back for more, the blogger must first decide on the purpose of the blog and the audience it will reach.

Blogging on something you are passionate and knowledgeable about will keep the blogger interested and make the writing process more enjoyable. However, the main reason someone creates a blog is to get others to read it and take some type of action. In order to make that happen, the blogger must understand who the audience is and what they need.

Audience

Once the purpose of the blog is decided, the blogger must analyze the audience he or she plans to reach. The more information a blogger knows about the audience, the greater the likelihood that it reaches the right audience and makes a positive impact.

Writing styles must also be adapted to the sensitivities of each audience whether the blog is for business or personal use. For example, when creating a blog for the COM480 Communications Studies Capstone course, the audience will include the instructor, the students in the class, and other students who may take the course in the future. It could also reach potential employers. 

Therefore, it is important to keep the content of the blog professional and well written, using proper grammar and punctuation.

Content

Next, the blogger needs to have a good idea of the content that will be posted on the blog which also depends on the audience.

The scope needs to be broad enough to provide a sufficient amount of information to write about and sustain the life of the blog. However, it cannot be too broad or the blogger will lose focus which could cause the audience to become confused.

The blog created for the COM480 Communications Studies Capstone course will cover many subjects, but they will all be related to communication.

Writing the content for a blog is different from writing a research paper for a college course. The blogger should use a comfortable style of writing that is in the blogger's own voice. Most importantly, the blogger must remember to keep the content relevant to the audience.

Design

Clear the Clutter - Google Images, 2015

Finally, the design of the blog page must be appropriate for the purpose, audience, and content.

A professionally designed blog will be easier to scan, read, and search. A cluttered blog page, just like any other website, can quickly lose the intended audience.

Here are a few important design guidelines to follow:

• Use appropriate fonts, background, and images to draw the audience's attention.
• Use headers, sub-headers, and lists to make the blog easier to scan and read.
• Leave some white space on the page to keep it from looking cluttered.

Designing the blog around the purpose, audience, and content will ensure the blogger begins with a solid foundation for communicating his or her message.

Time to Start Blogging

The main reason to blog is to get your audience to read it, share it, and take some type of action. Finding the right purpose and scope will help to analyze the audience. Once the audience is clear, the blogger can decide on the content and design of the blog. Keeping the information up to date and adding new content on a regular basis will keep the audience coming back for more.

Reaching the right audience, at the right time, through the right channel is the essence of effective

Fear of Writing - Google Images, 2015

communication. Reaching an audience through blogging can provide an outlet for creativity or, if done right, can turn into a lucrative business. The blogger just needs to take the first step and be open for feedback in order to continuously improve on the craft.

Now it's your turn. Please provide feedback, comments, and suggestion on how I can improve my blog.

"There is no such thing as failure. There are only results." 

- Tony Robbins

Sources

Bovée, C. L., & Thill, J. V. (2014). Business communication today (12th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Dunlevie, S. (2015). 16 rules of blog writing and layout. Which ones are you breaking? Retrieved from http://www.successfulblogging.com/16-rules-of-blog-writing-which-ones-are-you-breaking/

Agarwal, A. (2015). How to create content that generates 1,000 visitors every single day. Retrieved from http://www.successfulblogging.com/how-to-do-a-blog/