I have been blogging for several years now, and have learned much along the way. I've gained a following and gradually (at least I like to think, and have been told) improved the quality of Flack's Revenge.
Having said that, I believe it is never too late to up my game, and have started reading books on the subject. The long form advice is a nice complement to the many conversations I have had with other bloggers and great blog posts I have read on the subject.
One very good book (I am about halfway through it) is The Huffington Post Complete Guide to Blogging, from Simon and Schuster. The Huffington Post rocketed to becoming a major force in blogging, and I reckoned there must be some good advice within the pages.
I have already gotten some great value from it, here are a few excerpts:
On the topic of how often to post, which I have often wrestled with:
Rule #1: Blog often
If you want an audience… you need to reward visitors to your site with new content… We've heard arguments about quality vs. quantity, but we believe this argument is a luxury for people who already have a big readership.
Other rules include:
2. Perfect is the enemy of Done
3. Write like you speak
4. Focus on specific details
5. Own your topic
6. Know your audience
7. Write short
8. Become part of the conversation with like-minded bloggers
Advice on finding your blogging voice:
Use the voice you already have…Think of blogging like writing an email to a friend. Better yet, an email to a really cool, clever friend with whom you have a great and witty rapport… just start writing… Don't try too hard… Don't try to be funny (especially if you're not) and don't try to be serious (it's too much pressure). Don't try to be anything but exactly who you are.
I also recently received review copies of two new books from Pearson that I look forward to digging into and reporting back on soon Blogging to Drive Business and Create your own Blog: 6 Easy Projects.
