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Granted, the below are just my own personal, misappropriated judgements. However, the opportunity of trying to assist a few bloggers out there in the blogosphere is greatly appreciated (note: I couldn’t wait to use the word, blogosphere. The word rolls so nicely off the tongue, doesn’t it? 🤪 ).
Being new to this Never Never Land of blogging (note: I’ve never been on Facebook either), I have come to a few realizations about blogging:
First off => Post pacing. Good blogging seems to be greatly about rhythm. It’s all about the gait – the pace. Manage the rate of posting. Do not under-post (people may lose attention). Do not over-post (people may get worn out and desert you). Get a good rhythm going and except for needed occasional variety (don’t get too monotone), maintain a fairly consistent rate of posting.
Talking about blogs other than commercial ones, blogs are rather slowly assimilated. “Followers” using Reader in WordPress do not need to be deluged with your postings. Maybe your mind works close to the speed of light (and though I probably blog too often, my mind certainly doesn’t move at the speed of light 🥴)… one needs to realize that reading and digesting multiple blogs (as most of us try to do), can sometimes be a tiring and tedious process. Reading takes some time. Be sensitive as to potentially wearing people out.
Truly good blog postings take a little concentrated attention to digest and appreciate. People tend to be 60 seconds here, 60 seconds there. We all have family, lives, and passions that have to be attended too. Most of us, we’re very busy out here in blogland’. Keep it concise. Blogging is sometimes a Blues Brothers mission; but even then, you have to grasp the rate of assimilation and the amount of time available to readership.
Which logically leads me to a second related point: Post length: You just have to force yourself to limit the length of your postings. Probably, the number one reason that posts are abandoned so frequently is that the posts are just too dad-blamed long (guilty as charged on that front 🤭). Force yourself to be efficient with your words (uh-oh 😦). Time is precious. There are enough substantive issues to be grasped without being worn down by trivial and inefficient pursuits (another uh-oh 🤭). If you have something to say: say it quickly. Don’t be long and rambling (unfortunately like this post is becoming… 😬 => oh me!).
Post grammar: Another reason many posts are abandoned prematurely is because of bad grammar. I’d probably be one of the last people in the world to stringently limit you to the King’s English (I mainly speak Texan myself). I can easily tolerate idiomatic things like sentence fragments and dialectical and regional style. I can overlook verb tense problems, dropped prepositions, unwieldy sentences, danglers, and so forth and so on. However, when a post just becomes so grammatically replete with bad spacing, stupid typos, and egregiously-incorrect grammar, I’ve been known to quickly drop that post off by the side of the road. So be forewarned.
Blogging speaks to an amazingly-literate audience out here. You don’t often find the level of literacy and intelligence that accompanies blogging. If you recognize grammatically-weak tendencies in your postings, do your best to remedy grammar-related problems before belaboring your audience. I suggest using WordPress’ draft mode to work on your posts until they are truly up to snuff. It’s good to sit on those ideas for awhile anyway. Let them germinate. I’ve found that posts tend to get better => the riper they become. Learn how to be your own editor (a must). As I’m sure you well understand => good editing is absolutely essential.
Be a blessing: whatever you post, have a reason. Make sure you’re being a blessing in some regard. You want to entertain, comfort, edify, or otherwise assist the reader in some fashion. Try to be sensitive to being a blessing. Each post needs a raison d’être. Have a people reason to post. We’re carving out community here. Be helpful. Be respectful. Be real.
Finally… Thank people for their efforts when they have blessed you. Frequently use the comment function within WordPress. Use a consistent standard in your blog comments. Your comments should have as much integrity as your posts. And as I said above (allow me to emphasize) => we are establishing community here in the blogosphere. Share yourself to whatever degree you‘re comfortable with. But people need to be able to empathize with you. Good blogging is socializing. WordPress is a (multi-faceted) community wherein people are relating to each other in an often, genuinely-personal fashion (which is cool). You don’t have to go overboard with it. Blogging isn’t Twitter or Facebook. Try not to be guilty of being overly schmaltzy => Leave that part of the job to me 😝.
Blogging has been a great experience so far. Thank you, WordPress, for such a powerful and amazing tool. I’m very appreciative of what your good offices afford.
I do apologize for the overly-long post.
Peace out and God Bless, JCT.
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Does he realize he’s talking to himself? He’s had too much coffee, you know, Marvin.
Marvin: I know it.
JCT - Born Again 