Comments on: How to write a FREAKING AWESOME blog post http://jasonalba.com/2010/01/29/how-to-write-a-freaking-awesome-blog-post/ Just another JASONAlba weblog Thu, 29 Jul 2010 13:01:26 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Beth Bittenbender http://jasonalba.com/2010/01/29/how-to-write-a-freaking-awesome-blog-post/comment-page-1/#comment-59649 Beth Bittenbender Tue, 20 Jul 2010 14:26:05 +0000 http://jasonalba.com/?p=615#comment-59649 I LOVE the write 80%, let the rest be written in comments idea! If I get one good idea out of what I'm reading, it's a success - so call this blog post a success for me! I LOVE the write 80%, let the rest be written in comments idea!
If I get one good idea out of what I’m reading, it’s a success – so call this blog post a success for me!

]]> By: Jason http://jasonalba.com/2010/01/29/how-to-write-a-freaking-awesome-blog-post/comment-page-1/#comment-50707 Jason Mon, 01 Feb 2010 17:04:52 +0000 http://jasonalba.com/?p=615#comment-50707 @Julie - lol, you make sense all the time. Good point - one thing I had to do was WRITE TO MYSELF (instead of writing to a big audience). I had to be honest and true to myself, and the readers eventually came... it's that "authenticity" thing "they" keep talking about. Eventually the comments came, but not at first... which leads me to... @Kate - you have great stuff. Keep writing, and you will improve without comments. I think consistent, high quality posts will result in readers, and readers will eventually lead to comments. Have you used Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and email to get people to a great post and solicit feedback/input? These are relatively new tactics I've employed and when I do I usually get much better results (or, more comments). Regarding vlogs, I agree. You have to really hook me in order to have me spend the time on a vlog (not good for mobile, not good for lower speed connections, etc.)... and as a blogger I then have to set it all up, make sure my background is nice, that I'm groomed, and possibly (a) edit or (b) do many takes. I might get into vlogging later but for now it's not for me... :p @Julie – lol, you make sense all the time. Good point – one thing I had to do was WRITE TO MYSELF (instead of writing to a big audience). I had to be honest and true to myself, and the readers eventually came… it’s that “authenticity” thing “they” keep talking about. Eventually the comments came, but not at first… which leads me to…

@Kate – you have great stuff. Keep writing, and you will improve without comments. I think consistent, high quality posts will result in readers, and readers will eventually lead to comments.

Have you used Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and email to get people to a great post and solicit feedback/input? These are relatively new tactics I’ve employed and when I do I usually get much better results (or, more comments).

Regarding vlogs, I agree. You have to really hook me in order to have me spend the time on a vlog (not good for mobile, not good for lower speed connections, etc.)… and as a blogger I then have to set it all up, make sure my background is nice, that I’m groomed, and possibly (a) edit or (b) do many takes.

I might get into vlogging later but for now it’s not for me… :p

]]> By: Kate http://jasonalba.com/2010/01/29/how-to-write-a-freaking-awesome-blog-post/comment-page-1/#comment-50593 Kate Sat, 30 Jan 2010 18:04:30 +0000 http://jasonalba.com/?p=615#comment-50593 This is the problem I have. I started writing my blog only recently, and I don't have many readers. I want a discussion-it's the only way I'll improve-but no readers equals no comments. I can tell I have few readers because of the metrics Word Press offers me. On another note. I personally dislike vlogs. I don't have the time to sit and watch something for 4 minutes when I could read it in 1. So I generally skip them. I know I miss a lot of good content, but I save myself some time, and that's worth it to me. This is the problem I have. I started writing my blog only recently, and I don’t have many readers. I want a discussion-it’s the only way I’ll improve-but no readers equals no comments. I can tell I have few readers because of the metrics Word Press offers me.

On another note. I personally dislike vlogs. I don’t have the time to sit and watch something for 4 minutes when I could read it in 1. So I generally skip them. I know I miss a lot of good content, but I save myself some time, and that’s worth it to me.

]]> By: Jerry Dunham http://jasonalba.com/2010/01/29/how-to-write-a-freaking-awesome-blog-post/comment-page-1/#comment-50583 Jerry Dunham Sat, 30 Jan 2010 14:28:03 +0000 http://jasonalba.com/?p=615#comment-50583 This is a comment so that Jason won't feel like he didn't get enough comments on his blog about eliciting comments to blogs about ... um ... where was I, again? This is a comment so that Jason won’t feel like he didn’t get enough comments on his blog about eliciting comments to blogs about … um … where was I, again?

]]> By: Julie | Resume Services http://jasonalba.com/2010/01/29/how-to-write-a-freaking-awesome-blog-post/comment-page-1/#comment-50548 Julie | Resume Services Fri, 29 Jan 2010 23:19:17 +0000 http://jasonalba.com/?p=615#comment-50548 How will you know if you have readers who will input unless you ask for input... seems like a chicken and egg issue and it is Friday night here so I stop making sense at a certain point! :-) How will you know if you have readers who will input unless you ask for input… seems like a chicken and egg issue and it is Friday night here so I stop making sense at a certain point! :-)

]]> By: Jason http://jasonalba.com/2010/01/29/how-to-write-a-freaking-awesome-blog-post/comment-page-1/#comment-50537 Jason Fri, 29 Jan 2010 21:57:41 +0000 http://jasonalba.com/?p=615#comment-50537 great thoughts you guys, thanks for adding. I personally don't think you should ask for input until you have any readers who will input. I don't like seeing blog posts end with "what do you think" again and again, and no posts have any comments. I do, however, like how Julie does it... not asking a question that goes unanswered, rather saying she wants to discuss... great thoughts you guys, thanks for adding.

I personally don’t think you should ask for input until you have any readers who will input. I don’t like seeing blog posts end with “what do you think” again and again, and no posts have any comments.

I do, however, like how Julie does it… not asking a question that goes unanswered, rather saying she wants to discuss…

]]> By: Julie | Resume Services http://jasonalba.com/2010/01/29/how-to-write-a-freaking-awesome-blog-post/comment-page-1/#comment-50511 Julie | Resume Services Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:16:43 +0000 http://jasonalba.com/?p=615#comment-50511 I think opening the door to comments is a good idea but I also think there are numbers of people who are afraid to comment. Maybe they think they will annoy the blogger, maybe they don't think they have anything of value to say, maybe they think they aren't wanted... I try to not only end with a question but also an invitation. My current ending is Talk to me, I talk back :-) and sometimes it works... I didn't start blogging to build SEO, I started blogging because I love to write. It also is a great way to let my clients know more about me and to answer the questions that I hear over and over in the job search field. Whenever I think more about the process, I find myself not wanting to write anymore. I think opening the door to comments is a good idea but I also think there are numbers of people who are afraid to comment. Maybe they think they will annoy the blogger, maybe they don’t think they have anything of value to say, maybe they think they aren’t wanted… I try to not only end with a question but also an invitation. My current ending is Talk to me, I talk back :-) and sometimes it works…

I didn’t start blogging to build SEO, I started blogging because I love to write. It also is a great way to let my clients know more about me and to answer the questions that I hear over and over in the job search field.

Whenever I think more about the process, I find myself not wanting to write anymore.

]]> By: Winnie Anderson http://jasonalba.com/2010/01/29/how-to-write-a-freaking-awesome-blog-post/comment-page-1/#comment-50509 Winnie Anderson Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:03:15 +0000 http://jasonalba.com/?p=615#comment-50509 You make an interesting point Jason. I think we all start a blog with the intention to generate SEO traction and position ourselves well within our segments. The trick I think is to start there and then expand into what you're talking about here. It's sort of hard to have a conversation when you're the only one talking and that's the situation at first, isn't it? I think a good start is to end with a question so you're inviting comments even though you've probably finished your thought. Then as you build a bigger community you can do the 80-20 thing. By that time I'd think the writing would have progressed to where the person would have more ability to stop themselves and they'd have some peeps to comment. You make an interesting point Jason. I think we all start a blog with the intention to generate SEO traction and position ourselves well within our segments. The trick I think is to start there and then expand into what you’re talking about here. It’s sort of hard to have a conversation when you’re the only one talking and that’s the situation at first, isn’t it?

I think a good start is to end with a question so you’re inviting comments even though you’ve probably finished your thought. Then as you build a bigger community you can do the 80-20 thing. By that time I’d think the writing would have progressed to where the person would have more ability to stop themselves and they’d have some peeps to comment.

]]> By: Davina K. Brewer http://jasonalba.com/2010/01/29/how-to-write-a-freaking-awesome-blog-post/comment-page-1/#comment-50505 Davina K. Brewer Fri, 29 Jan 2010 15:56:59 +0000 http://jasonalba.com/?p=615#comment-50505 It's an interesting application of the 80-20 rule, letting the comments fill the last part of the discussion. And of course, that starts with leaving it open ended, and having a call to action to generate responses. Apryl is right about headlines; compelling headlines and tweets get clicked, read and hopefully, comments and RSS subscriptions. FWIW. It’s an interesting application of the 80-20 rule, letting the comments fill the last part of the discussion. And of course, that starts with leaving it open ended, and having a call to action to generate responses.

Apryl is right about headlines; compelling headlines and tweets get clicked, read and hopefully, comments and RSS subscriptions. FWIW.

]]> By: Craig http://jasonalba.com/2010/01/29/how-to-write-a-freaking-awesome-blog-post/comment-page-1/#comment-50503 Craig Fri, 29 Jan 2010 15:42:25 +0000 http://jasonalba.com/?p=615#comment-50503 It's the difference between writing a blog and writing a newsletter. And you're right, it's harder to write the blog post, because the open-endedness goes against virtually everything we were ever taught about writing well. It’s the difference between writing a blog and writing a newsletter. And you’re right, it’s harder to write the blog post, because the open-endedness goes against virtually everything we were ever taught about writing well.

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