Nine Must Read Articles For Bloggers

Todays post isn't really a post, but more of links to articles that just about everyone should read. All but one of the articles I will post today are from one site, the other is from Chris Brogan.

The site that most of the articles are coming from is useit.com - usable information technology, a site by Dr. Jakob Nielsen a co-founder of the Nielsen Norman Group. He has been called a guru, a king, a leader, a czar, an expert, and a pioneer in web usability. He writes a bi-weekly column called Alertbox where he focuses on web usability. Alertbox has been going strong since 1995.

How Users Read On The Web
This is an article from 1997 where Dr. Nielsen states that users don't read on the web, they scan. I've talked about formatting posts before and just about every other professional blogger or someone blogs about blogging will you that readers scan. With so many people saying it, why not do it?

He also talks about smaller paragraphs, relevant sub-headings, bold keywords, and fewer words. Most readers won't read the whole paragraph nor the whole article, but scan through the first couple of paragraphs and look for links and bold words. Format your posts accordingly.

Using Link Titles to Help Users Predict Where They Are Going
Link titles are something that had just been invented when Dr. Nielsen wrote this article in 1998, but holds true today. He talks about the title= feature with links and how this will help a user learn more about the link they may want to click on.



The example above is from his site and is a great example of how to use the title= feature. Although he does state not to do it on every link as a user clicking on a link that says Home or About Me is pretty sure on where they are headed.

Microcontent: How to Write Headlines, Page Titles, and Subject Lines
Blog posts are generally seen just by their title as a link and unless the title tells a reader exactly what they will read about, they won't click it. He talks about staying away from "cute" and "clever" headlines that might trick the reader as they will just close the page anyways.

Another important point he stresses is not to start titles with "the" or "a" because these articles can get lost in your archives. There could be 10 or 15 articles that start with "the" and your readers will get lost and not know which ones to read. Start the title with something about the article, something with relevance.

Deep Linking is Good Linking
Just like the title of his article says, linking your articles from within your other articles is a good thing. Don't get carried away though, as Google might penalize you.

Weblog Usability: The Top Ten Design Mistakes
A must read for anyone that has a blog or wants to start one. Some of them top ten are found through the articles he has written and I've posted about, but this list simplifies them into one nice neat package.

F-Shaped Pattern For Reading Web Content
Another must read article from Dr. Nielsen for anyone who has a website or blog. Read the article and format your posts accordingly.

Write Articles, Not Blog Postings
This might seem as inconsistent with his article about writing shorter posts but if you read the whole thing, you will understand what he means. This article is a little longer than all the others but it has a lot of good information and is another must read.

How Little Do Users Read?
Like his article about how readers read, this one talks about how little they actually do read. There is research, comparisons, and graphs. Once again another must read.

The last article is from Chris Brogan
His post is titled 40 ways to deliver killer blog content. Chris is another person that can be called a leader, an expert, and a guru on the web and if you aren't reading his blog, then you are missing out on a ton of content.

Your Posts (Should) = A $50 Ribeye Steak

The waitress brings you that juicy ribeye you ordered. It's sizzling in her hands as she sets in front of you. Your mouth starts to water and you grab your steak knife and fork and can't wait to dig in.

WAIT!!

Don't just start carving at the meat in front you. You should use all your senses to get the full picture. You've got to hear it, smell it, see it, and then cut into it to feel and taste it. This is a $50 steak, you can't scarf it down like a small cheeseburger at McDonald's. You are going to eat it slow, chewing it many times and savoring every bite. No steak sauce, just some salt and pepper. A $50 will be ruined by steak sauce.

Now how does this equate to your posts?
Basically, don't feverishly type up your post. Take your time on it. If you were to just write something without thinking it over and formatting it perfectly, than it's just going to be a wasted topic. You want your posts to read and feel like a $50 steak tastes.

Make sure you have a good topic.
All great steaks start with a great piece of beef. You should take this into consideration when you are posting about a topic. Will this topic be something that your readers want to read about? Will they want to tell their friends? If the answers are no to either or both of those questions, rethink the topic. When you eat a great steak, you want to tell everyone about how good it is and that they should really try out that restaurant. Your post should do the same.

Your post should be formatted for the readers.
When you order a steak at a steakhouse, you can order it from rare to well done. Your steak will then go on the grill with few seasonings. Your posts should be formatted in the same way. Simple and clear and concise. But, this depends on your topic and niche. For the most part, readers won't read everything you write, but will look for bulleted lists or bold headings.

Lastly, don't gussy up your posts with too much of anything.
If you order a good expensive steak at a popular steakhouse, the steak should be the center piece of the dish. Maybe some veggies, a biscuit, or some potatoes, but the steak will be the reason you ordered it. No crazy seasonings or cheap steak sauces. You are after the big hunk of charred meat.

This goes with your posts. Your reader isn't there for all the pictures and fancy things that some people put in their posts. I feel that if you are going to add a picture, it should at least have something to do with the post. Some people will just post a picture to post one. These will just take away from the real message in your writing.

Another thing that can take away from your post is all the social media web 2.0 buttons at the bottom. Not everything you will write will be diggable. The best thing I've seen is the "share this" links that kind of pop up so you can bookmark or add the post to your favorite social site. Stick with that and get rid of all the buttons.

Think of your post as a $50 steak. Are you really going to want cooked broccoli, onion rings, sauteed mushrooms, garlic mashed potatoes, buttered bread, french fries, creamed spinach, and a salad with it? No, keep your posts simple and only add things that are necessary.