Common Blogging Mistakes

By Laurie Epps

My mentor, Edie Melson, has written a fabulous book that simplifies was does, and doesn't work with social media and blogging.

A public speaker, and author Edie speaks all over the country recognized as an authority about social media.

So follow along with me in Edie's book: Connections: Social Media and Networking Techniques for Writers. Every week, we'll uncover a new chapter to have you on your way.

We've all looked at a blog that we've navigated away from because we found it either hard to look at or read.

Common Blogging Mistakes to Avoid:

• Not much visual contrast. By that I mean, the color background & print are either too similar, or the colors fight with each other.
• Too busy. Lots of plug ins, artwork, ads, tag-ons at the ending, etc. all detract from your actual post.
• Too long. I'm definitely guilty of this. Who's ever heard of a Victorian blogger? Most blogs should only be between 300-500 words. Anything longer than that, and you're losing your audience.
• Too much stuff on your post. All the announcements and add-ons to your post only add up to aggravation for your reader. So stop it!
• Wordy Sentences. A sentence shouldn't have more than 12 words in it. A paragraph shouldn't have more than 50 words in it.
• Wrong Font or Size. It's hard for any of us to read an electronic device for long periods of time. Keep your font style simple and without feet on the characters. Two good choices for blogging are Ariel and Verdana. Make sure you never use the smallest font size for the ease of readers.
• Incorrect Formatting. Blogs use blog formatting. So don't indent your paragraphs. Also, use an extra space in between paragraphs.

Connect Activity: Go over your blog with a friend, or have them go over it and get back to you. It's often hard to catch your own mistakes. Have them give it a once-over to see if you've made any errors.

Can't get enough social media? Check out Edie's Social Media Mondays Column at: http://thewriteconversation.blogspot.com.

Come join us next week to talk about: What defines success?

Laurie Epps is a senior at Anderson University majoring in Creative Writing. Already Laurie is most published as a feature article writer, essayist, and poet. A seeker of beauty and world traveler, Laurie hopes to grow into a career in travel writing illuminating the many stories that make us human despite our differences. Currently, Laurie also has a Thoughtful Thursday column dedicated to the fine art of poetry.