There’s a special art to writing effective blog posts. But, don’t worry. As a scholarly writer you have all of the skills needed to create content that is findable, readable, and shareable on the Internet.
There are just a few reminders we’d like to point out as you prepare your blog post for submission to New Forums Press. Please make sure to read the following information thoroughly. We look forward to reading your work!
Author Benefits to Blogging
Scholarly authors have an untapped resource to establishing credibility. That resource is the Internet. Authors (and the websites) experience significant benefits to publishing consistent, fresh and relevant content on the web.
Benefits include
- Credibility boost in your respective field;
- Shareable content that can be read by anyone, anywhere and at any time;
- Content distribution to the higher education community through New Forums Press eNewsletter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus social media pages;
- Increased publishing opportunities (both on- and offline)
All you need to start seeing these benefits is to have your blog post accepted for publishing on the New Forums Press blog!
What makes a blog post effective?
For starters, it’s written in a way that makes it easy to find on the Internet. Watch this quick video about how Google (the world’s most popular search engine) works.
Components of an Effective Blog Post
The above video explains how search engines (Google, Yahoo! and Bing) find and display content published on the Internet. I’ve outlined some tips on how to write content that search engines can understand and index appropriately. Notice how this makes your content more pleasing and readable to humans, too.
- Organize the information. This will probably come naturally to you. Make sure the flow of information is consistent and organized. Use titles and subtitles that most accurately describe the upcoming information.
- Break up paragraphs and sentences. There’s no lack of content on the Internet, and people are consuming more information than ever before. Content that isn’t quick to scan and read is often not read at all. Break up chunky paragraphs and use periods liberally. Unlike other scholarly works, blog posts are more conversational and to the point. (Much like the copy you’re reading now.)
- Use bullet points, numbers and visual aids. Consider using bullet points or numbers when you have several points to make. Email visual aids such as graphs and tables to marketingNFpress@gmail.com. The respective blog post should include notes (i.e. <Insert Table 1 here>) within the text.
- Site your sources.
How to Come Up with Blog Post Topics
The title is one of the most important factors to making a blog post effective. Here are some tips on how to create titles that compel people to click, read, and share.
- Respond to a piece of scholarly work. A great way to initiate discussion and engagement is to write a blog post in response to another author’s research or content (books, articles, speaking topic or blog post).
- Give your opinion on a trending topic. What is a hot topic within your field? What are people talking about at conferences? Share your thoughts on recent news to make your content timely and relevant.
- Answer commonly asked questions. This type of blog post is gold. It answers people’s most dire questions about your field and research. Ask yourself what questions are most commonly asked within your field. What do people ask you when discussing your research? (i.e. “Should I Be Using Social Media in the College Classroom?”)
- Provide tips and best practices. Some of the most commonly read, shared, and sought after blog posts are the ones providing guidance. (i.e. “8 Tips for Using Social Media in the College Classroom”)
Blog Post Style and Formatting Guidelines
General
- Minimum of 500 words
- Maximum of 800 words (See Blog Post Series Guidelines for work over 800 words long.)
- Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman type face only
- Black type face only
- Double-spaced, 12-point font only
- Normal margins (1 inch)
Recommendations for Writing Blog Posts
We strongly advice you have friends or peers review your work before submission.
Submission Process
Now that you’ve read “How to Write a Blog Post (Official Guidelines)” you’re ready to write your blog post!
We look forward to receiving your submission!