Creating An Eye Pleasing Post
By Bryan Clark on Sep 18, 2007 in Better Blogging
One of the biggest mistakes I see people make is lumping tons of content together to form huge paragraphs. I don’t know about you, but unless something draws me in, I’m generally not going to stick around long enough to get to the end of a huge post. This is why it’s important to format your posts correctly.
It’s a fact that most us, and our readers, are scanners. We like to look for content and isolate interesting parts without much effort. You can’t get away from this, so you have to adapt your writing style to better accommodate the scanners of the world.
-What to do-
Simple things can make all the difference. These are some great places to start.
- Add a picture
- Break paragraphs into easily digestible chunks
- Add bullet points (such as this)
- Turn a huge paragraph into a list instead. Discuss each topic individually.
- Add a “read more” link
- Use color
- Use bold and italic type
- Try to integrate different colored headings into your posts.
The easiest way to find out if your posts aren’t very eye pleasing is by checking your “average time on site” statistic using StatCounter or Google Analytics. If it seems low to you, then your posts are probably pretty drab and could use a nice makeover. Give it a try. It works like a charm! Let me know in about 2 weeks if your average time on site statistic goes up!
What to do
Simple things can make all the difference. These are some great places to start. Add a picture. Break paragraphs into easily digestible chunks. Add bullet points. Add a “read more” link. Use color. Use bold and italic type. Try to integrate colored headings into your posts. The easiest way to find out if your posts aren’t very eye pleasing is by checking your “average time on site” statistic using StatCounter or Google Analytics. If it seems low to you, then your posts are probably pretty drab and could use a nice makeover. Give it a try. It works like a charm! Let me know in about 2 weeks if your average time on site statistic goes up!
Now, the same section was written twice. Which is more pleasant to read? Now, imagine if that simple little paragraph was a monstrous 500 word paragraph. It’d definitely make a difference right?
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20 Comment(s)
By Michael on Sep 18, 2007 | Reply
I try to add a picture to every post that I make, not only to bring people in but to break up some of the text so that it is easily digestible.
By CHESSNOID on Sep 18, 2007 | Reply
Good post, Bryan. I think I am guilty of some of long posts but I do try to break it down to make it easier on the eye.
By Leo on Sep 18, 2007 | Reply
Nice post, but it depends on visitors perspective or point of view, some don’t like that “read more” link.
By Jayne on Sep 18, 2007 | Reply
Very well written and nicely illustrated! Your points are all excellent and so true!
Great blog, btw
By Angela on Sep 18, 2007 | Reply
Total agreement, especially on using pictures. I try to make some of mine funny because there I sites I visit everyday primarily for their use of pictures.
By Kirsty on Sep 18, 2007 | Reply
I’d like to add photos to my posts but can never seem to find anything that fits. After reading your post I went back and added a nested list to break up a huge block of text so thanks.
By kher Cheng Guan on Sep 18, 2007 | Reply
Frankly it is a well-written post, but all these tips are not new and other bloggers have written them before.
By david on Sep 18, 2007 | Reply
I swear I’m the master at writing things straight to the point that it resulted in 4 shorts paragraphs for every topic I make or less. Even in my college years I hate writing long and extra paragraphs to drag the essay to a few pages.
By Suzanne of New Affiliate Discoveries on Sep 18, 2007 | Reply
Bryan’s tips may not be unique, but they are presented here nicely for One Man’s Goal’s readers…many of whom are likely new and looking to Bryan for tips and advice.
Bryan has a nice succinct writing style, makes his points easy to understand and takes the effort to communciate effectively to his readers.
Kher’s blog, on the other hand, is poorly written, fails in its mission (it’s not funny), and reeks of bitterness.
If you want to be the next John COW, Kher, you’ve got a long ways to go
By Lynne on Sep 18, 2007 | Reply
Excellent points and the only thing I would add would be that writers should always check their spelling and grammar. It may be a fabulous post but if it’s full of misspelled words it loses impact.
By Sly from Slyvisions.com on Sep 18, 2007 | Reply
Adding pictures will surely attract your readers to read your posts. I do that a lot, and I know that you guys notice that too. It’s really hard NOT putting pictures though.
By deathsweep on Sep 18, 2007 | Reply
You’re right, your first version was much more interesting to look at - pleasing to the eye. Food for thought, Thanks!!
DS
By photografia on Sep 19, 2007 | Reply
go ideas… im getting ready to make my own blog and those are some good pointers. what really is important to me are the visuals… the colors… the pictures and the simplicity, as well as content. anyhow, good luck ya.
By costa rica real estate mujer on Sep 19, 2007 | Reply
I agree with you. I don’t think readers would spend time to read your a 300-500 word article. They are more focused on important contents already. If you post bulleted, segregated contents with important details highlighted or in boldface, it is more likely that more visitors will drop by your blog for short but rich posts. The use of images would be also good just arrange them well that it looks neat with your texts.
By HarpersDad on Sep 20, 2007 | Reply
I’d have to agree with Suzanne. Well said.
And Brian - this is my first time on your site, very nice. I added your feed to my reader - hope to see some more good stuff.
By Bryan on Sep 21, 2007 | Reply
By Denise on Sep 24, 2007 | Reply
Thanks for the tips, they do bear repeating, especially with so many new bloggers everyday. Sometimes its difficult to find appropriate pictures for such dry topics such as business, but it does make the text easier on the eye - even if it tricks them into reading!
By Carlo on Sep 30, 2007 | Reply
Thanks. Not a lot that I haven’t seen from similar posts, though.
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