I wrote 25 columns for 12Most.com – a wonderful “list” site – so I got accustomed to writing in the 12-list format. A friend of mine recently asked me to give him a list of tips to share with his son’s class in middle school. They were learning about blogging (this is a class now?) and this is what I came up with:
I’ve decided to walk into very dangerous waters. It’s not that I haven’t done it before, especially when I “took on” the Occupy movement! That generated a LOT of comments and a whole lotta controversy. Taking on those “protesters” is easy in comparison with takin’ on the moms; specifically mom bloggers!
I participate in several Tweet Chats, among them #blogchat, which is all about blogging and, to a degree, Social Media. Learning SoMe, as it is often acronymized (new word?) is part of my job. There are all sorts of tips one will hear along the SoMe highway. One that is over-used in my opinion is “Content Is King.” Sure content matters, but that is sort of obvious. Another word that is over-used is “Engagement.” I still prefer using that when someone has a ring to show. My thing is commenting.
Is there a difference between a blog a column, or an article? I fervently believe so, though I’ve read nothing about it (not that it hasn’t been written). As a fan of the #blogchat TweetChat, which is all about the world of blogging, I often find myself thinking about these definitions. I assert each form of writing is quite different and has its own distinctions. I write all three and am quite aware of their differences (to me). Let’s start backwards with the blog.
To me, when I blog, I follow these general rules. I keep the length between 250 – 500 words. I care less about perfect sentence structure, even grammar, though I always try to spell-check. Again, for me, I like my blogs to be funny whenever relevant. I use colloquial language. I might even swear though generally I avoid that given my “brand” as a parenting writer and radio show host. And, most of all, I have fun. Blogging isn’t work for me. For examples of my blogs, just read some of the “Just A Guy” blogs I used to write for momlogic. There are other samples of blogs there as well.
