• 10 Ways to a Killer Blog Part 1
• 10 Ways to a Killer Blog Part 2

This series is based on Robert Scoble’s presentation at the Blog Business Summit.

On with the show:

Have a Voice

Having a voice personalizes your blog. The top blogs are read not so much for their factual content, but often the ‘spin’, interpretation or analysis of the facts.

You can choose to be informative, instructional, funny, maybe even a combination of all the voices you choose to project.

Writing, and increasing podcasts and vodcasts give a deeper look to the blogger’s mind, emotions and personality.

We’re all voyeuristic to some extent and that’s what makes it engaging.

Get Outside the blogosphere

It’s easy to be insular and talk about stuff in the ‘blogging world’.

Though engaging readers on a number of fronts, especially engaging with the ‘real world’ and ‘real life’ makes a blog more relevant.

While I was active in the world of mudding (the text-based predecessor to MMPOGs), it was all too easy to get lost in the world of raids, gold accumilation and perfecting your avatar/cottage/castle/realm.

If your blog factors reality into the picture, it’d lend for a richer experience all around.

Market Yourself

Build up your ‘me’ brand is a theme which has been covered in previous postings.

If you’re not going to market yourself, who is?

For inspiration, check out:

• Are You Cheating Yourself of Massive Internet Marketing Income?
• Building the “Me” Internet Marketing Brand

What? There’s more? Paul Scoble has included a number of ‘bonuses’ and there’s actually more than “10 Ways” to a killer blog. Here we go.

Write Well

You don’t necessarily need perfect grammer to score well with readers.

On the other hand, you have to be able to get your point across.

Some rules that I’ve found useful for my blogging:

• Write simply. If something seems more complicated than it should, rewrite.
• Short sentences work better than long ones. Four word sentences, ok!
• Get feedback: We’re not born with pens in our hands. As the 9rules state: Keep learning!

Are there other ‘ways’ you employ in creating your killer blog?

As you’re developing your blog and working towards the upper echelons of the bloggerati, consider the following factors which Robert and Maryam Scoble presented at the recent Blog Business Summit.

The logic behind linking to other blogs is that if you’re a genuine content blog, it’s likely the blogger will link back. And you’ll see link love in action as traffic flows back and forth between the two blogs.

It helps to link to credible blogs within your space, and to a blogger you’re regularly reading.

It can be a vicious cycle of kindness if you make it so.

No one’s perfect. Everyone knows that.

Trying to be perfect, coming up with reasons when you’ve obviously made a boo-boo?

Trying to hide? To play it cool? Getting aggro?

Don’t.

It’s like fiddling with a hole in your sweater. Stick your pinkie in, wiggle it around.Soon you’ll have a hole big enough to put your head through.

Fess up to mistakes, laugh about it, and move on.

There’re more things to blog about.

Hands up those who like dry writing? Purely factual blog posts lacking color and personality.

I thought so.

In journalism, 90% of whether your article gets read depends on your headline. Except for retirees and those planning to bone up on their English skills, I hardly know anyone who spends 3 hours reading every article and every word.

The same goes with blogs. In fact you might have even less time to make your pitch.

Most Internet users suffer from some form of attention deficit disorder.

It takes 1-2 minutes to come up with a catchy headline.

It creates immeasurable value in getting your reader to read the post.

The Internet is still primarily a text medium. However that’s changing with podcasting, vodcasting and new technologies coming onstream.

It takes another 5 minutes to:

• Pull a picture from photo archive sxc.hu
• Launch GIMP or Photoshop, edit the photo
• And feature it on your blog.

Your readers will thank you for it too.

Consider too, featuring graphics, ilustrations, sound and video clips, software.

Keep it relevant though.

And most importantly, keep it fun.

As reported by Teresa Valdez Klein from the Blog Business Summit, Robert and Maryam Scoble’s presentation about how to blog well looks like it’s a leading contender for favorite presentations of the conference.

The PDF presentation can be found: here

Although I wasn’t present, the presentation gave me some food for thought.

Here’s my interpretation of the points they raised:

Rule #1: You can choose to blog about a high paying keyword, or for a high paying affiliate program, but you will hit a breaking point if it’s not something you’re truly interested in.

If you don’t have the interest to consistently blog about divorce, pharmaceuticals, credit restructuring, mortgages or cosmetic surgery (all high paying terms), then don’t!

Better to choose something you have a flair for, something you are truly passionate about.

At that stage, you could easily blog 5 or more times a day effortlessly.

And it’ll brighten up your day too!

Rule #2: While it’s somewhat fun to blog in isolation, going off in all sorts of wild tangents, it’s important to keep in contact with the latest buzz in the community too.

Besides its content, a blog is only as vibrant as its community. And if you’re relevant to your readers, the readership will organically grow.

Plus, it always helps to have lots of friends (with some in high places).

Rule #3: Yes, we know that gadget blogs are popular. So are software blogs. So too Xbox360 blogs and scrapbooking blogs too.

You don’t necessarily need to dominate the niche you’re in, but having your own voice and own perspective helps.

Do you bring something fresh to the table?

Or are you merely reiterating what someone else has said?

If you bring value, you will naturally cultivate a loyal following.

Like brings like and you start a cycle of goodwill.

—

What do you think?

Are these factors relevant?

Check out the conference synopsis here: Blog Business Summit

Teresa has kindly uploaded a number of the presentations in PDF format, and I’ve learned quite a bit from them.

As a business-oriented blogger, I particularly like the presentations on:

• Community Building Online (by Tara Hunt)
• Branding in the Age of YouTube (Keynote by Ben Edwards)

They both include downloadable presentation slides (PDF format).

Like me, most of this blogs readers might be most interested in:

• Robert & Maryam Scoble’s 10 Ways to a Killer Blog

The presentation slides were very informative and proved some food for thought.

I’ve some thoughts and will be penning them down in a series.

Stay tuned.