The Internet is full of advice about how to write the perfect blog. If you want to know what to do to write a great post, you’re covered and then some. But if you’re looking to learn what not to do, well you’re not going to find so much help.
It’s ironic, then, that there are so many horrible blogs lurking around the Internet. Maybe there needs to be more attention paid to what not to do when writing a blog post. To that end, we present the Anatomy of a Horrible Blog Post.
2 cute for U
So many bloggers lose the battle right out the gate. If you have a ridiculously cutesy or just plain stupid headline, you’re just wasting your time. Your headline should be instantly recognizable as to what the post is about. It should grab readers’ attention and demand they read the post.
Missing your point
Your post needs to be focused. Don’t try to squeeze too many topics into one post. A post should focus on one issue or topic. If you’re having trouble writing a headline that encapsulates the many things happening in the post, you need to hone in your focus some – or possibly a lot.
Love me … or else
That about sums up so many of the horrible blog posts we see on the web. The posts aren’t for the readers’ entertainment or benefit. It’s all about telling them how awesome a company or product is, and the reader is expected to eat it up like candy. Horrible posts are about companies and products. Great posts are about ideas and information.
Break it up
The keyboard has a return key for a reason, so use it! If you shun paragraph breaks and your post is one giant text block, your post is horrible. If a blog is one block of text, it makes the reader wary of diving in because they already feel overwhelmed by the post. Horrible posts don’t have bullet points or headers.
We don’t need no stinkin’ commas
Horrible blog posts are so full of spelling and grammatical errors that cause English teachers to cringe behind their desks. You don’t have to be the next great American author to write a blog, but at least have a command of the English language. Making errors – whether major or simple grammatical missteps – diminishes your credibility.
A final thought
Well, there you have it. If you’re looking to write the World’s Worst Blog, you now know what to do. But, hopefully, you’ll use these tips to do just the opposite.
Thanks for reading,
