Good morning!

We’re going to continue the Ooze Awesomeness Post Series with Part 2!  If you’ve missed the first one, you can check it out here. This is a 4 Part Series, and my goal is to help you create blog posts that ooze awesomeness!

In the first part we discussed some general and basic things to always consider. This time, we’ll take a glance at the  much “larger” picture of your blog posts and discuss some elements therein!

Ready? Let’s start.

Part 2 – The Big Picture

• Series Posts are awesome! I mentioned previously that one strategy is keeping your posts “short,” or between 200-300 words in length. What happens if you go over? Start a series! (Like this post!) Make sure you link back to the other posts for more “clickage”!
• Posting blogs is one thing (and, of course, necessary), but the one thing that I do more than blogging is actually reading other blogs and news material. More often than not I get “inspired” because of what someone else wrote. (I’m essentially admitting that I’m not original. That’s ok.)
• Google Reader is good for the above bullet point. Make sure you Subscribe to this blog too!
• Be helpful. One of the things that always crosses my mind, either at the end or in the middle of a blog post is this question: “Did I just write something that was helpful or beneficial to my readers?” If it wasn’t, I’ll sometimes scrap it. I want to provide my readers with something of value. Their time is valuable and I don’t want to waste it!
• Emotion. I try to be careful here too, but is there some element of emotion in the post? I don’t go into blogging about it with the specific goal of drumming up some, but it’s an important part of the human experience.
• The “theme” or “mission” of your blog. Does the post “jive” or follow the basic “theme” of your blog? For example, if you started blogging about icecream and that’s what you’re about, perhaps you should stick with that theme? It’s because your users and readers have come to expect it. It’s cool to “deviate,” but be careful!
• Think long term. Think “big” in regards to the affects and effects of the post, if that makes sense. Think “future.” You’re taking your readers with you somewhere. Build a story. Tie it, if you can, with the overall “narrative” of the blog. Your blog has an identity and a history, make sure your readers “know” about it!
• Do something different. I know that I just pointed out “theme” in your blog, but I thought I’d say, again, that it is really ok to deviate. I do it all the time.
• Be challenging, convicting, forceful, graceful, all of the above. Find your voice and choose wisely.
• Be consistent with your posting schedule. If you can’t blog that day, that’s ok, but don’t miss too often, and don’t do the “apology for not blogging” thing. That’s NOT the way to start a post.
• Have fun. Have fun. Have fun.

Any more “Big Picture” things that have helped you? More tomorrow!