One Post - One Point: A Worksheet
This is part of a series of posts on Blog Literacy from the writer's perspective.
In Hey Blog Writer, One Post-One Point, we quickly touched on they 'why' of this mantra, but not the 'how'. How wasn't the 'one point' of that post, but it is for this one.
Here's a worksheet you can use to get in the habit of One Post-One Point (click to download pdf):
In the 1st column, we have three sections about the post:
- The Point - What's the point of your post? In one sentence.
- Categories - Know which categories (or tags) you'll associate this post
- Territories - Examine your Blogging Territories. Do you have purpose behind this post?
The 2nd column is about the reader. What gifts are you going to give them?
- Eye Rests - So many bloggers miss this - Give Your Readers Eye Rests! We're in a generation of scanners and skimmers. Use bold text - not so much keywords, but key phrases.
- Images - As your writing, think about which image, photo or art will help drive home the point...and give some eye candy to the reader.
- Sub-points - Readers love lists. And for those writers that love commas and semi-colons...use lists instead.
The 3rd column is about Being a Resource and Extending the Conversation
- If you're not linking outward, you're not tapping into the networking power of the blogosphere. I don't insist on much from the people I work with, but we do pushups if we don't get Blog Posting Mantra # 4 down pat.
- As you think about finding links out, you may have to do a search and travel down the blogging path in discovery mode. Note a few search phrases here to find extensions of the conversation.
The 4th column is about the Call to Action
- Think about your post. Is it a 'How-To' or a 'Here's What I Think'? Do you want comments, emails...or better yet - everyone to link back to you?
- How do you phrase your call to action? Do you tag someone in particular? Are you looking for a transaction?
- Do you want folks to StumbleUpon this post? Digg it?
Now, here's what I want you to do: Grab the worksheet and fill it out for at least two posts this week. See how your brain works differently once you start writing your posts. Once you have the muscle memory of doing this, you may not need the worksheet anymore.
Notice how this post also practices the second sub-point in the previous post, Multiplicity.
Great bloggers will always keep the reader in mind, providing an easy path to the point -- their Big Idea. My colleague and blog pal, Angela Maiers is writing a companion to this series - but from the reader's perspective. Together, we hope to show how reading and writing are reciprocal processes (sorta like talking and listening in a conversation, yes?).
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