This evening, I attended a live Webinar from a major industry professional, Eric Fletcher, where he shared his five key principles to building a great blog. Thank you to Full Sail University for hosting it free for the students!

I found the information very interesting, so I figured I’d share – on my blog! Ta-da! Two birds with one stone.

• Have a Purpose –

         Do you want to entertain? To start dialogue? To enrage? 

         If you do not know the WHY behind your blog, neither will your reader. You have less than four sentences to capture an audience’s attention on your blog, so if you do not have a reason to have them there, they won’t stay! People are not attracted to WHAT you write, they are attracted to WHY you write!

• Know Your Audience!

        You need to identify the target audience for your blog. You need to know what MOVES your reader. What motivates them? What keeps them up at night? How can you capture and hold the imagination of your target demographic if you don’t know them?

• Engage!

         It’s not about you; it’s about them! It might be your name [or your company] on the banner on the blog, but it’s not about you. If it’s a successful blog, it’s not about the writer. Know what drives them!

• Be Relevant, Fresh, & Concise!

        Being concise trumps freshness and relevancy. The ideal blog length is 350-450 words, as the average attention span for a long form blog is about five minutes. Say what you have to say in an economy of words!

• Deliver a Reason to Return!

        Consistently let them know in practice that you’ll keep it short, sweet, and relevant. Provide a value – a reason for them to visit! Whether that is humor, facts, opinions, etc – just make your reader want more from you.

Hope that helps, fellow bloggers!

~ Victoria Elizabeth Ann