"Roll me and call me the tumbl'n dice"

Is anyone else using Tumblr?

I love this site. It allows me to post quick pics and quips that I wouldn't necessarily post on my Vertizontal blog. Plus, I set mine up (and you can too) to post all your blog posts to Tumblr as well, so . . . people can check your Tumblr and also get your blog posts.

I can also quickly share websites I think people should check out.

Go to my Tumblr site and check it out! You might want to get a site too.

If you already Tumbl, (seems so weird to leave that e off the end), let me know by leaving a comment.

When the Post is Called up Yonder

Yesterday’s post on “Posts that Don’t Suck” stirred some interest, some comments, some Twitters, some emails, and some phone calls.

P.S. Follow me on Twitter here.

Most people wanted to know if I think “they suck” or “their posts suck.” I got emails from some asking if I would rate their post suck-level. I found this quite amusing. Some said the post was very helpful for them and they are already making changes.

Others, like Ann Jackson (fellow blogger and Tweet) wanted some examples of good posts and I think that is a great idea.

Let me add we all “suck” at posting from time to time. If having a degree in Public Address and being a professional public speaker for years have taught me anything it is that we will never hit it out of the ballpark every time. BUT, we can get darn close with a little thing called preparation and minimize the suck factor.

Most communication efforts that fall short do so because we don’t take the time to prepare. I would venture to guess that most posts that suck achieved suckiness in haste.

So, unless you are incredibly witty and superbly gifted for creating things and communicating well on the fly, pay attention to what others are doing that make it “work” for them and emulate what you see working.

So, with that . . .

Remember the Top 20 list from yesterday (I posted a short list at the bottom of this post). That list is our guide.

Here are a short list of posts that don’t suck from around the blogosphere this week (You would think I would be tempted to just link to all my friends’ blogs here but I promise I won’t. Some of my friends’ blog posts suck to be honest). The following short list of recent posts are examples that are hitting on “almost” all if not all cylinders.

Look at the layout, content, design, and check them against any-ol’ post out there. I think you will see what I mean.

Flowerdust (good going, Ann. And, no, I didn’t post about Ann because I felt obligated after her comment. It’s the first place I went and it’s a good example. So there.)

Ethos (nice, Randy. Randy has a lot of good examples on his blog.)

GuerillaHost (always great content! Check out the flow and spacing of this post—so easy to read and enjoyable)

Jesus Needs New PR (Matthew Paul Turner cracks me up. His posts usually hold up great to “the list”)

Jason Boyett (good use of color to break up links. Good spacing. Great grab-your-attention title)

Normal Rockstar (ahhh. The Hat Tip. The links. Gives his opinion and then points to the article rather than re-posting.)

Vertizontal (yep. The post you’re reading does not suck. Ha.)

Blog on!

Short List on Non-Suckiness
1. An interesting post title is essential.
2. Forget what you learned about paragraphs.
3. As often as possible, use links.
4. If everyone has already posted about it, don’t post about it.
5. Mention other bloggers in your post and make sure you link to them.
6. Speak your mind. We want to know what you are thinking.
7. Talk about your personal life but not too much.
8. Use images. Photos. Art. Etc.
9. Be original. Develop your own style.
10. Don’t talk to a small audience.
11. Create an identity.
12. Break from the routine every once in awhile.
13. Don’t be a downer.
14. Don’t give us old news.
15. Don’t sell the sizzle without giving us the steak.
16. Grab attention.
17. Surprise us with a "new find" every once in a while.
18. Don't re-post.
19. Break up the text.
20. Use Spell Check.

Posts that Don't Suck

Lore Sjöberg once commented on Wired.com, “Creating your own blog is about as easy as creating your own urine, and you're about as likely to find someone else interested in it.” While that may be true, keeping someone interested in your blog long-term outside of people who go to your church and/or share your last name is a bit more difficult.

You can have the slickest looking blog in town but if the posts suck, well . . .

Not all posts are created equal.

I have made a list of the things I believe are essential for good blog posts. In order to stay creative, hold attention, garner an audience, and ensure longevity there are a few unwritten rules every blogger should know. Ummm, now they are written I guess.

This is my personal opinion and I am sure I have broken my own rules a few times but, nevertheless here are the observations I have made as I grow as a blogger and continue to read countless blogs.

1. An interesting post title is essential. Draw us in. You don’t have to be funny or witty (although that helps) but you do need to surface a need to know. Titles like “what I did today” do not make we want to read any further than the title.

2. Forget what you learned about paragraphs. This is not English Lit—it is the web. It is still “written language” and it does follow some of the same rules but it is always better to write a post as close to the way you speak. Use short sentences. Incomplete sentences. Break your post up by “ideas” even if this means you have “floating” ideas. Space is good.

3. As often as possible, use links. We want to know where you got your info. We want to check out the things you did that led you to write. Plus, links often lead to other ideas and some of us like to go down the rabbit hole.

4. If everyone has already posted about it, don’t post about it. Unless you have something really interesting to say. A twist. Some humor. A different side of the story. Otherwise, don’t be a copycat.

5. Mention other bloggers in your post and make sure you link to them. People tend to talk more about your blog if you are talking about them in your posts. However, few things are more frustrating than reading about someone without that someone being linked.

6. Speak your mind. We want to know what you are thinking. However, don’t be offensive just because you can. Remember the many you represent. But, don’t be afraid to say what you think either.

7. Talk about your personal life but not too much. Sure, we want to know what makes you tick but inert ideas about the mundane don’t make us want to come back to your blog. If you can talk about your personal life but frame it in a larger story it is helpful. Too many blog posts about nothing is danger Will Robinson.

8. Use images. Photos. Art. Etc. We like stories with pictures. Pictures also help your overall blog by making it visually interesting and constantly changing.

9. Be original. Develop your own style. Reframe stories in your own vernacular. It’s easy to tell when someone has cut and pasted or stolen and idea form elsewhere when their post doesn’t sound anything like them.

10. Don’t talk to a small audience. Mentioning your friends by nickname and using insider jargon is annoying. Let us in on the joke. Fill us in. Your post is on the WORLD WIDE WEB. Too many posts written for “you and your homies” is a big turn off. Tune out.

11. Create an identity. Sure, you can blog about whatever you like—it is YOUR blog. But, it is fun to know we can go to your blog because “you are the guy who always . . . “ or “you are the girl who often . . .” Hosting a regular weekly or monthly feature can be helpful.

12. Break from the routine every once in awhile. If your blog posts are predominately about “church stuff” or “politics” or “justice and mercy” break it up with something to hold our attention and give us a breather.

13. Don’t be a downer. Woe is me blog posts get old real fast. We all have seasons. Just don’t stay there long. Say what you have to say and move on. Don’t whine.

14. Don’t give us old news. Sometimes it may be tempting to post “old news” because you can’t think of anything else to say and you don’t want to go a day without a post. Resist. Resist.

15. Don’t sell the sizzle without giving us the steak. In other words, don’t talk about the “great meeting” you had where you solved the world’s problems or “the giant revelation” you had or the “whole bunch of cool places you visited” without filling in the details. What did the meeting solve? What was your revelation and how will it help me? Where are the places?—I may want go there.

16. Grab attention. An apt quotation, a startling statement, a short story, a joke, a cultural reference, a statistic, or a controversial headline are all good examples of something you may want to include in the intro to your post. Posts that start boring usually end boring.

17. Surprise us with a "new find" every once in a while. A teacher once said he'd "rather his students drink from running water than a stagnant pool." In order to be a creative post-er you are going to have to invest some time in research, in honing your surfing skills, in knowing where to go to get the info your readers want.

18. Don't re-post. Re-posting is kinda like re-gifting. Except, re-gifting is acceptable and re-posting is shady. Re-posting is when someone posts what someone else has already posted without giving them credit. Use blockquotes when quoting more than 2 or three sentences from another source. Reprinting entire articles make your readers lose respect for you and/or confidence in you as a blogger they want to follow.

19. Break up the text. Learn to use italics and bold and ALL CAPS where appropriate (Note: ALL CAPS sometimes looks like yelling so use wisely). These devices help the reader stay on track and move them through the text.

20. Use Spell Check. Please. Please. Please. If your blog editor does not have a spell check option, type it in Word first and then copy and paste. An occasional oops is bound to happen but repeat offenders get sidelined. No excuses.

Can you think of anything else?

This post is part of the cultural phenomenon known as Watercooler Wednesday. Check it out! Be part of the in-crowd. Everybody who is cool is doing it. How is that for peer pressure?

Another great community to check out is Creative Chaos where this little diddy is also posted. Go there now!