Writing a great WYD blog

The explosion in social networking and blogging over the last 5-10 years has added a new dimension to an overseas WYD trip.  Even at WYD05 in Cologne many pilgrims were still beginners in this field.  However in 2011 more pilgrims than ever will experiment with social networking and blogging over in Spain. Whilst we have already written about social networking (click link), it is timely to look at how to write a great WYD blog. 

When you write a magazine article about your WYD pilgrimage, you try to squash every experience into 1000 words because print space is money.  When it comes to blogging the rules all change because a blog costs you nothing to write and costs the reader nothing.  So it is important to follow these simple rules for writing a great WYD blog:

1. Serve the reader: the difficulty with a free blog is that readers don't have any commitment to reading because they didn't pay for it.  When you buy a magazine you tend to read every article twice to get your money's worth.  A blog is about drawing the reading in by giving them what they want in bight size pieces.
2. One event per post: Imagine writing about Tuesday 16th August in your blog.  Many people are tempted to write all of day one in a single post.  So you would have to write about the Australian gathering, your afternoon in Spain and the opening mass in the one post.  Instead write 300 words about the Australia gathering in one post, write another post about your first afternoon in Spain and a third post on the Opening mass.  When you do this, readers can focus on the events they want to know about and you will serve your readers better.  If you think this is too much writing read the next point.
3. Keep you posts short: instead of writing a wordy essay on your experience keep each blog post short. One rule of writing is that most people won't read past 500 words, so keep it below that amount.  Instead of putting the three events into one post of 1000 words, write three posts of 300 words and readers will love it but you have only written 900 words.  Short posts also save you words you don't have to link unrelated material.
4. Include a photo: if you want to keep you blog post short then add a picture; a picture tells a thousand words.
5. Invite participation and comments: many readers will never identify themselves but still invite them to comment or participate.  Finish your blog post with a question that allows people to comment.  Perhaps invite people to add prayer requests to your blog.
6. Link to other posts: to keep posts short link to other posts in your blog rather than going over the same material.  If you write well people will stay connected to your blog so don't worry about them leaving.  If you serve your readers, they will always come back.
7. Post regularly: don't miss a day, you need to be reliable.  This blog has generated readers when it has been weekly, if we miss a week it seems to take time to get the readers back, so don't miss a day.

If you want more information about blogging, check out these two amazing articles be Michael Hyatt who has generated thousands of readers on his successful blog:

• Do you make these mistakes when you blog? (click title to read post)
• Anatomy of an effective blog post (click title to read post)

What advice could you offer about blogging?  What are you looking for in a WYD blog?  Please leave your advice in the comment section below.