I love that scene in Blades of Glory…
Chazz: Mind-bottling, isn’t it?
Jimmy: Did you just say mind-bottling?
Chazz: Yeah, mind-bottling. You know, when things are so crazy it gets your thoughts all trapped, like in a bottle?
The challenge isn’t getting them out of the “bottle” but rather having them be somewhat coherent…So here are a few keys to writing great blog posts that I have found over time (and the net)…

1. “You aren’t writing a term paper; you are writing to create a conversation!”
I read this on Neil Patel’s blog and while it seems like common sense, it is still something you have to be constantly aware of…You as a reader would much rather me talk to you than at you…right? Your measure of success isn’t a letter grade but the feedback you get on the post. And on the term paper note…

2. “Don’t Choke the Reader!”
Quality is the key, not quantity. Keep it simple, pithy, and to the point. You don’t need to write 18 pages of material when 2-3 paragraphs will work. Until someone comes up with cliff notes for blogs, you are better off keeping it short.

3. “No Matter How Great Your Post Is, They Have To Click On The Title!”
I mean the title pretty much says it all! The goal of a good title is to get the click…You can write the world best blog entry but the world will never know if it has a title that is easily forgotten. Check out Problogger.net for how to use titles effectively.

4. “Don’t forget the basics!”
If it weren’t for spell check, I would be up a creek without a paddle and a gun with one bullet (Ok, that was a little bit dark in the analogy department but you get the point). Don’t forget the basics that you learned in grade school: read it through at least twice and check the spelling and grammar.

5. “What kinda post do you want to read?”
Over and again I have heard various directors and actors say “Well, I just thought about what kind of movie I would want to see and that is what I tried to make.” Same idea works here. When you are thinking through, writing, and re-reading the post, make sure you ask yourself is this something I would want to read and then adjust accordingly!