Blogging Best Practices

FN Dish is a blog produced by the Food Network, and when visiting the blog, the first post I came across was “Scent Marketing and Champagne Science.”  This brief post was only four paragraphs long and written in a manner that makes even non-food experts understand the concepts.  Each paragraph presents a different topic: how restaurants strategically place kitchens to draw in customers through scent, how many bubbles are in a glass of champagne, a new product that can cool your warm can of beer, and how one Oregon county has banned genetically engineered crops.  Each is also cited with a source, such as the Wall Street Journal or the Associated Press.  Although the Food Network is not completely producing their own topics, they are sharing information from reputable sources.  By linking to these sources, they are providing their readers with a place to get more information about the topic. 

The next post that I read was “Melissa’s Top 10 Supermarket Savings Strategies.”  Again, the post was written in a very simple manner so that everyone could benefit from these tips (since everyone shops at the supermarket).  I am by no means what I would call a chef but I do cook dinner every night and am the only one who shops at the supermarket.

FN Dish certainly offers its fair share of recipes and cooking tips.  But the blog also offers many other posts of interest to anyone interested in all things food related.  This blog provides a good foundation for those looking to create a blog.  Here are some blog best practices:

Keep posts brief.  If you want people to read your posts, keep it simple and to the point.  If you have too much to say on a topic, only include the first paragraph on the main page, with a link to “read more” on another page.  This also allows visitors to easily scan your page for topics of interest.  Also, it’s not as easy to read a lot of content on a screen.  If readers have to scroll and scroll down the page to read one post, it becomes tiresome. 

Below are the four brief paragraphs in the FN Dish post "Scent Marketing and Champagne Science."  The entire post is only four paragraphs, which also covers four different topics.

Provide images.  People love images.  On the FN Dish blog, every post has at least one image.  In this particular case, images of food are probably what attract the reader to read a post.  I know that I am much more likely to read and cook a recipe if I can see what it is supposed to look like.  

Below is the main image in the FN Dish post "Melissa's Top 10 Supermarket Savings Strategies."  As well as being colorful and eye-catching, the author makes the image large and places it right after the post's title.

Write in a way that captures people...  Keep your content simple and to the point.  You want your posts to appeal to many people, not only a few.

Below is the first paragraph from the FN Dish post "Scent Marketing and Champagne Science."  In talking about scent marketing, the author mentions the aroma coming from Cinnabon, a food vendor often found in shopping malls.  Many people are able to relate to this example. 

...And provide links.  Using links for additional information is very useful.  Not everyone will use the links but they are there for those that want additional information.

In the above screenshot from the FN Dish post "Scent Marketing and Champagne Science," the author provides a link to the Wall Street Journal.  Although the paragraph provides the main idea of the story, the author links to the original source of the story, where readers can visit to learn more.

Make it shareable.  If you provide ways for visitors to share your content (through email and social media), you have a higher chance of gaining more followers.  

In the screenshot below, FN Dish allows the reader to share via Twitter, Google+, and Facebook.  If the reader clicks the Share link, they can email the blog post, as well as share it on many other social media web sites.

Follow these best practices to start your journey to successful blogging!