Build Blog Posts Like Building Blocks

February 17, 2009 · Comments

building blocks Blogging doesn’t have to be a “what do I want to write today?” exercise. It can be as formal or as informal as you’d like it to be, but should you have specific goals for how blogging influences the rest of your business communications and online relationship building, it might help to have a plan. One such way to think of your blogging is by considering each post a building block to something larger, instead of just loose pages of thought.

Build a Foundation

The moment my blog took off was the moment I settled on a series of topics that people knew would consistently be the focus of my work. Long before I accepted that I was any kind of marketer, I settled into the idea that I wanted to talk about how social media tools and online communities changed things. At times, I’d talk about podcasting. Other times, I’d talk about features of a social network and how they might help you interact. But I had a foundation.

It’s hard finding that blogging voice and to settle on a topic. One focusing element I have that I try to practice all the time is: “will this help other people?” Though my post about how not to market on Twitter is a brief rant, it’s also something PR professionals and marketers can absorb, consider, and build their plans around. The lessons that came out of that post were: PR is no longer divided by days, but by hours. Marketers learned that Twitter users probably won’t respond well to any formalized campaign if it feels robotic. See? Helpful.

Start by thinking of the foundation of what you want your blog to do? Is it a blog to talk about yourself? Might not really grow very big. Is it a blog to report news? Then speed and accuracy are of the essence. Is your blog built to assist in marketing the thinking around your product or service? What if you turn that to make it around your customer’s potential needs?

Build With Colorful Blocks

In 27 Blogging Secrets to Power Your Community, I wrote about starting with a catchy title. I wrote about using a photo per post. I laid out lots of what you might consider your colorful blocks. But in another way, at the content level, posts can be blocks that build on each other.

For instance, if you’re writing about nonprofit tech tools, perhaps you start with a series of 101 posts that build upon each other. Maybe from there, you drill down to specific tools and implications for specific types of nonprofit work. Make each post able to standalone, but then have the opportunity to hook them up together into a larger and more useful work.

Let People Take Blocks And Build Yourself

The thing is, we all want to participate. We want to have our say, spin things our way, give our opinions, to make things look the way we want them to look. Why not make your blog posts just as user-friendly? Make your posts the starting points of other people’s posts. Make your posts a gathering place for others’ ideas, and then share those ideas in their own way.

When you go from talking/instructing to sharing and encouraging interactions, you get the full breadth of what social platforms like blogging encourage. If you can perform that one magic trick, you win. (Or you have a better shot at winning.)

What About You?

Does this make sense? Can you do something with this? If you go back and look at your last 20 or 30 blog posts, is there any kind of building-block structure, or are you shooting in all directions?

Photo credit, woodleywonderworks

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  • Jo
    Thanks for the blog. I've just started blogging and I'm at the stage that I realise I need to improve my strategy.
  • That's nice scheme of an idea and it is so useful to build blogs correctly. Nice tip, thank you.
  • Fantastic post, Chris. Nicely done.

    Trish
    http://www.trishlawrence.com/blog
    @trishlawrence
  • This post is awesome! I just started blogging this term as part of an assignment for an advanced PR writing course at the University of Oregon. I have struggled with finding a “focus” for my blog. Your post made me realize the importance (and effectiveness) of building blog posts off of each other. I noticed that my favorite blogs are the ones that have a common thread. When I visit a blog, I already have an idea of what kind of information I’m seeking. I have also noticed that a focused blog attracts a consistent following of readers. That said, I would also add that I sometimes like a blog post that comes out of the blue, that is completely unrelated to the “theme/topic” of the blog. I think this should be done sparingly, but it might attract a few more readers. Great read! Thanks so much!
  • Chris,

    I am just getting started with a blog and found this very helpful. My blog is talking about SEO and other online solutions, but it is hard to really keep focused on what our readers would find helpful. I blog for my business, so it also is difficult not to seem like we are simply making plugs for our products, because what we really want is to connect with people who are intersted in the same things, and of course eventually really connect and reach out to potential clients.

    I do need to stay focused and not 'shoot in all directions' as you say. Thanks for the tips!
  • I've got several blogs for different voices. Just recently decided to cut out all of the noise and start focusing on two blogs that speak to specific audiences. It just took a little time to find my purpose and map out a plan for success online. Paying attention to the needs of my readers has also been an important part of my content evolution.
  • Neat post full of common sense advice. Thanks. I'll just clear away this meccano ...
  • @jamiefavreau

    I did the same thing. The original subject of my blog was culinary in nature, but I found myself writing frequent posts about social media. I had definitely strayed from the initial vision of my blog. To solve this, I created a new blog just for social media. Now, the occasional personal tangent/rant still happens on my culinary blog. But I'm ok with that. I think it fits my personality.
  • Very helpful but I started out with my blog writing about what I was passionate about then I found out that I am just as passionate about New Media. So my blog was meant to be one thing and I am off on a tangent with another one.
  • Chris,
    Thank you so much for this advice. I am just entering the world of blogging and have definitely struggled to find my voice, theme, and formula. I am a Public Relations student and because I have no expertise in a specific area, I thought it would be best to share what I am learning and doing as a PR student. I hope to utilize your advice about blog posts like building blocks in putting together a useful, informative, and sensical blog. Thank you!
  • This blog has made me think more about how I construct my blog. I often have a number of drafts on the go but also feel as though I shoot off in random directions or obsess on one subject too much. Thanks for prompting me to look in more detail at what I'm publishing.
  • Your post was very timely. I am working on an Equestrian site www.HOrse2Heart.com and am at the next step of expanding the Equestrian Vacation section. How this is structured in the overall Word Press format is a real challenge. Yes the site is made up of blocks, but how we design the flow and “line of site” for the user is critical plus takes real effort and planning. So we end up with a hybrid of a blog and a web site combined with a portal with a lot of community participation encouraged, bake at 350 degrees for a year or two and you have something. What it will be starts now with planning.

    With Horse stories as the foundation, we have over 300 now, we are adding different components: podcasting, video, electronic books, books to order, travel information, music reviews, product reviews and more to come. The stories in blog format are the reason to visit, but we now wish to keep them on the site, involve them in the creation, and deliver value to them for their time spent in the process.

    The “Building Blocks” post is a nice start covering the basics, now it would be nice if you were to write about some critical components that will develop community with a way to monetize our efforts in a way that the visitor thanks us for what we deliver.
  • Chris,

    My blogs have different tactics and focus. One on 'Guitars' was to learn Wordpress. One was to share my success or failure at blogging and marketing: http://donotreadthisblogunless.blogspot.com/

    All my blogs are based upon current thoughts and I write posts from beginning to end in about fifteen or twenty minutes maximum. The need to agonize over each word or sentence structure never crosses my mind. I do take care to be helpful in each one, passing along a nugget or two of true experience.

    Maybe I exhibit too many directions, I genuinely enjoy writing. My comments sections are limited to two or three responses, no more than five on any one post. I suspect my readership is decent, as FeedJit and LiJit tell me I have had one-hundred visitors in a week's time. Being patient and waiting forincreased traffic to my blogs is something I am practicing.

    Respectfully,

    Nicholas Chase
    www.twitter.com/nachase
  • I've had an epiphany.. Your post has just changed the way I look at my blog. You're completely right... My blog should be built around my potential customer's needs. I think I've been going at it backwards.
  • I like the analogy. I have been writing about business plans for small business and basically that is what I have done - what is, what to get from it, how to, where to get information - each a different blog post but on the same topic.

    Until I took this approach I used to be all over the place, jumping from one idea to another, often depending on what I read somewhere else.

    It certainly clarifies your thinking, but you don't have to make every blog follow through one after the other because the topic may not be interesting to every reader.
  • I'd like to think I have a theme, but I doubt I have enough posts yet to judge. This is definitely information to keep in mind though. It makes sense. I mean, all of the blogs that I read are focused on a certain topic or theme so why wouldn't I write in the same manner? Thanks for the insight!
  • Chris,

    Great food for thought as always. I've definitely seen the need to focus on certain themes or threads when writing lest people get lost. I notice that some of the best bloggers do that and people get to know, 'This site is for this' and come back when they need that kind of resource. Thanks as always!
  • In my mind, your blog theme, topic, or voice is the frequency you are broadcasting on - it's your channel. People tune into a channel because they like it and want to experience it again, even if it is slightly repetitive. Lack of focus is just a bunch of aimless noise.
  • Camille Van Duyn
    Very helpful tips. As a blogging novice, I still often find myself struggling to write meaningful posts that relate to each other in some way. I have key themes and subjects that I like to focus on, but sometimes I get caught up in thinking "Well, I care about this, but will anyone else?" And I end up changing my subject matter.

    I'll keep the "building block" idea in mind as I write in the future.

    Great read!
  • With every blog of yours I read, I feel more and more comfortable contributing to all of this new social media techniques.
  • Taking your advice and reviewing my last 20, I am focused on the niche for sure. I'm not certain I understand the concept here Chris, but I can say the posts are helpful and almost always prompt engagement amongst the readership.

    With a tag line like "Inspiring Writers Every Day" there is a lot of pressure to deliver content that will do just that. I'm going to roll the building block concept around my tongue for a day or two and see if I can find the flavor.

    Cheers

    George
  • I like the block idea. My first blog was a random assortment of thoughts until I realized I had one string of "themed" ideas that I separated out into another blog, topic being health & running. It works because I have questions that others have and by creating blogs out of the answers to those questions it becomes both helpful and interactive because others can share their solutions/answers to the same problems. I also think having a niche area to focus on helps the blog have more purpose because you have a better sense of who your audience is within that niche.
  • http://mashable.com/2009/02/16/twitter-professors
    Congrats on making it on the Twit Professors list!
  • If anything comes out consistently in my posts, it is my quirky sense of humor, in retrospect. Comments about my twist on real estate are frequent and appreciated. While content is somewhat consistent, I now, intentionally, write more about 'localism' subjects rather than the slop that "it's a buyer's market." Will look back and see where my building blocks might be leading me.... but I don't need to figure out if I love blogging.
    Thanks Chris.
  • This is a very useful post. It kind of tells me where I may be going wrong - if i can call it that. I generally tend to write on what's on my mind or most interesting thing that I found that day. But then again thats not wrong either. It will just help if there is a theme around the blog and every post fits into the broader theme of the blog. That is what the post says - and thats a good insight! Thanks.
  • Make your post more user friendly . ...

    Wish I good some more tips on that.
  • Great perspective. I just blew away years of random posts as a New Year's resolution, and will use this thought structure before beginning a more focused blog, thanks. @berreyst
  • For starters, Legos rock!

    Your advice here is spot on. If you have a theme/voice through your writing, each post can survive on its own but at the same is just a small piece of the big picture you're painting.
  • It can be surprisingly difficult to peg down a blog to one purpose. But that's the reason that so many people have multiple -- it's the only way to cover all the topics you're interested in without diluting the subject matter.

    It can't hurt to be thorough.
  • I like your analogy with building blocks. To continue with the analogy, a blog should have high value posts or keystones. Those might be even more important than the foundations because they are hard to obtain. They have so much exposure that can make or break your structure.
  • Thanks Chris. I really dig the way you share.
  • Chris -

    I know what you mean. I always view my posts in my mind like sections/blocks. However I have to be strict with myself otherwise I'll get distracted looking for a picture or trying to think of a title before I even write the post. I have found I write the best posts when I think the beginning, middle and end through in my mind and then write without stopping...
  • I think your statement "The moment my blog took off was the moment I settled on a series of topics that people knew would consistently be the focus of my work" brings an important point - we all have some type of interest that gets our brain cells buzzing. maybe we do not have to be blogging/writing about the exact same topic, but something with a relational theme. When I consult for my clients, we start with a shared google calendar and start developing a theme for that week. Of course because of their business, no one wants to wrote all the time about the exact same thing - so it starts with the mission/vision statement of their business. from there it branches out into the myriads of thousands of possibilities. I totally agree with Susan Murphy - the best posts are things that just "hit" your grey matter. Because you have basic premises of things you are interested in, that stands to say that your blog is probably somewhat connected to that, and therefore your posts are in there somewhere.

    Coming up with fresh material is not always easy, but I agree Chris that sometimes laying a foundation and trying your best to have a consistent schedule - even if you future date them, engages your readers and makes it a bit easier overall. I think your readers get a sense of your style and look forward to what you write.
  • I had an the idea for my blog along time before I started. I pretty much new what direction I wanted to go. I wrote 20 articles that I now keep in works as I gather new an up to date data.

    Now that I have actually started posting I have come up with several ideas from that basic foundation that will be fun and will give me plenty to post about.

    I really like "build with colorful blocks" sometimes I think I take it too seriously.
  • Hmm, this is interesting. My blog tends to be a bit of a "brain dump" of what I'm thinking about at that present moment. As a result, it's kind of "a bit of everything" (what Amber Naslund called it). I guess I decided early on that I didn't want to talk about JUST social media or JUST video or JUST what my dog did to the carpet last night. I don't have 10 drafts in the can and I often write my posts in my head at 3am or in the car. Usually my grammar and spelling is okay so I've got that going for me.

    Perhaps I'm doing it wrong?
  • "I think the key is having a blog that people have some idea what topic will be covered each time. This builds one’s individual brand and creates a better opportunity for a following." @Josh Hurlock

    Right on :) The key to coming back is building expectation, or "results in advance", as Frank Kern calls it.
  • Chris, I'm right with you here... My blog traffic has grown since I started to cataloge or build blocks on Clear Communication.

    My 100 Social Media Tips has started, and I am on # 11. This gives people ample reason to come back, for great content that they can look forward to, like a great movie preview or something.

    P.S- I totally forgot about your Social Media 100. Should I do 150? :)

    -Lawton
  • This is a very timely post for those with any degree of blogging fatigue. Blogging with a strategy seems to be important if there is to be any longevity. Thoughts?
  • I'm trying to keep the block strategy in mind - though right now I'm struggling with growing my community. I think I will go back and survey my topics to see if I've been varied enough in covering the topics I set out to use as my foundation. I've been trying to focus more on content than growing my community because I know I need to be providing something worth reading, something of value.
    @rebecatrautner
  • Interesting post, thanks. I suppose I really ought to think about starting a blog, so far I just use my twitwall instead!
  • Chris,

    Thanks for the excellent post. As someone new to the social media and blogging scene, these points are very helpful. I think the key is having a blog that people have some idea what topic will be covered each time. This builds one's individual brand and creates a better opportunity for a following. If one covers a vast range of topics in their blog, I think that is detrimental in finding loyal readers. As an intern for under30ceo.com, I will be sure to share this with other young, aspiring entrepreneurs.
  • I do the same as Danny Brown. I have several blog posts saved as drafts at any given time. These are posts that need more information gathering and editing. A tweet or an e-mail or a comment might be the deciding factor in whether I think it's time to post the draft - if there's an audience. Hope this helps other bloggers. It's kinda simple really.
  • Wow, Chris. You've done it again. You've managed to give me a ton to think about as I approach the start date of my blog. I really appreciate your blog and what I'm learning here.

    I especially like the idea of allowing readers to contribute toward building the blog. Community and interaction is *soooo* important. I'm getting really excited and look forward to learning more and more from you and your readers.

    Hope one day to have something to contribute. :-)

    Dave
  • Proof reading what you write also helps. ;-). lol
  • @Chris - Some really great points. Using individual posts like building blocks to share ideas in small bite-sized chunks is key. People want to read ideas, but they don't want to read a lot, and cutting down posts to one or two essential "useful" ideas gets you a lot further in the blogging game than writing massive overwhelming stews of ideas. I find that a great strategy is to break large post up into smaller chunks and posting them individually works well and gets a lot more engagement and interaction than one big bomb. It also helps you hone your ideas and focus on what's important (and allows you to better identify what's not). Great post.
  • Great idea of blogs as building blogs. I mean, many bloggers use series or themes, but to be the building blog for other bloggers to build upon, I think goes a level deeper - Thinking about the bigger picture or the red thread of where our blogs are going. That was what I got from this post.
  • No Legos for me. I take the Barrel of Monkeys approach.
  • Hi,

    I think that in time we all find our calling and our blog will set on it's course. But each of us will found his direction in different time periods. The question is : are we determined enough to pursue that course of action ? Are we willing to find all the information possible, read it and then add a twist of our own and publish it on our blog ? Depends.
    But I think that if I'll do my best to find all sort of information on the niche market I want to blog about, people will come and read my blog.

    Thanks,
    @TomaBonciu
  • Thank you Chris. This helps me a lot. I'm shooting in all directions.
  • jon
    My goal with Liminal States was to experiment with mashing up multiple topics: politics, computer security and software engineering, social networks, diversity, and music. A few of my readers tell me that'd prefer if I stuck to just one or the other but most say they like the variety and interplay between them.

    In terms of buidling blocks, I do try to include an image with each post. This is also important for posting to Facebook: it looks a lot better if there's an image. I try for a title which is catchy as well as good from a SEO perspective, and it's worked pretty well -- my stuff often tends to come up much higher on Google than better-known sites. I frequently do multi-part series as well, and (try to) use tags to tie them together.

    There's clearly a lot to learn here ... I look at my posts from a year ago and wow, I've come a long way. Still plenty of room for progress, though!

    jon
  • Jeremy LeRay
    I keep telling myself that I just need to start something. Still haven't mustered the courage for a first post on my website. As Mary mentioned above, it will probably start as a "just for fun" site, but I do want it to lay the foundation for building my brand. Right now that is just me, but I do have entrepreneurial aspirations and want to start the right way. I will probably start shooting in all directions as Chris said, and work to focus toward a tighter niche over time. Thanks for keeping me thinking Chris.
  • @chrisbrogan

    Some of your blog posts are more personal in nature. They do a great job of connecting your readers to you but don't always support the foundation. Do you have a rule of thumb about the frequency of non-foundation related posts on your blog?
  • thanks that helps focus my thoughts - having a target audience is key for me in that my regional audience is very small - so few are into blogging or reading blogs so I think my target audience has to change, and so then will my blog...
  • Michael Gaudet
    I agree, Chris. Writing about yourself, though infinitely fascinating to yourself, is ultimately pretty boring to anybody else unless you happen to be a big-time celebrity. Not that many people are as interesting as they think they are, at least not to a wide audience.
    You are scoring a direct hit when you say "a series of topics that people knew would consistently be the focus of my work" would be a solid foundation for a good blog.
    Focus is key, and so is being consistent so your readers will experience a certain flow.
  • Great advice Chris... Looking for a direction and "the right way" to start.. my blog's "birth announcement" is coming, and I guess it should fall into the great picture, rather then just diving and hoping to survive... or I'll be writing that blog "obituary" pretty soon.
  • My blog has gone through a couple of iterations. Long ago, in the late 90's when I started my company and site, I thought I'd be focusing on presentation and performance technology, especially as they apply to the fine arts. That was before there really was a "blogosphere" and I just posted articles up on my site in raw HTML.

    Now, however, after putting up a Drupal install just to see if I could. I'm putting in very careful entries...about social media, about performance tech, but only when I actually have something to say. That's my own building block; I want people to come to my blog and find article after article of compelling content.

    I'll have a small audience, but they'll know I have something to say; I have faith that will build into something worthwhile.
  • Great advise Chris. Particularly the point where you explain it shouldn't all be about my favorite topic: "Is it a blog to talk about yourself? Might not really grow very big."

    More work to do...

    Sid.
  • I think information like this is very valuable. For somone such as myself who is learning about this new way of communication, I think people like Chris is what's needed to help others share their message with the world. I am thankful that you are out there Chris doing what you do, for without people like you, more would be lost. Thank you.
  • I have finally figured out where I want www.debworks.com to go. I figured it out by writing posts! My emphasis is on shopping local. I do interviews and skew them towards how that person can help a local business (or person). I also talk about working from home - and provide instruction on how to do that. I talk a lot about social media, because it fits with shopping local and working from home. I also believe it's the way marketing will (is) go.

    I'm working on leaving space in a person's mind to run with what I've written and create their own info. I have a newspaper background, and I'm learning to not be so instructional and leave room for comments and growth. It's a process!
  • Leo
    I actually have been writing using a broad brush (although it is very niche related)....the problem with writing in niches is that you really have to immerse yourself in the micro-niche itself and sometimes, it really ain't that interesting.

    For instance, I have you on RSS feed but I only read a handful of your stuff...why? Because some of your stuff resonates and other stuff is simply no interesting to me.

    However, your stuff is still within my niche and if you changed directions and moved from social branding to word of mouth marketing or copywriting on the net, I would still occasionally come and visit your site.

    I think that the freedom we have as bloggers allows us to move in directions that we are interested in. And although I know that not everyone would be interested in everything, I do think that when we speak in generalities, you can still gain an audience....especially if your niche requires someone to know and understand other niches to succeed.

    Now in the case of being in a sub niche like "everything german shepherds", obviously it would probably not be a good idea to alienate your readers by a post about toy dogs.

    I see your point though. Obviously staying within a micro niche would do wonders for establishing yourself as an authority.
  • This is good, practical advice. I can definitely do something with it. I'm currently working on honing the focus of my blog. It started as a "just for fun" project for myself, and now I want to challenge myself to build readership and turn the blog into something more professionally useful. I want it to both showcase my professional writing and encourage a community of nonfiction writers, but I also want it to reflect my beliefs about the world (because they are intricately tied to the way and the reasons I write).
  • SusanMazza
    Very helpful. I chose a narrow focus for my blog as a way to enter the blogging world. It has made it easier to think in terms of building blocks. My challenge is now that I offer a lot more than leadership coaching and development so I am wondering if I am limiting my personal brand too much. I have been planning to launch another blog but am not sure whether I should just get traction here first. Any thoughts?
  • Yes this does make since. I like the whole idea of a "foundation" within your post. If you cannot specify exactly what you want to talk about then you will never hold onto readers. Through my experience ppl look for quality content as well as consistency.

    @bookerx3
  • Way to go on attracting a LEGO nerd with the title :)

    I'm always trying to think ahead and behind at the same time. I have a few posts always on standby in the draft section, and I think - how can I hook this up with a past or future post? Or how can I refer to a post someone else has written that echoes my upcoming sentiments?

    I agree that the key to *effective* blogging is having a structured approach as far as topic goes. By all means, fly loose and free with the posts, but have a base camp where they can all come together.

    Maybe I do have a few more posts left in me - not time to edit your 2009 recommendations yet, good sir. :)
  • I'm with you on that one Danny. It's a Jerry Maguire movie moment - "You had me at Lego!"

    One thing that this post helped me realise it that in place of leaving lenghty comments here, I could post them as an intro on my own blog to introduce my visitors to the conversation taking plac here.
  • I really have to stop posting late, I just noticed all the syntax errors in that reply.
  • But sometimes you need to posts topics that would meet your audience needs. You don't have to post every information you find. Only those helpful to you and to your visitors.

    Catchy titles doesn't always catch. Sometimes it fails. It always depends on the topic.
  • While I've never considered the metaphor before, I think I *do* use a block approach to blogging and it saves a lot of time and effort that'd be lost to chaos without some essential elements and structure pieces.
  • I have a theme from about 1000 ft. Within that range I do shoot in all different directions. Maybe I need to bring it in to about 500 ft.?

    "Make your posts the starting points of other people’s posts. Make your posts a gathering place for others’ ideas, and then share those ideas in their own way."

    Some more pondering....
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