By Terez Howard

I was recently interviewed about blogging, and one question I was asked was how many words a post should be. I will admit that when I first started blogging, word count was an issue for me. I would deliberate over posts not being long enough and think that if a post were too long, my audience would quickly stop reading it.

It’s funny. When I first started working at the newspaper, I was worried about word count. I had come from college. In English class, the instructor tells you to write x amount of pages. If you don’t, expect a lower score. Well, it’s not like that at the newspaper.

You are not going to get a lower paycheck if your articles are not at least 500 words. I learned very quickly that everyone wrote differently. Each writer highlighted different aspects of a meeting or event. Every person created an article that would interest readers. Whether it filled just one column or several, it still was news. It was written well, and that was enough.

Blogging for who?

If your blog is a personal project that isn’t meant to benefit anyone but yourself, write however much or little as you want. It’s for you!

If your blog is directed toward a particular crowd, then you need to ask yourself this question:

Does your audience favor longer posts or shorter ones?

ViperChill wrote This Is How Long Your Posts Should Be. Different blogs were different lengths. Variances were from less than 200 words to nearly 1500 words. Your blog’s niche can help you to see what kind of word count your audience is looking for.

But that is not the only thing that determines how long your posts will be.

Blogging for who, again?

What about you? You are the one doing the writing. Are you naturally a long-winded person, or do you get your point across in a few short paragraphs? Do you feel the need to explain every little detail, or do you favor short, informative lists?

Your own writing style comes into play when you’re deciding if you should write short posts or long ones. You have to allow your personality to shine because if you force yourself to follow rigid rules, your blog will suffer. You will find writing more of a chore than a joy.

Personally, I am a succinct person. I like to write what I think I need and stop. I hate to feel like I’m babbling. On the other hand, I’ve read plenty of long posts that have had me captivated to the very last period. On my blog, Jael Strong and I purposely mix short posts and longer ones. We do what we need to get the job done.

Just write!

Don’t get too hung up on word count. It really should not be too high your priority list. The most important aspect of your blog should be original, quality content. Short vs. long? I deem it a tie.

Do you tend to write short posts or long ones, and why?

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Terez Howard operates TheWriteBloggers, a professional blogging service which builds clients’ authority status and net visibility. She has written informative pieces for newspapers, online magazines and blogs, both big and small. She regularly blogs at Freelance Writing Mamas. You’ll find her on Twitter @thewriteblogger.

Thanks, Terez!

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!

By Terez Howard

This statement is not true of me. I love writing. I find the written word to be the best way to express oneself.

However, not all share the warm, fuzzy feelings I have for writing.They have more of a love-hate relationship with sentences and paragraphs.

When you recognize the benefits of blogging, then you know that you have to kindle some type of fire for writing or hire a professional blogger.When I don’t know how to do something, I always opt to hire out.

My husband once decided that he could repair our toilet. It was a simple fix, so he was told. Simple for the professional and simple for the completely clueless amateur have two totally opposite definitions. After Ethan “fixed” our toilet, which took a couple hours, every flush included waterfalls down our basement walls and showers into our garage.

We learned our lesson. Always seek professional help. The plumber charged as much as a new toilet would have cost us for about 10 minutes of work. But we got a functional toilet with no leakage.

When you cannot do it, don’t.

Like I said, when you are absolutely certain that your limited skills stop short at creating intelligible sentences, hire out. Don’t feel defeated. It takes a strong, humble person to seek out help when needed.

But let’s say that no matter how you figure your expenses, you cannot afford a good writer. That does not mean it’s time to shut down your blog.

Get some guest bloggers.

The majority of guest bloggers will write at your blog for $0. Why would a writer give services away for free? Because what she gets in return doesn’t have a price.

Jael Strong and I are in the midst of a guest blogging challenge. Yes, we are looking for exposure. But even more importantly, we are looking to make connections with people.

We’re not the only available guest bloggers out there. Others have joined us in the challenge. Take advantage of this free insight, and when you have the funds to hire a writer, you know to whom you can turn.

Just talk

Guest blogging can fill in many of the holes in your blog. You still feel the need to add your own original posts. My best advice is to just talk.

A blog is informal. It’s not a research paper. It doesn’t have to strictly follow every rule of grammar. I’m not saying that strings of run-ons are acceptable or that outside links are not warranted. I am saying that you can loosen up.

Don’t think of your blog as a formal article. Think about it as helpful information you are sharing with a friend. Just talk!

If you still aren’t buying into that tip, then seriously, just talk. Get a video camera, talk and put up some video posts. That is still a blog, well, a vlog to be more correct.

Make sure you’re talking/writing about something that interests you. I find the best way to generate interest is to parallel it with your own life. You might find your love-hate relationship with writing tipping the scale more toward love.

How do you keep your blog fresh?

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Terez Howard operates TheWriteBloggers, a professional blogging service which builds clients’ authority status and net visibility. She has written informative pieces for newspapers, online magazines and blogs, both big and small. She regularly blogs at Freelance Writing Mamas. You’ll find her on Twitter @thewriteblogger.

Thanks, Terez!

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!

By Terez Howard

A couple weeks ago, I got Sisterlocks. For those of you who haven’t a clue what I’m talking about, it’s basically like getting very tiny dreadlocks (like hundreds) in your hair. If you would have asked me six months ago if I would ever make such a permanent decision, I would say, “Never!”

Why not? Locs are not versatile. Locs are not beautiful. Locs are too permanent. Locs are not for me. Those were my excuses, and yet here I am with a head full of Sisterlocks.

What changed my viewpoint? In short, an education.

Stop blogging now!

Blogging is a beneficial endeavor. It gets your business heard on a more social level. It gets your audience to trust you. It makes you appear as an authority in your niche. So, why would you stop blogging?

1. You don’t have the time. You have a life. You are a parent, a spouse, a full-time worker, and you’d like to keep up your hobby. Blogging takes the back-burner.

I am the same way, and yet, I find the time to write. How I do it is with simple scheduling. However, I find that most people will agree that a schedule looks good on paper, but it doesn’t help with motivation. I love blogging because I write about topics that interest me. So, I have my schedule, and I have something interesting to share, which brings me to my next point:

2. You ran out of ideas. You don’t know what to write about. You feel like you’ve covered every single topic in your niche, so you’re ready to give blogging a break.

Been there. Maybe you need a creativity boost. I’m not saying to create a whole new blog, but maybe you need to repurpose your blog. Do you have a tight niche?Do you have a creative slant on it? Do you share information in a way that interests you and your audience?

Take some time to read other blogs, whether they relate to yours or not. Talk to friends and family. Observe your day-to-day activities. Then sit down and write as many topics that come to your mind. You’ll soon have more topics than you ever imagined.

3. You are not a good writer, so why keep up a blog?

Well, you could try some of the editing tactics Jael mentioned last week. You could also hire a professional blogger to write for you.

If those ideas don’t appeal to you, have you tried starting to video blog? Writing is talking with letters. If you cannot string your letters together in an intelligible manner, but you love to talk, try talking to your audience. Uncomfortable with your face? Two words: Audio Podcast.

4. Your blog doesn’t look as nice as other blogs, and you’re ready to shut it down.

I’m no graphic designer. I know as much about html as a newborn knows about pizza. It looks good, but I can’t do a whole lot of anything with it. There is such a thing as a template. Shop for a new template, and it doesn’t have to cost you anything. Of course, if you do hire someone to design your blog, you are more likely to get exactly what you want.

If you just want to tweak your existing look, search for some help. I recently got some help from a fellow blogger with my blog’s appearance. And guess what? She didn’t charge me a cent! Enlist the help of bloggers you know.

Educate yourself

There are more reasons you should stop blogging. But before you indulge yourself and call it quits, educate yourself. See how you can make your blog work.

I became educated about Sisterlocks, and now I wish I would have gotten them sooner. Don’t be like me, wishing you would have solved your blogging problems sooner. Take action.

How do keep yourself motivated to continue blogging?

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Terez Howard operates TheWriteBloggers, a professional blogging service which builds clients’ authority status and net visibility. She has written informative pieces for newspapers, online magazines and blogs, both big and small. She regularly blogs at Freelance Writing Mamas. You’ll find her on Twitter @thewriteblogger.

Thanks, Terez!

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!