Some research says that web surfers actually read less than 18% of any given page. While this is sure to be a distressing fact for the writer who slaved over each and every words remember that if you want to hold your reader’s attention you may need to get down to a more personal level. While this technique is not applicable in every situation or for every subject, there are many instances when your writing should include at least a hint of your own personality. As with most writing you will do, before you begin you should have a good idea of who will read your words—the targeted audience.

Who are You Writing For?

You should have a good understanding of how serious your venue is, whether it is a blog or a website, and whether you are working with a highly technical subject or one that is familiar to most people. Whatever you are writing about, you are essentially telling a story and communicating with others. In order to make your readers want to read much more than 18% of your story, remember that human beings want to connect with others and relate to the quandaries of other human beings. So, just how personal should you get with your readers, particularly if you are not writing a blog for yourself, but writing for others as a profession.

What are You Comfortable Sharing?

Ask yourself first just what level of information you are comfortable sharing with readers and what part of yourself you would never, under any circumstances, share with others. Then try sprinkling in a few personal details in your next writing assignment—not much, just enough to make it real for your readers. You want your readers to connect with you, the writer, on a personal level and to identify with you so bring them into the story as soon as you can. If, by the end of your story you feel a little raw and exposed, sleep on the story before it is published. Distance will allow you to edit the details that were making you uncomfortable while leaving in those which make it a good story.

Personal Details in a Blog

Blog content is different from website content in that people expect a blog to be much more personal and to contain details of another’s life. Blogs are actually meant to represent people and create human connections. As human beings we hardly stay on topic all the time, and a blog is no different. While probably none of your blog followers care what you ate for lunch, they do want to know the author’s likes, dreams, opinions, dislikes and passions. In order to communicate those things, you have no choice but to get a bit personal. Most all of us respond more positively to a story in which we are led to see things in a personal, individual manner. Remember—human beings even make purchasing decisions based largely on emotions. Of course there may be a rational decision regarding the purchase made initially but in the end our primary response to a sale pitch will come from a personal place.

Think about what others like about you and try adding some of that specific personality trait into your future writing—you will be glad you did!

For those of us who have ever pushed the “send” button and noticed a typo or misspelled word as our copy flew out into cyberspace, having spell checker is a good thing—you just cannot rely on it 100%. Most people who write for a living think much faster than they type, so keeping up with the flow of words from the brain is near-impossible and also much more likely to result in misspellings and typographical errors.

While Spell-Check is an amazing tool it’s important that writers use their eyes as well.

For example, for whatever reason I find myself typing “form” instead of “from” time after time. My Spell-Check is perfectly happy with “form,” since it is, after all, spelled correctly. Unfortunately, even spelled correctly, “form” makes little sense when it is standing in for “from.” It is hard for readers to trust your content, your brand or your product when there are spelling or grammatical errors on the page. Faithful readers of a blog may forgive the occasional spelling error, but particularly on pages which are attempting to sell a product or service, spelling and grammatical errors can completely derail your efforts. Proof-reading is a crucial part of writing—albeit a tedious one—so never skip giving your writing the once-over (or even the twice-over).

Potential Problems with Spell-Check

While a spell checker can do lots, it doesn’t differentiate between the three forms of “their, there and they’re,” and will not flag you when a word is spelled correctly but used in a nonsensical manner.  Spell check cannot help you with proper names and can (annoyingly) flag certain words as errors which are spelled correctly. When a word is spelled especially badly, a spell checker may not offer any suggestions for making it right.  Because of differences in formatting from one program to the next, it can be a good idea to proofread both on your own computer as well as previewing what your content will look like once it’s published—before you publish. For some odd reason, while many of us can catch spelling mistakes made by others nearly a hundred percent of the time our own errors may escape us. It could be the many hours we’ve spent writing and re-writing, but whatever the reason, you should either print the content out and proofread from a hard copy, or even read your content aloud as it forces you to take note of each word.

Getting the Most from Your Spell-Check

Back in “the day” we had typewriters and carbon paper if we wanted more than one copy. While I would never want to return to that era, the tediousness of the system ensured that the spelling, grammar and personalization were perfect on each sheet that went out. Today’s PC’s and laptops with their incredible word processing programs have changed the entire game, yet there is still no excuse for poor spelling or grammar. While a spell checker is definitely a handy tool and should not be abandoned, writers should avoid relying on it to catch every mistake. Most spell checkers include options which allow the user to customize the dictionary to include often-used proper nouns, names and acronyms. Some feature “auto correct,” which allows you to tell your program which words you traditionally misspell and the spell checker will correct them as you type. The only problem with this type of technology is that relying solely on spell checking programs can make us lazy, causing us to become dependent to the point where we’ve forgotten how to spell words we surely once knew. So, use your spell checker, but use your eyes and your brain as well if you want to turn out pristine content.

Many writers are not fully aware of the influence their content can exert on those who read it. Human beings are incredibly susceptible to the opinions of others, and on the web those opinions come in the form of words on a page. As one example, if you buy frequently on Amazon then you likely read the reviews for any book or product you are considering buying. I absolutely refuse to buy a book with less than four stars—after all could all those people really be wrong?  Even though I am aware this is sheep behavior, I still follow those self-imposed dictates. If I am looking at a product which received glowing reports I am much more likely to hit the “buy” button than when looking at a product which looks largely similar but has no ready feedback.  What you should garner from this example is that the way your content is written is extremely important in framing the expectations of your readers therefore web content should be managed in a professional and scientific manner.  Whether you know it or not, your web content can create waves in the real world, so you must always take it seriously.

What is Your Purpose?

Plenty of sites—business, consumer and blogs—have lots to say and, generally speaking, say it well. While most of these writers follow at least some of the “rules” for web writing such as integrating snappy headlines, short sentences and chunks of text into their content, it is unlikely they fully realize the power their words may possibly wield.  There are several things you must remember when creating content which could potentially have a profound effect on others. First, does your writing have a clear purpose? Once you can identify that purpose—and if you can’t, stop writing until you can—you will incorporate themes and messages that flesh out and define that purpose.

Who Are You Writing For?

If you know who you are writing for—your targeted audience—it becomes much easier to understand the impact your words could have on that audience. You figure out the human being on the other side of the computer screen then craft your message to engage that audience. When your content is completed, then you can go back and carefully place keywords and other web-friendly techniques to ensure your words are actually found. While some disagree, great content and web-friendly editing can co-exist harmoniously.

Writing Great Content

Remember that great posts aren’t read then shipped off to the content boneyard to languish and die. Great posts are copied, linked, talked about and borrowed. This is what you are aiming for—a great post that everyone reads, re-reads, and tells their family and friends to read. The Internet is full of sites which may be ranked highly, yet their visitors stay on the page for a mere few seconds. Your goal is not just to get visitors, but to give them something so special, so memorable, that they will stay on your site reading page after page and having their view of the world altered in some way by your words.

Although there are many factors involved in keeping your website in tip top shape, and maintaining the kind of relationship with Google that keeps your site near the top, one of the primary ways you can feed the hungry Google spider crawler is to start a blog, and update it often and regularly. When the spider returns to your site and finds changed information, it will then lessen the time between now and the next time it drops by to index your site and check for more updates.

If, in that time period, you have neglected to update with fresh, informative new content, your indexing time will be greatly slowed. Updating your blog content regularly also builds trust among your readers through the information you provide. If you wait too long a time between updates your regular readers may think you have fallen off the earth, and quit checking in. In short, Google loves blogs which are updated regularly, and if you have a very successful blog, not only will your updates be posted regularly, but your visitor’s comments will also increase your indexing. How do you keep your blog fresh, new, and updated on a regular basis?

Updating Your Blog

Just like writers across the board whether they be authors, news reporters or journalists, bloggers can find themselves staring at a blank computer screen without a single idea to share. Maybe you have been blogging for a considerable amount of time and you think the well of information has simply run dry. How do you keep up once the excitement of your new blog has worn thin without becoming overwhelmed, searching desperately for new material? First, take a look for content which is relevant to your niche in public domain magazines or governmental sites. Our government spends literally billions of dollars each year to keep their content current and updated, and it is mostly public domain. Never, ever, copy material which is copyrighted or from sites which are not in the public domain.

Watch the News

No, really watch the news. Put away all the other things you normally do when you watch the news, grab a paper and pen, and sit down and really listen to the news. It is almost a certainty that something you hear will have an impact on you and give you a fresh new idea for your blog. Check out your local newspaper as well as a national one such as U.S.A. Today, and you will find articles about a wide variety of subjects, usually grouped by topics. Don’t forget to direct your reader to the original source after quoting a short passage and providing your own spin on the subject.

Spotlight another Blogger or Interesting Website

Search out other bloggers who write about your subject, and put their work on your blog occasionally. Take the time to get to know them—people generally return the favor when you show an interest in them and their work. Any time you cross paths with an extremely interesting web page or article, build on it and let it bring you inspiration for your next blog posting. Remember that most readers love facts and statistics, posts written like lists such as “the top ten ways to….”

Jump Into Social Networks

See what’s trending on Twitter, or share content with other Facebook users in your niche, and it’s a sure bet something will trigger your mind, allowing you to write an informative, compelling blog posting that not only will your readers love, but the crawly Google spider will as well.  Keep your blog fun, informative and update religiously and you are on your way to success.