Do

Post regularly and consistently. You might post once every week, two weeks or three weeks. Write about something that you are interested in but also something that will interest others. Consider your audience; dont assume everyone has the same knowledge. Write your posts straight onto your blog. Use interesting words and correct grammar and punctuation. Think of your own ideas for posts, or say where you got the idea from. Proofread and check your facts before publishing. Use glitter text sparingly and keep fonts the same and easy to read. Make posts easy to read with left aligned text, paragraphs, subheadings and/or dot points. Add an image or web 2.0 tool to your text to make your post interesting. If you want to use pictures, use creative commons images (with attribution), screenshots, or your own photos/artwork. End posts with questions. This will encourage your readers to comment and give them ideas of what to write. Reply to all/most of your comments. Make connections, leave comments and be involved in the blogging community. Limit the number of widgets on your blog. These can make your blog slow to load and take the focus away from your posts. Include a search widget, subscribe via email widget and an about page. Choose an attractive and functional theme. Have an adult read over your posts before publishing. Persevere and stick with it!

Dont
Leave too long between posts or publish more than two posts per week. Make too many posts about my favourite. Forgot to link to other blogs and websites so readers can access more information. Write your post in Word and copy/paste. Use multiple exclamation marks or slang. Forget to include a link to your inspiration if you use someone elses blog post topic. Copy information off the internet unless youre writing a quote and including a link. Use light/fluro colours (like yellow) for fonts. Think people will read your posts if theyre not easy on the eye. Make all your posts only text. Take images off Google Images or use other copyright internet images. Dont make your questions too specific (eg. Have you been on a holiday? is better than Have you been to Lakes Entrance?). Ignore readers who make the effort to comment on your blog. Expect comments on your blog if youre not commenting on other blogs. Include widgets that are too big. If you cant get the widget to fit, take it off. Make people guess what your blog is about or make it hard to navigate your blog. Change your theme too often. Include personal information on your blog or publish posts/comments youre unsure about. Give up! Blogging can be hard work but the rewards are worth it.

Finally

Blog design

Comments

Post design

Blog posts

Kathleen Morris http://primarytech.global2.vic.edu.au