Holly's Helpful Hints: How To Write A Compelling Blog Post

By now you undoubtedly know that there are blogs in the Blackbaud Community (after all, you're reading one now!). But, did you know that there are opportunities available for community members to contribute to those blogs?

I'd like to share a few tips and tricks for writing a compelling blog post and then I'll introduce you to how you can become a blogger in the Blackbaud Community!

Let's start with some blogging tips and tricks.

Voice
Blogging is a pretty informal way of communicating and bloggers who do it best know this. The ideal blogging voice in the Blackbaud Community strikes a happy balance between personal and professional. Basically, sound like someone you'd want to talk to and whose information you'd trust. Here are samples of some of my favorite "voices" in the Blackbaud Community:

• Steve Stegelin: Raiser's Edge NXT
  • Connect the Dots: Filter The Map by Rectangle or Custom Area
• Melissa Rancour: Raiser's Edge/Raiser's Edge NXT
  • While the Builders are Building
• Rob Kiser: Online Express/Blackbaud NetCommunity/BBIS
  • Oxford Campaign Runs more Efficiently with BBIS

Content
This one seems pretty obvious. A good blog has good content. But knowing what good blog content is can sometimes be tricky. I like to stick with a rule I learned from a CEO I used to work with. She once told me "you have three bullet points to make your point and I'll probably only read the first two." This "three bullet rule" means that I should be able to summarize my entire blog post in three bullets. If I need more than three bullets, I probably have too much content and should either edit some out or split the post into multiple posts. If I can't find three bullet points, I probably don't have enough information in my post and I need to consider adding more information.
 

The three bullet rule: Be able to sum up your entire blog post in three bullet points.

Images
Here's the worst kept secret on the internet: the average person hates to read. I mean, they really hate to read. So if they encounter a blog post that is a wall of text, they are more likely to abandon the post without reading it. When appropriate, add an image to your text to help break it up. These images can be screenshots (make sure you redact any sensitive information if sharing a screenshot), a relevant graphic, or a fun image to help set the tone. If you need help adding or manipulating images in blog posts, you can check out my helpful hint on adding images.