Art of Great Blog Writing

Halley Suitt and Stowe Boyd talk about the art of fabulous writing for business blogs at the Blog Business Summit. Yup, I'm still here. We're getting close to the end of Day 1. More live blog coverage of the event tomorrow.

A few tips for great blog writing:

Have passion for what you write about and get close to the things and events that cover what you're passionate about (not unlike what Robert Scoble said in an earlier session). A passionate voice wins every time. A blog must be fresh and pose a unique perspective. Write about something that is newsworthy and follows a particular trend. The more often that you post the better, but don't blog just to blog. The content must be compelling and of value to your readers. The blogs you want to read have a voice, so when you write, sound like your blog. Be creative with your headlines and show your voice 'in the headlines' and in your post. Be authentic (you hear the truth in the voice on the blog - goes back to transparency). Use things of this world that are easy to see. Creating a visual in your readers mind is powerful. Read and then write.

Stowe talks about finding your 'true voice.' The most potent aspect of good writing is to put yourself directly in the story. When you have strong emotional commitment to something, not only will your character will come through in a compelling way, but you'll be more likely to 'tell a good story.'

While brevity is encouraged, he suggests that you occasionally rant on your blog to add to the seductiveness of your 'voice.' Add to this something we have heard before: there's no smart companies, there's only smart conversations.