15 Steps Towards a Better Blog {AdventureCon 2012 }

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This year’s SeaWorld Wildside Blogger Reunion was one with a difference.

The first ever AdventureCon was held and honestly I hope it’s only the first of many to come!

We were fed lots of bloggy food for thought. But a few nuggets of wisdom stood out for me, from the rest.

So, here they are…

15 steps towards a Better Blog

1. Write short sentences. Always make them 20 words or less.
2. Paragraphs should never have more than 3 or 4 sentences.
3. Place relevant information in bullet points to break monotony in long paragraphs.
4. Use images to add life to a post.
5. Use sub-heads to break up long posts.
6. Break out of the story telling narrative mode. Write as if you’re creating an advertising copy…short, precise and creative!
7. Don’t just take good photographs. Take great photographs. {Heard of the saying “A picture speaks a thousand words?”}
8. Make hyperlinks short and to the point.
9. Always put keywords on the far left for Yahoo/Google to pick them out for SEO.
10. As far as possible, never use the flash on your camera. It gives the subject a washed out, artificial look. If you need more light, stick a piece of paper on the flash. You will get the light needed. And the outcome is a more natural look. {Try it!}
11. Get creative when you take photographs. Don’t be afraid to think out of the box. Stand on tables. Lie on the floor. Do whatever is necessary to get that awesome shot.
12. When creating videos for your blog, begin with a game plan. Decide in advance what needs to be done. Shoot. Edit on IMovie or Movie Maker. And share with the world!
13. When taking a video on your iPhone, always stay 3 feet within the subject’s radius. This is a must for clear audio.
14. Use a tripod for video/photography stability.
15. Be yourself!

* Thank you Jeff Herrington, Rachel Matthews, Salwa Khan and Bob Currie for sharing your wealth & SeaWorld for making this happen.*