If you are considering starting an economics blog, or even if the fleeting thought has just crossed your mind, you’re in the right place. We will provide you with some useful tips on writing, running and managing your blog.
First, let’s talk about some general writing tips to make sure that the content, the most important part of any blog, is interesting, relevant and attractive to new and existing readers.
- Be concise; numbers and jargon often overtake articles and posts, especially about topics that may already be considered complicated like economics.
- Take it down a notch; make sure to not use adjectives or words that are dramatic and overly so. Keep it real and relatable, it is not a fiction novel.
- When in doubt, leave it out; if you are on the fence about a paragraph or a certain piece of your writing, go with your gut and omit it, especially if unrelated to the main topic, in this case, economics.
- Interesting facts are captivating; use statistics and facts to grab readers’ attention and to draw them in and keep them reading and wanting more. Link to sites that may prove helpful, but that are relevant, one such website is HittaSMSLån which offers, and we quote, ”bästa smslån”, which means “the best SMS loans” in Swedish or other loan and reliable financing sites.
- Short sentences; this goes back to elementary school when we all learned about run on sentences. The shorter it is, the easier it is to read.
- Don’t be afraid of humour! Even though jargon and overly dramatic adjectives may not be ideal, given that it is a blog and not a research paper, mix in some humor in a tasteful and non distracting way, such as puns, without forcing your opinions on readers.
Now that you know the best practices for the actual content, let’s talk about tips for managing a blog:
- Frequency; posting regularly is a great way to keep readers engaged, if you post too much you may make readers feel like they are being spammed or overwhelmed, especially because economics can be more of a bite size piece topic.
- Timing; believe it or not, the time of day at which you post is also important. People are known to be more active online right after work as they commute home and catch up on what they’ve missed throughout the day.
- Pictures; readers, especially readers of blogs, are often drawn to photos that interest or intrigue them
- Headlines; using a catchy headline will help make readers care and wonder more about what it is your post or article is about.
- Archiving; make sure to use your judgement and industry best practices when deciding how to handle old and dated materials.
- Cross pollination; use other social media outlets to promote and display your blog content and to engage and attract readers to interact with your content.
If you take these tips and tricks to heart, you will be well on your way to a successful economics blog with loyal and engaged readers. To learn more, visit your favourite blog and see what they do well or where they could improve.