Write Better Blog Posts, Please

I recently read a blog post written by a person who purported to be an expert on a particular subject. Granted, I am not an expert on that subject, but from the way the blog article was written I had my doubts about the author’s expertise as well.

Just as important as the thoughts that you wish to communicate to your audience is the way that you express those thoughts. Unfortunately, many so-called “professional” writers undermine their own authority by falling into bad habits, or perhaps, never developing good ones in the first place.

So here are three tips to help you write like a pro and not sound like some nineteenth-century huckster peddling snake oil.

1. Cite your sources. If you didn’t originate the information yourself, it’s not yours. Tell the reader where you got your data and be specific. Vague references to “scientists at a major university” and their “extensive research” are dubious. Those adjectives are subjective; not everyone may agree that Smallville Junior College is a major university, or that asking forty people at the local mall is extensive research. Record your sources and give others the opportunity to check the facts for themselves. That makes you more credible. Think of those citations as offering further proof that your article’s thesis is correct.
2. Avoid the imperative voice. Don’t demand that your reader do things; give him logical reasons to do things. Let him decide that he needs to boycott a certain product or write to his representative. When the reader determines on his own to take action, he’s much more likely to follow through and won’t feel that you’re trying to manipulate him.
3. Hire a proofreader or editor. If you’re going to be a professional writer, grammar and spelling mistakes are not acceptable. Don’t expect your word processor’s spell checker to help you out of a jam. I once read an issue of a newspaper where every instance of a particular word was misspelled the same way in every article where it appeared. I think that someone must have added the misspelled word to the spell checker’s dictionary, and the word processor “corrected” the word every time it was run. Take ownership of your writing and hire a professional to catch silly mistakes.

If you’re going to pass yourself off as a professional writer (and you’re not writing a comedic blog) then please use good style. While this is not an exhaustive list, at least do these three things and your audience will take you more seriously.