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Outside of using profanity or basic inappropriate content, there are only a few things that will get me to skip your post faster than Tyranids can overrun an Imperial Guard gunline.
When I started the FTW Blogger Group, I created a post of the 10 things you can do to improve your blog. I figured it would help new Bloggers get started down the right track and get the most from their blog.
I suppose you could think of this as an extension to that list. With so many Bloggers posting on a regular basis, you need to capture a readers attention and hold it if you want to keep your head above water these days. We all know posts have a shelf life of approximately .00000001 of a second and then readers have moved on to the newest thing.
So what are they?
What are the top three sentences that will make me skip your blog post as soon as I see them?
1. I was bored so I...
I see this one all the time. You can fill in the rest of it afterwards. I built this model, I painted that model, I tried this out, etc. With so many people producing high quality stuff and killing themselves to post on a regular basis with good pics and info, why would I stop and look at what someone did while they were bored the other night?
If you only had a few minutes to catch up on the 40k blogosphere and could only read one post, which one would you choose?
2. I couldn't sleep/haven't slept so I...
Again another one where you can fill in the rest of the sentence. I'd say to get some sleep and then come back to your blog before hitting the publish button. With a quick nap, you might think twice about what you're going to publish on your site.
Unless you're crunched for time due to some kind of contest and you absolutely must post something (which makes me wonder why you just don't just keep working if you're that pressed for time), then go ahead and do it. Otherwise come back when you're rested.
3. Sorry I haven't posted in a while...
Listen, we all have real lives outside the hobby. It's ok to have a life outside the hobby folks. When I see this one, I know it's nothing more than an apology for doing other stuff.
I don't need the apology for you doing more important things in your own life. This is just a hobby. I know I can find this at the start of a post that ends about a sentence later with "I promise to post something soon."
Skip posting this and just come back when you have something you want to share. I won't be mad, believe me, I'll still be here and I'll be more likely to look at what you have when you do come back to posting.
So there you have it, the three things that will drive me (and I'd be willing to bet most folks) away from you post and blog quicker than you can delete it and put something else up in place of it.
Make sure to check out these posts as they might help:
10 things you can do to your blog to improve it
But what should I post about?
NOTE: I'd like to thank everyone who has taken a minute to express their feelings on this. Even those who do not agree with me. It's nice to get both sides of the discussion going. Make sure to look through the comments and see what some folks have said.
