Five Qualities of Outstanding Posts

For some reason, Vivien over at Inspiration Bit decided she wanted to know what I thought the qualities of an outstanding post are. I will go over what I think are qualities of an outstanding post coming from a reader’s perspective.

Effective Use of Images

Images set the mood for a post right from the start. A good image will give a reader immediate context into what the post may be talking about. However, some might mis-use images.

For example, it wouldn’t be a good idea to put an image of a strawberry in a post when the post is talking about a banana. My advice would be to only use images when they are relevant to a post. Images should compliment the content and not distract from it.

Use of Headings

Every week, one of my friends sends me an “update” e-mail. Almost every time I receive the e-mail, I wince. The e-mail is just text with no headings and rarely any images.

Readers on the Internet are typically skimmers. Readers like to read in an “F” pattern. So when a blog post is nothing but text with no headings, it is difficult to know which portions of the text command our full attention.

I recommend breaking out all major portions of a blog post into headings, that way the skimmers are happy. Breaking the post into headings and sub-headings also aids in the organization of the post.

Use Lists

Here are several reasons to use bullets or lists:

• They help organize thoughts into specific points.
• They aid skimmers.
• Bullets and lists are nice ways to summarize information.
• Bullets get the point across.

The Use of White Space

Nobody likes a cluttered blog post. These are the posts where paragraphs are indistinguishable, and headings and lists seem to run smack-dab into each other.

Here are several ways to add white space to a post:

• Give images breathing room. Add some padding or margins to an image.
• Make good use of line height.
• Give paragraphs some breathing room. Have about one line of white space between paragraphs.
• Give lists some breathing room. Have about one line of white space before and after a list.

Good Grammar and Spelling

I am not one to claim perfect efficiency in my grammar or spelling. However, it is very apparent in a post when someone hasn’t at least minimally mastered the skill of a spell-checker. The best way to spot grammatical and spelling errors is to read your post out loud.

Also, don’t be afraid to ask others to proof-read your work. If you do ask, however, be prepared to take the criticism.

Conclusion

Thank you Vivien for the tag. To continue this tag game, I will tag Scott. Scott, if you feel so inclined, please let us know what you think makes an outstanding post.