I have a tendency to wander around town from time to time, which often ends me up in some sort of new and strange conversation with another voice that results in a lot of time being used to talk about nothing. While these experiences can be entertaining, they are not always the greatest use of my time. (Not that I know what that is either.) Sometimes, though, I have semi-useful conversations with folks I know better than others, and that is a good use of my time while still entertaining. I recently ran into an editor friend from the Sacramento Business Journal and she gave me some feedback after viewing the site, essentially saying two things to me: 1) Write more, and; 2) Focus the content. Sound advice, no doubt.
The first of the two is an easily reachable goal. I have a habit of writing down whatever I can remember in whatever order it is remembered. As time goes on, I’ll use more and more of that writing for the site and we’ll have plenty of entries. This is the problem that makes difficult achieving number two. (What?) As it stands now, the site has no real focus other than to humor me, possibly entertain you, and be not always nonsensical. Not the clearest set of instructions, right? It makes sense, but what does it mean.
I understand the need for focus. People don’t like ambiguity. They don’t want to be taken to wandering all over the place, essentially wasting a bunch of time to ultimately, probably, accomplish very little if nothing at all. You’re going to want content with clarity that is concise. That takes most of the fun out of it for me as the writer. So the questions now are — Do I get focused? How is it done? Possibly (I don’t want to rule it out completely,) and here’s how it’s done:
- Clearly Defined Goal(s) Know what it is you want to accomplish with your content. For example, “maximize revenue per unique visitor to the site through conversion” Be specific. Be clear. Knowing exactly what you want to do will help you determine how you do it.
- Know Your Topic It’s much easier to focus and be clear when you yourself are knowledgeable and interested in the topic you’re covering.
- Get to the Point Quickly It’s a bad idea to fumble around in the first paragraph. Say as much as possible as soon as possible about your topic. Make sure the reader knows straight away what the rest of the post is going to be about and why he should continue reading.
- Relevant Photos We tend to enjoy the visual, so include photos and be sure they have something to do with your topic, potentially aiding in the further explanation of what you’re trying to communicate.
- Omit Needless Words Remember what William Strunk, Jr. taught in The Elements of Style, Rule 13 — Omit Needless Words. It can’t be said enough. Proofread your writing and remove fluff. Don’t write about the writing. Write about your topic.
That’s it. There you have it. A quick start guide to getting some focus. It sounds easy enough. Doesn’t mean it’s easy to do.
My editor friend suggested I write about Sacramento since I’m out and about so much. It makes sense, and I have some Sacramento entries. But I also want to write about “nerdy computer stuff” as she worded it. I’ve been tinkering and hobbying around the computer world since the late 80s, and I studied Computer Science at Cal Poly. I get a kick out of the latest developments to hardware and software, so I’m going to write about that stuff. And let’s not forget that sometimes I just want to write and write and say nothing at all. I’m sure you won’t mind.