What makes a good blog? A good blog

• helps a blogger/reporter increase influence by publishing info. outside the traditional news story format
• helps a news organization connect with their readers
• is an on-going conversation, facilitated by a blogger and - if successful - directed by his or her audience

That's nice. What's a blog?

Good question. Blogs are fast, interactive and powerful, becoming more so every day. A blog has

• a frequently updated online journal with entries written in conversational style, the most recent at the top of the page
• links to other info. on the Web that complement the blog posts
• a comments link that allows readers to respond to posts, but not all blogs allow comment

How did blogging become so popular?

In the beginning, publishing online was largely style over substance. When the first information revolution started in the '90s, the Internet was said to give anyone the ability to publish. Unfortunately, "anyone" only included those familiar with HTML and website building - computer programmers and graphic designers - in order to publish.

That all changed with the advent of blogs. Premade software online truly makes it easy for anyone to publish, with or without web design skills.

So, how do you blog? Before you begin blogging...

• Read other blogs to write well. Check out the best bloggers on the Top 100 list at Technorati.com, including the blog image links to the right. Note what makes their blogs compelling and innovative.
• Understand the terminology: Post, permalink, trackback, blogroll, linkblog, vlog, moblog.
• Know the mechanics of writing a blog. The goal in blogging is to give information quickly. When blogging, think in terms of writing an e-mail and use conversational style. Add links; good blogs are filled with complementing links. Write specific headlines, narrow your topic and combine authority with personality!

Other blogging tips

• Be short with your posts.
• Post daily, at least once.
• Handle comments well, as they are valuable reporting tool. Maintain a respectful discourse and stay on topic.
• Use photos and screenshots. How compelling can a blog site be (or any website, newspaper or magazine, for that matter) without any visual elements?
• Love it or leave it, Briggs says. You're wasting your time and efforts if you're not passionate about your blog. If you're not fired up about blogging, your readers won't be either about reading it.