Five quick tips for great blogging

1. Get in, and get out. Lead with a provocative statement, make your point quickly, use a sentence or two to anticipate and answer criticisms/questions, and end by giving the reader some context (via a link). The master of this type of blogging is Seth Godin.

2. Be yourself, but don't be lazy. If you feel like blogging about something that has you fired up, instead of a topic you "should" be writing about, go for the topic that has you inspired. It's OK to get a bit off track if the result is a strong, interesting piece of writing. But if you find yourself wanting to get off track frequently...perhaps your blog needs a different focus?

3. Go topical. If you track your blog stats, you'll notice that a post about a hot or controversial topic (a just-released book, a celebrity scandal, or a conference in progress) will boost traffic. So, if you have something to say that relates to a hot issue, go for it. But go for it right away. Wait, and you'll find it's been done to death.

4. Lists rule. Yes, it's true. Nothing gets traffic like lists and "how-to" articles. And ones with good, substantive content get something better than traffic: They get links from other blogs.

5. Use graphics and photos. Many readers have visual memories. A good illustration will keep your post in their minds for the few seconds it takes to link to it or comment.