All good bloggers have a formula or basic framework for putting together posts. Think of it as a post template. This should go beyond breaking an entry into paragraphs and throwing in a few gratuitous pictures. It should not only incorporate the theme of the post but also the individuality of the blog's design. Today, I would like to share my blog's framework with you.

Lead Image

My newest part of the template is to lead with an image. People are very visual and I myself find it most appealing when there is an image to start the post. It kind of puts me in the mental mood to read it. I especially like the way Nate Whitehill handles it on his blog. My own style involves adding a thick black line to a sizable image.

Going Big In The Opener

My next formatting tactic involves the opening paragraph. I like to increase the size of the first paragraph, which has the effect of bringing the reader into the main body; or at least, that is what I like to think... Anyhow, the inspiration for me to use this method comes from Steve Smith over at Ordered List.

Incorporate Images Intelligently

Of course, adding images to a post is a great idea. But there are two keys to doing it with blogging class:

• Use images only when necessary


• Incorporate the images into you blog's design

I do my best not to throw in unnecessary images (although some may argue that the lead image falls into that category). As for integrating them into my design, I make them all black and white and try to make sure that they fit in, in terms of size and shape.

Add Affiliate Links

This method may not be for everyone, but I like adding amazon links to products that I mention in my posts. I don't hardly ever make money off of these links, but if someone wants to buy the product I mention, I feel like it is very useful to the reader to be able to link directly to it.

Close With A Question

This little tactic I picked up from David Airey. He always closes a post by asking the reader a question. It invites participation in a direct personal way, and as far as I can tell, it works very well for him.

I opened this post by saying that all good bloggers have a formula or basic framework for putting together posts; what makes a blogger great is when they know when to mix it up a bit, you know what I mean?