The Canadian Weblog Awards have a clear set of
ten criteria by which all nominees in juried categories will be appraised. Our ten-part
Criteria Series, as part of our crusade for better Canadian blogging, highlights each of the these criterion. This, the fifth instalment, is about the first criterion with regard to weblog content: originality.
If you have spent much time reading weblogs within any particular genre, you have likely noticed that most of them tend to parrot the same information or rehash the same topics already covered by others within the group. If you are searching for particular content on a subject, any one weblog can seem as worthwhile to read as any other after you have spent enough time scrolling through Google searches.
The few weblogs that manage to stand out from the pack in the heavily populated world of weblogs do so because they display original ideas and original content. Does yours?
3 Factors That Contribute to
the Creation of Original Content
1. Ask yourself what differentiates your weblog from others of its kind and use that difference to your advantage.The answer to that question will often be YOU.
You are the greatest differentiating factor when it comes to your weblog. If you allow your unique perspective and experiences to enter into your blogging style, your content will have a much greater chance of rising above the rabble of people parroting the same subject matter.
Tell your readers why a topic matters. Including thoughtful commentary about the difference Skype has made in maintaining your family ties alongside your explanation of the application will make all the difference.
2. Don't let your weblog fall into the Me-Too Trap.Many weblogs tend to fall into the trap of being little more than echo chambers for content already found elsewhere. The internet has enough bloggers and commenters jumping up to shout "Me, too!" without your help.
But I find inspiration from other weblogs! you say.
My writing/art/podcasts are often fuelled by other bloggers!Of course some of your work will be informed by other weblogs and other bloggers. Inspiration from other online content is a given, but it is not a threat to your originality as long as you strive to create something new from that inspiration rather than to simply mirror what you have read and seen. Interesting and engaging content does more than simply reiterate existing material from other weblogs; it adds to that material by offering further research and material and/or personal insights and experience.
If you want to write about your outrage over the fact that
serial child killer Clifford Olson is collecting a federal pension while behind bars, but fifteen other bloggers have already written similar articles about their outrage, take some time to look at why you want to write that article, where your desire's roots lie, and maybe do a little extra research into the story's background. The article you write will gain a depth and perspective that the other fifteen parrots will be unable to compete with.
3. Write what you are passionate about.If you are writing a weblog entry about Search Engine Optimization, but your readers get the feeling that you'd rather be fishing, then they will feel like they'd rather be fishing, too. You will find that when you lack passion about a topic, you will devolve to parroting information farmed from someone else.
It is difficult to be thought-provoking when even your own thoughts aren't being provoked by the subject matter. Write what you love, and your energy will come through.
CHEAT SHEET:
3 Factors That Contribute to the Creation of Original Content- Ask yourself what differentiates your weblog from others of its kind and use that difference to your advantage.
- Don't let your weblog fall into the Me-Too Trap.
- Write what you are passionate about.
The weblogs that keep readers coming back again and again are ones that do not simply follow the herd but originate and interpret meaningful content from a unique perspective.
Taking the extra time to generate original content and offer a fresh perspective will not only bring readers back for more of what they can't find elsewhere, but it will also keep
you engaged, and the more you enjoy creating your content, the better you'll be at it.
What are your thoughts on originality and blogging? How much does originality matter to you? Are there other ways to ensure that your content is original?
Labels: Criteria Series, how to
The 2010 Canadian Weblog Awards nominees of the day today are from our
Best Designed category.
Design is a fairly prominent part of the Canadian Weblog Awards'
judging criteria across all categories, but this category will, of course, require and stricter eye when it comes to meeting the standards of good design. I am excited to see what stands out for our judges at the end of the year!
Our eight nominees in the Best Designed category are:
Maternal Spark
Oceanaria
{scissor variations}
Studio Rose Flash's Blog
This Bird's Day
Unsweetened Cocoa
UPPERCASE
Wish Jar
Drop in, leave them a hello comment, and, if you know of another weblog deserving of this esteemed award,
nominate them for Best Weblog in the 2010 Canadian Weblog Awards!
Labels: Best Designed, categories
The 2010 Canadian Weblog Awards nominees of the day today are from our
Arts & Culture category!
What weblogs fall into the Arts & Culture category? We have borrowed
the definition from the Auckland City Council Arts Agenda and allow for weblogs that discuss "...all forms of creative expression, from individual to collective, from grassroots to professional and institutional." To clarify, these are weblogs that do not express the particular arts in question but talk
about them.
Take a moment to browse through our Arts & Culture nominees:
Absurd Intellectual
The Ampersand
Annapolis Royal Heritage
Booooooom!
The Canadian Design Resource
Dang
dixonfoma
Drooel
Les éditions Dédicaces
Francine Minville – auteure
Grace Is Over 50
Hella Heaven
Nag on the Lake
No Moods, Ads or Cutesy Fucking Icons (Re-Reloaded)
Patti Friday
Studio Rose Flash's Blog
Tagonist
UPPERCASE
Word Grrls
Yellowknife Online
Leave a comment to let them know you were by, and, if you know of a fine Canadian Arts & Culture weblog that is deserving of some attention, why not
nominate them for a 2010 Canadian Weblog Award?
Labels: Arts and Culture, categories
Amy Jo Ehman, author of
Home for Dinner, a Food & Drink nominee in the 2010 Canadian Weblog Awards, is a published author!
Ehman challenged herself to a year of eating food that was grown and raised locally in Saskatchewan, and this challenge not only expanded her knowledge of Saskatchewan food and international cuisine but also grew into her book,
Prairie Feast: A Writer's Journey Home for Dinner:
Prairie Feast taps into a universal desire to find ourselves, our community and our history through the food we eat. It's not about miles or greenhouse gasses or "doing the right thing" (although that is a bonus), but about rediscovering the roots of a daily ritual that nourishes us body, mind and soul. (Amy Jo Ehman)
If you are going to be in or around Saskatoon, Saskatchewan this month, there are two opportunities to meet Ehman, pick up a copy of
Prairie Feast, and experience the local food.
The official book launch is being held tomorrow night, May 8th, at Souleio from 7-10 p.m. Tickets are $25, which includes tapas and wine tastings alongside the good company and excellent literature.
The second event is being held at McNally Robinson Booksellers on May 19th at 6:30 p.m. The event includes a three-course feast featuring a variety of Saskatchewan-grown foods, including an appetizer of homemade ravioli, a main course of grilled chicken breast layered with mozzarella and served on a bed of spinach and chickpeas, and a dessert of choke cherry coulis and a saskatoon berry crème brulée. Tickets are $37.50.
Visit
Prairie Feast's website.
Buy a copy of
Prairie Feast.
Check out Amy Jo Ehman's weblog,
Home for Dinner.
Labels: Food and Drink, we've got talent
The fourth instalment in our ten-part Canadian Weblog Awards
Criteria Series is about the importance of weblog aesthetics. 40% of
the jury's criteria for judging each weblog in the Canadian Weblog Awards is design-related, and the aesthetics element plays an incredibly important role in the life your weblog.
I have been asked why I have placed an emphasis on aesthetics specifically. Not everyone is a designer, and, if content is king, why demand that weblogs in the Canadian Weblog Awards be pleasing to the eye? I agree, in part. Content
is king, but I would also argue that the appearance of your weblog is part of its content, and it directly influences how readers will approach your content.
The appearance of a weblog acts as an invitation to its main content, and the success of a weblog often relies on the execution of that invitation. Your weblog's design is the first thing any new audience member sees. It is the first impression your weblog makes, and it can make the difference between someone engaging with your content or passing it by without a second look.
An important question to ask yourself is whether or not your website offers an accurate description of its content and has an appearance that is pleasing to look at. Is it
a terrifying mess of animated gif images? Does it have
automatic sound that plays upon loading the website and a background so insane that it interferes with the navigation? Does
everything on the page look like it's yelling at you? Is your website
about loving Jesus but looks like it's about gay pride?
When you look at your weblog critically, does it really say what you want it to say, and does it invite the reader in? The following twelve points are helpful guidelines to creating a space that is both appealing and effective.
12 Factors In the Creation of
an Aesthetically Pleasing Weblog
1. Repeat this mantra: simplicity, simplicity, simplicity. The website design should remain simple and uncluttered enough that it does not distract the reader from the main content. Widgets, images, etc. that are extraneous to the main content should be removed in order to help the reader understand where your focus lies.
2. A major component of simplicity is white space. Do not be afraid of white space. White space, the blank space between elements, is as important as any of the other design elements, if not more important, because it not only helps to frame the space, but it also reduces the cognitive load for your readers by giving their eyes a place to rest. It is a primary design element that is all too often overlooked.
3. The different elements' positions, colours, contrast, and sizes on the page should show the reader's eyes where to go. Think of it as creating a map that guides the reader's eye through your website.
4. Create a masthead, or have a masthead created for you, that you can trust to make a memorable and positive first impression.
5. The background should remain in the background and not overtake other elements of the design.
6. The text font should be large enough to be easy to read but not so large that you feel as though you are looking at a grade one reader.
7. The text should be a colour that is in sharp contrast to the background colour for easy readability.
8. Your navigation system should be easy to find and use, and it should be consistent from page to page within your weblog.
9. Post titles should stand out from the main content so that they can be scanned easily.
10. The width of the main content should be narrower than it is in a trade paperback so that it is easy to scan from line to line.
11. The link colours, if they are different than the default blue, should be coordinated with the weblog template's colour palette.
12. Separate pages within the weblog, if they differ in design from each other, should each bear repetitive design elements so that it is apparent they belong to the same website and allow the reader to have a consistent experience.
Useful testing tools:
Color Contrast Check Tool — "The Colour Contrast Check Tool allows to specify a foreground and a background colour and determine if they provide enough of a contrast 'when viewed by someone having color deficits or when viewed on a black and white screen.'"Crazy Egg — "Crazy Egg’s Confetti and Heatmap features are simple and affordable heat mapping tools that allow you to visually understand user behavior."Colour Blindness Checker — Upload a screenshot (1K or smaller) of your website and see how it appears to people with different forms of colour blindness. By designing a weblog that is both unique to you and visually appealing, or by having one designed for you (we can't all be designers), you create not only an attractive space to host your content but also a space that complements what your weblog is about and invites your readers in for more.
What elements of website design are important to you when you visit other weblogs? What elements attract or repel you? Do you have any more advice for creating an aesthetically pleasing website?
Labels: Criteria Series, how to
The 2010 Canadian Weblog Awards nominees of the day today are from our Best New Weblog category.
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