Sep 28

Written by:
2010/09/28 08:13 AM 

My wife, Beverley, makes some of the best cupcakes in town. In fact she has many people that actually pay good money for them. But let me try and make those same cupcakes, and somehow I fail miserably.

Even though I have the recipe I still can’t get them to taste as good.

The Recipe

Blogging and blog posts are much like baking cupcakes. Everyone can try and bake cupcakes, but not all will be successful. But following the recipe goes a long way into making your blog that much more successful.

Content is King. If you have no content or your content is rubbish then your blog post and blog will follow suite. Use the wrong ingredients and your cupcake turns out to be a concrete block. Use the right ingredients and they will come back for more.

Write for you readers. If you make cupcakes just for yourself then you are just a pig. But real enjoyment comes when others have opportunity to enjoy what you create. Your blog post should be all about bringing that joy and fulfilment to your readers.

Link through to others. Giving credit where credit is due. Link to other blog posts to enhance and give credibility to your own post.

Encourage conversation. Blogging is just another arm of the social media phenomenon. Being social it is crucial that you encourage conversation and interaction with your readers. Otherwise it’s just your opinion and no one else's. Believe me, no one wants to listen to some arrogant blogger voicing his own opinion

Use a good blogging platform. There are so many to choose from. Making the wrong choice for your needs can prove crucial. When baking cupcakes there are a variety of different ingredients to choose from. Choosing the wrong ones could mean a big flop.

Choose the correct colours and theme. You might have the best tasting cupcakes in the world. But if it looks like the dog just vomited it up, no one is going to eat them. It is crucial that you have the correct colours and theme. That they complement each other and that you do not have too many.

Welcome advice from experienced bloggers. Isn’t it weird that when you have the instructions out in front of you, and you follow them to the letter, that whatever you are doing just does not come out as you’d expect. In order to make the best cupcakes you will have to learn from master chefs that have been in the business for a long time. Blogging is no different. Learn from those who have large amounts of experience to offer.

Experiment. This is a dangerous one. It could prove to be fatal, but it could also prove to be magnificent. One thing that separates excellent cupcakes from the rest is that they are slightly different from the rest. This means that often the chefs or bakers have experimented with the recipe and found out what works really well together.

The Method

Ok, so now you have the perfect recipe to make the perfect cup cakes. So combine them all into a bowl and throw it into the oven.

Well if you did that, you will only have one huge mess. You might have the perfect blog recipe, but it’s how you combine those together that really matters.

What ingredients to add first, how much of one ingredient compared to another. How you mix them together. How different ingredients work with each other and how they compliment each other. How some ingredients might cancel each other out.

All these are contained in the method. How you actually  make and bake the cupcakes. It’s not just about reading and following the method. But about experience as well. Using what you have learned over the years to put that extra touch to your master piece.

Presentation

I’ve touched on this a bit earlier, but want to mention it again. Presentation is so important. A well thought of and well presented cupcake will get those gastric juices flowing and entice you to dive in and pig out.

How you present your blog and blog post will be the difference between whether people will read, come back and be loyal and then in turn promote your blog to others.

The x-factor

Every master recipe has one part in it that is deliberately left out. It is what makes it unique amongst all other similar recipes.

It is also what could make the final product brilliant. Many people have asked for the cup cake recipe from my wife. But when she gives it out, she may leave out one crucial part. It could be something as small as mixing time. But that's all one needs to make a difference.

It could be a small part in the ingredients, or a small process in the method. Suffice to say that those following her recipe do not quite get the exact brilliance that my wife does.

Pour something different into your blog. Have some x-factor that will make it stand out and be different from the rest.

Beverley's Cup cakes

125g Margarine/Butter

150g Sugar

200g Flour

125ml Milk

drop Vanilla Essence

2 eggs

5ml Baking powder

Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix till smooth, bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 15 minutes.

Over to you

What's your recipe for the best blog post? Do you have a favourite cup cake recipe you want to share?

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