How Not to Quote-Bomb in Your Blog
When you quote someone else’s remarks on a topic you’re covering in your blog, that can be a very good thing. Why?
- you’re reinforcing your point
- you’re showing you’re in touch with trends in your field
- you’re adding value for readers by aggregating materials from different sources,
adding variety in the way an idea is phrased
On the other hand, the “re-gifting” of content needs to be handled with restraint. “Set up a quote within a paragraph, leading readers to the quote so they are prepared for it and do not feel ‘quote-bombed”, C.M. Gill advises in Essential Writing Skills for College and Beyond.
Curating others’ work – bloggers, authors, speakers – is a wonderful technique for adding variety and reinforcement to your own content. Remember, though, when it comes to writing marketing blogs, you’re trying to make your own cash register ring. It’s your voice that has to be strong throughout the post, so readers will click through to your website or shopping cart.
Since, as a professional blog content writer, my “workspace” is the World Wide Web, I can’t help but be awed by the fact that the Internet has become the largest repository of information in human history. Trillions of words are added to it daily, and literally anyone with access to a computer or cell phone can add content to the mix at any time.
True, blogs are more informal in general compared to most other marketing pieces. The fact is, though, people read blogs to get information. My college students are taught to use citations and reference pages to show where they got their information. That way, they avoid plagiarism by properly attributing statements to their proper authors. In your blogs, you can give credit to the sources of your information as well. The blogging equivalent of citations is links. So even if you’re putting your own unique twist on the topic, link to websites from which you got some of your original information or news.
Besides offering a broader spectrum of information to readers, bringing in other resources has practical benefits for you as well. Electronic links have the potential to enhance search engine rankings, as you create back-and-forth digital ties with other professionals.
But, as Gill reminds us, we need to lead readers to the quote.
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