We all want more readers, right? What do readers want to see when they click on your posts, and how do you get that first click?
Use a Different Frontend
The main HIVE site works fine, but I much prefer the tools available at PeakD. It gives me better control over my content creation with an improved user interface and helps me make sure my posts go into the community I intend and get posted in my main blog feed, too. I can also easily save drafts and schedule posts.
Other options are available, too. I haven't tried Ecency, but it seems popular.
Use Markdown Code
HIVE posts incorporate Markdown formatting, so feel free to try out these tools to make your posts more effective. Just don't lean too heavily on the fancy stuff.
Bold
**Bold**
Italics
*Italics*
Bold Italics
***Bold Italics***
Bullet points
- Bullet points
Quote
> Quote
[Hyperlink text people read](website URL they can visit)
Strikethrough
~~Strikethrough~~
The PeakD interface includes a lot of word processor buttons which help automatically insert the proper Markdown code, but just remembering a few simple tricks like this can speed up your formatting on the fly regardless of how you post on the blockchain.
Use Images
People judge books and posts by their covers, no matter how many times they hear proverbs advising otherwise. A good picture can grab attention as people scroll their feeds. If you are sharing your own art or photography, this part is easy. If you are using someone else's image, there are pitfalls.
You thought this was a writing post? This is a fence post now. Don't have a cow! Image credit: UnSplash, pun blame: me.
Pixabay and Unsplash offer image use with highly permissive licenses allowing free use for both commercial and noncommercial applications. Attribution is not required, but always appreciated, I'm sure. Here on HIVE, though, I advise making attribution a habit and clearly identifying any content you did not create. The easiest way to credit an image like the one above is to link back to the site. Here's how I did it above:
[Image credit: UnSplash](https://unsplash.com/photos/hB9vo06o9z8)
You can also list your image credit info at the end of your post using the hyperlink code as mentioned above with something like this: Image 1 by Patrick Baum, used under the Unsplash license.
[Image 1 by Patrick Baum, used under the Unsplash license](https://unsplash.com/photos/hB9vo06o9z8)
Failure to cite sources and give credit as appropriate could be seen as plagiarism, especially in this environment with tokenized rewards. You might get followers, but the kind that downvotes your posts instead.
Use White Space
I use a dark theme for my browser, but the term "white space" still applies. A visually-appealing blog post needs to balance text, blank space, and images to be easier on the reader's eyes.
When posting for the web, double-space between paragraphs as you can see in this post. Indenting paragraphs does not work very well, and if you add too many spaces at the start of a line, Markdown defaults to the plaintext blocks I use to show how Markdown works. The length of your paragraphs depends on your content and your audience, so I would not presume to dictate that. If your content is longer, break it into sections with headings. This is how I did it here:
# Use White Space
If you use more of those hashtags pound signs, you reduce the size of the heading. This can be useful for subheadings, too, but most authors probably don't need that much structure for their blog content.
The proper number of images also depends on your purpose. A news report may only need one image, or a series of detailed charts. Your tourist blog may only need a sweeping panorama shot, or a series of snapshots along a hike.
No more wall of text, just a wall, but this one adds white space!
Explore Communities & Find Your Niche!
Write about what you like, support other authors who write what you like, and forge real connections. You'll figure out what you want to do here in due time, whether it's fiction challenges, photography contests, anecdotes about your day-to-day life, explanations of hobbies, stories from work life, new things you have learned, or whatever else floats your boat.
I haven't found my niche yet, and I've been here for years. I just write about whatever crosses my mind, so I guess that works, too. If you have questions about how HIVE works, I'm not the expert, but I can offer a few more tips if you have questions I haven't covered yet, so please comment below! I usually upvote quality replies, and occasionally distribute PIZZA and BEER tokens.
