8-2 Blog: Best Practices

This week's blog assignment is another fun one for me. Our task: Choose a blog and analyze the functions and substance of the blog as a form of writing and information delivery. In your opinion, what are the “best practices” when creating a blog to ensure appropriate form, function, and substance? Provide a link when responding to classmates and post your opinion along with your rationale.

It took me no time at all to pull up a recent blog in the L.A. Times that immediately came to mind. The writer, Nita Lelyveld, is a metro feature writer for the prestigious paper. The article is titled "Nick Metropolis has a serious case of jumble fever." It's about a very unique store in Los Angeles that sells antiques and other hard to find items and collectibles. The story-telling is great, and with the addition of the multimedia, it's as if I visited Nick's place myself!

I really enjoyed and appreciate the use of multimedia via photos, a photo gallery, and a video. The blog also utilizes and uses links to sources, and pull quotes that can be tweeted. There are many visuals aspects to pull in the reader and keep you reading, learning, and watching. The blog utilizes a large picture (see below) at the top of the story (under the headline), which immediately pulls you in with an image of the iconic Hollywood sign, and plenty of other interesting pieces and on-lookers in it.

Also embedded within the story is a 14 picture photo gallery which shows other great pictures and really helps accentuate the story and its uniqueness. The best part of the blog though, is a three minute video that features an interview with the eccentric store owner in which he explains his interesting marketing techniques and sales strategy, which includes negotiations no set prices. The video really provides insights into the store and its owner, that photos and print can not provide. 

The use of all these different multimedia platforms helps tell the story and provides an emotional connection for the reader that could not of been achieved with print and a few links alone. This piece is a fantastic example of a highly effective blog in the online mass media platform.