Blogging and Blog Tips

Someone new is going to visit your blog today.  What are they going to see?  We’ve talked before about one of the basics – having a summary page so that people can get an overview of who you are and what you’re doing.

But sometimes that’s not enough – what if someone wants to really get to know you, so that they can pray for you, or support you?  What if they really want to get a feel for your ministry?  If they just flip through the last few posts, they may only see pictures from your last vacation/holiday, or a story about some random event.  No, you need something more – a sneeze page.

The term "sneeze page" was invented by Darren Rowse of Problogger.  Here’s how he describes it’s purpose:  A Sneeze Page is one that simply directs readers in multiple directions at once – back into your archives.

ACHOO.

So what is a sneeze page in practical terms?  It’s basically a page that indexes some of your best content from the past.  Examples?

• 10 best posts on Russian (or Thai or Peruvian…) Culture:  List the titles and maybe a summary of ten posts that show various aspects of the unique culture in the country where you live.
• Changed Lives:  What has God been doing?  List some posts that show growth in people that you interact with.
• Family Adventures:  Have unusual things happened to your family?  List the best posts.
• Chronological:  Top 10 posts from 2010, top 10 from 2009, or from your first term, second term, or something along those lines.
• Popular Posts:  Posts with the most comments, or most views, etc.
• What we do:  Are you involved in a few different ministries?  List some posts that highlight each one, or give people a good glimpse into what happens in each category.
• Devotional:  Thoughts and reflections on your blog over the yeears.

The possibilities are endless, as you can see.

Of course, you could also have multiple sneeze pages, then link them together.

Now, make your list, and again be sure to write a quick summary of the post – something that will draw your readers into each one.

A sneeze page has multiple benefits.  It helps people get to know you and your ministry.  It helps people sift through the posts and see the best of the best.  It even helps you remember things, and maybe see God’s grace over the years.

If you’re a missionary blogger with a sneeze page, leave a comment and show it to us!

Here’s what Darren Rowse has to say about Sneeze Pages.

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