Tips for Writing a Guest Blog Post

This week I'm hoping to eliminate some of the anxiety people may have about writing a blog post. I know that AHF's volunteers have some great stories and information to share, and I want to encourage all of you to share your thoughts on this blog. Here are my tips for writing a blog post:

• Choose a well-defined topic. Topics like "Saving Dogs" are a bit too general for a blog post. Pick something unique to you or something you want readers to know about. For example, if you volunteered at this year's annual run/walk, you could write about that experience. Alternatively, stories from long-time foster moms/dads would make interesting posts. Please don't feel limited by my examples--just have a specific topic in mind for your post before you start writing.

• Choose a title. Your title should be simple and reflect the topic of your blog post. For example, my title for this post promises to deliver tips on how to write a blog post. This advice isn't meant to squash your creativity. Be as creative as you want in the post itself, but search engines simply don't know what a title such as "Dog Gone It" is about, and neither will readers.  

• Blog post length. Your readers are looking for information and/or an interesting tale about your volunteer work, not the next Great American Novel. Try to sum up your story or information in a few paragraphs. If the post must be longer, please use subheadings, numbers, or bullet points to help break up the text and make it easier to read. Keep your paragraphs to a few sentences each.

• Spelling and grammar. A quick spelling and grammar check makes your post look more professional, but please don't obsess about this. I promise that readers will not criticize you for ending a sentence with a preposition. 

• Use of images. If they're relevant to your post, go ahead and use images. Just be sure that you explain to readers what the image depicts. For example, in a post about the run/walk you could include a photo of yourself at the event.

• Have fun sharing what you know with readers. Please don't be shy about posting or commenting on the blog. As everyone knows, the animals need all the help they can get, and a busy blog will show off Almost Home's great work!

AHF 5k and 3k Run/Walk is Almost Here!

Hi, I'm Franklin, one of the dogs up for adoption at the Almost Home Foundation. It's been "ruff" not having a forever home, but YOU can help make the work that the wonderful volunteers do for us animals a little easier. Come on out Sunday, September 23 for AHF's 2nd Annual Running for Rescue 5k and 3k Dog Run/Walk at Hamilton Lakes Park. It won't cost much to sign up--just $40 for adults--and the dogs and humans who went last year told me that they had a great time.

In addition to the adult 5k run and and 3k family dog walk, there'll be a kids' fun run, awesome games, and music, too! You can even shop at the Bark Bazaar for pet products and pet-themed gifts for you and your pet.

ALL of the money collected from the race goes to the care and feeding of the animals. (We promise to share with the cats, too). There are over 100 dogs and cats at Almost Home right now, which adds up to a lot of kibble! Sometimes we need shots and need other medical attention, but Almost Home's volunteers always look out for us.

You should also know that AHF is a no-kill animal shelter with an all volunteer staff. I just love no-kill shelters, don't you?  

To participate in the run/walk event, please visit www.running4rescue.org and click on the register button. Registration will remain open until September 22. The website also has information for people who want to volunteer during the event as well as for vendors. I wish you could see my tail wagging at the thought of all the humans and their dogs coming out to help us!