·       Instructional blog on how to select and care for hedgehog as pet

·       Niche blog on pets (“petbloglady”)

 

·       the author is not mentioned by name in or after the blog. However, in the “about me” section the author is introduced. (Canadian, 55 years old, hobbies etc)

·       purpose: informing “beginners” on how to care for hedgehogs, how to get them, cage them, feeding them. 

·       Audience: people that possibly think about getting a hedgehog as pet, or are generally interested in caring for them, want to inform themselves, have no preceding knowledge (therefore “beginners”)

Instruction/online guide?

Could be found in a book/magazine as well? (how to care for hedgehogs…)

Inform:

·       Large number of imperatives: you need to, make sure, add a few toys, you must check…

Involve: 

·       As a hedgehog owner, ... (creating a sense of team and belonging)

·       Directly addressing reader: Before you start picking out a hedgehog,...

·       With the right care, your hedgehog can be a fun, playful companion for many years. (conversational style in lexical choices)

 

 

·       Imperatives: see above

·       No personal asides, but matter of fact listing and instructions

·       Visual features: 3 pictures (unmistakably cute) to appeal to the reader

·       You: many times, reader is being involved

·       No “I”

·       No personal information or experience added (not clear if author has hedgehog as well or is just well informed)

·       Hyperlinks to other blogs (by author herself but also others) for more specific information 

·       Convey benefit to audience: With the right care, your hedgehog can be a fun, playful companion for many years./ The domesticated hedgehog is intelligent, friendly, and can make for a great companion.

·       Monologic, but readers are able to leave a comment

·       Strongly connotated verbs and adjectives: essential, require, need to, ...

 

 

·       Doesn’t mention herself, not known if she owns hedgehof herself. Cites/uses many links to other blogs though, seems to be informed on what she writes about.

·       Not in blog itself but through layout/title of website establishes herself as competent instruction giver and informer

·       Authoritative voice through imperatives (as mentioned above)

 

What do you notice about the lay out and visuals of the blog? Identify specific examples. Why do you think this layout and visuals were selected?

·       Images used (3), cuteness, title also in first image – promote hedgehogs as pets

·       Images shown before and after the first 2 paragraphs (regular layout of text and images)

·       Sequence of paragraphs: 

o   introduction (without title) 

o    pic 

o   2 paragraphs on selecting hedgehog

o   Pic

o   Paragraph on housing requirements

o   Paragraph on dietary needs

o   Short conclusion paragraph without title

·       Subheadings:  3, guide reader through text to destination, follow comprehensible path, Subheadings are numbered but false (all number 1), therefore not great formatting 

·       Sentence and paragraph length all roughly the same (regular layout)

·       No quotes

·       No unnecessary empty space

·       Calibri font? Not too formal, goes with general easy going layout of whole website

·       No bolding

·       No bullet points, text as coherent

 

Title and 3 subheadings

·       2 subheadings: -ing form: selecting and housing

·       3^rd subheading: nouns

·       Clear and precise, readers know where to look for specific information, straight forward

·       Short in length

 

Register: neutral

Instruction giving

 

No essential Rhetorical devices detectable 

 

·       Short

·       Declarative sentences, one imperative

·       Characterize the pet and make them appealing for possible owners (intelligent, friendly..)

·       Justify text: Need for information on how to keep them (what the text will give later on)

·       Prepare audience on what will follow

 

·       Only 2 sentences

·       Short stop? Sudden ending

·       One sentence with new information (Just like with any other pet, remember to keep an eye out for any signs of disease or odd behavior.) other repeats what was said in introduction (With the right care, your hedgehog can be a fun, playful companion for many years.)

 

Text incorporates hyperlinks to other blogs, more information there if needed. Blog itself seen as introduction, more infos or more specific infos can be found elsewhere and blog helps find them/direct reader to them. 

Not directly stated however (not said: find more information here…, but through hyperlink on content words in text): ex: The habitat should have a large exercise wheel, a heavy food bowl, and a water bottle.

 

Hook: in introduction paragraph, with cute images

Hold: more and more information interesting for possible owners

Payoff: repeat rewarding experience of owning hedgehog at the end

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is an instructional blog. The title already gives away that it is meant to give instructions to the readers.

It’s not just a niche blog, but I would argue it to be a niche blog within the niche of pets, since hedgehogs are rather unusual to keep at home.

The writer talks about her personal interests, but it might not be called a personal brand since it doesn’t seem to be marketed.

 

Author: Anonymous, calls herself the Pet Blog Lady

Purpose: Give people interested in hedgehogs the basic information to care for them.

Audience: People interested in unusual pets in general and hedgehogs in particular.

I would argue it’s part of the genre of a pet blog.

 

The author uses an informal, but informative register. Example: ”You also need to pick out the right hedgehog variety that is suitable for your lifestyle.”

 

 

The author has provided a contact form at the end of the article. Readers can also subscribe to the blog or share it on Twitter, Pinterest or Facebook. 

She does not use many strategies to create a feeling of community, but she does use cute pictures to illustrate her article and evoke a reaction in the reader. 

She does use imperatives, e.g. “Just like with any other pet, remember to keep an eye out for any signs of disease or odd behavior.”

 

Features to build a relationship with the audience 

She uses “you” a lot and no “we” or “I”. The effect is a rather direct instruction-giving to the reader which is not very engaging or appealing (at least to me).

 

The author does not take much of a stance. She merely gives directions on how to take care of the hedgehog, which reflects her opinion but does not represent a stance itself I think. Example: “...make sure you get a solid-based cage or cover the bottom...”.

 

The author has used some images of baby hedgehogs. They are cute, but do not relate to the author or reader personally. It would be better to personalize the pictures.

She uses subheadings for each section, but numbers them all “1.”, which is quite confusing and unprofessional.

There are few white spaces and she uses a standard font (only the subheadings are in bold).

 

The headline is concise and gives a good idea on what to expect from the article. There are no personal pronouns or adjectives used. She promises a beginner’s guide and delivers a very surface-level interpretation of such a guide, ignoring a lot of information that would be helpful for readers.

 

Please see above for the register.

The writer uses a mixture of a journalistic and a scientific mode but does not give the type of information required for either of them.

 

Rhetorical devices 

There are no rhetorical devices used apart from maybe sometimes a surface-level comparison with other pets. 

 

An alliteration “small, spikey ... scared”

Positive adjectives to describe the hedgehog and intrigue the reader.

Abrupt transition between general introduction and specifics on the article, but she does mention what the reader can expect.

 

There is no conclusion.

 

Please see above for the various links to social media.

 

Hook: “The domesticated hedgehog is intelligent, friendly, and can make for a great companion.”

Hold: “Before you start picking out a hedgehog...”

No payoff