I don’t like to play favorites when it comes to people I count among my friends, so I am not going to answer the 7th prompt in the Best of 2009 Blog Challenge exactly. However, I would like to share nine suggestions for successful blogging (all of which I am working on myself):
- Be Authentic. I remember back on Diaryland when I first realized that blogging is writing for an audience. Experiments with voice and theme come with the territory, but the blogs that stick with me the most are the ones with true authenticity and sense of self.
- Don’t Just Repost. It is easy to fall back on just reposting other cool content. I find myself doing it most when I feel a sense of obligation about posting but have nothing in particular to say. I think it is absolutely meaningful to share the links/media/ideas that inspire you. The format of one of my favorite blogs basically just curates the web. But when all you do is repost without adding your own commentary or editorial voice, I lose interest.
- I Like Pictures. I am a visual person. I love to read stories told thru pictures. Words are sometimes overrated.
- T.L.D.R. Too long, didn’t read. About half of the links I see on Twitter read a lot like “blah, blah, blah.” Paragraph breaks and formatting are your friend. If I have to skim the content to get thru it, I am not likely to come back. (more…)