What makes a good blog?
The devil is in the details.
Because blogs can vary so widely, coming up with a strict set of rules can only go so far.
The truth is, what makes a good blog varies from industry to industry. What works well in the upscale clothing marketing isn’t going to do so well in the construction industry. And what does well there might look rather silly in the financial industry.
And don’t get me started on legal blogs *shudders imperceptibly*
However, there are still a few general principles that apply to blogs of any sort.
What IS a Blog?
A just question my liege.
A blog is just a place for recurring content—that’s it.
You can basically do whatever you want with it (though whatever you want isn’t always valuable to your customers).
It’s not social media—you’re not posting pics of your lunch or your dog here.
But short content is still ok. What you put here can be thousands of words or tens of words (though you should probably shoot for about 200). You can have pictures or you can leave it bare.
You can even make it a place to post video after video—it’s up to you!
But, if you want it to be successful, you need to follow a few simple rules.
Rule Numero Uno—Be Consistent
What makes a good blog? More than anything else, it’s consistency.
If you follow no other rule in your entire blogging career, follow this:
Be. Consistent!
In both your subject matter and the timing of your posts, be consistent.
Blogs aren’t magically successful—like anything else, they grow over time. One subscriber here. Another one there. Week after week, month after month.
Those subscribers matter—they’re your loyal fans, the people who found you, read your content, and believe you add value to their lives.
And that value is usually specific to one industry, and even to one segment of one industry. If they came to you for awesome advice on clean eating, they’re going to be surprised (and even put off) by a blog post about video games, or epoxy repairs, or tank tops.
Be Consistent in Your Subject Matter, but also be Consistent in how often You Post
If you disappear into thin air, if you don’t write for 2 months straight and then try to cram 10 blog posts down your subscribers’ throats the next month, you’re going to run them off.
People are looking for consistency—they want to know that, every Tuesday, they can turn to you for awesome articles on a particular subject. They want to know that, every Thursday, they can expect another article on a different subject.
They want to count on you—they want to keep coming back for what drew them to you in the first place.
Don’t let them down. Continue to provide what that first blog post they read promised—awesome content, on a specific subject, delivered regularly.
This is what makes a good blog rise to the top of your mind each week—it can be counted on.
And eventually, you start to anticipate it.
Use an Original, Consistent Voice
Ok, I had to cram consistency in there again, but it’s so important I couldn’t get away from it.
While people are drawn to your subject matter and your unique perspective, what makes them fall in love with your writing is your voice.
Listen, guys, it’s boring when you write each blog post like it’s an essay for your 7th grade English teacher—that’s not what people want to hear!
Nobody cares how awesome your info is if the presentation is boring.
But you’re not boring—you’re interesting, unique, and you’ve got a spin that comes from your passion about your subject matter.
You didn’t get involved in this business because you don’t care about it! You got involved because you have something unique to offer.
Let that come across in your voice. No matter what your tone—conversational or professional, playful or serious, meticulous or lettin’ it all hang out—release it. Let it flow into your writing.
People connect more with that than anything else.
So, What Makes a Good Blog? You Do.
What really matters is you—you make the difference between a boring blog and a blog that pops.
You might never get to a million subscribers, but you can reach a chosen few. They say H.P. Lovecraft, one of the most well-regarded writers of the 20th century, wrote for only a handful of people—yet his works have inspired generations of writers who came after.
And here’s what really matters—those few you do reach. They can grow into larger numbers, sure.
But they can also grow into relationships. They can become customers, clients, business partners, or even friends.
It’s all in how you treat them.
But then, you have to take it to the next level—and make it a great blog.
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