What Makes a Good Blogger?

I've been blogging for a while now and one thing I noticed while reading other blogs is that some of them suck. There - I said it!

It's not hard to find a blog that has either died (that is, the author doesn't update it anymore), provides the wrong information, has spelling and grammar mistakes or the theme itself makes you sick.

I've compiled a list of 5 traits that a good blogger should have.

Be Personal
A good blogger should provide insight and a touch of their personal side while writing. The information offered should not be recycled, but fresh and informative (especially on a marketing blog). A blogger should be responsive to their audience, be easily accessible, respond to comments and provide dialog that's easy to make sense of.

Have a Personality
The blogger personality is a huge key when it comes to having your audience like you or hate you. This is where it gets tricky - you want to be somewhere between 'liked' and 'hated'. You want to be hated enough to cause a little controversy and discussion amongst your readers, but likable enough that even those that hate you will come back to read more. Make sense?

Be Passionate
If you're not passionate about what you're writing about, it shows and your readers will know it. You shouldn't have to struggle when writing a post - it should come naturally. If this isn't the case, you're writing on the wrong subject. Have fun while writing and don't force yourself too much.

Post Pictures
Every now and then post a photo to go along with your post. It doesn't have to be a photo of yourself (although you could do that too), but a photo related to whatever your post happens to be about. For example, I try to post at least one photo along with each post I make, but sometimes I don't post any. I like to switch it up a bit.

Stay Focused
If your blog is about detailing cars, don't write about your political opinions - it's pretty straight forward. Most blogs I visit like to freestyle on the weekends and break a few of the rules. This is good because it gives the reader a chance to see what else you can write about. But remember, 99% of the time your content should match your title. Your readers were attracted to your blog in the first place because of its subject; try to keep their focus (and yours) as much as possible.



Chris Jacobson is an Internet entrepreneur and freelance author who writes on various topics.
His official website is www.MoneyMakingScoop.com.