As I’ve been looking at various blogs, I’ve noticed that there are a couple things that make a blog appealing to readers. It’s clear that those who blog consistently have more of the qualities that are a part of a great blog.
I think the most important thing a blogger can do is write in ways that engage a reader. In other words, I’ve noticed that those writers who have found an appropriate audience and written for them (well not necessarily for them, but in a language and voice that the readers can connect to), tend to have more success-more responses, better feedback, more readers- than those who don’t. Make it relevant!
Going along with writing for the audience is letting one’s voice shine through. I enjoy reading those blogs that are in a conversational tone, rather sounding like monotone research reports. The voice/tone that a blogger takes affects how readers feel about reading and interacting with that writer.
Also, While perfection is certainly not a requirement in the blogging world, or even a desired product, I think that having too many grammatical errors distracts a reader from the message of the blog post. Also, using a strong vocabulary, and the proper jargon (if writing for an audience who will understand that set of jargon), helps to make posts reader-worthy.
Keeping Blogs clear and concise is a good thing as well. If they are too long, people may stop reading before the writer actually gets to his or her point. Also, formatting posts with appropriate white space, bullets, fonts, and bold, italics, etc…makes it easier to read.
While there are endless criteria for a great blog, these are the things that tend to stand out for me as a reader.
