Over the years I have read a lot of blogs. As a writer myself, I engage with other bloggers not only to learn from them but also to support them on their journeys. Yet I cannot and do not engage with every blogger that comes into my feed. As a reader, how do I determine which blogs are worth my time? What qualities does an avid blog reader look for?
First, a Caveat
I am certainly no expert when it comes to blogging. And my intentions with this post are not mean-spirited in any way. If I have followed your blog in the past, and decided not to going forward, please do not take it personally. I’m not directing this at anyone in particular. Similarly, I do not take it personally when someone I “know” from the blogging world starts following me and then disappears.
But, I know what I like {and what I don’t } and believe maybe others can relate. I want what I read online to encourage me and not just contribute to my mental clutter. Also, writing this post has helped me, because it allowed me to look at my own blog from a different perspective {reader} and consider what changes I might like to make.
Quality Writing
When it comes to blogging, nothing is more important than excellent writing. If you cannot communicate your thoughts well enough to be useful, what is the point, really?
Tell a good story, offer helpful advice, share solutions to a common dilemma, or let me know I am not alone. Then edit like crazy, because no matter how meaningful the content is, major typos and grammatical errors give the impression of not caring.
{I know I have guaranteed myself at least one mistake in this post now that I mentioned it.}
Simple Navigation
I hate having to search for an about this blog section or hunt down a list of categories. I also like to see a list of popular posts in the sidebar; that usually gives a good indication of what the blog is about.
I don’t particularly care for most landing pages, truthfully. Most of the time I just want to get to whatever content I am looking for.
Nor am I a fan of pop-ups or those blocks that spring out from the sidebar. {Subscribe! Follow me on Pinterest! Check out my freebie! But wait, don’t go!} I close them all immediately without even really looking at them.
Also, assume anyone who finds your website might like to share your post or connect with you on social media. Make this as easy as possible by including obvious buttons or links.
But for the love of squirrels do not make the sharing buttons float or overlap the content {usually on the left or bottom}. I am convinced that the people who subject readers to these travesties have never actually read a post on their own blogs. I find this particularly aggravating when reading posts on my phone.
Focus on Sharing {Not Selling}
I will just say it: If your blog is full of ads, I will probably close the tab and never return.
I mean, I get it: blogging does open up a pathway to extra income for some folks. It can be very tempting to try all avenues toward this goal. But this is a huge factor for me when deciding which blogs are worth my time.
When I follow a link to what sounds like an interesting piece, and then I am bombarded with pop-ups and banners and “suggestions”—I honestly want to run the other way. Too many advertisements distract from the content and make it frustrating to navigate through a post.
When I wrote about how to spring clean your blog I tentatively used the word manipulated, but now I feel it was probably accurate. As a reader I simply don’t want to be overwhelmed with marketing pleas. When I click on a post and it is filled with tons of tangentially related links I feel resentful.
Some fellow bloggers might scoff at this—or even feel offended—but I am being brutally honest. Very few bloggers can pull off ads successfully.
To be clear, I’m not talking about discreet, relevant affiliate links or tasteful promotions for one’s own products or services. I’m talking about when I go to a post about homeschool schedules, and there are tons of affiliate links for kitchen gadgets {because you use the kitchen table during school?} or lawn furniture {because sometimes you take school outside?} or Tylenol {because your kids give you a headache?}.
Readers can detect disingenuous marketing pretty well.
Genuine Connection
This is huge for me. I follow bloggers whom I feel truly “get” their readers and would not hesitate to offer up a helping hand or a listening ear. If I can’t imagine sitting across from you at Starbucks I probably won’t read your blog, either.
What turns me off a blog super quick is requests {demands?} along the lines of “I followed you, now you have to follow me.” I cannot even with this one.
Sometimes I follow bloggers who do not follow me back. Inversely, I often have fellow bloggers who engage with my blog or social media for whom I do not reciprocate. It is not a competition. No one is keeping score. Not everyone you follow will benefit from following you. And vice versa.
What I enjoy most about the blogosphere is forming relationships with fellow writers {and readers}—wishing well for them and being in their corner supporting them, knowing they support you as well.
Are there specific things you want {or do not want} to see when you discover a new blog? How do you determine which blogs are worth your time? Have you made significant changes to your own blog since you started it?
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