The makings of a great blog

There are tons of great blogs out there. All you have to do is find them, and do what they do -- in your own unique way.

Great blogs are all about content; but content with personality, if you know what I mean. They never lose sight of the informative target. They exist to bring you information, but each reveals the humanity that went into it. The Marquette University of Law Blog is a subtle example of this.

The good blogs are well written. There's a reason adults don't read children's picture books for leisure purposes. The writing is typically horrendous. That's right, I'm talking about Maurice Sendak, too. It's important to note the writing should hover somewhere around the 10th grade level -- clever enough to keep the reader engaged. Leave the convoluted stuff to Academia. Gizmodo's funny, cool, and cleverly written.

Once again, niche is king. Passion and obsession tend to make for great blogging, and the more unique the passion, the better the blog. The Toycyte screams obsession.

Your blog's name is also a critical component. You want it to get locked in. A little light of recognition should go off in people's heads when your blog title appears on the screen. I'm afraid giving an example here would lend to too much imitation. Be original.

Steer clear of title trends, meaning unusual spelling and letter arrangement. Odds are if you thought it was clever, so did a million other people.


Humor is the great unifier. If you've got genuine funny, you've got a great blog. This is the most difficult aspiration to fulfill. Everyone thinks they have a sense of humor. But not everyone can write funny. The Redneck Mommy is funny.

Design can be difficult to master also, but it's important. A good looking blog can definitely accentuate good content, though. Just don't go overboard. Simplicity is often the most effective tool. Check out BuzzMachine.