There are no rules for blogging except for the few defined by WordPress and Google in terms of interaction, spamming, and copyright. In fact all the “rules” you will see on SEO and Google relationships are many times wrong. Be careful who you listen to and what advice you follow. There are plenty of people willing and in the habit of writing on the topic of how to make a great blog… most of them have no clue what they are talking about.
There are some basic attributes that a person can take away from another blog they like. A blogger can normally gain a clear understanding of what is attracting others to another website by really studying what those writers methods are for gaining views and interaction. People that are writing to gain an audience are not only looking for readers, many times they are also seeking feedback and comments. That has always been my goal for blogging. If I wanted to just write I would write in a journal. My daily goal is to have 700 new people view my blog a day.
I browse help articles a lot to see what advice is being given. Naturally you will have a lot of bloggers that want to write “how to blog posts” even though their experience is generally lacking. I myself write some of these posts and I have only been blogging a year. That isn’t very long and I might not even listen to myself were I in your shoes. The validation would come from web traffic, views, and the frequency of comments that you see on both my websites. That is where I am able to point and say “I know what I am talking about.”
You will read tons of bad advice. People will write posts on how long your title should be, what a good blog name should include, how long a post should be and that it must have a picture, the different meanings of SEO, and how to pull traffic to your website through writing in a certain style. Some of these posts may provide some good advice, but I rarely read any that are very good. Many simply write common sense posts like “frequency of publishing will get you views, but don’t post too often or you will annoy your subscribers.” I always thought this last bit of advice was rather stupid because in all fairness if someone doesn’t like getting a notification I have posted they can remove themselves from my subscriber list.
I write help posts on blogging because I enjoy watching new bloggers get excited about the experience. Not all my outlooks are correct, on any given topic, so I am ok with the fact that not all my posts will be well received. I will say that I believe firmly in how I blog, what I am doing with my blogs, and my future goals. These reasons all culminate into why I pour so much time into blogging and how important it is to me.
-OM
A Good Blog is Hard to Find 
We are all individuals and as such I try to put my style on things, you cannot write for everyone, yet we all love an audience don’t we. Thanks for this honest approach, it helps me to believe in my way, instead of copying the mainstream blogging style I see everywhere.
I am glad you liked it and thanks for giving this a read. All the best with your blog in this coming year! -OM
I must say, that I started my blog back in 2010… but didn’t start until now. I put so much thought into it that it paralyzed me. “Think long..think wrong” if you will. I’ve finally found my groove & come from an authentic place. I agree with you on the giving out bad advice part though. Listening to too many people can also leave you confused.
Yep it can. Just do your thing and it sounds like you are. 🙂
I agree with you! Starting up was quite confusing as everyone has something different to say on the dos and don’ts but I’m sort of getting the hang of just doing what I love which is writing and trying to put something out there for people like me!
Right now, I find myself trying to find any free time I have to write down an idea I have to write about or a list of titles. It’s quite difficult balancing time with my family…cooking, cleaning stuff. Thank goodness I planned a picnic today! I have to figure out the balance! But this is quite exciting. I hope I can keep up with it.
It can be really fun! Carry a notebook and write down quickly notes for future posts and then you won’t have an issue writing quickly in your spare time. I have two children, a 3 and 4 year old girls, and I work full time on a swing shift so I know what it is like. I also do most of the cleaning and cooking in my home. And I am a man, imagine that. 😉 My wife also works though, she just doesn’t like to clean as much and I am a neat freak. It can be difficult juggling things, but we do what we have to so we can do the things we love.. like writing right? 😉 All the best in 2014! -OM
Carry a notebook just like I did in the 90’s! Thx 4 the advice! Lol yes, it’s been fun getting back into it. All the best to you, too! Thanks again!
Well we meet again OM. You are clever and I am a dunce 😉 The lightbulb just went off in my head and it all makes perfect sense now – I remember reading (I think?) that you were going to start another blog and here you are! Well, I like it!!
My problem is that I have to try and balance writing for submission, my book and blogging but I love my blogging community and I don’t want to lose that. Despite my number of followers being miniscule in the grand scheme of things, I love the interraction I gain through my posts and even though they do ‘sit’ there (often just because I simply don’t have the time to write more often as I would really like to) I am always amazed to see that people still continue to visit, read, like and comment. I never take that for granted and appreciate when anyone takes the time to read a single thing I’ve written, especially in this day and age when we are all ‘so busy’.
Thanks for the follow OM and I do hope you enjoy what you read at my summerhouse – Sherri 🙂
I am all over the place. Hopefully WordPress is big enough for my two blogs lol 😉 Thanks for stopping by! Big plans for 2014? -OM
I look forward to seeing what you are up to next…and let’s hope that there are big plans for 2014…I’m working on it 🙂
You are always kind to help new writers, so I mind, that asking you about an idea, would be okay.
I must admit that when I receive all those spam mails with SEO, I just delete them, I’m tired of people want to tell me, how to run my blog. That I will do in my way and my way alone. If I need advice, I will ask.
You are right, it is nice to have the traffic with visitors, but I also prefer to get respons and communication with my readers. Otherwise a journal might be the right way.
Thanks for sharing.
Irene
I agree. The feedback and comments are important, whichever way you gain them. 🙂
Again, i learned something new from you! 😀
I am glad you liked the post and thank you for reading it! -OM
that’s a lot of information; it’s in my brain somewhere; hopefully tonight when I lay between slumber n wake what I need will emerge:)).
Not sure about the new look, it probably needs to grow on me, especially as this page is one of the best from you which I like to peruse. Cheers.
Heh, was it a lot of info? I felt it was kind of bland, but I am glad people liked it.
yea, you probably can write a how to blog successfully ebook as your next project. :))
Heh, no more ebooks on blogging. But maybe a book on something real. 😉
bloggin is very real to many; it reveals the heart of ppl. i think for some it helps them escape the pain. Can’t make light of it.
But i think i understand where you are coming from, being easily bored and all that:)))
Now I am really confused as to which blog I am lookin at.
LoL, because of the template? heh
Yes, why would you do that… 😦
🙂 This is actually the only free template that allows for multi columns that actually look good. Sad… I don’t want to pay for a premium theme either. Oh well.
Yeah..you got to do what you got to do. But I keep scratching my head every time I see two different headers and blog names with the same template and from the same person…. makes it little confusing for me 🙂
But you create a sort of ‘oneness’ with your blogs. Now I have come to associate this template with OM’s blog 😀
🙂 My goal was to “unify” them. So if that is how you feel than I am glad!!! heh
Howdy James (?), I’m new to blogging. Actually posted my first yesterday. My intent is merely a marketing tool. To create andinterest and fan base for my songwriting, show dates, new recordings, etc. You seem to have a pretty good grasp of the concept. Would appreciate any advice and insights. If you’re willing to share please contact me via email. Thanks in advance. Tom
I am always willing to share some advice. I would need to know what you are looking for though in terms of exposure. My email is aopinionatedman@gmail.com
You can email me anytime. 🙂 -OM
Thanks for the reply. I’ll email you. Did I read correctly n one your post, the name James? Tom
Nope. My name is Jason, but you can simply call me OM. Everyone else does. 🙂
Well I was close. LOL OM it is. Tom here.
Nice, hello Tom and thanks for dropping me a comment. 🙂
I’ll drop you an email tomorrow. Heading off to dreamland here. Have a great evening.
You as well! 🙂
It’s not just the frequency, it’s high frequency plus not much real content that causes me to unfollow. Like when I go to my reader every single day and see six photo blogs posted 10 minutes apart from the same blog with only a sentence or two.
I’m sensitive to the problem of annoying people with feed spam (I mentioned it in a post this week), but the larger issue for me is that if I post three medium-length articles today, what am I going to post tomorrow without working myself to death? I try to update once per day, and do it at a time that’s good for traffic, because that’s really all the time I have for blogging. Love this post!
I find many people play the “write a viral post” game and let their posts sit for days hoping they will get noticed. I am more of the nature to spit out post after post myself lol. But I get bored easy… 😉
New look? I like it. Very easy to read and to navigate.
Thanks, yep this is my old template I actually prefer. I am glad you like it. 🙂