To follow up my post on Relationships, I thought it was appropriate to peruse the meaning of “personal” blogging, its appeal to readers, and why it’s more important as a “personal” blogger to stake your ground – not that I’ve done a good job of it myself, but I’ve observed a certain pattern in bloggers who successfully maintain blogs branded as “personal.” Being that I’m growing as both a blogger and writer, I thought it might be beneficial to those just starting up to glean some insight from things I’ve noticed on successful personal blogs.
1. They post consistently.
This is some advice I’ve read numerous times on my research of successful blogging. Because a personal blogger may not always have a staple, such as being part of a touring circus or being an avid and diverse traveler, it’s important to decide how many posts you’re able to prepare for a week, then stick to that number. For example, Wendy blogs Monday’s, Wednesday’s, and Friday’s, so her readers know when to check for new posts, and trust me, she always has a good number of commentors on her content. Which leads me to my next point,
2. They post consistently about interesting stuff.
If you’re someone like Nicole who’s pretty random with the content in her posts, you better make sure it’s funny and interesting like hers. A lot of this has to do with honing your own personal voice. Your personality doesn’t always translate accurately to the page if you’re trying too hard, so look at your blog as a friend with whom you’re conversing, because technically, when you’re blogging and trying to reach people, you’re goal is to gain readers who will hopefully become friends. You want to make them feel connected to you, so write as though you’re talking to a close friend.
3. They sometimes post a weekly meme.
Now, I don’t have my own meme that I conjured out of thin air, but I can promise you they will have an effect on your readership. Take Stephany’s Letters to My Future Husband series, for example. She got the idea after attending a wedding where the bride gave the groom a box of letters she’d written to him over the years, waiting for him to make an entrance in her life. Stephany’s letters are honest, most always raw, and relatable for us singletons waiting on The One to show up. While she doesn’t post her letters weekly, they do come often, and always with much anticipation.
4. They aren’t afraid to show us the bad moments.
Well, sometimes they’re afraid, but what counts is that they’re honest about what’s happening in their lives. This isn’t to say you have to get so personal we’re like (Oh, God! Why did you share that picture? Gross!) or that you have to expose the darker secrets that you may not be comfortable with sharing, but give your readers some credit. While they understand that you aren’t comfortable sharing some bad things, they want to know that you are a human being and not a plastic Barbie doll who grits her teeth and smiles at everything.
5. They understand that “the art of personal blogging” is only half blogging, while the other half is social media/emailing/face-to-face relationship building.
I’ve noticed a lot of happy bloggers getting together in person to hang out and further strengthen their relationships recently, and while that’s not feasible for everyone, it is something to consider if you have a blogger friend who lives close by. Don’t rely solely on your blog to build relationships. You have to consider the lasting effects of using Twitter, Facebook, email, now even Google+ which allows users to participate in live video chats, and any other social media site out there. Devote time to talking with people on these sites. Don’t just talk at them, but with them. Get involved with conversations, elbow your way into people’s lives – let them know that you care and want to start connecting, not only as bloggers, but as people.