What makes interesting blogs

However, quality is more important than quantity. How many of those blogs do you think are good blogs, ones that people enjoy reading? Most people can generally agree that a good blog is one that provides regular, relevant content.

Great blogs inspire conversations. Need some help with your blog? Sure, some of them may be successful CEOs and serial entrepreneurs, but there are equally skilled bloggers who are stay-at-home dads, mommy bloggers, taxi drivers, late-night bartenders, etc.

What you do need, though, is a particular skill set, work ethic, and unique insights into a topic or industry. The best bloggers have a talent for turning the mundane into the extraordinary through the magic of words. But blogging has evolved into something much more complex than the online diary entries you used to see in the early days. However, the same best practices and rules apply.

No matter who you are, no matter what you blog about, you should strive for these 10 fundamental strengths that the best bloggers share.

Bloggers need to be self-motivated to get things done. A consistent blogger is one that draws the admiration of his or her followers. An inconsistent blogger frustrates readers, and failing to update content often is an invitation for your audience to leave.

This is known as your content differentiation factor CDF. The best bloggers are those who tap into their innate uniqueness and carry it over to their blog. The successful ones are the light that shines out of the fog.

They illuminate how important it is to present your ideas clearly. As writers, our very art — the thing we live for — boils down to how well we represent ideas through our medium of words, how well we connect with strangers, and how we share our insights and imaginations. Click here to jump to the next step. Choose your domain name Your domain name is an important part of your blog because it creates a first impression—it is the name of your blog. Also known as your URL, your domain is also your address on the web.

For example, our domain name is www. So, what do you want to call your blog? While WordPress itself is free see Step 2 below , you need a reliable place to host your WordPress blog your blog needs to be on a server somewhere on the Internet. For hosting, we recommend Bluehost for several reasons:. Next you will install WordPress, which is free. To begin simply click Log In. WordPress is now installed. Simply click Start Building to go to your new blogging dashboard and continue to Step 3.

A theme allows you to pick a design for your blog without the need for coding expertise or design knowledge. In other words, a good theme helps you to design your blog exactly how you want it to look.

They have several beautiful, simple WordPress themes to choose from, and, in fact, you can purchase the same theme we use if you like. Their themes are feature-rich; plus, once you buy your theme, you will have the same team supporting your work that we trust to support ours. Remember how easy it was to install WordPress? Well installing your blog theme is just as simple.

You should already be logged in, but whenever you are signed out go to my. Then, click the Upload Theme button followed by the Choose File button. Find the. We use very few plugins at The Minimalists. Next click Launch the Wizard! Finally, so people can receive our blog posts via email, we established a free Feedburner account. For a more feature-rich email-subscription service we recommend Constant Contact affiliate link. This is where the fun begins. Now that you have your own blog, you get to make it yours ; you get to turn your vision into a reality.

We hope you have loads of fun expressing yourself on your new blog. You have now officially become a blogger. We receive many emails asking how to blog, about blog topics, and about creating meaningful content.

Define Your Ideal Readers. For example, we blog about living a meaningful life with less. Thus, our ideal readers are people who are interested in exploring minimalism so they can clear the path toward more meaningful lives. Add Value. You want to help people solve problems. This is the only way you will get great quality readers to your site and keep them coming back. We both learned this after a decade of leading and managing people in the corporate world. Be Original.

Yes, there are other blogs out there about the same thing you want to write about. Question: So why is your blog different? Answer: Because of you. You are what makes your blog different. Be Interesting. Write interesting blog posts. Especially if you want people to share it with others. Be Yourself. Part of being interesting is telling your story.

Every person is unique, and your story is an important one. The important part of storytelling, however, is removing the superfluous details that make the story uninteresting. Be Honest. Your blog needs to be authentic—it needs to feel real—if you want people to read it. You can be your blog, or your blog can be you. That is, do you really embody the stuff you write about? If not, people will see through it.

Perhaps bloggers should build the blog they want to write for the world. Being transparent is different from being honest. Instead, spend the time on your writing. The reason our site design looks good is because we have a great host , we have a great theme , and, most important, we had a vision of how we wanted our blog to look. Once we had the vision, we worked hard to make that vision a reality. Note: neither of us had any design experience before starting a blog. Find Your Voice.

Main topics covered: photography, travel, food, life hacks Built with: Applique WordPress theme The main source of income: ads. Main topics covered: game reviews, interviews, gaming gear Built with: Chronicle WordPress theme The main source of income: donations. Main topics covered: board games, reviews Built with: WordPress custom theme The main source of income: donations, contributions.

The site was started by Dave but now features an entire team. The blog section mainly focuses on providing useful pieces of advice for common tech problems. Main topics covered: tech support Built with: WordPress custom theme The main source of income: donations, book sales. Tech Crack Founded and managed by Romit Sharma, TechCrack covers all things related to technology, including gadgets, apps, gaming, business, news, and more.

Romit has been an active blogger since when he started the TechCrack blog. Main topics covered: tech, gaming, apps, gadgets, business Built with: Blogger The main source of income: ads, guest posts.

Eartheasy Eartheasy is actually an online shop that sells various gardening products. However, it also comes with a fantastic blog section where you can learn more about the latest trends in gardening.

The site was founded by Greg Seaman who is now accompanied by a team of professionals with one goal in mind — to improve quality of life with useful advice and products that offer sustainable living options. Main topics covered: gardening, green home, food Built with: BigCommerce The main source of income: product sales.

Going Zero Waste Going Zero Waste is an eco-friendly blog started by Kathryn Kellogg, an advocate for a plastic-free and sustainable lifestyle.

She blogs about zero waste, and her site is a perfect place to start if you want to join this movement. The site also features a book called Ways to Go Zero Waste.

Main topics covered: eco-friendly and sustainable living Built with: Gutentag WordPress theme The main source of income: product sales, affiliate marketing.

My Plastic-Free Life Beth Terry started her blog after learning more about the terrible consequences of plastic pollution. She advocates plastic-free living and provides useful information on how to reduce plastic use in our lives. The blog also focuses on various eco-friendly services, such as restaurants, green businesses, and more. Main topics covered: plastic-free lifestyle, eco-friendly products and services Built with: Twenty Twelve Child WordPress theme The main source of income: book sales.

Tree Hugger Tree Hugger is the ultimate blog for an eco-friendly lifestyle. It offers advice and inspiration for green and sustainable life. The Gottman Institute is the ultimate blog for everyone seeking relationship advice. The site features a blog section where you can read more about relationships, parenting, dating, and more.

Main topics covered: relationships, parenting, dating Built with: WordPress custom theme The main source of income: product sales, workshops, courses. Every relationship experiences ups and downs, and the couple decided to share their experience and give advice by starting the blog in Main topics covered: relationship tips, date night Built with: WordPress custom theme The main source of income: product sales, subscriptions.

Love in 90 Days Dr. Diana Kirschner offers useful relationship advice on her site Love in 90 Days. She has helped thousands of couples find and establish great romantic relationships. The site features a free masterclass, coaching sessions with Dr. Kirscher, and a useful blog where you can get tips on dating, finding a soulmate, and dating advice for women. Main topics covered: love, relationships, dating, online dating Built with: WordPress custom theme The main source of income: coaching, book sales.

The site was founded by Lisa Brookes Kift, a marriage, and family therapist. Main topics covered: relationships, emotional health Built with: WordPress custom theme The main source of income: ebook and course sales. Teach Thought Teach Thought offers posts that focus on innovation in K education. Teachers interested in growing and improving their skills can find useful pieces of advice in this blog. The blog was founded in by Terry Heick, an author and a former teacher interested in reshaping K teaching.

Main topics covered: education, learning, critical thinking, technology Built with: JNews Child WordPress theme The main source of income: ads, workshops. Teach Junkie Teach Junkie is a blog founded by Leslie, who is the main author on the site.

However, she allows content contributors, meaning her blog is actually a community of teachers who want to improve and learn new techniques. The blog is categorized into grades and different subjects, including science, languages, math, art, and more. Corporette Corporette is actually a fashion and lifestyle blog, but it focuses on women with corporate career paths, such as bankers, lawyers, and consultants.

The site was founded in by Kat Griffin, a professional litigator for a Wall Street law firm. Main topics covered: fashion, career, lifestyle Built with: WordPress custom theme The main source of income: affiliate links.

Penelope Trunk Penelope Trunk is a founder of four start-ups and a writer. She uses her free time to write about career advice and her personal experiences as a part of every company she has worked for. Trunk also focuses on writing educational and op-ed pieces.

Main topics covered: career, education Built with: Enfold Child WordPress theme The main source of income: coaching, courses. She shares plenty of DIY projects that can help you to remodel your house and make it more stylish and comfortable.

Main topics covered: DIY, interior design, holidays, recipes Built with: WordPress custom theme The main source of income: ads, product sales. She is a photographer, maker, stylist, and, above all, an author sharing her thoughts and ideas regarding style, home, life, and travel. The blog also features plenty of DIY projects for creative minds! Addicted 2 DIY The name says it all!

Addicted 2 DIY is a blog that focuses on all kinds of do-it-yourself projects. These days, her husband and kids also help her with all kinds of projects around the house. Apart from useful blogs, Katie also shares printable plans and writes reviews for all kinds of tools.

Vintage Revivals Vintage Revivals was founded by Mandi, a creative soul with plenty of ideas to share. She focuses on filling entire spaces with DIY stuff, meaning her whole house is one big, innovative, and beautiful playground. His blog mostly consists of various photographs and stories from his work. See all integrations. We're committed to your privacy.

HubSpot uses the information you provide to us to contact you about our relevant content, products, and services. You may unsubscribe from these communications at any time. For more information, check out our privacy policy. Written by Neil Patel neilpatel. Thankfully, there are some powerful antidotes to boring content. After you read this article, go write one of your own. Stories produce instant brain activation. When the brain hears a story, it engages in neural coupling, a phenomenon that makes the brain actually experience the ideas being set forth in the story.

Even the motor cortex , the part of the brain responsible for voluntary muscular motion, is activated by a story. Clearly, telling a story is a great way to be more interesting. Short, simple stories can be included in any article to up the interest factor. Want to go with me?

He has eaten there a couple times with optimal results. He is inviting you to go with him. Foreshadowing helps increase the excitement and anticipation in a story.

Will Gollum do good or will he do ill? I often foreshadow in my articles by previewing what I want to communicate and the outcome of the article.

It helps to prevent boredom by promising the direction of the article. Sometimes, writers abruptly veer from one topic straight to another. The reader, unprepared for the transition, mentally falls off.

The easiest way to create a transition is through visual cues -- big headlines, numbered lists, that sort of thing. My best transitions are created through header tags.