What My Readers Tell Me Makes My Blog Stand Out

What My Readers Tell Me Makes My Blog Stand Out

I had a pleasant conversation yesterday with a regular reader who, after two years, emailed me and asked to have a conversation. It made my day. In the course of our chat he mentioned to me why he appreciated my blog, and what made it stand out. I've heard similar comments before from other readers. I hear it regularly from the person in our office who is tasked with scouring RSS feeds for client related news and content. There are a lot of blogs and sites that waste your time, not to mention the energy required to click the link. There are blogs that continually make it a worthwhile stop. What differentiates a worthwhile blog from a waste of time?

Here's what I hear from faithful readers:

• Fresh content. While I admit to having periods of time when my posting slows down, there are many blogs that start with a flourish and then die a sudden death. Other bloggers have a great idea and the best of intentions but post once every few months or a couple of times a year. By that time, your readers have moved on to greener pastures.
• Original content. Many blogs do nothing but copy and paste content from other blogs or sites onto their post. While it's important to link out, and you want to share great content with readers, your readers want you to share what you know and what you think. I may share a tid-bit or summary of something I liked on another blog, but I always try to offer my own two-cents to expand the conversation for my readers.
• Worthwhile content. Nothing is more rewarding than when a reader tells me that my blog has helped them with their job, their QA team, and even their life. I started this blog with a simple principle. If I am faithful to giving people a few little nuggets of knowledge, experience and wisdom that helps them in a small way, then maybe they will trust me and my group to help them with some of the bigger challenges they face in their business and contact center.

Here's to worthwhile blogging, pleasant conversations, and mutual opportunities for growth and prosperity!

Creative Commons photo courtesy of Flickr and curiouslee