Keeping the Blog Balance - What Makes a Blog Good, or Bad?!
Whilst laying awake in the early hours of this morning (my best thinking time for sure) I was questioning myself repeatedly: What makes a blog good? annoying? whatever?!
Let face it, we can blog about random shit until the sun comes up - but what inspires the reader to come back time and time again? Curiousity? perhaps a little admiration? I've certainly tried to dissect why I love the blogs I love so much.
For me personally: I love exceptional, beautiful photography; obviously I love a vintage blog; I enjoy varied posts on different subjects; I like the thought-provoking posts and I especially love it when the writer's humour seeps through every now and then.
I do not however enjoy: Blogs that are pure adverts for brands and companies - I mean, where is the enjoyment and personality to be had whilst reading that? I also hate it when bloggers don't link up on their blogs, deeming it near on impossible to follow them etc. I also click straight back off a blog that confuses me with a muddled page - I just want to read a post or two!
So I wonder, why is it that some bloggers appear get it all wrong? Why do they seem to lack the fundamental aspects that make up a bloody good blog? Or do they? Are we, as readers, expecting too much?
Now, don't get me wrong - I'm not preaching or implying in any way that "I know what I'm doing" - I really don't; I'm just plodding along like the rest of us, trying to find a path - hoping my blog is, at the very least - interesting to some people.
There seems to be a fine balance when blogging: not being confident enough to blog honestly and openly, does not seem to bode well with potential readers, yet being darn-right arrogant to the point of no one else will return is equally annoying. Can you ever win? Is the balance ever found?
I follow quite a few blogs: some I read daily, weekly - others: not so often. The ones I really love to read seem to be very similar to mine. It seems perfectly normal to adore a blog when you love the same things doesn't it?
I do believe it's a natural progression when blogging, to be or feel inspired by other blogs that you read - and on the other hand, you learn (very quickly) what does not inspire you about a blog, and what to avoid - like the plague! I've rolled my eyes at many a blog, then never returned again.
Does the blog balance itself out once the writer has found he/her feet, do you think?
I'd like to think I'm inspired by everything and anything, whether that be photographs on instagram, a film on tv; old books on 1950's fashion, or just a walk down by the river. I have spent the past 8 years writing and photographing things of interest to me - mainly not-so-hot bands, but hey! It feels only natural to me to progress from writing songs, to writing a blog. It's a place where I can take all of my interests, combine them and then expose myself to the world for judgement - it's liberating at times!
So tell me, and not because I'm just nosy: What are your favourite blogs and why? If you're brave enough you can tell me which ones annoy you please feel free - or, at the very least tell me what annoys you about a blog!
I find I enjoy blogs that offer variety. My favourite blogs especially are www.designlovefest.com and www.blog.justinablakeney.com. I often check daily for new posts. I am definitely attracted to colour and photography. But I like it when personality, and personal stories come into it too. I recently posted a personal story, just because I felt at that time I wanted a bit of an outlet.Whether or not people like that...who knows.
ReplyDeleteThe personal ones are always the ones that make me panic when I hit 'Publish Post' - Eeek, scary stuff huh? If people hate it?! So what - I completely agree!
DeleteI really like your honesty in this post. When I first started blogging I was just looking for something to do. Last summer I started a blog purely about beauty. I reviewed products and did celeb inspired looks. At the end of the summer I deleted all of my content. At the time I didn't know what annoyed me about my blog, but I do now. The blog didn't reflect me as a person. So this January I gave it another try. I simply blogged about my life and my journey through a very dark time. I think I found my voice when I began being honest with myself and my readers. I didn't hold back. After finding my voice I started taking creative risks that - at the very least - made me feel happy. Now I feel as though I am balancing the fun stuff and the deep stuff, better. If that makes sense. I think all bloggers need to find their voice. Sometimes we stumble on blogs (like my old one) that scream "I AM TRYING TO HARD!" and other times we find a blog where the person has pure talent with words and pictures. We just have to - as bloggers - put in the time to find our voice and become a blog worth reading. I am glad I found your blog today on twitter!
ReplyDeletexx
-Darcy
darcymae.com
I completely understand - although its fun at times to talk about the latest mascara or shampoo, life is (thankfully) a little more complex than that. Your blog sounds like my sort of read :)
Deletex
I hate blogs that don't try with their photos but I also find myself switching off when a blog is filled with perfect editorialesque photos. I like blogs because they are more real and down to earth compared with magazines so I find it hard to engage when the photos look like a vogue spread. It's not to say I don't admire these blogs but they are not the ones that I come back to again and again. I love blogs where the author puts a lot of effort into their content and ideas but doesn't take themselves too seriously. I want to see them pulling silly faces and letting their personality shine through.
ReplyDeleteI also like a variety of posts. There's been quite a few times I've started following a blog because I love a certain post but then stop following when I realise that's all they do. I am always on the look out for blogs with a similar style to my own or a style I admire. Personal posts are important but I agree with Darcy S that there needs to be a balance between deep and fun stuff.
I am a pretty new follower to your blog but i am loving your posts, style and variety of content. X
There really does need to be a balance!
DeleteGlad you're still reading along so far ;) haha x
I totally see were you're coming from I feel the same way when I see a blog I can't link back to or actually follow and the page is all messy and I can't find anything. It simple doesn't make any sense to me, but I do have to say I love reading your blog.
ReplyDeleteGreat photography is certainly an asset, something I'm trying to do. I think the important thing to do is blog what you love and all the blogs I love do that. Blog what you love and blog what you know, blog with your heart! That's all I have to say on the subject :)
happyleaps.blogspot.ca
Love Rhiannon
'Blog with your Heart' - absolutely, couldn't have said it better myself :)
DeleteI love your blog! And I enjoyed reading this post. I feel like I can really hear your voice through this :)
ReplyDeletewww.ensembledeux.blogspot.com
Thank you :D
DeleteMy absolute favourite at the moment is June Bugs and Georgia Peaches (junebugsandgeorgiapeaches.blogspot.com). I think they have a good balance between posts of a more informative/review nature and personal posts (thought I'd be just as happy for them to prattle on about their lives all day, they're adorable!) It also doesn't hurt that there's an element of admiration and longing to be doing what they're doing, plus they seem like the kind of people I'd just love being friends with, so reading their blog is always fun. Another favourite of mine is Esme and the Laneway (http://esmeandthelaneway.blogspot.com.au/) she always has gorgeous photos and she herself is always so glamorous, but she also seems very down to earth and interesting.
ReplyDeleteI guess I like blogs to have a good hunk of eye candy, but more importantly I need it to be written by someone I can relate to on some level and feel like I could have a good conversation with if we were shoved in a room together!
One thing that does annoy me in a blog is when bloggers only have a preview of posts on their main page and you have to click into each one to read the whole thing. I prefer to be able to just see the whole post straight up, especially if its a blog I've just discovered and I want to go through a bunch of posts to decide if I want to keep reading or not.
Oh I agree, I've seen a few blogs that have a menu type structure. I too like to scroll through and then decide, but I don't know if it's just us, being fussy haha!
DeleteI'm really in the mood recently to incorporate a few deeper, thought-provoking posts......I guess I'm just thinking a lot right now - can't be a bad thing :)
x
Hello! I agree with you about getting annoyed with blogs that just advertise.. It just makes the blog content seem a little unoriginal.
ReplyDeleteI like blogs that discuss different topics, are honest and original. But I do love a variety of different blogs with beauty/lifestyle/fashion etc!
One of my pet peeves is when bloggers only blog to get their blog 'out there' and recieve freebies. As a fairly new blogger I have recieved many comments on my posts saying 'follow for follow' without them clearly having even read my blog content. So much that I have now written at the bottom of my blog that I don't do follow for follow. For me, if someone follows my blog I would only like it to be because they like my content and want to read what I write. NOT because of the greed to get their followers digit up by a number.
I blog about many things but they are mostly on sensitive/important issues. So I hope if someone follows me it's because they actually like what I write! I'm still fairly new to this community so I'm still finding my way!
Ayesha xxx
Ps. I love vintage too, so I understand your passion!