I don’t know if it’s a new wave of blogging interest or a new part of the Adoption Curve, but recently I’ve been approached by a higher-than-usual number of people who are starting a blog.

I am far from the godfather of blogging, but with these folks in mind, I’ll offer my 2 cents worth on what makes a good blog.

1. Please Don’t Tell Anyone You Are Blogging…until you have at least 10 or 15 posts up.
   No one is going to be impressed by the mere fact that you’ve set up a blog or posted once or twice. People probably won’t even comment. What we want to see is that you are making blogging a habit.  I don’t care if it is every day, every other day, or 2 times a week. It doesn’t matter.
   
   What matters is consistency over time. Starting a blog is like starting a diet or exercise. That’s easy. Doing it every day. That’s difficult.  Once you have committed to blogging and you’ve started to get a groove on, then, by all means share it with everyone.
   
   Nothing’s worse (ok, slight exaggeration) than a person who starts a blog and then promptly gives up. Big hit to the micro-brand.
   
2. You Want People To Leave
   It may sound counter-intuitive, but the more relevant and valuable links you have in a post, the more likely I am to appreciate you. Yes, in the short-term, I may click away to another site to read whatever you have linked to, but if you become my de facto expert on a topic by being a “front page” for that topic and serving as a channel that filters the most relevant info, then I’ll come back. I promise. 
   
   A post that offers me no additional depth or context to explore a subject is like an Internet cul-de-sac. It’s nice, but doesn’t really lead me anywhere. So, show me you know what you are talking about. Show me that you have domain expertise.
   
3. Think About the Entire Blog Experience
   When I visit your blog for the first time, I will read your post, but I am also subconsciously looking at the whole page and whether you are giving me additional opportunities to build a relationship with you. 
• Are you showing me a link to your LinkedIn profile?
• maybe your Delicious tags?
• or Twitter, so I can follow you?
  
  or perhaps it is just a link to some papers you’ve written or presentations you’ve delivered?
  
  Just something to invite me to explore you further. I may do nothing with it, but it shows me you’ve thought about it.
  
  When you go to a restaurant, you want the food to be good (the content), but you also look at decor (your site). Keep that in mind.
4. Be Yourself
   This may seem obvious, but I am reading your blog because I want to hear you. Pure you. Authentic you. Not some sanitized version of you. So, say what you have to say, get it out there and move on. Don’t spend hours polishing one blog post. The ROI isn’t there and over time, you will find your true blog voice. Better to get in the habit and evolve that way, but don’t try to be another blogger or a journalist. Blogs are conversations. I am looking to start an interesting one. 
   
5. Read Other Blogs
   While you should write in your own voice, you should read as many other blogs as you can. You’ll find stylistic approaches that resonate with you. Short, long. Bullet points, pictures. Whatever…don’t force it. Read a bunch and the cream will rise to the top. The more you read other blogs (and heck, post your own take on their posts), the better a blogger you will become.

By no means exhaustive, but some things to think about.

Other bloggers out there…what would you recommend?