10 types of blog: Can you spot yours?

Posted by Ben on February 04, 2009 | Permalink | Hits: 622 

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This post comes from an idea suggested by Kathy from The Junk Drawer. Thanks, Kathy!

Here are 10 types of blog - which one is the closest to your blog? Maybe you're more than one of them...

1. The blog that never launches.

So you bought a domain name and some hosting, installed your preferred blogging software, and wrote your first "Hello World" post. (No, not the one that is pre-installed with WordPress.)

Then you forget to do anything else with your blog. What happened?

This seems to be more common with hosted blogs, e.g. Blogger, WordPress.com, Vox... basically, the sites that let you host a blog for free. You didn't pay anything for it, so it's probably easier to forget about it.

To avoid having a blog that never launches, PLAN before you start!

2. The one post wonder.

The title might sound like the same kind of blog as #1, but there's a big difference. The one post wonder is a blog that might publish lots of posts, but only one really stands out.

People might flock from miles around to see the one post, but once they've read it, there's nowhere else to go. Meanwhile, the blogger keeps trying to make the most of their former glory by regularly posting a list of "Best Ever Posts" - and it's always the same one at the top. Or they try to write a follow-up post that falls flat.

Don't be the blog that's a one post wonder - be consistent with your content, in terms of quality, quantity, and focus.

3. The identity crisis blog.

This blog seems to publish posts on every topic under the sun, and never really finds a topic that lasts for more than a few posts.

Some readers love blogs like this, especially if they're written by an already-famous person - but it's very tough to get noticed if you don't have some kind of focus.

Aim for a specific focus - perhaps approach a "normal" topic from a new angle - or just find a topic that will allow you to publish a lot of posts without constantly moving the goalposts. (No pun intended. Really.)

4. The blog with the irregular posting cycle.

Today's post is the first post since the last post. With the irregular blog, that's about as reliable a posting schedule as you're going to get.

Some readers will subscribe and check in as often as you write a new post, which might be acceptable to some - but others will prefer a more regular schedule. Also, if you don't blog for a long time, you'll quickly fade from people's memories unless you've already made it big.

Don't give people a reason to forget about your blog. Find a regular schedule that works for you, and stick to it. Oh, and you might want to tell your readers what that schedule is. (Speaking of which, it's Monday - Wednesday - Friday here at Top Ten Blog Tips.)

5. The lazy, half-baked blog.

Yeah, who needs to write complete posts when you can just write something? Why not throw a bizarre comment (BANANA!) in the middle of a great post? Why not avoid finishing your posts and just stop in the middle of a

6. The blog with a Christmas tree of widgets.

Oh, are we back to this one again? Don't put loads of widgets in your sidebar - or anywhere else for that matter! It slows the page down - and how many of them provide value to your readers? Do you even know what most of them do?

Time to be selective with the widgets you use - CMF Ads is a good advertising widget, no I'm not biased, honest...

7. The blog that publishes too often.

The problem here is with blogs that post far too often. A bit like the rule of buses: you wait around for ages, then three come along at once.

As above, find a good schedule that works for you and your readers. Or just find one that works for you and just tell your readers about it. I'm sure I made this point already... moving swiftly on...

8. The comfort zone blog.

Now, don't get me wrong, there are a lot of blogs that have found a great formula and stick to it. They can do really well with their existing format. But there comes a time when you need to inject a bit of life into your blog, and keep people interested. This doesn't mean changing things around every five minutes - but don't get stuck in a rut. Change can be good if it's for the right reasons.

If you're in your comfort zone, maybe you should look at the final two points to see if you could go one step further...

9. The influential blog.

This is quite possibly a comfort zone blog - the blog that always delivers what you expect it to. You know where you are with this blog. But it goes further than that. An influential blog takes the subject matter, looks at it in new ways and communicates to people who don't already know the topic in hand.

It's all very well writing the same old stuff in the same old way and hear a chorus of voices thanking you for a great post. But push the boundaries, and you may find yourself influencing others.

10. The risk-taker.

This is the blog that's not afraid to try completely new ideas, try new sites or services, and give honest opinions. Maybe some of these points apply to your blog - but are you a risk-taker?

The blog that takes risks knows no boundaries. It may experiment with different blogging platforms, or it may even pioneer a completely new way of blogging. Nobody really knows if the new concept will take off until it's been tried and tested, but the risk-taker is there at the front, experimenting.

So, where do you fit in the list? Which type of blog do you see the most? Which would you like to see less of? Are you a risk-taker?

Vote for which blog most closely resembles your own: Blog types - which are you?

Image by Creativity+ Timothy K Hamilton

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Comments on 10 types of blog: Can you spot yours?

6

Ben | February 06, 2009 | Ben's home page | 207 comments

Thanks for the comments guys. :)

8

Ben | February 08, 2009 | Ben's home page | 207 comments

Nobody said blogging was going to be easy. ;) I think it totally depends on your readers - benbarden.com is a personal blog and seems to work reasonably well, while TTBT is much more focused. It's good to have a personal blog or a kind of "mixed bag" as it means your other blogs can stay focused.