How Successful is your Blog ?
First of all, I would like to apologize for the long gap between my last post and this one. I was compelled to sacrifice my on-line time for something else. I’ll get to it in a short while. But first, I’d like to thank you all for responding so zealously to my previous post. It’s good to receive flak and/or appreciation for my views than to have a passive reader, whilst it also broadens my ken of understanding. This kind of dialogue helps me see the flaws in my argument as well. So, I would encourage all of you to share your thoughts and opinions.
The reason for my absence here, is that I was hooked to the hit television action drama 24, starring Kiefer Sutherland. I became so addicted to the serial, that I ended up watching 48 episodes(season 1 & 2) in 7 days. I couldn’t help it, each episode ends with a to-die-for suspense string, that I had to watch the next episode. Well, I’ve snapped out of the 24 reverie for the time being. And I’ve decided to watch seasons 3,4, 5 at a future date. As of now, I’ve got my social and on-line life back 
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Coming back to the topic at hand, me and many other bloggers out there, are trying to figure out the recipe for a successful blog. What does “successful” mean in this context ? It means to have a regular and growing stream of readers; readers who not only cherish reading the blog, but also contribute their views, ideas and thoughts for each and every post. Successful also means that the readers either hate or love the author’s ruminations. There is no scope for mediocrity. Everybody likes mediocre products, but not necessarily love it. A great product always evokes extreme emotions from its users, they either ‘love‘ it or ‘hate‘ it. Similarly, readers of a great blog will either swear by it or will try to abolish it. A successful blog also converts it’s readers into passionate evangelists who spread the word to others, and before you know it your blog feed is being subscribed by several thousand RSS clients.
There are many good features of a successful blog, but the one’s which stand out are:
Original Content:
Every topic discussed, every idea written in your blog should shine with originality. There are gazillion blogs out there who just plagiarize each other. In their quest to jump into the blog bandwagon, many just copy paste ideas from other sources. The key to make your blog stand out is to always have original thoughts. Dare to take a dive into unknown topics, who says you have to be an expert to discuss anything. Just think aloud, type out your thoughts and you’d end up with ideas nobody else thought of. Try it, it is not as difficult as you think. Try brainstorming your topic of discussion, write down as many random words, sentences that come to your mind during this session. Then re-wire these random words and sentences into something meaningful, try connecting the dots to get the complete picture. The end result would be a highly original version of the topic ever written.
Make it worth reading:
Whenever I write a line or a para in my post, I imagine a fictitious parrot sitting on my shoulder, asking me “Is that line really required? Do the readers give a damn about it ?”. Validate everything you write before posting it on your blog. Ask yourself again and again, whether this will make the readers care. If your answer is yes, then your blog is in safe hands.
But, if the answer is no, then do something about it.
Keep it short:
Again, this formula manifests itself in many of my previous posts. I’ve re-iterated this idea here, because I’ve read long posts which lose their momentum half way through. The writers start to deviate from their central theme and eventually the readers attention wanders off with the theme. So, in general, it is best to have short and precise posts with strong and rich content. Though, there are few exceptions like Paul Graham or Steve Yegge.
These are the few basic characteristics that I’ve observed in many successful blogs. And if you want your blog to have that kick-ass element to it, try to inculcate these basic features.
If you’re successful in doing this, tell me how 
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As someone struggling to produce a successful blog – I appreciate your suggestions. The one thing that I most applaud is request to produce quality content – taking stands and all such. Where I think you might talk about next is in how to build and cultivate an audience. My sense for that process is in building, joining, finding a community that is about what your content is about. In that sense it has some similarity to dating. Not everyone can simply build it and they will come – sort of field of dreams.
What my experience has been that building a community is harder than the development of original content. Also, I think that building a community improves your content. They are the eyes and minds that direct you in knowing how long a post should or should not run. They are the minds that test your logic for flaws and twist that you can not see.
As one the struggles with audience I repeat the word of Michel Foucault “writing unfolds like a game that inevitably moves beyond its own rules and finally leaves them behind.” Thus, the essential basis of building a successful site is not the exalted emotions related to the act of composition or the insertion of a subject into language or even the immortality of the transformed victim. Rather, it is primarily concerned with creating an opening where the writing subject endlessly evaporates and a collective, unknowable truth appears – community.
Thanks for such a wonderful insight !! I can see where your argument is leading.
I too believe that the natural progression for a good blog is culmination of a community which understands the authors viewpoint effortlessly. And I agree that it is an arduous task to build such a community. But with persistence, and consistent effort one can strive for such a goal.