In order to create a successful blog you need more than just good writing. An individual may be an outstanding writer, but if he does not demonstrate any other characteristics other than his ability to write he won’t become a popular blogger. A good blog needs outstanding design and frequently updated posts, with a good balance between facts and opinions.
When viewing popular blogs, you will find that all have a unique and attractive design. The first thing that an individual will notice when opening a blog is simply how it looks. As Lance Hosey says in “Why We Love Beautiful Things”, “Instinctively, we reach out for attractive things; beauty literally moves us” (Hosey). A creatively designed blog will grab your attention, making you want to dig deeper into the blog posts. On the other hand, Hosey later states that poor design has the opposite effect. When you view something as poorly designed, or even ugly, you don’t want to view that object any longer. In the case of a poorly designed blog, you won’t want to even give the blog posts a chance if you are turned away by the design.
As a blogger, there are many people who subscribe to your blog, sharing a common interest in enjoying your blog posts, so blog frequently. By frequently I don’t mean every hour, but instead every day. In the article “Blogito, Ergo Sum”, Brian Carroll states the first step to becoming a better blogger is writing everyday (Carroll). How often you blog really depends on the popularity of your blog and the amount of people who read your posts. Smaller, less popular blogs won’t post nearly as often as large, popular blogs like SB Nation. SB Nation blogs multiple times throughout the day because of the large audience who follows them. The more popular the blog, the more often the blogger updates the site.
Good blogs also maintain a healthy balance between facts and opinions. Carroll states that this blend between the two is common in all popular blogs (Carroll). Presenting the factual evidence and following up with your personal opinion as a blogger creates an atmosphere for your audience to post their opinions in a comment section. This balance draws the reader in whether they agree or disagree with you, and in some instances help the reader to develop their own opinion about the factual evidence, which makes them feel more like they have a voice in your blog.