Do you have favourites?
My daughters are always asking which of them is my favourite 🙂
In a recent zoom chat with blogging friends, I posed these questions:
- What are your 3 favourite blogs and what makes you keep going back to them? What would make you stop blogging do you think?
I was keen to understand what it is that makes you seek out a particular blog, why do you return to see what the blogger has been up to and what constitutes a good blog. No biggy!!
Some of the bloggers felt like it was trying to pick a favourite child, and couldn’t narrow down their favourite blogs to just 3, that’s fine, neither could I 🙂
Many of us are in the midlife category of bloggers so our tastes reflected that in our choices. We also decided we don’t like vacuous blogs trying to sell us this that and the other, but want to read considered, interesting, honest reflections about life.
The responses were illuminating and the discussion was heartfelt! I love a good discussion do you?
Just some of the reasons given for why we return to a blog over and over again:
- the blog engages with readers in some way
- the writing is not contrived
- inspiring writing and ideas
- a feeling of connection with the writer
- authentic and real
- humorous and engaging
- be honest
- kindness emanates from the words
- common issues
Other comments
- A friend once did an experiment where they didn’t comment on blogs for a period of time and they found that no-one sought them out. This was interesting in that blogging seems to have become ‘if I comment on your blog, then you should visit mine and leave a comment’. Do you think that? I don’t subscribe to that thinking and neither do many of the bloggers I engage with. Link ups are a different case.
- Ads are seen to be annoying and pop-ups are the worst!
- When joining a linkup, don’t link and run. Always comment on the host’s post and follow the rules, whether it be to visit/comment on at least 2 other posts in the linkup or something similar. As we all have limited time available it’s becoming harder to visit all the blogs we want to, so many people are being more selective in their engagement.
- Friendship is mutual. And honesty shines through. Every.Time.
- The key message we discussed though was engage with your readers, and they will forge a bond with you, wanting to read what you’re writing and ultimately seeking you out.
- Hugh from Hugh’s Views and News (one of my favourite bloggers) wrote an excellent post on responding to comments How do you respond to comments left on your blog and some of the best bits came from the input of those leaving comments. This shows me the talent of the writer, if the conversation continues unabated into the comments section, then this has been a very engaging post, in my opinion.
What would make you give up blogging?
The main reasons given in response to this question were:
- boredom
- illness
- medical issues with either self or family member
- scarcity of time
- nothing left to say
- lack of commitment
- travelling
- not fun anymore
- when it becomes a chore
- death of either self or close family member
Have you got a plan in place if something happens to you and you can’t update your blog for some reason, or will your blog just die?
Me and blogging – where have the years gone?
I have just ticked over 9 years of blogging and I know I blog way less than I used to when I first started. Blogging to me is an escape into other people’s worlds, but I have to feel comfortable visiting and know that my thoughts/comments won’t be judged. It doesn’t mean everything has to be bland and pasteurised, just accepting of different viewpoints.
No right or wrong way to blog
There is no one right way to blog in my humble opinion. Everyone has their own style, their own reasons and their own voice – and it’s that which makes a blogger feel good, when it all comes together and works. It’s also what keeps others returning to your blog, your voice and personality shine through.
We all have stories to tell and usually our blogs are the way we share our thoughts – for whatever reason.
How about you? Any thoughts to add?
Who are your favourite bloggers and why?
Thanks for your input.
Deb xx
I’m linking up with Denyse and friends for #lifethisweek
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Everyone has a story to tell!
Deb is a young-at-heart & active 60+ blogger/retiree, after being made redundant from her 22-year career managing education programs in a men’s correctional centre (jail). She now spends her time reading, blogging, riding her ebike and travelling. Deb was awarded a Bravery Award from the Queen when she was 17 after a tragic accident – a definite life changing moment! She is married with 3 grown-up daughters & has 4 grandchildren. You can read more of Deb’s story here
Deb's World 
This is such an interesting question. I just started my blog and have been happily exploring the writings of others on wordpress as I went through the process. For me, authenticity. I love reading about travels or points of view that are different and interesting/uplifting/funny. It’s all so uniquely personal and dependent on where we are in life too!
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Yes I agree authenticity is very important and you can get a feel from the words in the post if it’s going to resonate with you or not. Thanks for joining in the conversation and all the best with your blogging.
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By the way- this is me: https://butherewer.wordpress.com/
I need to fix something on my blog- the address is a bit messed up.
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Hi Deb,
I came across your blog in the WordPress reader. This was the post that appeared as I was surfing ( is that word still used nowadays?).
I wanted to to tell you that it was serendipity- I’m just returning to blogging after a few years of stopping cold Turkey. I had a successful blog for about 13 years! I wrote about our life on the remote island of Saipan and then continued the story when we retired to rural Japan.
You had a question in this post about what could make a person stop blogging. I didn’t think it would happen to me- but it did.
When we first moved back to my husband’s hometown in rural Japan we stayed in a relatives home. A beautiful little traditional Japanese style country cottage at the foot of a mountain. It was storybook! I had a cottage garden and it was heaven.
And then we had to move – to a small village so that we could take over my husband’s family home.
My blog was built around our cottage life. I tried- but I couldn’t transition. Worse- it seemed my inspiration vanished and then covid.
I’m just returning to the blogging world and your post here was the first that I read in my reader.
I took it as a good sign😬.
Thank you for taking the time to write- believe me, I know blogging takes effort. ☮️
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I’m so pleased you found my post, what serendipity indeed! Welcome back to the blogging world and I’ll definitely check out your blog. I can imagine the loss of blogging mojo when you moved and appreciate you finding me at just this moment! Yes blogging takes effort, as you are aware of, so I appreciate your kind words. 🙂
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Hi Debbie!
Your blog is great! I’m so glad I found it. And thank you for following it. That was really encouraging!
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Picking just 3 favourite blogs would be impossible for me too. I have about a dozen I read regularly – two things they all have in common are quality of content and honesty. Even if they are reviewing books I’m not keen to read myself, I know I can rely on them for insightful commentary. And if they don’t care for the book they will explain why. Too many book blogs just gush about the book and suggest it is perfect which is ludicrous .
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Yes I agree, honesty is a big one for me. I totally get it!
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Congratulations on your nine year anniversary. That’s cool. I’m finding this post a bit late, but I like your point of view so I’ll jump in. I’ve been blogging since 2004 and have seen lots of blogs come and go. Lots. For me the one variable I look for in a blog is authenticity. It shines through in the way the blogger writes about their life, how they maintain their blog, and how they respond to those who comment on their blog posts. I find that if I sense originality and trustworthiness combined with some innate friendliness, then I meet great people. And for me that is what blogging is all about.
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Thanks Ally, it’s been a fun ride and I’m still enjoying it so I’ll continue a while longer. I bet you’ve seen lots of blogs come and go during that time! Yes to authenticity and your description is just perfect. I’m so glad to have your thoughts.
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Congratulations of the longevity and popularity of your blog. You have an amazing reach and a very connected community. None of that would happen without YOU being the blogger you are and your reciprocate always.
I had no idea of the cohort of bloggers such as you, Sue, Leanne et al until around 3-4 years ago as I was not a wordpress blogger (always independent) nor a blogger one.
But I began with the huge range of Mummy Bloggers (just to give them a name) back in 2010. I learned about blogging etiquette there and at the few conferences I attended.
My blog was originally started to help me connect socially on line as I was lonely and had begun great twitter friendships.
My enthusiasm for what I did waned in the years 2012-2014 and it was my move away from Sydney in 2015 when I knew I needed something to do (and keep me accountable) every day so I blogged 365 days. There were links ups back then on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays. It prompted me, as link ups stopped in 2016-17 to begin my own on Mondays in Sept 2016 to replace a friend who had stopped.
I am glad you did not call out who your favourites were! Comparison is hard!! And my little blog, is a life saver to me but not a top one at all….
Always delighted to see your posts in Life This Week Link up. Thanks for joining in. Looking forward to next week, when we may, should we choose, Share Our Snaps (photos!). Denyse.
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Thanks Denyse, I enjoyed reading your thoughts and you are a very experienced blogger with so much to offer. I’m so glad our paths have crossed and always enjoy reading your words and thoughts. You are inspiring!
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Hey, great post. I love that you sought and polled other bloggers for feedback. When I started blogging I didn’t actually have any strategy and then it quickly became a chore (even though I love to write and consider myself a writer). Only recently did I commit myself to a schedule and decide that if I was going to do this blog thing, I better start with complete honesty and then somehow humour found its way into my posts. I love engaging with other bloggers who either have an understanding of what I’m going through or find what I’m going through amusing (because I always say, better to laugh than cry)! ☺️
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Thanks very much, and welcome along! I appreciated reading your thoughts and agree that engaging with others who understand us, through our words, and support us when we are going through stuff, they are the ones worth keeping and staying in touch with!
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I have been pondering your questions Debbie and it’s hard to pin down what keeps me returning to certain blogs. Positivity and humour, interesting pictures, funny cartoons. We all need brightening up at the moment, but of course we may want to follow other bloggers who are sharing the same difficulties. Naturally it’s rewarding to follow bloggers who regularly comment on your own blogs as you feel you know them. While it’s fun to read about people at the same stage in life and similar background it’s also very interesting to read about totally different lives. That is one of the best parts of blogging – learning from people you are unlikely to ever meet. In all these pandemic lockdowns blogging keeps us sane as well, in touch with the outside world.
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I’m so pleased to have your thoughts on the subject, so many thanks for commenting. We all need brightening up and blogs have a way of doing just that. I also agree, reading blogs that are very different to our lives, helps me to understand the world in a different way. Thanks again.
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