I'm sometimes guilty of following too many blogs, and thus not being able to keep up with them all. So many blogs are just that good. There are also so many blogs that turn me off. I might get a little hate for this, and some are super picky things, but here are a few things people do when blogging that turns me off of their blog:
- Captcha. They're getting harder to decipher, and after the third attempt in a row I'm tempted to unfollow.
- Too many giveaways and reviews. I'd rather read a real blog about a real person, and not a bunch of products. Do it in moderation and I have no problem with it. Same goes if you're only ever doing linkups.
- Kids only. If every.single.post that you write is only about your children without ever writing about you and your opinions, I get bored. I have a kid, I know how great they are but there still is life around them.
- Too-Long paragraphs. Break it up. If it's too long, I start skimming, then I might lose sight of what the post is really about. Then I have nothing to comment. And I click away and go on with my day.
- Too much happiness. If you're super happy, good for you. But if you're blog is nothing but sunshine and rainbows and you never write about one negative or bad thing that happens, then it just feels like you're a lie. I mean, sometimes your car breaks down or your kid gets sick. Complain, dammit.
While I'm sure I could go on, I'd also like to dive a little bit into things I absolutely love in a blog:
- Realness. If you write about real life - the good and the bad, I'll love you for it.
- Humor. If you can make me laugh, I'll never leave you. Even if you don't constantly make me laugh, as long as I can tell you have a great sense of humor, I'll still never leave you.
- Nice photos. Of cute babies and stuff. And a photo of you somewhere. If I can't find a photo of you, how can I be sure you exist?
- Blog design. If you're blog is super tidy and organized and pretty to look at, I'll look longer. No fancy blog design required.
- Variety. If you're blog is full of random stuff, I will love you for it.
Last but not least, here are 5 real blogs that I absolutely love, only 5 for now because I could probably go on forever.
Now tell me - what do you love and hate in a blog, and what are some of your favorites to read?
Ps, want to vote for me in TopMommyBlogs? I'd love you forever.
11 comments:
Nice list! I don't think I could pin point the things I love/don't love about a blog as well as you did. My absolute favorite: Craft bloggers with humor, I seriously can never get enough!
I've been reading your blog for a ltl while now - this is my first time leaving a comment.
Your daughter is adorable & I tend to agree with your "likes" about blogs. The more "real" they are, the better :)
Aww I'm glad I'm one of the blogs you love :) I agree with a lot of the things you like and don't like in blogs though I think I've been guilty of a couple of those things at times. haha.
I hate captchas too. And when it's all about reviews and giveaways. I just want to shake those people.
DFdkhfjdhf I could not agree more! Awesome post, from an awesome blogger. I seriously hate captcha's. Especially the updated version Blogger has applied. It's ridiculous. I'm sitting there tryna figure out what that fucking squiggle is.
You nailed it! Another thing I love is when the content inspires me to try something new, whether it's a DIY or a recipe or a new workout.
I totally agree with you about going on and on about one thing. Sometimes it's kids, some times is constant giveaways and reviews. I have two weekly features - one that is a review and one that is just something I want. They are short and sweet and on mon & wed. So if you like my weekly feature you know to check on that day and if you don't you know to avoid my blog (I don't want you to but I can't stop you). Fridays and any other day is for ME.
You are too right when you say some blogs are all about what they can give away or reviews on something someone gave them. Stagger them out. If your blog is too commercial I can't handle it.
I also can't handle blogs that post 50 blog posts in one day. 2-3 MAX otherwise I unfollow simply because I can't read my other blogs with you cloggin up my feed.
Call me lazy but I like pictures. Or maybe that's the photographer in me. They don't have to be super high quality, they can be instagram/cellphone pictures. But a post with 5 pictures with some captions about a trip you took? AWESOME.
It sounds like you love my blog. You should come by and visit, maybe stay awhile...or forever ;) I'm just kidding. I do like this post though. Dropping by from SITS. Have a great weekend.
I am not really a fan of giveaways especially if it would mean being a follower of a blogger that I do not like visiting. I also enjoy reading blogs that are well written with varied topics such as friendships, kid stuff,parenting and wellness. I also do not like blogs not written in straight English. i am from the Philippines where English is my second language and sometimes it ticks me off when a blogger inserts words not appropriate to the subject matter.
Blogs for me are sources of inspiration and something that I want to visit every now and then. Commenting back is also a plus but not necessarily required.
Blessings !
I am totally with you on the things you hate. The only thing on your list I sometimes do is an occasional long paragraph. But when I do, it's on purpose. Sometimes I need it all in one paragraph to capture the intensity of the feeling. It's supposed to be long and make you anxious. But not too often, I hope. I also hate music or video that starts automatically.
On the things you love, I think I'm doing well except I don't use pictures. I have photos of me and my family on my About pages, but I don't use them in posts. I didn't want not having the right picture stop me from writing. As for reality, my blog is full of it. My blog is about my life and my life is tough sometimes. If people want fluff, they need to go somewhere else.
I'm all about the writing. Good content will make up for lots of flaws and keep me reading.
As for favorites, those are constantly changing for me. I am most dedicated to a few by friends and my daughter's. As my mood changes, so do my blog interests.
Great post. It was fun to review my blog based on your likes and dislikes. I like my blog the way it is. People don't seem to find it annoying. That's enough for me.
Happy Sharefest. I hope you have a great week.
I've kept this post in my reader forever, wanting to respond. My phone and blogger don't get along, and now that I have a minute in front of my computer...
Awww thanks. :)
I read your dislike list and thought: I do that, I do that, I do that...and even still you had me on your nice list.
It made my day!!!
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