5 Signs or Habits of a Good Blogger

These are what I believe makes a good blogger, tips that I strive to follow in my own blog.

1) Proper writing
I have no clue why, but I cringe when I see improper grammar/spelling, especially when it’s written by an adult. There are certain exceptions. If you’re using slang or improper writing that is common in your particular field or hobby, that makes sense. If you’re still in school, cool. But when you’re finished high school, it’s not really cute nor professional to write in this way. It makes sense when you’re texting a quick reply, sure. But if you’re writing a line in a blog post that goes something like, “i could go on n on n on”, it comes off as childlike.

I’m also turned off when adults don’t know the difference between “then” and “than”, “it’s” and “its”, “i.e.” or “e.g.”, etc. If it happens once in a while or if English is the person’s second language, then I’m much more lenient. If you don’t have hands and you’re using a voice-to-text service, I’ll be amazed that you’re even doing such a thing. But otherwise, how can I take your advice about investing in real estate seriously, when you don’t even know the difference between their and they’re?

Yeah, in most cases, it’s just blogging. It’s usually not anything that serious. Still, it makes me cringe, and I’m less likely to continue reading at that point.

At the very least, if you’re a poor writer, use a decent spellchecker. Or, have a friend proofread your writing.

2) Deliberate use of styling/emojis
I’m not a fan of people using emojis for every other word. It could be for dramatic effect across specific lines, but if there are emojis littered throughout your entire blog post, it gets overwhelming and annoying fast. Same goes for styling.

🧐 When 🙁 you 😒 see 😎 a 😇 blog 😨 post 🥶 like 😈 this, what are you $upp0$3D 2 g37 0ut 0f !7? You might think it seems vIsUaLlY iNtErEsTiNg, but it only makes it harder for the reader to understand what you’re saying.

To me, it seems a bit over-the-top, even borderline obnoxious, like when someone tries “yelling” at you over text by using ALL CAPS. If you simply focus on your main message through your writing, then you don’t need to add much of anything else. Then, when you do end up sparingly adding emojis or styling, it will end up having more of an impact.

For example, in this post (aside from the obnoxious example I used), I bold my numbered points. This makes it easier for the reader to skim between the list of ideas.

Everything else is pretty plain, aside from the few italics for emphasis. Even then, I’ll ask myself, “Is this adding to my writing, or is it just distracting?”

3) Good examples
I love when people use relevant examples. The more examples, the better. Are you writing about habit change? Don’t just explain the concept. Talk about changes you’ve made in real life. Are you writing about marketing strategies for digital music by independent artists? Give examples of artists who have used those strategies to increase their music streams/downloads, and give specific numbers. Most people don’t want to just learn about a concept, but know how to actually apply it in their own lives. (Hmmm, on second thought, I don’t know about most people… but for myself, yes!)

4) Acknowledging the various responses of readers, avoiding inaccurate assumptions
Do you ever read a post and wonder, “What the **** does that have to do with me/anything?” I don’t know if this happens to you, but it annoys me when the writer makes some assumption about me that’s not even true. Some writers do this purposely to reach their target audience. But, some readers get turned off when they answer the question, and then the writing contradicts with what they’re thinking or how they’re feeling.

It reminds me a bit of Dora the Explorer (if you know, you know!). But a basic example would be, “Excited to get started?! So am I!” If I’m not feeling excited, I’m gonna be distracted by that, because my current feeling is in contradiction with what the writer has assumed to be my feeling. It comes off as insincere or inauthentic.

Again, some writers do this purposely to target specific audiences. Even then, it’s helpful to think of the potential responses. Don’t just address the response that you’re hoping for. Otherwise, it almost seems as if you don’t really care what the reader is thinking/feeling. In the last example about the writer assuming that the reader is excited, the reader may decide that the particular blog post isn’t meant for them, and they may redirect their attention elsewhere.

5) Proper and good use of titles or tags
Some people will use a certain title for a blog post, and then they will literally rant about anything else other than what is stated in the title. I’ve been guilty of this in the past, so no worries, you’re not alone. The best way to avoid this is to go back to the title after you’ve finished writing and decide if it still makes sense.

Same goes for tags. Make sure they’re relevant or related.

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These are personally what I find to be 5 signs or habits of a good blogger. There’s lots of ways to improve blogging, of course, but these are just the ideas that came to my mind first. Hopefully, you found these tips helpful. 🙂