The 5 P's of successful blogging.

I actually get a lot of questions about this, and I'm not sure I'm an expert but I'm certainly willing to share what I've learned. I'm just a fumbling blogger who somehow fell in love with it! This is what has worked for me.

1. Post often. Blog readers like to see new content fairly often when they check in.

2. Pictures. There are a few rare successful blogs that are driven by words alone but for the most part pictures help tremendously. Many people view blog hopping like flipping through magazines. Which pages are you most likely to stop on? The ones with interesting pictures that grab your attention, not those with a lot of words. (and silly me, there are no pictures on this post! Do as I say, not as I do.)

3. Personality. Be genuine. Part of the appeal to blog readers is to get a peek into the life of the author. How personal you want to get depends, of course, on the focus of your blog and your intended audience.

4. Permutation. (Thank you dictionary.com.) It's great to have a specific topic that your blog is directed to, but the same ol' thing every day can get a bit boring. So keep it fresh by introducing new topics, jokes, tutorials, videos, etc. occacionally.

5. Participate. I was completely shocked to learn that on the whole, there is a blogging community! Get involved. Visit other blogs that interest you and leave comments. Share the link on your own blog. Participate in the community and you'll be more successful than you can imagine.