Luke Carbis It’s more complicated than 42.

What makes a good blogger?

A friend of mine recently told me that though they read my wife’s blog, they don’t really ever read mine.

When asked why, the response was that Talia writes about fluffy, gossipy, fun stuff, while I write boring ideas about life, the universe, and everything like that.

So, I asked myself the question – what makes a good blogger? And I’ve come up with these five answers.

1. A focus

It’s good to have a particular topic or point or idea that you blog about.

2. A plan

You need to know where you are and where you’re going. You can’t blog if you’re not sure which way your life is headed.

3. An audience

Nobody reads a blog that they’re not interested in. Make sure your blog is targeted at a particular audience.

4. A style

Lets face it – as nice and clean as this blog is, nobody other than me likes the way it looks. People want something bright colourful and exciting. Style also extends to writing style – some people have a style of writing that is entertaining to read.

5. A reason

Regular updates are an important part of a successful blog, and if you have no reason to blog, you have no motivation to blog, and then you have no blog.

And so in light of this revelation of mine, I have decided to start a new blog, just as a trial, doing all the right things. It will be called The Life of Luke, and it will be bright and colourful and fluffy and gossipy and it will have a niche.

I’ll continue this one for those few who prefer to read something with a little substance.