Top Five Blog Tips

Like everyone else, I have so many things vying for my time, blog reading isn't the highest item on my list. I need a compelling reason to visit a blog once, let alone on a recurring basis.

What brings me back to a blog? It needs to be:

1. Intelligent - From what I've seen, the blogosphere is awash in dreck, drivel, and detritus. A dollop of originality or a meaningful remark go a long way. Discovering a well-crafted, clever, incisive blog is like finding a gem in a landfill. That's why I liked (previously reviewed) sites such as We Are THAT Family and At Home Father, where the quality of writing -- regardless of content -- is worth a visit. Beside the friendly, inviting tone, these sites boast fresh (and very human) anecdotes as well as smart commentary. Unlike myriad other blogs, you can tell that more than a modicum of thought and care went into these.

2. Authentic - You know those situations where an affable stranger steps up and starts talking to you like you're old buddies? You immediately wonder, "What's the catch?" (And quickly learn that the person is either trying to scam you or sell you something.) I don't like being conned; if you're going to be nice to me, be genuinely nice to me. In the same way, I resent blogs -- such as Memoirs of a Stay At Home Dad -- that present themselves as "innocuous observations on home life" but whose primary purpose (as readily becomes evident) is to Market! Market! Market! to me. Where's the authenticity? The integrity? The credibility? If I wanted to shop, I'd go to amazon.

3. Unique - Whenever I visit Greektown here in Chicago, I always stop at a small grocery store that stocks bars of olive oil soap at dirt-cheap prices. If a tiny, out-of-the-way store has a product you really value, a product you can't find anywhere else, you'll make a special trip to go there (unless, of course, you can order it online). Call it the "novelty factor." Good blogs have the same appeal -- inhabiting a one-of-a-kind niche, providing a stream of salient information. Case in point: District 299 is the place to go for the "inside scoop" on the Chicago Public School system.

4. Well linked - Somebody recommends a book to you. You begin reading and pow -- next thing you know it's 2:00 a.m. and you're on the last page. You want to read everything this author's ever written. Ditto for those times when I'm lucky enough to unearth an exceptional blog. I want to know what resources the blogger frequents, what other sites the blogger admires, who's on the blogroll. Because a solid site isn't written in a vacuum. It's a hub, a springboard to a like-minded community. Although folks have widely diverging opinions about Penelope Trunk, she of Brazen Careerist fame -- one thing you can say for her: she links.

5. Frequently updated - When I was a kid, I looked forward to going to the drugstore every week. Why? The drugstore carried comic books. It was always a thrill to find new issues in the rack. If I return to a blog, I want to know that new content's been posted. Click on the site. No recent entry? What a letdown. That's one reason the Wall Street Journal's Laid Off and Looking blog is part of my morning regimen. With several bloggers writing on a rotating basis, the column offers new insights every day. Regular as clockwork. Never a disappointment. I can be assured of a payoff every time I stop by.