Darren Rowse over
at ProBlogger.net started a community writing
project this week. He’s asking
people what they think are the essentials of successful blogging.

I’m very new at
this (my disclaimer), but here are my impressions so far:

Content is king. Posts should be:

•  Valuable
  – meaningful and useful to your audience
•  Concise
  – 350-400 words maximum. If you’re posts are
  longer, you might need a good round of editing. You might also be trying to cover too many ideas at once. Split the content into more posts and give
  each idea the spotlight.
• Consistent
  – stay on topic and write regularly. People need to know what to expect.
• Candid
  – there’s no substitute for honesty!
• Passionate
  – write about something you love. People
  can tell the difference.

Material is key. Get your ideas from:

•  Other
  blogs – blogs like yours and ones that are not like yours. Find different perspectives.
•  Reading
  – news, journals, newsletters, books, advertisements – anything and everything;
  online and in print!
•  Observation
  – what seems odd to you? Where do you
  see opportunities for topics?
• Exercise
  – stay in shape, clear your mind, take walks and when something hits you write
  it down or record it immediately!

Attitude is critical. Exercise:

•  Courtesy–
  be considerate of your audience. Encourage
  and support people who comment (positive or negative).
•  Humility
  – no matter how much you know about a topic, there is more knowledge to be
  gained – and it can come from anywhere!
•  Commitment
  – everyone’s interests have peaks and valleys. Experiment and see
  what works for you.
•  Confidence
  – don’t be afraid to say what’s on your mind. But be confidence enough to listen and don’t feel threatened when
  someone disagrees with you. Admit when
  you are wrong!

Collaboration is the whole point!

For me, this is
my primary reason for blogging. I love
to read other blogs, comment when something strikes me, and link to as many
interesting places as I can!

I believe that if
we all work to make the blogging “industry” successful and healthy, we will
ultimately grow our own opportunities as well!