I’ve been working with a few different blog writers lately and I’m finding that the one thing that makes the good ones stand out is something, unfortunately, you just can’t teach. There are bloggers out there that say they can write, say they can be topical, say they can project an interesting voice. But frankly, few are truly capable. Blogging takes a certain amount of radio-announcer wit and charisma to truly make an impact.
A good blogger really needs to genuinely like telling the world about the topic they are writing about. They need to have some passion for digging through the internet junk to find gems of information not yet tapped. And they need to have a love for the society, community, industry, or what have you that they are an authoritative voice for. If some genuine obsession with the topic doesn’t exist, it seems the blog can fall flat, the content can be stale, or the ultimate draw of the thing goes by the way side.
What I am finding, and am actually fairly happy about, is that bloggers don’t have to be writers. Someone who enjoys the topic or works within a topic or wants to be involved with the topic will be a much better blogger than any hired gun out there.
