by Rena Sherwood

Created on: January 04, 2009   Last Updated: February 08, 2010

In a comical piece predicting the future, "The Philadelphia Inquirer" wrote that scientific studies would prove that most blogs only have one reader. Sadly, this isn't just a joke. Most blogs only have one reader for a reason - they suck. If you don't want your blog to suck then you have to be committed to improving as a blogger.

Tell the Truth When Possible

Blogs are not online versions of "60 Minutes". They are more like talk show monologues or cable news shows. This isn't because you don't care about presenting the truth but because you don't have the resources for investigative journalism. Even paid bloggers (such as myself) are not expected to give interviews, pose undercover or contact a "Deep Throat". That's what newspapers (and their websites) are for. You want to do that go into investigative journalism.

People go to blogs for different reasons. Once the reader sees that it is a blog, then they will have a lot less expectations from you. They want to see a different point of view. Unless you are being paid to tow the party line, give the readers what they want - your point of view. Be as honest as possible. In this way you not only get to know your own writing voice, but you get more buzz.

Snark Sells

There's a reason why cable news and satire programs are doing so well - snark sells. Listening to the dry presentation of news headlines being read from a teleprompter gets old. We are hearing the official "safe" story and are usually left with a lot more questions than answers. In the realm of humor, you can ask those questions and posit answers in not only a socially acceptable format, but in way that's far more memorable to the readers.

Using absurdity, sarcasm and other forms of humor is a teaching tradition that goes back who knows how many centuries. The Islamic world has stories of the wise fool Nasrudin that go back at least 600 years. The Talmud also uses absurd stories in order to help better teach the law. By following this tradition with the intent to teach and not just be nasty, then you will definitely improve as a blogger.

When Strangers Hate You

Granted, you will offend some readers even though you are not trying to be nasty. They just won't see the point. Rejoice when this day arrives. This means that your blog is getting noticed. People who hate your blog will talk about your blog just as much (if not more so) than people who actually like your blog.

Considering that there are thousands of new websites that go up on the internet daily, getting hate mail is the sign that you are rising above the pile. Don't back off when you get hate mail. Keep telling the truth and keep being snarky. In this way, you build a worthwhile body of work.

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