My Top 5 Criteria for Blogs I Follow {Would I Follow Yours?}

I read a lot of blogs. My email inbox, however, has been so swamped with the latest posts from all these said blogs that I've been going to bed at night with 40+ unread email still sitting there. Waking up to 120 new emails is a pretty depressing way to start the day.

So, in an effort to streamline & simplify my life, I've had to make some careful decisions and cut out those blogs that just aren't working for me anymore.

As I began "unsubscribing," I started to see a pattern to the blogs I'm drawn to and created a sort of mental rubric with specific criteria that really matter to me. Each blog listed below adheres to at least 4 of the 5 criteria. 


If you're a blogger, this criteria might be helpful for you, too. Assess how well your blog fits each of my requirements. I may not be the average blog reader, but I am one.


The top criteria I use in selecting blogs to follow include the following:

The blog MUST . . .   

1. Help me to grow as a Christian woman, wife, mother, friend

If I'm going to spend time in front of the computer instead of reading a book or countless other worthwhile activities, then I have to read information that's going to help me in my daily walk, not hinder me. I look for blogs that are steeped in God's Word and not some watered-down version of the Gospel. I also follow blogs with practical steps or ideas that I can take away and use at once. I want to grow, so I need to read blogs that speak the truth in love and that encourage, inspire, and help me while at the same time... 

2. Challenge me in the areas that I need it

Let's face it; we've all got some growing to do. I've found that light and fluffy blogs may make me feel good, but they don't give me  that wop up the side of the head that I need sometimes. They don't speak to my soul, turn up the heat, and make me question my own commitment. 

I need to read blogs that encourage but also challenge me to live a life worthy of my calling. Those blogs aren't always sunshine and roses. Instead, they shine the light on my weak areas and prompt me to get to work!

3. Have a sense of humor & a clear voice

To follow a blog, I have to enjoy what I'm reading. My favorite blogs are written by bloggers with their own unique writing style. It's amazing how well you can know someone you've never even met simply by reading her posts. It's almost like that person is right there in the room with you when you read her posts--like a good friend. A good writer has a clear voice and can make you sense her presence even though she's miles away.  

Developing voice is not an easy feat for a writer, so when I find a blog that has a voice that resonates with me, then I usually latch on and never look back!

4.  Have a community feel to them   

We all want to feel a part of something. When a blog makes you feel like you're part of the family, you usually stick around. Blogs that have a community feel to them--as if we're part of the same family--entice me. No matter the size, a good blogger can create a sense of community by the way she interacts with her readers, both on her blog and other social media.  

I want to know that my comments are valuable enough for the blogger to respond, and if I email a blogger and she never responds, I will probably stop following her. 

5. Use proper grammar

This may not be important to you, but as a former writing professor, I value a well-written essay. Call me a snob, but I simply cannot read posts that are poorly written. I look for blogs with a polished, professional style including proper punctuation and capitalization, correct spelling, minimal typos, and complete sentences. Don't get me wrong: I don't expect perfection, but run-on sentences really irk me. I don't think I'm asking too much :)


These are my top 5 criteria I use when deciding which blogs to follow. There are probably half a dozen more factors I could list, but, for me, these criteria determine if a blog stays or goes. Our time is a precious commodity that, once spent, we can never recover. I don't want to regret the time I spend reading blogs, so I'm using this criteria to keep me focused as well as motivate me to improve this blog because I certainly need improvement in all of these areas myself!

In my next post, I will share with you some of my favorite blogs. 

 What are YOUR criteria for choosing the blogs you subscribe to? What totally turns you off? What makes you sign up?

 

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