- Teach me how to do something.
- Entertain me.
- Stimulate me to think.
- Tell me a story.
- Present me with some interesting research results.
- Make me laugh.
- Review a product or service to help me make a decision.
- Tell me why and how something applies to me.
- Show me a case study of something you’ve (or someone else has) done.
- Make me feel like I’m not the only one who….
- Predict what will happen next.
- Collate what other people say about….
- Inspire me.
- Give me a project to go away and do.
- Give me a sense of belonging.
- Explain what something means.
- Summarize a topic or issue.
- Intrigue me.
- Introduce me to someone of interest.
- Tell me your opinion.
- Link to something that I need to see or read.
- Share something I can relate to.
- Provide me with a list of resources.
- Stimulate me to enter into a dialogue or debate.
- Give me a point of view that is different from the rest.
- Encourage me to keep going through something I’m finding tough.
- Keep me up to date with the latest news or developments in a field of interest.
- Guide me through a process.
- Solve a problem that I have.
What keeps you going back to others’ blogs?
I think #1 #6 #13 #29 are crusial.
This is a so simple post and so good. I really liked it Darren! Thanks for sharing.
This is a very nice list and i cant think of anything that was missed off. Do you think the best thing would be to meet all of these at once or is there an ideal number for a post?
Wow, good luck with doing all of those in a single post ;) Maybe a 29-part series?…
I think that individual bloggers will become known for doing several of these things regularly on their blog. I don’t think that any one blogger could accomplish them all, all the time! I can see how it would be good to incorporate them into our posts though, and find the things that resonate with them, their writing style, and with their readers.
Great, thought-provoking list Darren!
Bernice
A break from our regularly scheduled programming…
So these are points which can make readers come back again.
I agree because your experience speaks Darren.
These are great tips. A blogger cannot allow its readers to sleep on them
30. Make it easy to subscribe to and share your blog
Thanks for putting together such a great list Darren. I’m going to print this out and use it as a checklist for my own future blog posts.
I suppose another point that could be added to the list is running a weekly or monthly contest – for example giving away a free Adwords voucher for the best blog comment every week would probably encourage a lot of people to keep returning.
Great list, gives somethings to think about and aim at
I do #1, #4, #7, #9, #20
I try to do #2, #3, #6, #29
I need to work on the rest!
Great Work!
30. Do a give away. :-)
Good summary. Thanks for all of your informative and enlightening posts. Keep it up master.
30. Love me.
Great list Darren,
I thought for a while and couldn’t find anything more than what you’ve already listed here.
Thanks for sharing,
Togrul
Great content is obviously king but a site that is pleasant to look at is an added bonus in my book.
Agreed. Sometimes you don’t even notice the design because it has been so well thought through to make it easy for you to consume the content.
Nice list, apparently everything seems so simple :)
Thanks for sharing this!
What a great resource article, Darren!
I particularly like #14: Give me a project to go away and do.
Reading blogs can be time-consuming, and although “eye candy” blogs are fun to read, I love projects/tutorials that inspire me to take what I’ve learned and act on it. I need to incorporate this into my own blog more — thanks for the inspiration!
If it’s a blog related to my field (tech), I’ll come back if the information is accurate. If it’s a blog is about a general topic I.m interested in (soccer or finance), I’ll only comeback if it’s well-written.
Great Article! I Hope i can do it at My Blog and keep my readers come back to my Blog ^^
Masterpiece.
Contains many of mentioned and it is so simple and so straight to the point that you can’t get lost.
By the way, you “thirteen”ed me!!
Good list.
I like blogs with pictures rather than just text – especially if a post is exposing something in detail.
Blogs I return to again and again have to have good quality content and post on a regular basis even if that means just once a week. I like to be referred back to older and relevant posts where it makes sense to do so as that enhances my reading.
Also like blogs to be mobile optimised so I can view them on my iPhone easily.
With all that you have listed here, it should not be too hard for bloggers to keep their readers coming back for more. I do try to do several on this list but there are a few that I just might try to change things up a little.
thanks for the list. Gonna retweet!
More challenging is how to incorporate all of these 29 bullets into our writing style. Thanks for the list, missed a couple actually. Would love to see the follow up on how to do this in more detail.
30. Put up pictures of naked people.
But seriously, excellent list! -eldon
Absolutely agree with the various strategies you have set forth and depending on the Blog, I have implemented some or most. A further challenge though is…..how do you get even loyal followers to open the link to your blog in the first place?
Hi… I’m a new be in blogger, thanks for the tips
What an excellent list! This has my wheels turning for blog post ideas. Thanks!
Lots of common sense stuff on here but man they’re hard to pull off! :D
fantastic! that just about summarizes all the best of the posts I have read till now! :)
…and definitely a list I’ll read each time before I sit down to write!
Lots of points to consider here, I think if you keep its simple and offer good value, it will definitely make users come back again to your blog for more.
Like the list :)
Great list, one of the best I’ve seen on catching and keeping a reader’s attention- the best part is all the items are simple and to the point, but very powerful when trying to engage your readers.
Very nice list, Darren.
It suggests me a lot of ideas for upcoming posts. :)
That’s an excellent list for a new and seasoned bloggers. I’m going to keep it nearby and refer to it often. What I look for in a blog post is tips I can use right away. Bulleted points are my favorite way to share and receive tips.
Simple. Yet profound. Why didn’t I think of this while I was blogging? Thanks!
I always return to a blog that replies to my comments. So I always reply to comments on our blog. Always!!!
Give me some gift in the contest and I always comeback :)
This awesome post help me idea for new post :D Thank Darren
I would just add that I only continue to read a blog when I can tell it’s written in the blogger’s authentic voice. If I can tell that someone’s using that generic voice I have to use when I’m ghostwriting factual articles for others, I’m not interested – even if they’re doing all the stuff that’s on the list. I stick with a blog for the personality just as much as I do the information.
Nice list, thanks :)
Wow great, Love the way it is all pretty simple and very informational…..I am going to share this…
What keeps me coming back to a blog is one they have rss by email that I can sign up to and they are “real” people, things I can relate too and they are not “perfect” so to speak. If it looks like a website, I most usually wont follow them, unless it is something that pertains to me directly in my business. Thanks for posting this!!! I have lots of work ahead!
Mary
I invite you to delve into my Treasure Box, you are sure to find something to Satisfy Your Senses!
http://www.MeToYouTreasures.artfire.com
Thank you for this terrific list, I will be using it to ensure that I’m incorporating at least one into each post.
At the moment I’m looking at what my blog actually offers my readers and know that the list will help synthesize my thinking.
I also agree with Samar – that if it’s easy to subscribe to the blog and to contact you via email, you will start to develop a community of readers who are keen to know what you are doing and connect with you regularly.
Marie also makes a good point about including great images, I think it’s also important to have an easy to read format where the reader’s eye can move smoothly down the page.
Thank you again for all the terrific tips that you share,
Felicity
Or make a big-ass list….
You captured it al! Some of these reasons apply to how-to blogs: craft, SEO, marketing. Some apply to personal blogs. All are a challenge to me to write a post that meets one, if not more, then write a post that links to this and shows how you’ve helped me yet again as a blogger. Anyone else want to participate in this project? Come on over to scrollwork and leave me your blog link in the comment portion. I’ll come visit.
This is a list post that doesn’t leave me feeling like the only reason the post was written was to draw traffic to the blog. I usually sneer at lists, but see, that’s why you’re such a success, Darren, you really do add value (another catchphrase in the blogger’s and business world that has become ubiquitous.)
Peace and grace to you.
Absolutely, these are the things that can attract readers and make them stay with you as long as you provide them one of those 29 things.
Originality and brilliance in the style of blogging attract me most.
This is a good list to go through when somebody is blocked.
This is about as basic as you can get when it comes to getting general enough to stimulate ideas. Personally, I just thought of about eight or nine article ideas just by going though the list.
I visit blogs that inform, reflect, or educate. It really comes down to those three for me. Great post!
This list has given me inspiration for my blog! that I just started. After reading the list, I was able to write my first blog post! thank you :^)
30. Share photos or embed videos into your blog
Darren,
Excellent list!! it´s perfect for making a “blogger wallpaper” or a poster to stick behind your desktop. We all should keep those tips in mind when we are writing a post. Fortunately, in our blog we apply several of those strategies!
Greetings from Argentina!
I’m printing this list out and putting it on my bulletin board–thanks always for the great info! :)
If yours is a personal blog, show me your truth. If you are REAL, I will care about you, and if I care about you, I’ll be back to read more.
You are the man when it comes to blogging and branding tips! Thats why I always keep coming back because you provide a lot of value to your readers for free! I may not check in here everyday or every week, but I come and browse to learn whenever I am stumped or need a refresher on something. Thanks!
I would say that creating brilliant content that helps people take a next step in their work/life/career journey.
I’m putting all of my 20 years of graphic design experience into developing killer content for other graphic designers to hit the ball out of the part in running their own graphic design business.
Excellent list! And I like Krissy ideas of printing it out for future reference – especially when/if you get writer’s block :)
Saw your Twitter – mine’s oims if that’s appropriate to say/ask (if not remove this). Also going to retweet, already give you my support with Facebook.