Want to be treated like a top blogger? Act like one.

Top bloggerI've observed popular bloggers for a while now. You know the ones I mean, the ones you constantly go back and read, over and over. They all have certain traits — a special quality that makes them that little bit different. It's hard to put your finger on exactly what it is. You just LIKE THEM. ADMIRE THEM. Would consider leaving your husband for them.

Why? Who knows. But this stuff will help:

1. Write really good posts. I'll let you define what "good" means.

2. Be polite. Manners count online too. 

3. Be an active part of a community. Comment. Be involved. Know when to stay OUT of a conversation.

4. Think before you press publish. Sometimes words can be taken the wrong way.

5. Don't think before you press publish. Sometimes your best posts come straight from the heart.

6. Be happy and rejoice in everyone's success. Jealously makes your bum look big.

7. Don't react or rise to the bait. You'll look like a two-year-old having a tantrum on the floor at John Lewis. (FYI — it's really easy to do this on Twitter)

8. Be positive. People flock to positive things. They want to smile. They don't want to be dragged down.

9. Ignore the negative stuff. Don't even go there.

10. Write really good posts.

Unfortunately I don't do any of these things well, so my fate is sealed. How about you? What traits do you admire in top bloggers?

Photo credit: gregory bastien

74 COMMENTS

  1. Baby Genie | 1st Mar 10

    What attracts me most is someone who can laugh at themselves, and admit the horror moments that come with the happy moments – walking into a restaurant with sick down you, a baby in a stinky nappy, no wipes in your bag and mascara smudges.
    It happens, so tell people that it does, we sympathise because it happens to us too.

  2. Megan {Velveteen Mind} | 22nd Feb 10

    I think the universe wants us to talk. Someone just pointed me your way (not to this post, I found my own way here) and now I’m engrossed in your comments.
    No kidding ya’ll are going through what US bloggers have been trudging through. The fixation with your use of the term “top blogger” is particularly familiar.
    I knew immediately and exactly what you meant by “top blogger.” Not for a second did I think “pandering, soul-leeching sell-out.” To this day, I want to scream at my ever-patient readers and beg “How do you want me to refer to bloggers who you like to read/ who resonate with you/ who may or may not have a million readers but who authentically write immensely well and deserve recognition?!”
    Because “top” makes people’s panties wad up. 😉
    I could write a book about the dichotomy between ambition and humility as it pertains to mom bloggers.
    That said, love your list. Totally resonate with 1, 3, and 6. And I’m working on #7. Don’t take the bait. Really hard because wow, some people are just determined to be foul.

  3. kelly | 22nd Feb 10

    Well, you are one of my top bloggers, so you must be doing something right! I read your site everyday – so keep it up! Thanks for the tips.

  4. demeter | 19th Feb 10

    I do not blog but I read quite a few. What I like first in a blog is reliability, that is, that the blogger will blog every day (or quite often).
    That’s probably asking for too much but I don’t like going back to a blog and seeing the same post every day for a month. I usually remove that blog from my favorites even though I might enjoy it.

  5. Metropolitan Mum | 18th Feb 10

    Know when to stay OUT of a conversation. I must remember that one 🙂
    PS: We are at Cotton Bay, so I guess there’s not much of a chance bumping into your friend. Though there’s a family here that looks VERY familiar. I am tempted to go over and ask if mummy writes a blog…

  6. A Modern Mother | 18th Feb 10

    @brunchingbabies I think you should write whatever you want, that’s the heart part, and one of the secrets to what people want to read.

  7. babieswhobrunch | 18th Feb 10

    not that you need another comment, but….
    i like to blog because i like to write. if others like to read, then that’s nice. but granted that i don’t get that many hits or comments (certainly nothing like the ‘top’ bloggers) then perhaps i should be writing about something different. that said, i don’t think you should obsess about what others might want to read. after all, that’s a tricky business that not even newspaper editors seem to get right given collapsing readership figures!!
    ps i think i’ve missed a whole heap of bloggy angst…. probably just as well.

  8. A Modern Mother | 18th Feb 10

    @mtjam yes that’s what I was trying to get across in #5.

  9. jamie | 18th Feb 10

    Look at all these comments! I think you must already *be* a top blogger. You’re doing something right…

  10. MTJAM | 17th Feb 10

    How ironic. I didn’t write what I wanted to write at all in that last comment. Let me try again…
    I think its important to write what you WANT to write, not what you think others want to read.
    Phew.

  11. MTJAM | 17th Feb 10

    I have absolutely no idea about top bloggers. I think its important to write what you what to write, not what you think others want to read.

  12. A Modern Mother | 17th Feb 10

    @amber good point, that’s what everyones glosses over, isn’t it?

  13. AmberS | 17th Feb 10

    I think that the only way to write really good posts is to write a lot of bad ones, first. Top bloggers are not new bloggers, as a rule. They’ve been at it for a long time and they’ve honed their craft. They’ve found their voice and their following.
    I would also add that top bloggers are themselves. Not everyone is going to like you, and that’s OK. But the people who really will like you, will like you because of who you are and what you stand for. So don’t be afraid to have opinions and ideas of your own, as long as you do your best to be considerate and inclusive then having opinions is a very good thing.

  14. A Modern Mother | 17th Feb 10

    @antontella genuine good, don’t want to read something fake!
    @kat my bum is so big from jealously I wouldn’t fit in a mold

  15. Kat | 17th Feb 10

    Your lists and rules crack me up. Can see what you are saying but aren’t the most interesting bloggers the ones who break the mould?

  16. Antonella | 17th Feb 10

    Hi Susanna, I don’t know exactly what a top blogger is, but I know exactly what a top blogger is not: ME! But I don’t mind as I like reading more than writing blogs as I think you can learn something new from them every day. And I don’t mind if they are sad or cheerful as long as they are (or seem) genuine! Ciao. A.

  17. A Modern Mother | 17th Feb 10

    @dan by top I mean someone you think is top … top banana that sort of thing, why is it everyone assumes some sort of list?

  18. A Modern Mother | 17th Feb 10

    @Iota I remember asking you that

  19. Working Mum | 17th Feb 10

    Good post provoking a lot of interesting comments.
    I think, as in all walks of life, there are blogs you enjoy and those that you don’t.
    Wife in the North was the first blog I found, but disliked her ‘pity me for living with my high earning husband in two cottages knocked through into one huge one with my Aga in the frozen north’ way of writing. I just couldn’t relate to it.
    Similarly, I’ve had some ‘Who do you think you are? You are lucky to have a job, a child and a home’ comments on my blog, but I figure that those readers just don’t relate to my life.
    We just find blogs we like and miss out the ones we don’t. There’s room for everyone.

  20. Iota | 17th Feb 10

    I just popped over because I’ve joined Twitter and I wanted to find you on it. It does seem that people are upset about this ‘top blogger’ thing. Makes me nostalgic for the old days, when bloggers emailed each other saying “if I put you on my blogroll, will you put me on yours? pretty please?” and things like that.
    Still, not wanting to be luddite, so giving Twitter a go.

  21. Dan | 17th Feb 10

    The sooner this emerging community gets rid of the concept of “top bloggers” the better in my oppinion. It is not useful in the slightest.
    There are blogs you read, and blogs you don’t. There are bloggers I consider friends and those I don’t. As I’ve said before, there are no big fish or little fish in this pond – just fish.

  22. A Modern Mother | 17th Feb 10

    @emmak welcome!

  23. A Modern Mother | 17th Feb 10

    @Luschka consistency is key, where have I heard that before?
    @rachel we are an eclectic bunch which is the beauty of it, isn’t it?

  24. EmmaK | 17th Feb 10

    Thanks for the list – you’ve put it all in perspective!!

  25. Rachel | 17th Feb 10

    Thankyou @Modern Mother for commenting on my blog yesterday 🙂
    Good post-
    I have to agree with @101birdtales that the blogs that appeal to me are the ones written from the heart, not necessarily the snappiest ones.
    Also, as mummy bloggers, we’re a pretty diverse group -as @Alphamummy said yesterday, the posts she received for the carnival were amongst the most wide-ranging yet.

  26. Luschka | 17th Feb 10

    I think consistancy in posting, something I’m working hard on, but not really succeeding at, is a really good thing too! Great post!

  27. A Modern Mother | 17th Feb 10

    @nappy yes, it’s kind of like a soap opera isn’t it?
    @potty you are defo a top banana

  28. Potty Mummy | 17th Feb 10

    And of course, since I can’t self-edit that comment I now have to write another to say that I didn’t mean to include myself in that ‘top blogger’ category. (Oh god – now I’m labouring the point…)

  29. Potty Mummy | 17th Feb 10

    That’s a lot of comments – clearly this is a topic that has struck a chord. For me, a ‘top’ blogger is just as you described it; a ‘top banana’ rather than someone who is necessarily hugely popular. That is, someone who is true to themselves in what they write (whether that’s happy, sad, optimistic or depressed), who can entertain sometimes and at others will just hit the spot and write about something I personally can relate to, and, because I AM that shallow, who will sometimes make me laugh. Oh, and who is not afraid to go back into a post and self-edit out all the typos and the too-long sentences. (Or is it just me who does that?)

  30. nappyvalleygirl | 17th Feb 10

    Sometimes the best blogs aren’t the ones that court comments and drag you in straight away with a headline or a controversial topic; they grow on you slowly, until you have a really good sense of the blogger’s personality. There are about ten blogs that I read religiously – they are not necessarily at the top of the ‘charts’ (and I think people are getting far too obsessed with that) but I know that if they have posted, I am in a for a treat.

  31. A Modern Mother | 17th Feb 10

    @emily moan away!

  32. Emily O | 17th Feb 10

    I like these tips and the comments are a great read too. It’s interesting to see how the definition of a ‘top blogger’ is being interpreted. Lots of assumptions that it’s someone at the top of the charts when you say yourself it’s not necessarily that at all. These are good guidelines for anyone wanting to get along well in the blogging community. But ‘don’t whinge’? I’m never happy unless I’m moaning 😉

  33. A Modern Mother | 17th Feb 10

    @knackered can I marry you please?
    @thismamaworks it don’t you working full time I tried it and failed miserably!

  34. This Mama Works It! | 17th Feb 10

    Great post! very good tips that I totally agree with. Especially writing from the heart. I try to write from the heart but then follow up with tips and solutions so readers can know how I am handling it as a working mom.
    http://www.thismamaworksit.com

  35. Knackered Mother | 17th Feb 10

    Modern, yours was the first mummy blog I found when googling something unrelated (I think it was a recipe for neaps & tatties!!) but I stayed for a good hour and loved it. So much thought-provoking stuff to read, most of which I could relate to. Some posts made me laugh, others sad but all interesting. I’d been doing an email with wine offers to friends for about ten years but your blog got me thinking. I decided to try something different, be a bit more inventive and open the list to anyone who might be interested. I update my blog weekly on an evening when my husband is away and the TV choice is mediocre. It’s not a chore, just a great escape for an hour and I’ve loved exploring the world of bloggers. Modern – a great inspiration and as usual, this post makes perfect sense! x

  36. A Modern Mother | 17th Feb 10

    @Elisa thanks for the list of blogs, I’m going o check them out

  37. A Modern Mother | 17th Feb 10

    @madhouse with you on what goes round comes around,it really does!

  38. A Modern Mother | 17th Feb 10

    @linda You must have people that you consider to be a “top” blogger in your mind. The ones you read all the time. I’m not referring to lists, etc, I’m referring to those that get your repect, and with that readership.

  39. Dulwich Divorcee | 17th Feb 10

    Like you say at the top of your blog, Susanna, blogging is cheaper than therapy – that’s definitely why I do it! I’m with Linda on the cuddles, too

  40. Laura | 17th Feb 10

    In real life I am a non confrontational person. I hate controversy I just want to get on with it, and I suppose that’s what I do with my blog. I’ve been blogging for nearly two years and would like to think that my style hasn’t changed much.
    From the start I’ve blogged about what I want to blog about; My life and my family. That hasn’t changed. Yes, I now have advertising posts on my site and yes I have accepted holidays, chocolate, toys and books to review but I have absolutely no qualms about that … it’s my blog.
    Being in the top 100 isn’t the be all and end all. In the grand scheme of all things bloggy … getting a nice comment, being told I’ve made someone laugh or struck a chord with someone because of something I’ve written is far more important.

  41. Tattie Weasle | 17th Feb 10

    This is a good post – it’s interesting, thought provoking and has some great comments so it’s inclusive. Not all posts are like that some will pull your heart strings, others will make you rock with laughter, still more will have you nodding your head going yes same here.
    At present mine are a little darker than I would like but hey that’s what’s going on in my world. I hope that people who drop by will be able to give sage advice, nod, say same here and that maybe by sharing someone else won’t feel they are on their own after all. I know that when I read some of the darker posts it helps as I realise that I am not on my own and sometimes I can help in a little way.
    Negataive posts that are hurtful are not nice but everyone has those days sometimes, continuing negativity is a turn off.
    I worry about doing reviews as these are in effect much more contrived but there again I enjoy them!
    Basically I blog ‘cos I enjoy it and I hope everyone else does too!

  42. Natalie | 17th Feb 10

    Thought provoking post with equally thought provoking comments. Scarily, I’ll be 6 years blogging in a few months and the whole ‘top blogger’ thing seems to be alive and well still. I don’t know what ‘top blogger’ means – some people self-appoint themselves and others call people it. Personally, I’m not trying to be a ‘top blogger’. I don’t have to read or like everyone’s blogs no more than anyone has to like mine. That’s the wonderful thing about blogging and as others have expressed, when you find that you make a difference to people’s lives, that’s more heart warming than anything else. One of the things that I’ve stuck to doing is doing my own thing. I’m passionate about blogging and I write what I want to write. I don’t follow and that works for me – it’s less stressful. The people I know that thoroughly enjoy blogging don’t get caught in the tide. Whilst I think having a whine-fest is not the best route, playing it safe isn’t either, which is why it’s best to be authentic and create your own voice.
    One of the things I like about you S and a number of other bloggers is you just say what you want to say and don’t take yourself seriously.
    I agree with Linda – there is some tedious stuff going down. It’s a big wide world out there – go do your thing!

  43. Jane Alexander | 17th Feb 10

    Yup, what IS a ‘top blogger’? I have to agree with Linda, it does seem a little sad if you end up tailoring your posts/content/attitude to gain readership. Blogging should (IMHO) be fun and/or therapeutic. When I read a lot of the ‘top’ US mommybloggers I want to barf…
    I’ve been blogging for aeons too – sometimes a lot, sometimes not very often. When I write from the heart, I get a lot of response. When I (foolishly once or twice) tried to blog ‘to formula’ my savvy readers left in droves!
    Like Linda says, don’t forget the *real* world – it’s way more important… Live your true life, not online! 😉

  44. Home Baked | 17th Feb 10

    Interesting post.
    I’ve seen many a blog go stale and kind of less-genuine after the blogger hits success (or starts trying to compete), it’s really sad to see it happen because before they bother about success, stats etc. the content is absolutely amazing.

  45. susie | 17th Feb 10

    Interesting post, and interesting how diverse the comments are.
    Linda-I think that the best reward really does come from people even privately tell you that you have helped them. I only recently started blogging, but have been active for about 3 years on a mums forum and I know that my happiest moments were those when someone said I helped them out.
    Amelia-I also like blogs that are inspirational and from the heart and like you not all blogs catch my attention.
    There are some blogs that while the subject matter is not necessarily what I care for, the writing is funny or really good and that draws me in.

  46. angelsandurchinsblog | 17th Feb 10

    I love having my opinion changed (not that I appreciate being bludgeoned with the nasty or negative), I love being made to laugh, and I love a new spin on something that I already hold true. And I also love the sense of community, of bloggers interacting with each other. And like any community, this doesn’t always mean agreeing, but it should mean interesting and thought provoking. But a ‘top blogger’? That sounds as though there should be an ultimate goal, whereas there are probably as many reasons to blog as there are bloggers. Aren’t we lucky to be part of such a vocal gang?

  47. Amelia Critchlow | 17th Feb 10

    this is really interesting. I blogged ‘off-line’ for 2.5 years for fear of what I would sound like. It was a good move as when I re-read one day – I sounded like a TOTAL whinger! I also started reading other blogs and figured out what attracted me to them.
    One person wrote from the heart about radical and unique subject matter in a beautiful and variable way – I like thought-provoking things. Also, she appeared to be blogging for herself and not for an ‘audience’, this spoke volumes.
    The most ‘successful’, ‘popular’ or ‘widely read blogs’, are – for me – the ones who usually have a specific angle to them and so I know why I am going there, and whilst people may have a moan once in a while, these blogs will also offer inspiration, and advice – because people do like to be inspired and know they’re not alone I guess.
    The blogs written with an ‘audience’ and appear less written from the heart are the ones I don’t find quite so inspiring . . .but that’s just me!
    It’s nice to know you are being treated like ‘you’ because you are being ‘you’. Going into blogging to be a ‘top blogger’ surely gives off a flavour of this when one writes?!
    Interesting post. Thank you.
    Amelia.x
    (www.101birdtales.blogspot.com)

  48. Elisa @ Globetrotting in Heels | 17th Feb 10

    Not to be bitter, but what top bloggers have you been observing? Because as I was disappointed to find out at BlogHer and a couple other blogger events, unfortunately a large percentage of them are not nearly as nice and genuine as they seem. Of course there are always those amazing, fantastic few: Maggie from Ok, Fine Dammit, Shannon from Whiskey In My Sippy Cup, and Jennifer Lancaster, who despite her biting humor is really friendly and not at all stuck up and better-then-you.
    But I do agree with the writing and being active in the community, especially the second – ’cause as Megan from Velveteen Mind (another fantastic blogger) already observed, good writing is no longer enough to land you on top. But is surely can’t hurt 😉

  49. Linda | 17th Feb 10

    As someone who has been blogging since 2006 and built up a ton of readers who (shock horror) didn’t use to comment much but would email me to say that my words of support/information/advice/daft snippets of mine or someone else’s life had either helped them/entertained them I cannot tell you how much this constant clamouring to consider what makes a “top” blogger or court comments/links etc is starting to grate. I don’t mean this particular post, I mean in general. Chrsit almighty, blogging should be fun. I’ve opted out of the list of “top” bloggers and am happy that I have a certain number of readers and appreciate that a blog can help change things for the better for people – both the writer and the readers – that’s why I still blog and that is why I set up a blog to help people with mental distress. I am finding discussions about how to do this, that or the other increasingly tiresome and when something as simple as a blog carnival prompts a big row, I finf myself wondering what on earth is happening. Blog how the hell you want. Seriously, I would say to your readers, if you find yourself worrying about any of this stuff, the answer is simple – get out more, switch off the computer and go and cuddle your kids instead.

  50. A Modern Mother | 17th Feb 10

    @christine that’s the word I’m looking for … respected bloggers = top bloggers.

  51. A Modern Mother | 17th Feb 10

    @madhouse hert is key, by top mean people/bloggers you respect, like top banana
    @slummy exactly!

  52. Jennie | 17th Feb 10

    I like reading blogs whose writers are genuine and write because they feel compelled to, rather than because they feel they should. I can think of one blog which is a case in point. I started following this particular blog after the writer had radically changed her way of life, and I loved it. You could tell from her writing that she was so happy and everything was so new and refreshing. But then the blog grew, and got so big she decided to cash in on it. But (IMO) she then turned to exploiting the commercial opportunities rather than writing from her heart. So it started to sound really contrived and twee whenever she posted a blog post, as if she was writing to a deadline rather than writing because she had to share her thoughts with everyone.

  53. Slummy Single Mummy | 17th Feb 10

    It’s really hard to say what draws me to a blogger, and it’s often the weirdest of topics that keep me reading.
    Basically though, I enjoy good writing, whatever the topic and whoever is writing it. And the great thing is that we don’t all share the same taste, so different styles will appeal to different people and if one person doesn’t enjoy your writing, someone else will. (So I tell myself).
    Good manners are also crucial. In blogs as in life.
    xx

  54. TheMadHouse | 17th Feb 10

    The thing here is what is a “Top Blogger”? There are lots of blogs out there and some of them make my toes curl. I could never be a top blogger, as I dont really follow the crowd.
    There are a couple of things that I libe my everyday life by and so I do the same with my blog:
    What goes around comes around
    Also I never ever try to think bad about people, I have a nd am living from day to day at the moment and I am sure that there are people that judge me, but I try so hard, to be the best I can be.
    My blog is an extension of me, sometimes it includes the things I feel I can not say in real life, the emotions I fear and therefore, dare not show. But it all comes from the heart.

  55. A Modern Mother | 17th Feb 10

    @nat I like that about if you wouldn’t say it to my face…
    @pippa …and that is where the best post come from!

  56. Christine | 17th Feb 10

    I think we all look to gain respect in the blogging community, whether or not we make it to “top blogger” status… Your list is one we should all look to really take to heart!

  57. PippaD@ A Mothers Ramblings | 17th Feb 10

    Interesting. I would say that for me it is all about heart. I don’t want to be a top blogger, because I blog for me and the kids (and family and friendship and…) but I hope that I still have heart.

  58. Nat | 17th Feb 10

    I try to write good posts all the time, but the comments I get the most on or emails are the ones where I just sit and write and pretty much not think about anyones opinion but my own. I got this recently on the post about the fact I wasn’t sent to school as a child.
    I agree about the negative I also thinks this relates to RL nobody likes a whiner!
    I also take the approach of if I wouldn’t say it to your face then I won’t say it on my blog.

  59. A Modern Mother | 17th Feb 10

    @rosie I find it very hard to ignore the negatives too, which is why I don’t classfy myself as a top blogger, you however, are, you are always polite, have something relevant to say, and bring out the good things.
    @bosnia that’s a good one, no one alive fits in a box
    @heather can’t always be positive, but don’t fill your site with downers
    @notsupermum does mine look big hun?
    @liz by top I mean someone you really like, top banana

  60. Helen Palmer aka nice-cup-of-tea | 17th Feb 10

    I also love point no 6! Am cross posting this, with credit to you –>
    http://nice-cup-of-tea.livejournal.com/587870.html

  61. Liz (LivingwithKids) | 17th Feb 10

    I think it depends how you define ‘top’ bloggers, to be honest. Sometimes I read some very successful blogs and I wonder how on earth they do so well, because I personally can’t relate to them on any level. But that’s just me. Sometime I read other, less successful (in terms of hits/reach) bloggers and their writing is so beautiful I wonder how on earth they haven’t been snapped up and given a major publishing deal. Personally, I don’t want to be a ‘top’ blogger. I just want my blog posts to be appreciated.

  62. notSupermum | 17th Feb 10

    Great list – I like point 6, jealousy makes your bum look big!
    I would also say to write with enthusiasm, as it always shows. I don’t always get this right, but I admire it in lots of other bloggers. I also admire bloggers who pick up timely subjects and write from their own perspective, usually while I’m still thinking about it and lose the impetus!

  63. Heather | 17th Feb 10

    I think being always polite, nice and kind and keeping away from sensitive topics etc can also make you blog a bit boring. Done the right way, a bit of controversy and disagreement can be a positive thing.
    Likewise only staying on positive topics is perhaps a bit unrealistic. Will people feel like they dont know you so well, like you are hiding the real you if you don’t talk about the bad as well as the good?
    I don’t know the answer to that but something to think about. A great list though, I think this stands not just for being a ‘top’ blogger but for being a thoughtful, considerate and friendly one too. Nothing turns me off faster than attacking another person or getting personally nasty on a blog.

  64. Brit In Bosnia | 17th Feb 10

    Write about what you want to write about and don’t worry if you are not fitting into any one particular box. So, for example, if you are a Mummy Blogger then you don’t need to only blog about your life as a Mummy if you fancy writing about something else that day. Blogging is brilliant because it is so flexible and because a blog belongs to you.
    If you find something interesting, you have enthusiasm or passion or any strong emotion about it then write about it. I love posts where you can see that the blogger really feels that they have to say something.
    And enjoy it, blogging shouldn’t be a chore.
    Good post! x

  65. Rosie Scribble | 17th Feb 10

    Interesting post Susanna, your points make a lot of sense. I think we are all human and at times ignoring the negative stuff is easier said than done. But that extends to all of life not just blogging. Sometimes I do react (maybe over-react), I’d like to think I’m expressing an opinion rather than having a tantrum. I don’t want to be a top blogger necessarily, I just want to enjoy blogging. Like I used to.

  66. Tasha | 17th Feb 10

    Good post. I think that, along with the things you list, though, there is so the magical, mystical element that you can’t really pin down. And I think that’s down to natural gregariousness and the unassumedand unassuming ability to know and remember what’s going on with everyone – and to care about it as well.
    For those of us old-timers that don’t have it yet, I don’t think we ever will. And I’d definitely include myself in the don’ts! Sadly, or happily actually, it’s not something you can buy or learn.

  67. A Modern Mother | 17th Feb 10

    @josie – Yes, but being polite is more likely to keep the conversation on track, rather than help it to spirral into something personal. You can still be polite and disagree.

  68. Josie @Sleep is for the Weak | 17th Feb 10

    I like this. Or, at least I the idea that pettiness and silly tantrums aren’t the way to get to the top!
    My only point would be that it can go a bit the other way too. Sometimes being endless nice and agreeing with everyone on everything can come across a bit shallow (and boring!). Sometimes, as long as it’s done politely and respectfully, it’s ok to go against the grain and not agree with somebody, or write something that may be controversial.
    So I would say, yes – top bloggers need to be someone likeable and somebody you’d want to engage with. But I like my top bloggers a bit interesting too, not afraid to speak their mind and go against the grain if necessary. THAT’S a top blogger in my mind 🙂

  69. A Modern Mother | 17th Feb 10

    @marathon – thanks! Hope the day gets better.

  70. Marathonmummy | 17th Feb 10

    Fab post! Too tired at this time of the morning to write anything more articulate!

  71. A Modern Mother | 17th Feb 10

    @Jay — see point five I think you are doing it the right way

  72. Jay | 17th Feb 10

    Great idea for a list…but I feel that it’s a shame that to be a “top blogger”, you almost have to be what people want, rather than be who you are naturally.
    Oh well, maybe that explains why I’m not a top blogger, because maybe my blog is about me and my kids? Maybe people would enjoy it more if I wrote what they wanted? Maybe I spend too much time trying to be me, rather than someone else? But then there would be no point in blogging, for me personally, anyway.
    Just my thoughts. :o)

  73. A Modern Mother | 17th Feb 10

    @homeofficemum – I don’t think people like labels, they just like what they like, regardless. But that then makes them “popular” or maybe we should say “widely read” instead?

  74. home office mum | 17th Feb 10

    Good list. I think for me it’s simple. I read those that I enjoy, not those that I think are necessarily from a ‘top blogger’. How do I quanlify what I enjoy? They’re blogs that usually make me laugh. Sometimes they make me cry. But they tend to be written from the heart and not trying too hard.

Leave A Comment

I love comments! Tell me what you think or just say hello.

© 2022 Amodernmother.com. All rights reverved