My ideas about what makes a blog work

I just got done getting caught up on the new blog posts this morning.  Lots of fellow course participants are posting ideas about what they think makes a blog succesful.  They have really gotten me thinking and I have also come up with some of my own ideas of what I think makes a blog successful.   I know I may be repeating and adding to some of what others have said. 

1.  Keep it short and sweet.  I think it's important to put all relevant information out there, but also to keep it as short as possible.  I know personally, I will sometimes skip over blog posts that are longer.    I know this is something that is particularly hard for me.  I am a rambler...

2.  Have a plan.   This probably could be number 1, but I will leave it as 2 for the time being.  It's a good idea to know what you want to accomplish and how you would like to accomplish it from your blog. 

3.  Educate others on using your blog or posting to your blog.  Whether it's coworkers or even patrons the best way to get the word out in my opinion is to train them on what it actually is and let them practice using it in an informal setting.  Hopefully this will encourage them to post or leave comments.  A lot of people are afraid to take the plunge on their own if they know their first posts will be out there for the whole world to see.   Hopefully this will make them feel more comfortable while also getting the word out. 

4.  Get the word out.  Advertise your blog in whatever way possible.  Try to point patrons to your blog as often as you can. 

5.  Update regularly.  Try to keep somewhat of a schedule so you can post new posts on a regular basis.  New posts will keep bloggers coming back.  However, you want to keep a good balance between flooding them with information and an information drought. 

6.  Make it easy to subscribe.  Try to encourage patrons or coworkers to subscribe to your blog. Keep it simple to subscribe.  Educate them on what it is and how to do it with a course or a blog post. 

7.  Keep it light and interesting.  Keep their interest.