So you want to become a successful blogger but don’t know where to begin.

First, what makes a successful blog? For all intensive purposes, let’s say a popular blog. Winning another’s heart, let alone persuading a large group to believe in you and your views, is a fairly significant accomplishment. Wouldn’t you say?

Back to you and your problogging goals. May I suggest the traditional way of learning?

Try imitation.How to Spot a Successful Blog

In a recent post on Copyblogger, What Aristotle Can Teach You About Ethical Blogging, the author, Ryan Imel, reminds us that following in the footsteps of one’s hero is a sure-fire way to achieving your aspirations.

But a blogger that you admire may not be a successful blogger. In this case, imitating them will allow you to achieve only half your goal.

But we want you to have all that you desire! So, here are a few tips in how to spot a successful blog:

Well Designed
Love at first glance. If the blog design is clean and organized, looks pretty and easy to navigate, then it’s a professional design. This means that someone took the time to think about their readers and provide them with what they want.

Owns Blog Platform
Free blogging programs are an attractive feature for anyone. But nothing says success like your own platform! Consider your goals and read this helpful article, Choosing a Blog Platform, by Problogger Darren Rowse.

Lots of Content
The whole point of blogging is information sharing so it stands to reason that without content, there’s no reason for a reader to stay! Lots of information is a good indication that the blogger has been hard at work.

High Subscription (at least over 500)
Subscriptions are a direct indication of a blog’s following. In fact, these numbers may slightly underestimate the truth as there may be regular visitors who don’t subscribe for some reason or another. They are also a major factor in determining a blog’s value.

Lots of Comments on Posts
Only about 1% of blog readers comment on posts. If you see a post with over 100 comments, you know the blogger did something right. It takes talent to inspire people into action, whether it’s someone telling you they hate your post or clicking on that RSS feed icon – in blogging, it’s all means the same thing.

RSS Feeds
A blogger who neglects to offer a subscription option is obviously missing the boat. An even better sign of a successful blogger is one who intuits that in some cases, their readers may benefit from an email subscription version. This way those readers who live in their email box can enjoy their favourite blogger between work emails.

Social Media Chicklets
These are those funny little icons that appear at the end of every post on a successful blog. When you click one, it will bring you to a social media website where it will ask you to register yourself as a user. Once you become a member, you can use their tools to organize all your favourite posts on any number of blogs.

Public Votes
Tying in with the above clue, these social media websites are highly influential. Some, like Digg, allow members to vote for exceptional posts. These nominated articles are syndicated within the site and others have the opportunity to also cast their opinion. Because of search engine factors, certain social media groups that popularize articles have the power to make Joe Blow’s blog an overnight success!


Of course, this list is by no means inclusive. There are many other signs that online marketers look for to gage a blog’s success.

But when you’re identifying successful bloggers to emulate, choose the ones (at the very least) with a large amount of subscribers, comments and public votes on social media sites.

In the meantime, subscribe to our blog for more juicy blog tips and make your blogging dreams come true!