I've been reading Andy Wibbel's blog for years. Andy was one of the first people (that I knew) who really "got" the whole blogging thing and he generously shared, in an entertaining way, how all of us could use our blogs to connect to fans, partners, friends, etc., in a way that could help grow our businesses, while establishing us as thought leaders, rather than just annoying marketers.
In 2006, Andy published Blog Wild! A Guide for Small Business Blogging and mentioned me in it, as a success story. (Page 137 ;-)
Today, I read an intriguing article by Andy titled, 'What Rush Limbaugh Knows About Blogging'. It's really not about Rush Limbaugh, but about something Limbaugh does extremely well: Provide a reliable emotional experience to his followers.
Read Andy Wibbel's blog post here.
Most successful bloggers, entertainers and the like, provide this and as Andy says, ultimately, that's what brings people back.
It's the same thing that prompts me to open Notes from the Universe every morning, or pull up the latest episode of Oprah on my DVR.
A few examples of emotional experiences a blog could provide, according to Andy include, "a dip into something deeper, a rant at something crazy, a look at something sincere? A recipe for something yummy? Are you passionate or provocative?"
That was the hook for me: I wasn't quite sure what emotional experience my readers are having and I realize, that's really important!
So I'm going to put it to you. What emotional experience does my blog reliably provide to you? What is it that brings you back?
And what reliable emotional experience are your readers getting from your blog?
What are you going to commit to doing to improve the emotional experience of your blog?
