How big should your main blog be?

[sunfunbill]

From what I have seen everyone has several different blogs going, from 3 or 4 up to hundreds. Some act like "doorway" blogs, with one page of 10 post, all pushing a niche.

Then you have a "main" blog, the one you hope to keep growing. For my main blog I would like to have informational pages for people who are in my niche, maybe a health page, links page, pic of the day page and so on.

Seems like if you make it too big it's no longer a blog but a big website. So, how big do most make thier main blog to keep people coming back while not making it too big? Thanks!

[Cozy Monica]

If you do it in a blog format, all of those sections would probably exist as categories, as opposed to pages.

That way, you can post a pic and it will get filed under "pic of the day". Then when you post a health related article it will go in the Health section.

And that is a good way to update a blog, with varied content.

As for size, a blog can be a handful of entries total, or it can be thousands. Normally you want to start your blog off with ten to twenty existing posts, and then you would want to post at least daily.

I think the most important thing here Bill is you are going to want to have one main blog that is high quality. A blog where you provide lengthy quality posts on topics that are relevant to your surfers. This is what's going to keep them coming back for more and really make you stand out from the crowd.

It's also going to be a hell of a lot of work.

[artwilliams]

I am new to blogging so take my comments with a grain of salt.

I agree with Monica that quality is a key. Your blog needs to be updated frequently with original content. There is nothing I hate more than going to a site and seeing that the last entry was several months ago or finding a updated blog with the entire text reading, "This chick is hot. Click on the pic for a gallery." --end of entry!

Ask yourself, given all that you want to do in adult, on average how much time can you devote to your blog? Twenty minutes a day? An Hour?

I am NOT in this as a hobby but as permanent part timer. I just run my blog but I spend about 2 hours a day doing so. Don't forget with a blog you can write a week's worth of entries and post date them. Make Tuesday blog day. Write your entries, make some hard links trades and do whatever you need to do to market your blog site.

My .02 cents.

---art

[sunfunbill]

It's also going to be a hell of a lot of work.

What! I thought I could just spend 20 min. a day posting and then watch my millions pile up!

So I can make it nice and big with lots of categories, good. Yes I want to make it a very quality site, with lots of info about everything. I actually love to write, I am always checking my post here to make sure I did not make it too long!

Then as you and others suggested down the road maybe add a forum or some type of user to user interaction. Funny, because of my hearing loss I tend to write a bit differently than most. I put the subject first, just like the spanish language. I guess it's because I try to figure out what the SUBJECT is first, then I can figure out what they are asking!

I will throw out some small blogs too, never hurts. Meantime get going on my main blog, yes Hammer, I hear you!! Thanks Monica!

[Hammer]

Blogs grow over the years and eventually become quite huge with hundreds or even thousands of pages. Like Monica said, you'll want to create categories for your posts. Most blogging software also creates archives for posts from past months and eventually past years. There's no reason to concern yourself with the size of the blog.

Here's the #2 blog on the Net according to Technorati. http://www.boingboing.net/

Alexa 2,352
PR7

Check out their archives: http://www.boingboing.net/archives.html

Here's the #1 blog.

http://www.engadget.com/

Alexa 507
PR8

[sunfunbill]

Wow Hammer, the #2 and #1 blog are so different! #2 seems very spartan, not much going on in the home page, and not many visible links.

Whereas #1 has very, very many links and stuff on the first page. I still don't even know what #2 blog is really about, it seems kinda all over.

I'd like my main blog to look like #1 with lots of content and links in a year or two.

Well OK then, put stuff I think goes good in my blog and don't worry how big it gets, got it. Thanks for the links!

[Hammer]

Boing Boing is all over the place, that's why it's called Boing Boing.

[timelord]

It's not the size of your blog that counts but the way in which you use it.

The two tops blogs are different because they both fill different niches. One is specific and the other is generic.

I'm curious as to what the average 'information to entertainment' ratio would be. Meaning how much visiting the site is to become/stay informed and how much is because we're bored?

[sunfunbill]

I'm curious as to what the average 'information to entertainment' ratio would be. Meaning how much visiting the site is to become/stay informed and how much is because we're bored?

Since most blog readers are young and they seem to have the attention span measured in seconds I would say most is for the entertainment. I have a girl myspace friend of 18 who leaves bulletins 10 times a day! Of course if it is a more serious or news type blog than that would get older people more into reading for the information.

[Cozy Monica]

I think blogs are all about our boredom and our voyeuristic tendencies. We absolutely LOVE reading about other people's lives and getting sneak peeks into things we feel like we shouldn't be. We LOVE gossip even though we all admonish it as evil.

[Streamray Elli]

Originally posted by Cozy Monica
I think blogs are all about our boredom and our voyeuristic tendencies. We absolutely LOVE reading about other people's lives and getting sneak peeks into things we feel like we shouldn't be. We LOVE gossip even though we all admonish it as evil.

I have to totally agree with this