Canadian Finance Blog
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What Makes a Personal Finance Blog “The Best”? Posted: 09 May 2011 02:00 AM PDT One week ago, I was pleasantly shocked to find out my blog RETIRE HAPPY was nominated for the Best Canadian Personal Finance Blog by the Globe and Mail. I'm really excited that my network of friends, colleagues, clients and contacts have really shown support to put me in the lead for voting. Thanks to everyone that has voted for me. RetireHappyBlog is one of 14 sites nominated and it's an honour to be among some well known bloggers like Kerry Taylor (Squawkfox), Ram Balakrishnan (Canadian Capitalist), Ellen Roseman, and Gail Vaz-Oxlade. Congratulations to some other great bloggers like Robb Engen (BoomerandEcho), Mike Holman (MoneySmartsBlog), Kim Petch (Balance Junkie), Krystal Yee (Give Me Back My Five Bucks) and Big Cajun Man (Canadian Personal Finance Blog). Tom's other site Money Index was also nominated for the Best Canadian Investment Blog. Although I have been writing for 12 years, when it comes to blogging I might be considered a bit of a newbie. This contest has really got me thinking about what makes the "BEST" Personal Finance Blog? Does popularity matter?This contest proves that part of blogging lies in popularity and support. Like it or not, this contest was about voting. But even if there was no contest, a big part of the success of a blog lies in traffic. There are millions of blogs out there and so many go completely unnoticed. One might argue that to be great, you have to be noticed and you have to give readers a reason to come back. Quality content is importantI think you have to have great content to be considered a great blog. For me, blogging is about delivering information that is educational and informative. The problem is ‘quality’ is very subjective but sometimes it can be really obvious. To me, content means you have to have some substance to the article. One of my friends says good content is like having some 'meat' on the bones. He says there's nothing worse than getting a skinny chicken wing with nothing on it. Which is better? Niche or General content?Some personal finance blogs like Canadian Mortgage Trend or Canadian Couch Potato blog about a very specific topic like mortgages and debt or investing. Other blogs like Give Me Back My Five Bucks cater to a specific demographic like the 20 somethings. Some sites like Canadian Finance Blog cater to a broad audience with broad topics so there is some content for anyone and everyone. For me, Retire Happy Blog probably fit in the more general category although my content is primarily geared to the almost retired or already retired group. I’m not sure there is a better or worse here but what do you think? How often should blogs update?Some blogs post daily. Others post less frequently like once a week. I've often struggled with this issue of quantity. Do people really want content on a daily basis? Is a blog better if it posts more frequently? Squawkfox is a great example of a really successful blog that puts up content only weekly. On the other side of the coin, another great blog Canadian Finance Blog publishes a new post every single day. Does frequency matter? What about Engagement and interaction?One of the big changes I have seen over the past 12 years as a personal finance writer is the importance of engaging and interacting with readers. Someone once told me the difference between a great blog and an average blog is a great blog not only educates but it also interacts with readers. For a long time, I did not have the ability for readers to post comments which made it difficult to interact with my readers. That was not good! But how important is this issue? Who’s the Blogger behind the blog?If engagement and interaction is important then the person or people behind the blogs must be important too. Most blogs are run by one person. Boomer and Echo is a great blog because it provides content from both a Mother and her Son. Other blogs like Canadian Finance Blog have developed a strategy of providing posts from many different personalities (like me). Is the blog entertaining?Some bloggers are entertaining which to me is a real plus. One of the nominees that stands out on this issues is probably Big Cajun Man. It's interesting to read his stuff because you never know where he's going to go next. He's funny, sarcastic and informative. Does the blog utilize Social Media?For me, I am rather new to the social media scene but the reason I got into it is because I think it's an integral and essential part of blogging. I think social media makes both a blog and a blogger better because it creates more engagement, traffic and community. I know this is not a complete list so what do you think makes a blog the 'best'? I'd love to hear you thoughts! Related Posts:
What Makes a Personal Finance Blog "The Best"? originally appeared on Canadian Finance Blog on May 9, 2011. |
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