Blogs, what do you guy look for?

When reading a blog what do you guys search for/ find interesting? I wanted to start a blog to try and open myself up to new things(something my doctor told me/ he also told me to stop being anti social) and I think this might help me. But I have no clue what to write about, so I wanted to know what are things you guys like or wish people did in blogs?

The first thing that I notice is the background. The blog attracts me most when it is appealling to the eye! Next, I'll read a blog most when there are pictures to look at, or when the blog itself is about something I can relate to! So just be open and honest!

when I come across a new blog I often check when the last post was - I dont want to subscribe to the RSS if they only post once every few months!

When it comes to blogs I look for a number of things. First is what you post, I guess I'm trying to say is if you just give me a word or two then I might not be interested for long. 

Second is how much you post. I understand having a busy life, but if you start a blog and your constantly posting then it just stops then I'll stop following your blog.

Third....for me this one irks me all the time. I hate it when someone does not post for months and then they come back with a blog sale!! So your not putting out any content for me to enjoy on your blog yet you want my money for some used crap so you can go and buy new makeup! I don't think so.

Last is blog design. I'm not saying it has to be over the top, with a 5 star web design but I like a blog that is easy for me to navigate and it's not jumbled with tons of stuff.

My list is probably similar to everyone else's:

Easy to navigate

Posts at least a couple of times per week

A decent amount of information (but not too lengthy)

Picture(s) with each post (preferably some they have taken themselves, and not stock ones I have seen all over the web a million times)

Uncluttered (I don't need to see who is visiting your blog, how many hits you have, and from where, no music player, or other unnecessary widgets)

A bit of your personality in your posts

Thanks Ladies! I am definitely taking what you guys are saying to heart. I really want my blog to be successful! (20 people is good for me! lol)

Originally Posted by internetchick /img/forum/go_quote.gif

Uncluttered (I don't need to see who is visiting your blog, how many hits you have, and from where, no music player, or other unnecessary widgets)

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I second this SO MUCH! I hate it when a blog has music playing automatically. If I want to hear music I will play my own. I don't want your damned music player slowing down my computer and interfering with my music/tv/whatever it is I feel like listening to.

I also hate when people add java/javascripted widgets to their page, especially that stupid turning world one so that we can see where your readers are coming from, that thing is a memory hog. Those widgets also slow down my computer and sometimes freeze it up. Just because you have the latest super dooper computer that can run a thousand programs at once doesn't mean everyone does.

I don't care if you don't update often. I know that is important to most readers though. I don't make my rounds every day or all that often myself, and many times I read old old posts on blogs where I really like the writing. So for me the most important thing is originality. For example there are a billion nail blogs out there, and I love me some nail blogs, BUT... most of the time they all have pretty much the same content. They will all have the same swatches of China Glaze/OPI/Orly/etc Christmas/Holiday collection this time of year. So mix it up a bit and post about little known polish brands, or do nail art with them, layer them, find old polishes, etc.

Right now I am wearing "love & beauty" nail polish (only sold at Forever 21) in the color "Indigo" with "LA Colors Color Craze" in "Aqua Crystals" layered on top. My nails look amazing, like I have little sparkling swimming pools at the tips of my fingers. If I could get a sunny day I would take pictures and post to my blog, but this is what I'm talking about. I mixed two brands and came up with something no one else has. I'd like to read about stuff like that!

By the way, I'm assuming you plan on creating a beauty blog and my advice is for that. Or are you thinking of some other kind of blog?

You know what I think would be cool on a nail blog too? Many brands have their core collection with tons of colors that have never/rarely been swatched. These are polishes I could walk into the store and get all year 'round, but since I haven't seen swatches I might not consider them.

Originally Posted by DonnaJ /img/forum/go_quote.gif

By the way, I'm assuming you plan on creating a beauty blog and my advice is for that. Or are you thinking of some other kind of blog?

You know what I think would be cool on a nail blog too? Many brands have their core collection with tons of colors that have never/rarely been swatched. These are polishes I could walk into the store and get all year 'round, but since I haven't seen swatches I might not consider them.

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Hey, um I am unsure about what I want to do. I am leaning more towards a beauty blog(mostly nails because I am a makeup newbie but I know alot about nails!) and maybe later making a second blog on fashion/hair/life,etc if this one is successful.  Thanks for replying back, I appreciate it, and I definitely will be reviewing/ swatching different products from high end to low end.(is there a line in particular you want to be swatched? maybe this could be one of my first post in January? pm me if you want!)

There are actually two brands I would love to see more swatches of, because even though I'm thinking of their core collection polishes, they are hard to find and you usually have to order online. So there isn't much chance I could at least check them out in the bottles. Anyway, the first is low end brand Diamond Cosmetics. They sell for something like $2.25 each and I hear they are really good quality for the money, but there are so many choices and it's so hard to tell from the color drops. The other is high end Jessica. The owner is one of those manicurists to the stars types like Lippmann. I forget the price but it's still under $10, and I only hear good things about Jessica, but once again, so many to choose from and swatches would help so much.

Other than that, random China Glaze or Finger Paints from Sally Beauty Supply would be cool. Or random Hard Candy or Nicole by OPI from Walmart/Target etc. This is what I mean, they are easy to find for just about anyone, but if you don't see the swatches you don't have a reason to go out and look for them.