Tips for Finding & Managing the Blogs You Read—or How NOT to Get Blogged Down

by Edie Melson

I’ve gotten a lot of questions lately about how to keep up with the blogs you want to read. And some of you complain (rightly so) that you’re following so many blogs you don’t have time to write. Of course I’m also hearing from some who haven’t committed to following any blogs because of a fear that there won’t be any time to write.

Either extreme will blog…er…bog down your career. So today I’m sharing tips for finding & managing the blogs you read.

 All kidding aside, as a writer it’s vitally important to continue your education. And blogs can be an extremely efficient way to do this. I can hear the chorus of complaints now.

• There are millions of blogs out there—how do I find one that’s worthwhile?
• How do I narrow down my choices—do I have to read hundreds to find one that fits what I need?
• Where do I start looking—it’s gonna be like finding a needle in a haystack!

Enough already.

Finding high quality blogs, that pertain to your situation are just not that hard to find. You find a good blog the same way you find a good book. Think about it, we’ve been shopping for books for years, choosing from millions of titles, and finding success. 

• First, look for recommendations from people you trust.
• Second, most blogs have blog lists as a part of their layout. If you like blogger A and he likes blogger D, chances are you ought to give it a try.
• Third, look for blogs from familiar people. Now days, most bloggers have or are at least affiliated with more than one blog. 

So how do you manage following blogs and keep from eating into valuable writing time?

I have a plan for that too. I like to use a stair-step approach.

• I start with three to five blogs that I follow regularly. These are blogs I almost always read.
• Then I have a second level of six to eight blogs that I watch closely. I read these about one half of the time and I decide when by paying close attention to the subject lines and titles of the posts.
• Next I have a third level of about twelve to fifteen blogs that I watch the subject lines and titles and read when they sound interesting. 
• Finally, and this is VERY important. I delete any I don't have time for. I tried putting them into some sort of get-to-it-later pile. But truthfully, I never found time to go back to that pile.

It's important to remember that there's very little out there that hasn't been said before or won't be said again. If you miss it—and it's important—it really will show up somewhere else.

This is the method that works for me. I’d love to hear how you manage your blog life.

Don’t forget to join the conversation!

Blessings,

Edie

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Getting blogged down by everything you WANT to read on the web? @EdieMelson has some tips to help (Click to Tweet)