What we talk about when we talk about blogs.

To fully analyze the effectiveness of blogs I decided I first had to look at how, and why, I personally read blogs.

I may be in the minority here, but I still get most of my "news" from newspapers and magazines.  Sure, I get it online, and I definitely peruse some news-y blogs, non-traditional media sources and aggregators, but for the most part, news-reading and blog-reading fall into separate columns in my frame of reference. 

I look to blogs for service, entertainment, narrative writing and photos and videos, many of the same reasons I read a lot of magazines. Blogs have the ability to deliver timely information and multimedia without space and content restrictions of traditional media.  And, because they're not as worried (this is an assumption) about budgetary and publication constraints, they have the ability to be a bit more free form. 

That's why I like Design*Sponge, which is, coincidentally, a blog I check semi-often. 

Design*Sponge is a blog about, duh, design.  Grace Bonney is the main editor, but many of the articles are written by a team of freelancers, who cover a range of topics from cooking to travel.

The stories tend to be service-oriented, and highly visual.  The blog has a regularly scheduled editorial calendar, for instance DIY projects show up on Wednesdays, but the format allows for some flexibility.

The tone is casual, stories are written in the first person, but it still feels professional.  Sources are always cited and credited, and it seems like the editors try hard to make it a reliable source of information.

One of the most appealing things is the layout and design.  The site is content heavy, but it still feels clean and organized, posts are categorized, photos are always well shot and presented, and the aesthetic suits the topic.

Design*Sponge has been quite successful, the site has 50,000 daily readers, and I think a large part of that is how it's structured and the kind of content it provides.

It has well-organized, specific content that is visually appealing, which I think is really important.  Because it covers a niche market, it's found a specific target area and has developed a strong following.  And, it seems reputable.  I think other blogs could benefit from following it's business model, editorial plan, and layout.