Written on January 17th, 2009 at 12:01 am by Darren Rowse

Sugar, Spice and Vitamins: Three Types of Posts that Will Grow Your Blogs Traffic

Featured Posts, Writing Content 90 comments

What type of content helps to build a popular blog? Today Jurgen Appelo from Noop.nl shares three types of posts to help you grow your blog.

There are many ways to build a popular blog, and each blog author has his own ideas on topics and style of writing. In this post I will tell you about my personal recipe for blogs. I call it sugar, spice & vitamins.

Vitamins

vitamins.jpgThe vitamins are the blog posts that are important for regular readers. They are about becoming a better manager, making life more joyful, having a less stressful job, or learning all there is to know about guinea pigs, motorcycles, Britney Spears, or miniature villages made of toothpicks. In short, the vitamin posts are the essential ingredients for your blog to build and grow around a certain theme or niche. My own blog is aimed at software development managers (probably a smaller niche than miniature villages made of toothpicks). So my “vitamin posts” have topics like How to Select a Fine Technical Manager and To Motivate People… Balance Your Practices.

But how do I get people to consume vitamins?

Well, just imagine that you’re trying to interest consumers in eating savory pies. Waving at people with healthy carrots and sticks of celery will probably not be received with much enthusiasm. People might care about vitamins, but what really gets them motivated is usually something else…

Sugar

Sugar.jpgPeople might say they are interested in your important blog posts, but it’s easier to get their attention with sugar posts. Your blog should have just the right amount of sugar to get people interested. The sugar in your blog are the posts that make people’s mouths water from pure delight. You write these posts with the sole purpose of making your blog easier to consume. Some of my “sugar posts” were Top 100 Best Books for Managers, Leaders & Humans and Top 100 Blogs for Developers.

But why always the number 100 in these posts?

Because 100 is bigger than 25. And bigger than 50. And it’s the first number to require no less than three digits. The posts I mentioned here have been huge traffic generators for my blog. I believe that list size and traffic volume have a non-linear relationship. A top 100 list doesn’t give you four times as much traffic as a top 25 list. It gives you ten times as much! (I even created an article called How to Create a Top Blog List, so that you can enjoy similar results for your blog.)

You can think of other and better ways of attracting new readers. But remember! We’re talking about sugar posts here. They only exist to attract new consumers and to make them digest the vitamins as well. Go easy on the sugar! You don’t want your blog to turn into a cotton candy machine.

Spice

spice.jpgYou may notice that vitamins and sugar will not be sufficient to keep people interested for long. You need a finishing touch. Something to spruce up your endless stream of healthy and sweet content. I call this last ingredient the spice posts. The spices give your blog flavor and personality. These are the blog posts that can trigger heated debates. Everyone likes sugar, and nobody dislikes vitamins. But it’s the spices that will have people talking about you. Some of my “spiced posts” were Thank You, Stupid Americans and Professionalism = Knowledge First, Experience Last.

But won’t these posts scare away my readers?

Yes, some of them perhaps. I’ve written posts that made people laugh, scream and cry. Figuratively speaking of course. (And some of their replies made me laugh, scream and cry.) It’s the spices that will divide your readers. Some people will hate them. But many will come back for more, because they won’t find those particular flavors anywhere else.

Sugar, Spice & Vitamins

Exactly one year after I started, my blog now has 2,500 feed subscribers, and 1,000 visits per day. That’s not bad for a blog about an extremely boring topic like software development management. And I attribute the success to my sugar, spice & vitamins recipe. The sugar attracts new readers, the vitamins keep everyone healthy, and the spices make it all the more interesting.

So… have you figured out what kind of post this is?

Images by Fred Armitage, Darwin Bell and Riv.

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90 Responses to “Sugar, Spice and Vitamins: Three Types of Posts that Will Grow Your Blogs Traffic” - Add Yours

  • Laura-Whateverebay

    January 17th, 2009 12:10 am

    Excellent example. A good recipe is only as good as the ingredients. Fresh, quality content rules. :)

  • Eric Hamm

    January 17th, 2009 12:21 am

    I loved this post! Those certainly are the three crucial elements to a successfully continuous conversation in the basement of your blog. Sugar is what you’ll find at our blog today, but vitamins and spice are always abundant as well! :-) Eric

  • Ryan Stephens

    January 17th, 2009 12:24 am

    It is interesting that the food analogies have been circulating around of late.

    I think this is a good analogy, and that you are definitely right about having a varying mixture of these elements. I would be interested in what you feel a good % breakdown for each element would be. Perhaps 70% vitamins, 15% sugar, 15% spice?

    Obviously, you could make a good case that it really depends on your audience and the content THEY want.

    There might be something said about the people who just create the content their consumers want and do not necessarily evaluate the actual breakdown (though I suspect most successful bloggers do to some extent whether they admit it or not.)

    I’d be interested to hear you weigh in on this as well.

    Solid post, great contribution to Problogger.

  • Writer Dad

    January 17th, 2009 12:26 am

    Sugar is important. Well, actually, all three are, but if people enjoy your site they are more likely to return again and again again. For me, nothing has added more to my quick blogging success than big giant spoonfuls of the stuff.

  • TechMata

    January 17th, 2009 12:31 am

    Never thought about this blog posting style.

    Thanks! ^_^

  • BLOGBOOZE

    January 17th, 2009 12:33 am

    I think this post is a Sugar Post……. :) anyway the article was a great Out of the Box Article with 3 tastes. I love the way you have applied those flavors into your post.. But one thing has to be clear here “Software Engineering is not a Boring Topic or a Subject”…..

  • David at Animal-Kingdom-Workouts.com

    January 17th, 2009 12:49 am

    I still don’t have my blog up yet, but I appreciate your insights. What a unique way to look at blogging. Vitamins, Sugar, and Spice. I’m curious if you’ve stumbled upon any kind of ratios for how many sugar posts you write as opposed to vitamins and spice. Any thoughts?

    Thanks again,

    - Dave

  • Snow Vandemore

    January 17th, 2009 12:52 am

    I prefer blog posts like my men, spicey — lol.

    Seriously, spice keeps things from getting too stayed, too relaxed. Spice is the variety of life, to turn the phrase around.

    Sugar and vitamins — I do that too, but not so much.

    Great analogy. Thanks for the opportunity to share.

  • Very Evolved

    January 17th, 2009 12:53 am

    Jurgen, you have articulated your strategy very well.

    To continue the gastronomic theme I would say that a well presented website should show your sugar, spice and vitamins in way that it’s easy to see them all on the landing page – like a restaurant menu.

    Actually your post has made me quite hungry.

    Patrick

  • Tumblemoose

    January 17th, 2009 12:54 am

    Ok, I’m gonna shoot for a spicy-sweet chock full o’ vitamins post today.

    I’ll let ya know how it turns out!

    Nummy.

    George

  • Kimberly

    January 17th, 2009 12:54 am

    GREAT article! I post a lot of “sugar” posts and never any “spice” ones. I think I serious need to start doing that.

    The idea of the vitamin posts is fabulous! Never would I have thought to do that.

    Thanks for giving me “food for thought”.

  • Make Money Online Tips

    January 17th, 2009 12:59 am

    This post was a Sugar + Spice post. LOL. I think spice is very important for a blog.

  • Katharine

    January 17th, 2009 1:04 am

    I think I started my blog in a rush and have ended up doing ‘rice cake’ posts – They don’t taste very good, don’t offer a lot of nutrition, but if push came to shove, you could use one as a coaster!

    I think I should try not posting unless I can categorise as Sugar, Spice or Vitamin – at least for a while!

    I too would be interested in your thoughts regarding ratios of each ingredient.

    Thanks

  • Carla

    January 17th, 2009 1:07 am

    I place my token on vitamin post. As it is stated:

    vitamin posts are the essential ingredients for your blog to build and grow around a certain theme or niche.

    I found this way of looking at blogging very enlightening. I know about the spice and vitamins use it in my blog. But I had to think about the sugar and how making your readers water at the mouth for more. I suppose this would be what some call bringing value or enhancing the readers world in some way. This is what we bloggers constantly work on enhancing and bringing more value to our readers.

  • Dilip

    January 17th, 2009 1:10 am

    Great Article and excellent tips. You have just inspired me to improve my posts and drive more traffic. Thanks.

    Dilip

  • Brain Food

    January 17th, 2009 1:11 am

    Darren, as someone who does a lot of promotion on digg/reddit/stumble I think your article nails the kinds of content that do well in social media.

    At the end of the day, it all comes down to giving readers what they will either enjoy or be edified by.

  • WOMWON

    January 17th, 2009 1:24 am

    We usually feed our readers all three types simultaneously in one post and watch them throw up. It works.

  • sarah mae

    January 17th, 2009 1:50 am

    This was a very helpful article! Thanks for posting it!

  • Ben Roberts | EXIT Real Estate 540

    January 17th, 2009 1:54 am

    If this post were a meal it would be a Thanksgiving Dinner with Turkey and Dressing and all the trimmings! Great succinct post about how to make your site enjoyable, relevant, and enticing.

  • Steve Thornton

    January 17th, 2009 1:54 am

    Great tips in this post, Jurgen. It really got me thinking though – what about the beef? I mean the stories that really feed your audience. I think in their haste to post something every day, too many bloggers leave out the meat. If you don’t have something worth reading its probably best not to post until you have time to write something more meaningful.

  • Lipton of Starfeeder

    January 17th, 2009 2:13 am

    Great post yet again Darren :)

    I love this one especially, what is a good ratio do you think between all these posts? Or maybe a better question is what do you think your ratio is with these 3 kinds of posts?

    I think for my blog, its about half and half vitamins and sugar (lot of news, and lots of rumors/videos which equate sugar in my mind) and every now and then for the social media outlets (massess) some spice…

  • Will Lowrey

    January 17th, 2009 2:27 am

    In terms of spice – I imagine that the number of readers you lose will pale in comparison to the number you will gain. Even if people disagree, they are often more interested in the drama that is generated than in having everyone agree.

    I definitely need to work on the spice for my site!

    Thanks for the post.

  • Adrienne

    January 17th, 2009 2:27 am

    My guess is this: a healthy post filled with vitamins yet sprinkled with sugar to get your attention. It worked!

    My next goal on my freelance writing blog (www.onthewriteroad.com) is to come up with a “100 Best Something” list.

    Helpful post, thanks

    Adrienne

  • Sue Atkins

    January 17th, 2009 2:31 am

    I started out writing about all things “parenting” which is my passion and also my expertise but recently I have been adding my own personality and flavour to my blog and I really love writing it and I look forward to writing it every day so this post has been invaluable in re affirming what I had just started to do naturally so I really hope it inspires others to do the same – and be themselves too !

    Thanks,

    Sue

    http://www.positive-parents.com

  • Kayla

    January 17th, 2009 2:36 am

    Great metaphor of a post! I saw this title on my feeder and I thought, “what on earth is this going to be about”. Drew me in nonetheless, and ended up being very useful!

    I write a few articles on my blog about content writing, writing good blog posts, etc. I think this post summed up the types of posts you need rather well, and why.

    Great job

  • Katie Langston - Small Business Marketing Wizard

    January 17th, 2009 2:45 am

    Hey, cool post!! What a great way to think about it. I’ve read Jack Humphrey’s stuff, and he’s always talking about “linkbait” posts and “utility” posts, but I really like the vitamin, sugar, and spice analogy. It adds a whole new dimension and focuses on the reader. Thanks!

    P.S. Is this a vitamin post? (Maybe a sugar?)

  • Alison

    January 17th, 2009 2:53 am

    Love the idea of Sugar, Spice and Vitamins.

    Best 100 – I’m exhausted just thinking about how to find the time to do a post with 100 items! I need to seriously figure out how to keep up with blogging without burnout. Every day my list of things to do grows and I get only a few items checked off. I’m not talking about little things here, I want to migrate to Wordpress, maintain/upgrade posts that are getting the most search engine visitors, check for broken links, refine my writing style, write articles that are part of a series I already started (these are longer articles that take me about 1.5 hrs to write), and learn how to make the most of my posts for SEO. I’ve got to fit all this around homeschooling, housework, taking exercise, developing a local business, upgrading my two existing websites, figuring out how to cut my budget for 2009, launching websites at 4 domain names I already paid for, and helping my teen daughter to launch into selling her graphic work. Oh yes, and my husband does need just a little attention.

    Couldn’t you stop giving me great ideas for a day or two Darren? Please?!!!! Or maybe tell me how to clone myself?

  • Stephan Miller

    January 17th, 2009 3:08 am

    I need to get back to my vitamin posts. Good breakdown. I think my readers are missing a bit of nutrition.

  • Burak

    January 17th, 2009 3:35 am

    This post is definitely a mixture of vitamin and sugar.

    Very funny and helpful at the same time.

    I’m quite sure that spices will attract more readers than they scare away. Being a bit of controversial is always a good thing to attract some attention, but as you say overdoing it is dangerous.

  • Random Good Stuff

    January 17th, 2009 3:36 am

    Sounds like the Power Puff Girls to me ;) !

  • Anna

    January 17th, 2009 3:42 am

    I think its more of a vitamin post, but maybe one of those sugar coated vitamins. They coat them with sugar so kids will swallow them.

  • tim

    January 17th, 2009 3:43 am

    As an avid lover of food an as a person who choses to NOT just eat to live but loves the experience, this post really brings these elements home for me!

    Great explaination of the types of posts you use. I will def. use this!

  • TheDAn

    January 17th, 2009 3:44 am

    And here I thought to have a successful blog I had to spam people and make threats. I even put up a picture of a fish with an ostrich head. So much for my ideas.

    http://www.thedan.us

  • Clarke

    January 17th, 2009 3:51 am

    This is awesome advice. For whatever reason, the whole cooking metaphor really hit me and made sense. I like how it satisfies so many things important to blogging: you get to write important and meaningful posts, you get to write easy fluffier pieces that drive traffic, and get to pour your heart out about something that means a lot to you (or maybe just pisses you off). There’s something for everyone, and it’s a good way to keep from getting stuck in a writing-rut.

  • Jurgen Appelo

    January 17th, 2009 3:58 am

    Hi everyone,

    Thanks for the nice comments!

    What I didn’t mention in the article is that individual posts can have all 3 ingredients at the same time. I don’t often combine sugar and vitamins in one post, but there’s almost always a hint of spice in them.

    The ratios differ from post to post (with some very spicy ones among them). But on average I would guess 20% sugar, 20% spice and 60% vitamins.

    Hope to talk to you again later!

  • Riccardo

    January 17th, 2009 4:41 am

    I Think this is sugar post

  • vivek

    January 17th, 2009 4:47 am

    This was surely a sugar. I think all bloggers do this some time or the other but thanks for outlining the differences so clearly.
    Now I will surely know what category each of my post falls into..

  • Astrid Lee Reiki Master Teacher

    January 17th, 2009 5:21 am

    Now this catchy title caught my attention!

    But better still, I love the analogy that you’re using here and am planning to go over my blog and see how much I have of each, and therefore, where I should ’spice up’ my blog.

    I have been focusing too much on vitamins, I guess…. We’ll see. I’ll report back.

    Great suggestion. Thank you!

  • graceisover50

    January 17th, 2009 5:29 am

    Sugar.

    Thanks for the advice. Learning about good post content is my goal right now.

  • Andressa

    January 17th, 2009 5:30 am

    I think it is a vitamin (and a very good) post.

  • Ashwin Kumar

    January 17th, 2009 6:24 am

    A fresh content makes your site to look more healthy…..lol

  • Demian Farnworth

    January 17th, 2009 6:32 am

    Quite possible the best post I’ve read on content production. Seriously. I love the way you’ve described. This is going to be one of the cornerstone article I recommend new bloggers read. Thanks.

  • Anastasia

    January 17th, 2009 8:05 am

    Thanks you so much for this post! Even though I read al ot of articles about how to write good content – this one did realy help me understand … I am now on my way to re-visit and may be to re-write some of my scheduled articles!

    Great work – brilliant metaphores, really did work for me!

  • Phil Kirkham

    January 17th, 2009 8:29 am

    Thanks for the tips – I’m now busy trying to think of a Top 100 list for my blog….

  • jessi

    January 17th, 2009 8:47 am

    Good post…but I was wondering how would you create that mix on a blog like mine? Because I don’t write articles and just do pics everyday would there be a way to do a spice post?

    It’s got me thinking

    Thanks

  • Miss Gisele B | EatSmartAgeSmart.com

    January 17th, 2009 3:33 pm

    I’m so soooooooooooooooooorry, but this post is simply B-R-I-L-L-I-A-N-T!

    In about 5 minutes, I’ve learmet so much.

    I already have a site and about to launch a new one within a few weeks and i will sure have a nice little mixture of vitamins, sugar and spice in order to end the year strong.

    I’m hoping to get more traffic that our mentor for this lesson because my new site won’t be about borring software creation ;-)

    Thanks again for sharing these incredible and valuable tips!

    Miss Gisele B

  • Ravi Ahuja

    January 17th, 2009 4:43 pm

    You don’t know exactly what your visitors like. Mixer of post methods as suggest can hold your visitors interest. By this way you can satisfy all type of visitors.

  • newgadgetsguru

    January 17th, 2009 8:39 pm

    Certainly will keep these in mind while writing posts on my blog. Does the same theory apply to a gadget blog as well?

    http://www.newgadgetsguru.com

  • Meditation Techniques

    January 18th, 2009 3:30 am

    Some excellent content here and a nice writing style too – keep up the great work!

  • Lyndsay Cabildo

    January 18th, 2009 3:35 am

    Hmmm…that’s great tips there…I want to follow that then, anything that would help to boost my traffic.

  • Gennaro

    January 18th, 2009 3:59 am

    Novel approach to a post. I find that post that use unusual numbers tend to catch my eye. Something like 27 Things To Do In India.

  • Jennifer Ryan @ I Choose Change

    January 18th, 2009 5:15 am

    I love the information in this article! Never thought of blogging like this before, but it is definitely an easy formula to follow.

    Thanks for another great post!

  • Writer's Coin

    January 18th, 2009 5:27 am

    I too am loving this post. I hate sites that focus on just one of these, especially when they leave out the vitamins entirely, which happens all too often. But a nice balance makes sense, especially if you’re aware of the vitamin part being the backbone/meat of any good site.

  • Elizabeth at About Stress Management

    January 18th, 2009 9:22 am

    This is just the analogy I needed to see today. My posts have been mostly vitamins (who knew that such solid ‘nutrition’ would have left me imbalanced?) and I’ve noticed that, while the vites bring a solid readership, I had been getting virtually not comments (it’s hard to say much to those).

    However, I wrote a pretty spicey post the other day (ironically, on chocolate, which, you would think, would put it in the ’sugar’ category, but it stirred quite the controversy), and it brought several comments and emails.

    For my purposes, I think I will ‘balance the old diet’ a little more and see how delicious my–okay, yes, I’m taking the food analogy waaaay too far!

    Thanks for a great post!!

  • Sugarluxe

    January 18th, 2009 9:50 am

    Good food for thought!

    I mostly blog to provide tips and insight to artists who want to make a REAL living from their work (the vitamins), but it is also based on my own art and the brand I’ve developed. So, to be “brand consistent” – America’s Sweet Art, (the inherent sugar), I find that I tend to edit my spicier side. And trust me, I have me some repressed spice.

    I feel a bit confined sometimes by the image and how it can limit me from being the multi-dimensional person I am. What are your thoughts on businesses who blog and the impact it can have on brand image?

  • healthy-living-service

    January 18th, 2009 12:49 pm

    Excellent post! I only wrote “Vitamins posts” before,I will write more “sugar, spice ” posts from now on.

  • Ellen Britt

    January 18th, 2009 2:02 pm

    Now this is cooking at its finest! A mouth-watering recipe for success. Kudos…

    Now to apply this recipe to my own blog posts…

  • Gina

    January 18th, 2009 5:38 pm

    Aloha! Working with eating disorders I Love the metaphor you used. So if I may add my 2 cents… also keep in mind balance and avoid binging and restricting :)
    Mahalo for your fabulous insight once again!
    Aloha~

  • Azis

    January 18th, 2009 6:00 pm

    Ok, I will give more vitamins for my blog.

    Thank’s sir ….

  • LisaNewton

    January 18th, 2009 10:35 pm

    You paint a great pictures. Because I just started my blog, these ideas have got me thinkin’.

    Thanks…………………………..:)

  • Maria M

    January 19th, 2009 5:35 am

    Great analogies. I love all types of posts, depending on my mood.

  • Tadukau

    January 19th, 2009 10:20 am

    Interesting post. It now makes easier for me to recognize which article is vitamin, which is sugar and which is spice… Never thought about that. I like the idea behind those three words… It really shows what it’s all about.

  • Ingrid Sherman

    January 19th, 2009 11:31 am

    Your ideas are great, but your pictures make it so much more powerful. You certainly know how to get people`s attention.

  • Charles

    January 20th, 2009 2:59 am

    This is a very good recipe. I think people are more attracted to the title first before clicking it for more reading. So, the wording of the title plays an important role in increasing traffic.

  • Gert

    January 20th, 2009 4:50 am

    Hey, thanks!

    Its really great that you sharing kind of stuff! Thanks a lot!

  • Mrs. Accountability

    January 20th, 2009 9:15 am

    I don’t think I have many (any?) “spicy” posts because I don’t like conflict. This is a very different way of thinking about writing. I think “sugar” posts for my blog would be my “True Confessions” tag. Thanks for this different way of looking at things!

  • Sh3lly

    January 20th, 2009 10:46 am

    While were at it, why not use 101 instead of 100 if you’re going to be using numbers in titles? 101 is catchier in terms of attracting more eyeballs.

  • CS-Weekly

    January 20th, 2009 12:07 pm

    I am wondering if “diet” or “non-fat” type of post is good at any circumstances? :)

    btw: if you search “top ###” in Google, top 100 do get the most numbers, more than top 10, pretty surprising to me. Great article!

  • Bethany Shaffer

    January 20th, 2009 1:06 pm

    Thanks for this post: you articulated something I’ve often abstractly thought of in relation to my own blog. As always-you are a big help!

  • Jack

    January 20th, 2009 2:56 pm

    I think you hit on the three special ingredients to make your blog grow. I always call them easy posts, anchor posts, and controversial posts, but I like your terms better, vitamins, sugar, and spice.

  • India Software Project Outsourcing

    January 20th, 2009 9:00 pm

    Very Smart and Intelligent combination, Sugar, Spice and Vitamins. Your blog truly includes all the three of them without any doubt. One thing is for sure that your recipe might have turned to great success. What say..??

  • David

    January 20th, 2009 9:12 pm

    Vitamins, Sugar and Spice – 3 items must have ;)

  • SEO Tips

    January 20th, 2009 10:44 pm

    This has to be one of the best articles I have read for a couple of months now (no kidding). I usually come across articles which are trying to get the same sort of point across but no one makes it as interesting as your post I have just read.

    This is an excellent example of how you can take something of no relevance and turn it in to something of relevance which you can relate to.

    Again, I commend you on your article.

    Thanks.

  • Omar

    January 21st, 2009 4:15 am

    This was a very insightful article. Thank you!

    Omar

  • Vez

    January 21st, 2009 10:23 am

    This post has been very informative.It is very difficult to come up with original content these days and on top of that adding some spice, sugar and vitamins!

    Great analogy!
    Thanks for the post

    http://www.trainerpack.com

  • J. Michael Warner

    January 21st, 2009 11:07 am

    Instead of 100 I am trying $500. LOL I am offering a drawing for those that sign up for a free email subscription to my site. The winner gets up to $500….Do you think that is too much sugar?

  • gendut

    January 21st, 2009 4:33 pm

    well daren…. I like style your writing & presentation making the articles…..very interesting

  • Eleté

    January 21st, 2009 9:16 pm

    Couldnt agree more, I recently decided to change a bit the way I manage my blog. I have a lot of vitamins, but I needed some sugar and spice! I came up with an idea for a couple weekly columns, and it turns out im right because it fits perfectly into what you were saying….

  • Steven

    January 22nd, 2009 12:30 am

    I found this site on the advice of Lisa Sabin, the Author of WordPress for Dummies. I read this article and although is a start it’s only a suble one, even philosophical.

    Perhaps this is not the appropriate place to post a questions but I am having trouble with my blog and I am lost and need some imput from you folks that are out there making it happen.

    Althought it still needs work I crated a blog about 3 months ago. Wrote some great articles. And in 3 months I have not had 1 visitor…NOT ONE! The only comments on my site are fake posted by me and my mother (bless her heart).

    1. What and I missing?
    2. Where do I start?
    3. What can I do?

    I have important things to say…life saving things and I am good at it…but no one cares. Thoughts anyone?

    With Thanks,

    Dr. Steven Ella
    ( http://www.NutritionWire.org ) Not sure if it’s cool to put a URL in a post comment but this is not blog spam I assure you!

  • thenaturalknowitall.com

    January 22nd, 2009 4:24 am

    This article is really great. Good info.

  • HoneyChild

    January 22nd, 2009 4:28 am

    Funny thing… My blog is all about natural and holistic living. I posted an article about a particular TV show that is like my crack. It’s such a guilty pleasure. I got a great response and lots of new followers from that one post. I also received my first comment from it. Spice is good….

  • Steven

    January 22nd, 2009 11:38 pm

    I did not take spice to mean posting articles outside your area of expertice or off topic…I thought ’spice’ means something contoversial withing your topic…so for example, “The Atkins Diet is Insane and Deadly” on my blog about diets would be spice…BTW, what’s your site HoneyChild?

    Any one have advice on how to create traffic and visitors and commentors?

  • paranormity

    January 23rd, 2009 3:03 am

    Another great article, I need to start adding some spice to my blog. Time to get really spicy!

  • Joi

    January 23rd, 2009 3:44 am

    Great advice. I’d never thought of it in those terms before. Thanks, too, for the link to the How to Create a Top Blog List. I’ve opened it in another window and am about to devour it word for word.

  • Vern at AimforAwesome

    January 23rd, 2009 1:14 pm

    The longest list I’ve written was 50 items. 100 items… yes, maybe that’s just what everyone is waiting for.

    Wait a second.

    When I see lists of 100 I always ignore them because in the past any list of 100 anything has always been filled with 70 things that didn’t need to be there. Are you sure this works?

    100 great items – that would be a serious piece of content – and effort.

    I realize that what I like and what others like is usually really different – so I’ll try this list of 100 and see what happens. Gotta try everything I think!

  • Sher

    January 23rd, 2009 5:25 pm

    This is a great post and great advice! Actually, it sounds a little bit like a recipe for carrot cake! :0) Thanks for all your great ideas and advice!

  • Affordable Web Promotion

    January 24th, 2009 3:37 am

    Very creative using food analogies. Using sugar and spice is something that catches my attention.

  • Tamal Anwar

    January 25th, 2009 12:07 am

    I think its a spice post.

    I remember the title line from the PowerPuff girls,

    “Suger, spice and everything nice…”

    -these were the ingredients to create a perfect blog!

  • The Happy Slob

    January 27th, 2009 2:19 pm

    Absolutely brilliant post! I’m going to bookmark this and refer to it over and over again when I make postings on my blog. Thanks so much!
    Christina

  • Seth W

    April 11th, 2009 9:12 am

    SPICE: I like this post a lot and could really use a little spice and sugar on my blog. Thanks for the unique ideas that I will have to start working with.


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