Deliver what your audience needs: or is blogging just about you?

Think of the most successful blogs you know and what do they have in common? They deliver or cater to a need. Ranging in scope from Mashable to memoirs, the most followed blogs deliver something useful.

From clearly defined tangible needs for knowledge and entertainment to more esoteric forms that touch the heart and mind, it is easy to see the difference between an author that cares about their audience and one authored by someone really just digs themself and their own interests.

I have read several blogs over the last week (for the #atozchallange) -- several of which I enjoy and respect by the way--from aspiring, professional and dedicated bloggers as well as from people looking to make a quick and easy buck. The most followed are those that "do something" for their audience.

That's nice, but do your readers care?

You don't have to be Florence Nightingale

Of course we bloggers care about click-through rates and our egos -- to include the need to boost them. Many of us simply love creative outlets. If we didn't have some self-interest we'd stick to private journaling.

So what's the problem?

There isn't one unless you are not reaching your professional and financial goals. If the goal is to expand your audience and profits, write with both in mind.

27+1 Tips for Building and Maintaining a Blog Audience offers several useful tips for those who want to expand their readership and step-up their blogging efforts. It is by no means comprehensive but offers a constructive and clear basis to start from.

 It is time consuming indeed to be a professional blogger, and requires far more than simply being smart, witty, clever or passionate. It's a job for a select few.

For those who are content with improvement -- a good start! -- rather than becoming a 5-6 figure income-generating blogger, that can be more easily accommodated, just scale your efforts accordingly -- with your audience and end goal in mind.