Blogging

Three Reasons Why Group Blogging is Great

July 6, 2007 by Mike 18 Comments

Now that 10,000 Birds has over a week of group blogging under its proverbial belt, I’d like to comment on what I see as the three most significant advantages to the collective structure. Don’t worry, you’ll get a chance to weigh in later…

1. More Content
The week after we switched from a single author site to a group blog, the number of posts increased more than 30% over the previous week. These weren’t brief ‘Asides’ posts either; word count went up considerably, with average post length far exceeding previous weeks. Readers were probably also thrilled at the sudden influx of photographs.

2. Higher Quality
Quantity is nice, but quality rules the day. I don’t mind saying that, in my opinion, Charlie, Corey, and I are producing compelling, informative, entertaining content along with some smashing photos. Of course I’d say that… my healthy sense of self-esteem should be as obvious as my enormous respect for my colleagues. But readers appear pleased with the new paradigm if new comments, links, and subscriptions are any indication. While more content is an obvious expectation of a blog with multiple contributors, the fact that each of us can spend additional time polishing each piece before publication becomes a serendipitous side effect of our collaboration.

3. Greater Variety
Every writer has certain themes that he or she naturally gravitates towards. Even within the general umbrella of a given site’s theme, there are so many different directions to go in. 10,000 Birds has always endeavored to present a big picture perspective of birding and nature blogging. The addition of two more passionate, not to mention peripatetic naturalists expands the scope of this site tremendously even while deepening its commitment to the same themes we’ve explored all along. Now, readers are getting more birds, more destinations, and more opinions on the important issues. Together, we’re able to explore even more facets of the endlessly fascinating jewel that is the natural world.

Those are the top three reasons why I think that group blogging in general is great and why it’s specifically salutary for this blog. As usual, I have plenty more to say but I’d rather hear what others have to say on the subject. What are your thoughts on group blogs?

Written by Mike
Mike is a leading authority in the field of standardized test preparation, but he's also a traveler who fully expects to see every bird in the world. Besides founding 10,000 Birds in 2003, Mike has also created a number of other entertaining but now extirpated nature blog resources, particularly the Nature Blog Network and I and the Bird.