10 First Date Questions Every Blogger Should Know

Many of the qualities that will make you successful in social media have already made you successful (or unsuccessful) in the social situations of day-to-day life. For example, we all have certain questions that pop into our head automatically during a first date.

If you ask yourself these same first date questions, which you already know, and have already used, before you publish each blog post, your content will be just as sexy and lovable as the girl/boy you end up dating.

(Feel free to substitute he/him for she/her. All the questions still apply.)

1. Is she attractive? Let’s face it; as much as what’s on the inside counts, what’s on the outside counts as well, especially when you have so many dates to choose from. If you could only click on 10 links a day based solely on the title, would your blog post be one of them?
2. Is she well-kept? You would be a little put-off if your date had old mustard stains on her clothes, and people will be put off in the same way if your layout, design, user-interface, or posts are a mess. Every once in a while we all get something stuck in our teeth (the dating equivalent to making a grammatical error), but make every attempt to be well groomed and proper.
3. Is she unique? Nobody wants to spend their time on a boring date. We want each date and each blog post to be original, different (in a good way), and special (again, in a good way).
4. Do you have things in common? Common interests are the foundation for many relationships. If you are looking for someone who will love your 100-pound Great Dane, and she hates pets, that might be hard to overcome. And if readers are looking for content that will be useful and applicable to their needs, you have to make sure you are providing it with every post.
5. Does she stimulate your…interest? A great date makes you excited. You are deeply engaged during the date, and probably thinking about  it for a long time after. Does your blog post have the same effect?
6. Does she have manners? Debate is great. But being rude because you haven’t learned how to act properly in social situations really turns people off.
7. Does she act like she is better than you? Nobody likes an elitist. Especially if they aren’t really qualified to be one. Good dates and good bloggers share, they don’t preach. Because if you are preaching, you better be pretty damn important, and not just in your own opinion.
8. Is she way too uptight? Composure is good, but obsessive compulsiveness can get annoying. We all want a date and a blog with whom we can relax, and just enjoy the experience. Don’t blog like every post is a research paper. Think about the last chat you had with a friend and channel that vibe.
9. Is she wasting your time? Unlike a date, if a reader doesn’t have time to listen to you, they won’t. Don’t be long-winded. But like a date, you should be talking with confidence, but not arrogance, and well-versed, not rambling.
10. Would you go out with her again? Re-read your post and think about whether or not you still like it enough to post it. Don’t be so excited to get to the finish line that you put out for no good reason.

Any other questions you would add?

Image Source: sam_churchill on Flickr