No, this is not a list of absolutes or criteria, which you must meet to be a top-blogger. I’m not arrogant enough for that. This is a set of qualities that I consider certain top-bloggers to possess, their competitive advantage if you will, which I define as:

“a differentiated and hard-to-replicate ability that generates rewards above and beyond those of the mass-market.”

Taste: I’m not saying that everything bloggers like Kottke post is good; but he does post stuff that is tasteful. Same as Kanye West.

Fresh: The reason people visit sites like TechCrunch or Engadget is because they have access to fresh info, and people love to read stuff that has remained hidden until now.

“Social object”: I’m not sure if you remember when Digg came to be. It was right when I started blogging. All of a sudden you saw Digg-buttons pop up everywhere, which I see as the key to their success. Similarly, you see Gaping Void scribbles on nearly every business blog. To some extent, Engadget’s gadgets are the ultimate social objects, so is Gary Vaynerchuk’s wine. The point is, if you create something that spreads like wildfire, you’re golden.

Helpfulness: Even though it is a passing fad (at least for me), “life-hacking” is a big deal to geeks for some reason (theory: they all want to be superman?), and sites like 43folders, Lifehacker, and previously, Kathy Sierra, bite right into that trend. Naturally, all bloggers, unless they’re just marketing their services, are to some extent helpful.

Energy: I don’t think any blogger really fits this description; writing is, by nature, a passive and reflective art. But I do want to nominate Gary Vaynerchuk’s video-blog as one of the most energetic I’ve ever seen.

Things to remember:

• The ability to write is a pre-requisite, but not a hard one to learn, and it really helps if you enjoy it.
• Rhythm is another pre-requisite, though I think it should always be the blogger’s own rhythm that should be followed, less (s)he burns out. People will wait.
• Audience is an after-effect; I feel that many people (twitterers especially) feel that the key to success is audience (“followers”, “friends (ha!)”). Along the way they find out that they actually have to be different to get some in the long-run. It’s about loyalty, not mass.
• Authority is an after-effect; what makes a specialist? One who is both bright and experienced, and can communicate those qualities effectively. Authority comes with time.
• Ego & self-promotion is part of the game, but shouldn’t be the only part of it.
• Once again: competitive advantage is a unique quality. It doesn’t help to just emulate other bloggers. If you blog about something you enjoy + people read you because that passion shines through, that is the golden formula… in my humble opinion. Want to gain some competitive advantage? Create your own.

Feel free to share your own thoughts about basic qualities that bloggers should possess.

P.S. We’re always looking for new blood to join our team. Feel like you want to try your hand at blogging? Send us a nice mail with an example of your work.

This post was written by Vincent van Wylick, co-author on Tech IT Easy and main & only honcho @ his food ‘n’ retail blog.