Hi Ryan - I love it! As a very new blogger, I find that my inspiration comes in spurts. I get 3-4 ideas for compelling ideas for posts one day and then no ideas for several days. So I subscribe to only post when I have something meaningful to provide.
Best wishes and always Act As If It Were Impossible to Fail!
Joe Lavelle http://www.ActAsIfBlog.com

Great Post! I think for me blogging is just another form of expression that comes whenever I feel inspired. I do buy into the fact that sometimes random blogs with no purpose is what get readers back. So to answer the above questions I would say yes to all. Now I may go start my "Ode to Step Brothers" post.

@Joe - Thanks for your contribution. If you were someone who felt compelled to post everyday (and you had that much to say) all the more power to you. Of course if you did this I suspect the best approach would be to write in spurts when you felt compelled and then queue them up to post each day. Best of luck with your new blog. I think it's a great concept.

@Katrina - I think it's important to determine WHY you're blogging. Sometimes, especially when we're first starting we're just trying to find our voice, and teach ourselves something along the way. If people listen (and benefit), that's just extra gravy.

For me, now that I have a few hundred subscribers though, I really feel like my blog is about so much more than me; it's about the value I provide my readers. That's why I'm a lot more selective about the stuff I choose to 'hit publish' on.

@Sarah - Like I just mentioned to Katrina. I guess it's important to know what your goals for blogging are and who your audience is. If it's to have fun, be random, and write about Step Brothers then all the more power to you. There are certainly people that want to read that as well - me included!

@Paul - There's a lot to be said for momentum, especially if you're at or near the top of your niche. As a marketing blogger, I'm in a HUGELY over-saturated niche so I need to be innovative and unique when I post (at least I try to be) otherwise it's easy to fall into the echo chamber.

Having a unique niche you command dominance over does serve as an advantage in that respect. Also, I agree that with your niche people probably want to see the person behind the brand sometimes, and straying from your niche allows them to witness your versatility.

I couldn't agree more about "non-perfect posts," and I hope my message didn't indicate otherwise. I think it's an extremely powerful thing when your readers have the ability to take the platform you've created, the foundation you've built and continue to grow it through their own thoughts and insights. That's what makes blogging fun and a valuable experience for all of us.

Finally, you've clearly set the precedent for blogging every day. That's what your audience is used to. I've found that once you've set the tone or get in a routine (i.e. M-W-F) your audience will get used to that. I'd suggest that if you can, but if your schedule (and/or thoughts) are sporadic and you're prone to miss a day it might not be the best option.

Thanks for your insights.

@Andrew - You're 100% correct. We're all competing for eyeballs and when people are subscribed to 100+ blogs they clearly read a lot of headlines, narrow it down to skimming, and truly only read a handful of articles. There's no sense posting fluff just for the sake of getting something out there.

And thanks a ton for finding that icon. Once my delicious is updated, I'm adding it to the blog. Should I credit you below it? :)

I don't like posting if I don't have something interesting to share. My posts end up being stories that have some sort of realization or discovery, along with some helpful links/info for my readers. I also like to encourage discussion, usually by asking outright what people think of a certain idea.

I once tried posting just a small update with no real info, and I felt weird doing it.

As long as the people that read my blog are okay with my occasional postings, and don't expect new material every day, I'm okay with it.