Blogging - Focused or Freestyle?

With the launch of the Writers’ Platform-Building Campaign I am delighted to be discovering new and interesting bloggers out there (you know I’m talking about you!). I’m also delighted that these new (to me) bloggers are stopping by my site. Thank you!

So I think this is a very good time to pose this question to my wonderful readers — how do you feel about a blog that isn’t focused on one particular topic? I’ve read articles that say, “you must pick a topic and focus your blog on that one topic or you will lose readers.” Tell me, how do you feel about that?

Don’t get me wrong, there are definitely blogs I follow because I’m interested in their topic-specific content. But I also follow blogs of people just because I find them interesting and/or fun to read. And if I’m following the blog of someone I admire, I like to read about things outside of what I already know they do (writing, singing, etc.) and learn more about what they are like as an everyday person.

What do you think? What do you do with your blog? Should I change my blog and only talk about, say, my strong belief in adopting animals from shelters or rescue groups? Or about what I’m writing every day? (Snooze…) Please advise.

UPDATE: This post has been up for a little more than a week and it has been a great discussion. There are definitely solid reasons supporting both sides but I don’t think it is something that is just cut and dry. Or rather, I don’t think you have to have a topic-focused blog if there isn’t one particular topic you’re passionate about. If you are clear about what you’re offering the reading public up front, focused or freestyle, then you’re good to go. I’m currently doing freestyle blogging and hopefully folks will find something of interest to read. Maybe not every post will be intriguing but I hope followers wouldn’t drop because a blog or two hasn’t caught their interest. I know I don’t unfollow that easily. What about you? How quickly do you bail out of following a blog?