A blog gets featured when it is deemed interesting to others, will start a conversation, is relevant to current events/topical . . .   this has been under discussion since the earliest days of AR and will forever be a source of contention for some.  Hopefully, in the spirit of the holidays you'll not find you've opened a can of worms!! 

I have no idea what makes for a featured blog post.  Some that I've seen featured have interesting and useful information and others are a complete mystery to me.  Some bloggers seem to be featured at the first keystroke. 

What is the best way to roll sevens in a dice game? Here is a multiple choice answer. choose one

a. know the game

b. load the dice

c. get lucky

d. not care

Jack,

The best way to get featured is to write about what you like.  Be genuine and authentic, that is what I find in common about those who are featured.  A

The staff picks which blog is featured based on their take for what is the most engaging and informative posts.

Jack... this is a question for the ages that many have asked many times.

That is a biggest mystery of AR, lol. I'm here for years and still can not understand how it works. I do have my guesses, since it is not about content and comments for sure. 

In the past it was thought it was cash, bribes or you need to be in the "IN" crowd.  Otherwise you have to write something that peaks everyones attention and garners lots of comments and LIKES.

quality content results in a feature if those who select features are "paying attention"....often, a quality post will be "missed".... but google doesn't miss!!!

It is among the top 25 mysteries of the universe.  :-)  

AR has a big wheel like on Wheel of Fortune with all members names on it. They spin it once a day, and if it lands on your name, and you blogged that day, you get featured. If you didn't blog that day, you lose your feature opportunity, and they spin again. Eventually someone gets featured, so blog often as you can to increase your odds!

How to get a blog featured is the fifty dollar question that has been asked by most of us without a good consistent answer so far.

Not all good ones will get featured, and not all featured posts are good but the goal is to feature the good ones,  ....

or at least that is what is supposed to happen.

Jack Gerbehy This is the mystery of the Universe. Keep writing posts with good content and you will soon get "Featured".

Content. 

Great answers you got.

Jack Gerbehy Richie Alan Naggar has a great answer!

Though I can say, probability of getting featured is much less than rolling a dice and getting 7.

That is one of the most elusive questions that you may never receive an answer.

I have had several featured and never know how or why.

A post gets featured by what we fondly call the Gold Star Fairy.  Generally, a featured post is (most important) original (no rent-a-blog posts or reprints of New York Times articles), and a combination of a good topic a reasonably well-written.  There are no hard and fast rules - it's totally up to the whim of GSF.  It took me serveral months to earn my first one. 

That is a million dollar question, and is all up to those watching the blogs for the day with the best content.

I have had 6 features out of 1494 so obviously I don't know the secret.  It does seem like certain people get more features than others.

The requirements of becoming a featured blog is still one of the mysteries of ActiveRain. You need to have supportive friends among the selected Ambassadors and the staff.

You can always suggest that a blog should be featured.

Good morning Jack. The best way to get something features is to write good content about a topic, if that doesn't happen it won't be likely. I never write with that hope, if something ever got featured, that's great, if not that's OK as well.

That is the question of the day and every day

Someone or a group of someones unknown to the general membership awards "features" for reasons most of us do not know.

To be honest with you...I believe it has a lot to do with the title. A catchy title gets more readers drawn to it and more chances to get more likes on the post. Great content is really what a featured post should be all about, though, and a lot of the time it is. 

Although this is just what I think. Who selects and helps to find the feature worthy content isn't known to me, and I don't know what the process for selecting a feature is. 

ask or answer with some frequency...and of course the content,,, blogs can be featured as well as questions... and answers can grab attention as well... after that..just bribe AR pundits :)

It's a question that gets asked often and there is no pat answer.  We call them the feature fairies who strike at will.  Just write in your own words and offer good content. That seems to work. 

Sometimes for a very good reason and sometimes for absolutely no reason at all.  

What Patricia Kennedy said...

I have no clue and actually never think about getting one. 

Feaures are Industry related and of high interest to the other members  The are hand picked to be a Feature by the staff.

My understanding is an ambassador must choose the post to be featured.  They likely have guidelines to go by.

Active Rain monitors read posts and decide which might be of more general interest, they get featured. As far as how to be featured? Write good posts and become an active community member...commenting and responding to members. 

It is the role and choice of management. I suspect they read a few and picked whoever's whose work stood out.

I got one featured early in the morning.  Then they removed the feature and points.  I do not reblog mine and my work is original.  I removed it and repost with extensive rewrite, editing but it was not featured.   The only reason I think is they did not like to  see my bio at the bottom.

Others that I have featured I do not think that many read but the staff thought they were good.

If you make an effort and blog more often I think your chance is very good.