My favourite blogs: The rise of Mashable

I've been a bit quiet on the blogging front in recent weeks, but thankfully I'm back.

So what's been catching my attention. Well one of my favourite blogs has been in the news this week. If you know anything about some of the internet's most poplar and influential blogs, you've probably heard about Mashable.

Mashable is a tech blog set up in 2005 by Aberdeenshire born Pete Cashmore, and has become one of the most popular blogs in the world, with an estimated 20 million visitors a month!

The news network CNN is reportedly bidding for the site with the Times quoting a figure of $200 million (£127 million) which will turn Cashmore into a multimillionaire. Impressive stuff from someone who's still only 26 years old, and started the blog in his parent's house as a teenager.

I was reading that one of the reasons for Mashable's success, is that it talks about the internet and the world of technology in an easy accessible style that's understandable for people like me who aren't tech geeks.

If you want to know about the latest app, how to make the most of twitter, facebook or new social media sites like Pinterest, Mashable is where you need to go.

When I first started on my blogging journey, Mashable was one those blogs that I just seemed to stumble upon as I tried to learn more about the world of blogging, social media and the internet.

I now read Mashable everyday through my Google reader feed as well as following the site on Twitter. I have to say its become an essential read.

So why is a company like CNN prepared to pay such a huge figure for a blog?

It's all about Mashable's readership! Readers of Mashable are hugely attractive to advertisers (I feel flattered) They're seen as being highly influential; people who know all about how the internet works and are the first to be up to date on the latest trends.

I don't expect to be receiving any bids for my blog that will turn me into a millionaire, but sites like Mashable are a bit of an inspiration for bloggers like me.

It's great to hear stories about people like Cashmore. A blogger who starts off writing about a topic he's interested in and passionate about - before turning that passion and interest into a highly successful and lucrative business.

It gives us all hope.