No matter what your blog focus is, no matter the topic, the genre, your blog is really and mostly about you. Here is how to get your personality into the light and create a compelling blog that will gather a following and fan base.
To make your blog worth revisiting you need to think about the type of content that is suitable for your blog in order to make it readable and, possibly, profitable.
First off, I want you to understand that your blog can have no fixed scope, which means you can write about whatever you are interested in or your blog could target a specific topic and you can stick to that. In a minute you will see why either choice may be the reason a visitor first comes to your blog but it is not the main reason they will come back, again and again.
The difference between a blog worth revisiting and one that is forgotten about is the way the blog is written. Just imagine, would you prefer to read your university professor’s lecture notes or read the latest novel by your favorite author?
I can confidently say that you prefer to read the novel because it appeals more to your interest and because it is not as mind-numbing as the lecture notes by your professor.
The most important point to remember is – people like to read “light” stuff most of the time. You see, when people visit your blog, they are not only looking for information, they are also looking for information they can obtain easily. They want it in a relaxed manner, entertaining if possible, and fast.
You might be thinking – “I cannot write that way. I never could get the hang of it”. I assure you, you can write that way.
Here are some key points that will transform your writing style.
Before you write one word of your post, write a compelling headline to grab their attention. For example, the title of the article you are reading right now – “Blog Content Is About You!”. This title probably attracted you to read the article.
Why?
Because it is about “You”!
I also posted it in over 300 Article Directories which will attract even more readers, like you. The article in the Article Directories has my blog link in the Author Box which drives traffic to my blogs. I use a cool piece of software that cuts this down from hours and hours to minutes with one button. See my Author Box for more information.
To attract more visitors as well as to keep your current visitors coming back for more, it is very important to add a human touch to your blog posts. This can be done by simply imagining you are talking about a certain topic with a personal friend. An extra bonus for your readers would be a great sense of humor, so try to add funny comments in your articles where they are suitable.
Avoid using vulgar language unless you don’t care about turning off a major audience of blog readers who will be offended. There are many blogs I will never visit again because of vulgarity.
Another important key point is to avoid addressing your reader as a plural unit, that is, as – “we”, “us”, etc. Sometimes this is appropriate but most times it is to be avoided. You should not write as if you are preparing a lecture. Instead, you should write as if you are having a conversation with one person because this will make your visitor think of you more as a personal friend rather than a professional writer or professor.
I learned this one-to-one technique as a Radio and Television News broadcaster. I imagined I was giving the news to just one friendly person who was interested in what I had to say and who trusted me. I wrote the stories and voiced them as if I were telling the stories only to a single person. In other words, I write like I talk.
Remember this – most of your readers have a High School education or less! Stay away from multiple syllabic words that a professor might use. You are shooting for the mass audience for the greatest exposure possible even if you are in a specific niche. Think of all the highly simplified “Dummies” books that have sold millions of copies because they take the complex and explain it for a mass audience.
The most important change in your writing style is to establish your own personality through your words. Because you are reading this article I assume you are a very curious person, just like I am. Based on the headline, you wanted to know what this article was all about. As you read, you likely are thinking – “Who is this writer?”. It follows that your visitors come to your blog to find out as much about you as the information you are offering them. I hope I am giving you some insight into who I am as a person and how I think because, in reality, I am using all the pointers in this article to demonstrate that they work.
You make your blog distinctive – not the subject of your blog! Having your distinctive personality show through in your blog will make all the difference between your blog about gadgets and all the other blogs about gadgets out there. Get the idea?
Let me repeat for emphasis: You make your blog distinctive – not the subject of your blog!
This is a lot like creating your own brand name, where people immediately remember your blog name when they need to find out information about gadgets, or whatever you regularly write about. Which company do you think about when it comes to hamburgers or athletic shoes? You know who I mean. They are the brand names. You can be a brand name too!
Still think you can’t do it? I challenge you to write just one blog post using the pointers I have given you and see what happens. Call it – “My Personal Opinion about (whatever)!”. And, let your personality out of prison, just once!
Yours for success!
Jim DeSantis
P.S. – Please forward this article to someone who may benefit from it.
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