Making
your blog stand out can be compared to a model trying to get a modeling
contract or a singer trying to get a recording contract. You know that
there are other models and singers that can sing or look just as good
or even better than you. Is there something or anything that you can do
to get noticed? For a blogger this can be particularly challenging but
not impossible and this post will explain exactly how you can do this.
Let's say you have a Coupon blog and you start to notice that there are
hundreds and thousands of other coupon blogs. How will you make your
blog stand out from the others? Some may say that this is easier said
than done but there are some easy ways that you can make your blog shine
and illuminate above your competition. Here are 10 different things
you can try to accomplish this.
- Come up with a catchy or memorable name for your blog. Something that will stick in your reader's head. Musicians are really good at doing this when coming up with a name for their album or song. Here are some examples: Funky Cold Medina by Tone Loc, Bootlylicious by Beyonce, Scream & Shout by Britney Spears and Will.i.Am. Instead of naming your coupon blog Deals & Steals you could try these titles Coupon Diva Queen, Krazy for Coupons, or Coupon Junkie.
- Primp your blog the same as you would if you were to redesign or redecorate your home, a wardrobe, your car, etc. Use a mixture of colors for your blog design or those that are bright or reflective of your personal style. Use beautiful images or glittery graphics. Play around with the fonts and templates to make it stand out and look more professional.
- Show your personality throughout your posts. This could even been done when explaining how to do something. If you are naturally funny or witty, include this when you write. Write exactly how you would speak if you were talking to someone in person. For example, when talking about the smokey eye effect you could say, "When you have achieved the perfect smokey eye look, not only will it give your eyes drama but everyone in the room will drop their jaws and stare in amazement wanting to know who's that girl.
- Interact with your readers. Make time for them. No one likes to visit or frequent a blog where the blogger seems invisible. By that I mean, if someone leaves a comment make sure you acknowledge it or respond. If they send you an email reply, get back in touch with them as soon as possible. Ask questions in your post about any related experiences they can share or contribute. This will keep them connected with you.
- Add a community. A forum or online discussion board is a great way to make your blog stand out. They may even visit your blog more frequently just to see what the members are talking about and even start contributing themselves.
- Give them visuals. Lets say you are writing a post about how to achieve a certain hairstyle or look, could you include a photo or series of photos showing your before and after look. You could also make a video tutorial showing how to do this as well. This will add more value to your posts and make your blog have more credibility.
- Giveaways and freebies. Almost everyone likes freebies and so you could offer some free items for your readers and promote a giveaway from time to time. Make sure that it is related to your blog theme or something that they would be interested in having or purchasing for themselves. Contests are also a great way to get your readers involved and can give your blog some steam or a much needed boost.
- Check out your competition, preferably those who blogs tend to stand out, are frequently visited, and generate a lot of comments to see what you could do to improve your own blog. You don't need to copy their style but you can for example, talk about something they don't or haven't talked about or offer a service or feature that will appeal to your audience.
- Be creative with your posts. All of us probably have many ideas running in our heads and you can use your blog to get those ideas out. This will prove to be especially effective if they are in harmony with your blog theme.
- Keep it fresh. Do not forget to keep producing great content on a regular basis. Some of the best blogs can lose their audience if they fail to give their readers something new and fresh to read.
