How to make your blog stand out

The increased accessibility of social networks has allowed for the average individual to make their voice heard throughout the entire world. With over 500 million active blogs worldwide, it is very difficult to make your blog stand out. The attraction is due to the level of creativity and freedom of expression that each blog holds- from vacation destinations to movie reviews and even wedding tips, there is a blog for virtually everything! In this blog I will be highlighting five tips to make your blog stand out amongst the crowd. 

#1- Choose a unique topic

Choosing an effective blog topic is easier said than done. The most important aspect is finding an area of interest that you actually enjoy. Try and narrow the focus of your topic to one or a few specific areas. Don’t always jump at selecting the latest and most popular trend. If you are knowledgeable and take pleasure in your topic, it will be well translated into your writing. After all, the last thing that you want is an over-saturated blog topic that will get lost in the crowd.

#2- The title is everything

Nothing is worse then trying to find a specific blog and being faced with titles that are completely unrelated and irrelevant to the topic. When choosing a title it is important to keep it short, bold and catchy. Ensure that the title clearly explains what the blog is about while also catching and holding the readers interest and attention.

#3- Create an attractive design

The appearance of your blog is very important as visitors will decided if they want to stay on the blog solely based on the appearance regardless of the content. It is important to be creative, take the time to create your own blog background rather than relying on a template. In addition, carefully divide your content into relative segments to better organize your content. Lastly, make sure that your blog includes a variety of different widgets including: social media sharing buttons, search bar, blog archive and contact information. 

  

#4- Be visual

A blog is much more than the words that you write and the information that you share; it encompasses a variety of different visual elements to appeal to the readers senses. The most effective blogs include a variety of pictures, videos, charts and graphics in order to capture and hold the readers interest. It is very important to try and incorporate an image or video into every blog post that you write. Not only will it make the blog look more appealing, but it will also help drive traffic through the use of outbound links.

#5- Update your content regularly

The key to having a successful blog is regularly updating the content with timely information that your readers can relate to. Updating your blogs content will not only ensure that the blog contains relative information, but it will also assist in increase the level of traffic to your site. Search engines such as Google, uses algorithms to systematically rank your blog amongst all of the possible search results. One of the main components in ranking websites is based upon the frequency of updated information within your blog. The best practice is to create a schedule with a list of topics that you will write about on a weekly basis; this will help you stay on track and remain focused.

The last step is to have FUN! The above information may seem difficult and tedious, but it will help ensure that your blog is successful.

Creating and managing a blog can feel very rewarding; simply watching the metrics grow is one of the most exciting aspects. Engage with your readers, capture their interest and remember to have fun!

Here is a short video that explains the concepts of a blog in plain English, check it out here: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NN2I1pWXjXI

-Tim