One of the mo
st daunting challenges we face as bloggers is how to make our blog different, distinctive and memorable. In other words, how can we make our blog unique?
As readers of other people’s blogs, one of the things that often plagues us, is the sameness, the “me too” quality of so many blogs out there, especially those in popular niches.
It’s as if many bloggers are simply reading other blogs in their niche and then rehashing what they read, much like they’re writing a high school term paper. (That couldn’t be what’s really happening, could it?) 
Well, whatever the reason behind the tide of mind-numbing sameness we see on the web, one thing is certain:
These mavericks of mediocrity will never have popular blogs.
Why? Two words…
Compelling Content.
Compelling content is what engages readers and encourages them to comment, to subscribe, to return to read again, and even to spread the word about “this cool new blog” they found.
If all you do is rehash and regurgitate, you cannot create compelling content.
Creating compelling content is much easier said than done, of course. So, how can we, as bloggers, be more distinctive and markedly less mediocre?
At this point, it would be probably be helpful to come up with a simple, functional definition of “compelling content,” that will allow us to confidently go forward with the more concrete matter of how to create that kind of content.
So, for our purposes today, we’ll simply say that compelling content is both different and engaging.
Different can mean new, as in “no one’s written about this before.” And it can be a very cool thing to write new material on a brand-new topic. But if your whole focus is to explore virgin territory within your niche, you’re in for a tough time, to say the least. And let’s face it, there may be a good reason that no one’s written about a particular topic before (maybe no one cares!).
In a practical sense, “different” is often just a matter of the perspective or viewpoint that an article or post is written from.
In terms of engagement, when we’re engaged with content it usually means that the content is speaking to a need or a desire we have—a need to connect with another person, a desire to be amused, a desire to be educated about a topic important to us, etc.
Being Different and Engaging When Blogging
The following are tips and ideas that will help you with the broader work of creation, whether that’s simply planning a new blog post or planning the content and tone for an entire blog.
Run down the lists and consider the options whenever you’re stuck on what to blog about or how to approach a subject. Consider which options would be different or distinctive for your niche and which your current readers (or new readers you might attract) might find engaging.
Blog from a Different Life Perspective.
- From a woman’s (or a man’s) perspective.
- From an age perspective (i.e. teen, senior, Gen X, Gen Y).
- From a religious/spiritual perspective (e.g. Muslim entrepreneur, Christian investor).
- From a race/ethnicity perspective (e.g. African-American fashion maven, Latino business consultant).
- From a sexual orientation perspective (e.g. Investing for gay men and lesbians).
- From a “local culture” perspective (e.g. a US Southerner, an Aussie, a Londoner).
- From a profession-specific perspective (e.g. teacher, shop owner, outside salesperson).
- From a family or social role perspective (e.g. a new grandmother, a volunteer tutor, the father of a special needs child)
Blog from a Different “Position” in Your Niche.
- From a beginner’s perspective.
- From an “old-timer’s” perspective (old in terms of the niche, not necessarily age).
- From an expert’s perspective.
- From a “regular guy” perspective.
- From a “nice guy” perspective.
- From a “straight talk, no BS” perspective.
Interview (or Have a Guest Post from) Someone with a Different Perspective.
- See List Above.
Blog from a Different Topic Perspective.
- Go Micro.
- Condos, as opposed to all of residential real estate.
- Domestic white wines, as opposed to all wines.
- Selling to the affluent, as opposed to selling in general.
- Go Macro.
- Broad-based investment opportunities, as opposed to just stocks, just commodities, etc.
- Worldwide adventure travel, as opposed to adventure travel within the US or in the Caribbean.
- Running a Profitable Small Business, as opposed to marketing for small business, management techniques for small business, or client retention for small business.
- Go Hybrid.
- Investing in Fine Art (collecting fine art + investing).
- Living the “Internet Lifestyle” (making money online + “living the good life”).
- Clothes Make the Man (fashion advice for men + success/career advice or fashion advice + dating advice).
- Writing for Success (getting a book written and/or published + leveraging a book for career/business advancement).
Blog with a Different Content Style.
- Blog more concisely (for the attention-challenged crowd).
- Focus on lists, quick tips, and bite-sized chunks.
- Blog more in depth (for the thoughtful and analytical crowd).
- Focus on more extensive examination, more detailed breakdowns, case studies, etc.
- Move the “Free Line.”
- Reveal secrets and details other are unwilling to / give away what others charge for (must be done strategically).
Blog Using a Different Formats and/or Different Media.
- Images
- Use more photos (stock photos can be great).
- Use original (not stock) photos.
- Create a photo blog.
- Use original illustrations, charts, graphs, mind maps, or other unique or uniquely-altered images.
- Audio
- Create original audio content (solo recordings, dual-host “talk shows,” interviews, etc.).
- Create a Podcast.
- Video
- Use relevant videos from video sharing sites, such as YouTube.
- Create original video content (screencast or “live motion”).
- Create a video blog.
- Authorship
- Have regular contributors, writing on certain days, on certain topics, from a certain perspective, etc.
- Create a true multi-author blog.
Blog with a Different “Person-al” Focus.
- Focus more on yourself (be more transparent).
- Be more honest and self-revelatory with what’s happening in your own life, business, career (and of course, relate it back to your niche and your readers).
- Focus more on your readers.
- Make your readers the stars. Answer their questions. Profile their lives, their businesses, their travels, their collections, etc.
- Focus more on industry leaders / niche luminaries.
- What are the “big boys and girls” up to? How do they do it differently or better? How does that affect the niche as a whole? How does that affect your readers?
The above suggestions are by no means exhaustive, but they should help get you started with creating a more compelling blog, one with a unique take on your niche topic.
~Craig
What are some things I left out? What are your ideas on being engaging and standing out in the blog marketplace?
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