It’s 11 am on a Friday and according to Worldometers, 1.9 million blog posts have been written so far today. Yee gawds! That’s a lot of wordsmiths vying for the world’s attention. With all the fierce competition to win over valuable eyeballs, how does a blogger stand out from the pack? If your writing is aching for a serious adrenaline boost, check out this bundle of turbo-charged tactics.
1. Be Controversial. How many of those 1.9 million blog posts do you think actually had something juicy to say? Your blog should have the nerve to express something no one else is saying, in a way that is unique to you. If you have a strong perspective on your niche, dare to share it.
2. Write Killer Headlines. Eight out of 10 readers will only scan the headlines in your content, so make sure you’re telling the real story in those few precious lines. Brian Clark, CEO of Copyblogger Media, reminds us that:
[E]very element of compelling copy has just one purpose — to get the next sentence read. And then the sentence after that, and so on, all the way down to your call to action. So it’s fairly obvious that if people stop at the headline, you’re already dead in the water.
3. Be Over-Confident. We’re always told to write what we know, and without the obvious ring of expertise in a blog post, readers will automatically discredit the content. Don’t be afraid to seriously own your knowledge, back it up with stats and quotes from others who agree, and showcase your confidence with aplomb.
4. Write With Humility. Think you can’t be boastful and humble? Yes, you can — it’s all about balance. Write with pizzazz about what you do know, and insert sincere humility about the things you don’t. A little dose of humbleness around the mystery of things only adds relevance and credibility to the topics you profess to be an expert in.
5. Ask Thoughtful Questions. Questions can immediately engage your reader and make what you’re writing feel personal. Writer and designer Greta Rose expresses it this way: “It’s one thing to provide information based on your expertise, but what about asking the reader questions that get him or her thinking about their experience? Like I just did in the preceding sentence.” This is a classic way to legitimately nab someone’s attention.
6. Give Your Content a Catchy Theme. Themes can directly or indirectly reference your post’s topic, but their main purpose is to create story and intrigue. Marketer Belinda Weaver recently wrote a post called, “The Walking Dead Guide to Writing a Killer Blog Opening,” and she wove a zombie theme around writing awesome content. Zombies are trendy and attention-grabbing, especially when you question what the heck it has to do with writing content. This is clever stuff, and often very memorable as well.
7. Hire Guest Bloggers. If your site needs a shot of fresh energy, find a stellar and knowledgeable guest blogger. This not only grants your readers alternate styles and perspectives, it’s a marvelous way to connect more deeply to the blogosphere. It’s amazing the doors that can open in all directions by playing nice with others.
Above all, don’t be afraid to showcase your personality and perspectives. If you choose to stay vanilla, your readers will likely find their way to one of the millions of alternatives. However you choose to infuse your posts with powerful prose and engaging topics, aim to transcend the mundane and be interesting!
Image by Farm9.