“The Secret Ingredient to a Successful Blog” plus 1 more

The Secret Ingredient to a Successful Blog

Posted: 20 Nov 2011 12:03 PM PST

This guest post is written by Ava Jae of Writability.

If you've been blogging for any amount of time, you've heard that content is king. You've been told that everything else—design, SEO, in and outbound links—those things are a bonus, but the real thing you need to focus on is your content.

And it's true, content is king, because even an SEO-optimized blog with a beautiful, user-friendly design and a parade of in and outbound links will fail without great content.

But although content is important, there's something more—something that only you can bring to the table, something that only you have to offer that will really make your blog shine. A secret ingredient that will make your blog unforgettable.

You.

Your voice matters

The fact is, if you're looking to build your blog on completely unique content, you're going to run out of ideas very quickly. Chances are anything you want to talk about has already been covered by at least a dozen other bloggers, and it's not because you're unoriginal or a terribly unimaginative person—it's just because there are only so many things to talk about.

The question you need to ask yourself is: what keeps readers coming back to your blog, when they could go elsewhere for the same information?

Can you guess what the answer is? I'm talking about that secret ingredient again. Your voice, your take, your worldview—those are the things that make you memorable. Those are the things that make you stand out in an ocean of blogs.

You have a gift

You have something priceless, a gift that you were born with, a gift often taken for granted: no one can think or speak or write the way you do. The way you put words on the page, how you interpret the world—those are treasures that can't be taken away from you, treasures you should cherish.

Maybe you're like me and you write about writing. Guess what?—there are hundreds of writing blogs out there. But there's only one you.

Maybe you blog about technology, or education, or sports—it doesn't matter what niche you're in or what you're writing about, what matters is you.

Take a look at the last few blog posts you wrote and read them aloud. Do they sound and feel like you, or could anyone have written them? If the answer is the latter, then you're missing out on a huge opportunity—you're forgetting to be you.

Yes, content is king. Without something interesting to talk about, your readers won't come—but without inserting yourself in your content, without weaving in your thoughts, your opinions, your voice into your blog, your readers won't remember you. They'll go to another blog with the same content and a better voice.

Don't be just another blogger. You have something incredible and special and entirely unique because you are the secret ingredient. Isn't it time your readers see it, too?

Ava Jae is a writer, artist and X-men geek. You can find her weekly musings on her blog Writability, follow her on Twitter, or check out her Facebook page.

Originally at: Blog Tips at ProBlogger

The Secret Ingredient to a Successful Blog

Act Like a Pro

Posted: 20 Nov 2011 06:09 AM PST

This guest post is by Jean Compton of jeancompton.com.

What would you do if you knew you were going to get paid a large chunk of cash—up front, without any pre-conditions—to do something?

What would you do? How would you act? If it was something totally in the realm of your capabilities you'd get to work on it right away, right? You'd put in your best effort showcasing your greatest skills knowing that you were fluent in the information being asked for and sure that you would deliver a top notch product.

In other words, you would act like a pro.

So, what's stopping you?

What's stopping you, right now, from acting like an expert in your field? Everyone has something they can talk about naturally and authoritatively. Your gifts that only you possess is your uniqueness. Since you're not like any other and no one else can be you; you have singular talents that you can share with the world that other people can benefit from.

If you're an authority in an area you can start acting like one now. Your knowledge is desired by your community—or your tribe—even if you haven't been acknowledged or paid for it yet.

I'm not talking of going around acting all cocky like a know-it-all. I'm telling you to hone in on what it is about you that, for instance, makes your friends be your friends. What keeps them coming back? What is it about you that makes you stand out?

That is your mojo—your gift that is golden. Tap into that, work it, develop it, and it can be your lifeblood, your golden ticket. That's your genius spot, not like any one else's, and you're crazily selfish not to use it to your advantage to help yourself and, in turn, to help others.

Because I guarantee you, there are people out there that would kill for your particular gift. They’re waiting to hear from you. Oh, and they will also pay you for it.

So, let's re-cap:

Act like a pro now.
Ask your friends what it is about you that brings them back for more.
Develop that and market that in yourself.
Help yourself.
And by helping yourself, help others as well.
Become a PAID expert in your field.

So … what is your unique gift that you've been hiding under a bushel basket? Have you dug deep to find it out? Ask your friends. They may have a surprising answer for you. And, leave me a comment below to tell me what it is!

Jean Compton is a writer and blogger who specializes in articles on meditation, de-stressing and changing your life. She has appeared on Problogger and Feelgooder, among other sites. You can find more of her inspiring posts on her blog at the above link.

Originally at: Blog Tips at ProBlogger

Act Like a Pro