London, UK
After reading my 100th blog post on “how to drive blog traffic” a few years into my blogging career I figured something out.
Most bloggers struggle because few stand out.
Most bloggers follow other bloggers. By this, I mean bloggers listen to common blogger advice and follow it so closely that you almost cannot tell the difference between the two bloggers. Each of these two bloggers teaches more bloggers to blog in basically identical fashion. Legions of bloggers parrot each other, borne of this blogging band of Doppelgangers. None stand out.
As a rule, most humans just want to fit in. Standing out seems dangerous, risky and the quickest way to fail. The world teaches you to fit in to avoid standing out. Look around. People generally want to be like others. Imitation is the most common form of flattery.
But fitting in by copying most other bloggers is the biggest risk you can take because failure appears imminent the moment you deny your genuine, one-of-a-kind blogging style.
Trusting your intuition gives you inner guidance to follow your unique blogging path. Walking your blogging path makes your blog stand out. Standing out is the simplest way to succeed.
How to Stand Out as a Blogger
Check out this blog post:
Have you read anything quite like that online?
Have you seen another blogger replicate that post?
Of course not; but not because I am special or blessed. I made clear decisions to blog from my heart, to hone my writing style and to live my dreams. Making each decision made my blog stand out. Standing out from the blogging crowd allowed me to be featured on famous blogs. Gaining massive exposure accelerated my blogging success.
Stand out by blogging from your heart. Listen to your intuition. Trust this quiet voice. Honor it. Listen to your gut. Look within to publish a genuine blog that stands out from the blogging crowd.
Stop Repeating
Stop covering the same, old topics twice, 5 times or 10 times on your blog. Bloggers often make this mistake. Publishing posts on the same topic makes your blog mediocre at best and underwhelming at worst.
For example, imagine writing and publishing the blog post: 10 Tips to Increase Blog Traffic.
Publishing posts like:
- 5 Tips to Drive Blog Traffic
- How to Increase Blog Traffic
- Boosting Blog Traffic: 12 Tips
after publishing the initial post beats a dead horse. Your readers get it already. Covering identical topics with the same tips again and again appears to be an easy way to drive traffic but really waters down your blog, brand and business.
Avoid the urge to increase blog post frequency based solely on recycling the same content. Making this error reduces Google traffic but also damages your blogging credibility by making you follow most other bloggers in lock-step fashion.
Follow the blogging heard; go ahead, try it.
Check your shoes for poop sooner than later.
Successful bloggers stand out in a positive way to succeed.
Follow these tips to stand out from the blogging crowd.
Add Personal Stories to Your Work
Inject personal experiences into blog posts.
Everyone has a genuine story to tell. Weave your life tale by adding personal stories to your blog.
Make analogies between your experiences and your niche. For example, I often link my travel stories to blogging tips as a teaching device. Publishing my travel stories makes my blog stand out in a positive way because no one else has my life experience to share; only I do.
Tell your story. Stand out by bonding with readers through personal experiences. Be transparent. Open up. Be vulnerable. Allow readers to connect with you.
Some readers may resonate with your posts because their experiences seem similar to yours. Working moms who blog part time may resonate deeply with a fellow mommy blogger who works part time while raising a family. Striking this level of resonance distances you from other bloggers in your niche.
Story tellers stand out in a blogging world of followers who parrot platitudes published by blogging pros (Some of whom twist your tongue with terrible….alliteration).
Add Flavor to Posts
Thousands of bloggers publish posts for increasing blog traffic.
Few add flavor to these posts; the select few flavorful bloggers stand out in a memorable way.
Cover common blogging topics. Solve pressing problems suffered by your readers. Season your blog post with a sense of flair to become memorable.
For example, boosting blog traffic with creative tips a bit off of the beaten blogging path makes your blog noteworthy.
Consider adding these traffic driving tips to the blog post:
- publish thorough, detailed blog comments posted on top blogs from your niche
- broadcast live to share in-depth tips along with frequent calls to action to visit your blog
- update, republish and share blog posts frequently
Each tip from the bullet point list above appears less frequently on typical “blog traffic driving” blog posts. Most bloggers generally share tips like optimizing posts for SEO, guest blogging and building an email list. Share each of those smart tips but add 3 or 4 lesser known strategies to pique reader interest, to drive traffic and to add a breath of fresh air to the blog-o-sphere.
Warning
Avoid any urge to stand out by intentionally being obnoxious, controversial and confrontational.
Looking for a fight to stand out never ends well.
Controversy seekers flock to confrontational posts like bees to honey. Perhaps you gain a traffic surge along with an untargeted, predominantly combative audience who brings you no blogging income with painful blogging headaches.
No blogger wants any of that smoke.
Rely on value – not shock value – to stand out from the blogging crowd.
Conclusion
Stand out by giving readers compelling reasons to follow your blog closely.
Stepping away from the blogging crowd involves making a series of bold decisions.
I am here to guide you, to cheerlead you and to lead you past these imagined mental blocks.
After a little bit of time, standing out in a positive way actually feels quite fun. Instead of feeling like an outsider you will relish the opportunity to inspire, to guide and to experience worldly blogging success.
Step away from the blogging crowd.
Succeed while beaming a shining example for other bloggers to follow.
