It’s pretty easy for professional bloggers to blurt out “be interesting” as a tip to newbie blog writers. It was probably what their mentors told them when they were beginning, too. But you probably know that to come up with a popular blog, you’ve got to be interesting or have something interesting to write about.
Considering how busy social media professionals can get, you’re lucky if you can get one to stop and expound on that tip some more. And since we’re already on the question, how can you “be interesting”?
Considering how abstract the word “interesting” is, it’s going to be pretty difficult to define what will make you interesting. But in my years of watching the social media circuit, I’ve come to observe certain tricks that do help catch people’s attention. Here are some of them:
Say what other people can’t. In as much as we’re gifted with the ability to express our thoughts, there are some people who can’t or have difficulty doing so. It is those people who appreciate materials to which they can relate those unexpressed thoughts to. Be that person and you’ll have their attention.
Be wrong or be right. You can’t miss either way. Some people are bored of always hearing about the right things. Some people prefer to hear only what’s right. Choose one and you’ll still have the following of one group. Again, you can’t miss either way.
Be the funny guy. There are just too many serious blogs out there already. Offer your readers some variety by giving them something entertainingly funny, or even something insanely cute to break the monotony of straight-edge blogs. Humor – it works pretty well in actual speaking engagements, it works just as well in catching the attention of online followers.
Live what you write. If your blog is all about giving advices or about pushing a specific cause, it’s one thing to just talk about it, and a totally different thing to actually live the advice or do something for the cause.
Be honest. Shockingly honest. To begin with, lies never did do anyone good in real life. Don’t expect that it’s going to be any different when it comes to stuff you say online. However, there will be times when people can’t say what’s on their mind in fear of offending people. Be the man who breaks that silence and speak up. Say what’s on your mind. Sure, some people may get hurt by what you say, but you’ll find that some people will find it surprisingly amusing.
Be controversial. And I don’t mean do something stupid to get you in the news or something. Look for something that’s been tested time and again, and try to disprove it. I’m not saying finding it’ll be easy. But once you’re able to crack it, people will remember your name for a long time.
Write quality posts. It’s cliche-ish, I know, but it does work. Don’t let the idea of constantly producing articles to post get in the way of producing well-written pieces that tell great stories or share useful pieces of information to your readers.
Choose pictures that go well with your post. If you’re talking about the death of someone relevant, don’t post of a picture of people partying. That just isn’t right. If you’re article is about sexual health, post something (decently) sexy. There’s something about pictures that attract people who skim through. Knowing which ones work best with what the post is about will definitely add
Try to be the first to share the news. Whenever important news breaks out, bloggers tend to compete for who’s going to be the first to post the news. And it’s all in good reason. Being the first one to do gains the most links, traffic, and authority.
Make it interesting for the readers, not yourself. You’re writing the piece, but you’re not going to be the one who’s going to sit through and read it later on. Always remember to make it so that the readers don’t get bored and leave your site.
These are just a few of the tips I can come up with for the moment. If you’ve got something to add to the list, please don’t hesitate and add them over at the comments section. I’d be glad to hear from you.
