What makes a successful blog? YOUR VOICE. But no, you don’t have to sing like this little character here.
And why am I, an animal communicator, blogging about blogging? Well . . . since my blog is about ‘a day in the life of an animal communicator,’ and blogging is a common component of how I spend my days, pulleeze, indulge me here.
I’ve been reading a lot of blogs lately. One, because I’m an avid reader. Two, because I enjoy the different voices that are out there and the different types of information they convey. Plus, of course, I have been posting my own blog for over a year now so am curious about what others are doing.
So I’ve been thinking a lot about what makes one blog attractive and another not so much. What makes a successful blog? What makes ME want to come back to a blog or shun it forever?
The answer, at least for me, is simple: the blogger’s voice.
You can ping and post and use the most perfect keywords in the world, but if you don’t have a unique voice people just aren’t going to want to read what you have to say because they won’t be able to identify with you.
What makes a “unique voice?” YOU BEING YOU. It’s that simple.
In other words, you being true to yourself in everything you write. People can tell if you are being authentic or not. They can read between the lines. Writing about something you know well – sharing your expertise – is all well and good. But if you’re not writing from the heart and from the gut, the real you is not going to shine through.
Let people see who you really are. After all, your blogs are not chapters in a textbook.
If you’re blogging, do it right. Put yourself out there and use your real voice. Just like you would if you were talking to your best friend.
The first blog I got hooked on was the Julie/Julia blog, written by Julie Powell. This is the blog that got made into a book and then into a movie starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams. The blog was phenomenally successful, which is why the book publisher took notice. Granted, I started following the blog because Julie happens to be a close friend of my daughter’s from their earliest childhood. But one or two reads and I was addicted. Not only because the main subject matter was to my liking (cooking), but because Julie’s voice was so real and unique and irreverent that I had to keep coming back for more. Had Julie not had a unique voice, her blog-then-book-then-movie-then-subsequent-book would not have become a reality.
Here are a few other examples of blogs I read and why I think they’re successful:
- A horse lover compares horse behavior and activities with life in general. She’s had lots of hard knocks, including losing her husband to cancer, but her spirit and gumption are dauntless and her use of horses as a metaphor for life events is humorous and engaging. Her blog is sloppy – she never edits – but her voice is honest and clear and totally unique, and I always take away a beautiful life lesson/reminder. This blog is successful because it is inspirational.
- A life coach spews forth editorial and philosophical content and comment regarding current events as well as her daily experiences. Her writing style – her voice — has amazing flare and great depth and is totally authentic and unique. What better way for prospective coaching clients to get a feel for her in order to decide whether they’d like to work with her or not. This blog is a great business tool because it provides honest insight into this individual and what she might therefore be like as a personal coach.
- A veterinarian describes case histories and shares lots of useful information about holistic health care, mixed in with frequent descriptions of every day life on her farm. The voice here is down-home and to the point. The material is fascinating as well as helpful, so this is a very successful blog.
- A young woman who specializes in network marketing blogs about growing one’s MLM business online — an as yet unplumbed approach. Since I have had an MLM business for the last 20 years, I am interested in how the development of the internet impacts this business and how I can make the best use of it as a new tool. This blog is packed with hard-core and helpful information, and the voice, believable and business-like, also often contains a tongue-in-cheek humorous side note. Instructive and informational, this blog is another winner.
As you can see, I read blogs that are all over the map content-wise. But, seeing as how there are literally millions of them floating around in the ethers nowadays, I wouldn’t come back to any of them unless the blogger’s voice was real and unique enough to make me feel like I know the writer personally.
So blog away. Just play like you’re talking to your best friend. And once you get good at it start throwing in a few pings and keywords in all the right places too.
Happy blogging!
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