One of the hardest parts of blogging is creating great content that gets picked up by fellow bloggers, social networks, and aggregation services.
The blogging world is overflowing with bloggers, but despite this concentration there’s still a massive shortage of quality blog content.
Making a blog isn’t just about churning out post after post, and while there are thousands of people that can tell you how to make a blog, very few can guide you through creating brilliant posts and high quality content.
That’s why you’ve got to look for inspiration outside the typical blogging circles.
There’s a problem that pops up when you only ever use the same places for inspiration; blogs are relatively insular, especially when they’re ultra-focused, and after a while the content that they generate becomes relatively stale. Looking to these blogs for inspiration isn’t the best way to create great posts.
To create great blog content, you’ve got to look to less obvious, more creative sources.
Start by turning the events of your own life into blog stories.
If there’s one thing that the blogging world is missing, it’s personality and real connections. There are thousands of blogs out there, packed with people posturing and pretending they’re something that they’re not.
By focusing intently on what your life is really about, you can create ‘evergreen’ content that draws links, comments, and discussion, no matter how old it is or when people end up finding it.
Here’s a good way to test whether or not your blog posts are brilliant.
Publish a post, and bookmark it to reference later. Six months later, go back and read it. Is it still relevant? Is it interesting? Does it inspire you to get up, get out, and go and change things?
There’s a feeling that writers dread, and that’s when you look back on your previous work, and just wonder “what?”. We’ve all seen work that we’ve created in the past and wondered what we were thinking, and if your blog content doesn’t inspire that feeling, it’s definitely a good sign.
Of course, when you’ve got a small audience it’s easy to trick yourself into thinking that your content is better than it really is. Small groups can be remarkably insular, especially when they discovered you for something other than your writing.
As much as it hurts, you’ve got to discard what your friends and family think of your blog, and focus on the picture that it presents to the wider blogging community. If you find yourself drawing praise and approval from the blogosphere, take it as a compliment and keep on writing what works.
Of course, generating great blog content isn’t easy. When you work out how to make a blog stand out, you’re already there. The journey starts with a dedicated approach to creating great content, and non-stop work until you arrive there.
Work hard, keep on writing, and don’t lose inspiration.
How do you keep your blog content great?
Share your views in the comments below.
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Posting a blog is very personal. The way I create good content is by gaining inspiration from everywhere.
You see, I am very passionate about my blogs and what I write about. So, everything I see reminds me of my blogs and I adapt it in some way to go into a post.
I’m thinking of setting up my office base in my local McDonalds to give me more of a life perspective on my posts. People watching will definitely make my posts more interesting.
A tip for anyone is to live life beyond the 4 walls of your office or home and bring those experiences into your blog. Even if you have a technical blog, you can talk about your experience with a client or at work, versus just your opinion.
I love people watching also. I go to my local coffee house each morning, do a little work and watch people. Great tip on using your clients and experience – just don’t mention tem by name unless you have permission.
Andrew
Day to day so many bloggers are writing blogs but few blogs are getting good response.
To come out from crowed, a blog should need excellent content with attractive heading and also eye catching design.
If a blog contain good content and not a good design, then it will fail to visitor’s attraction.
To get more & more visitor magnetism a blog should need perfect design. To write good contain we should deeply research on a particular topic and also keep in our mind what visitors are looking from our blog.
Chris,
Do you think I need to update my design? Any suggestions?
Andrew
Actually I get lots of inspiration from stale posts…I just write them better. 😉
Wow you removed that plugin quick, now out it back .LOL
I try my best not to follow other bloggers as then we all are the same and not unique in our own way. I get inspiration from different places and do my best to incorporate them in my blog. I post personal stuff from time to time and sometimes the response is much better than a post about blogging.
We are all different and try different methods, we have to learn what works for us and our blog and continue to mix it up so that its not boring.
Blogging is a learning curve and one never stops learning.
George
That is excellent advice – be yourself. So many just copy others. And I love your last sentence, ‘Blogging is a learning curve and one never stops learning.’. So, so true.
Andrew
For me, i will get some ideas from the forum i joined and write something popular there in my blog. I will try to refer many other sources of information to make my content complete and useful. Thanks for sharing!
Nice article. I find that the more I blog, the more ideas I tend to come up with for new content.
Personal opinion is very important as well. If people want just the facts, then they can look in an encyclopedia. The advantage of blogs is that they have their own personality.
Thanks for the info!
-Anson
Anson,
Totally agree. Adding your personal opinion and experiences is agreat way to start the conversation and build your own little community.
Andrew
Agree. We all seem to relate to personal lessons and reading personal stories. I’m also a picture person so I’m drawn to blogs that contains funny pictures or even pictures of what their story may be about.
I think it’s also important to name a blog that covers your niche of it. Either sewing, or life, or just randomness material.
Stephanie
I am totally with you on this. Stories, images…all make the difference.
Andrew
Bloggers are artist. You have to be inspired to write good content. That’s the rule of thumb to write good articles. Never follow other bloggers because it would only stress you out.