Posted on October, 13 2008, under Blogging by Ikki | 4 comment(s)
Can’t help this feeling. I bet you have felt it, too. Whenever I visit any blog -be it new or known to me- I feel that creativity and genuine blogging are losing grounds to procrastination and dishonesty. All I see are rehashed blog posts everywhere - there are barely any new topics to discuss over with other fellow bloggers and readers out there. Originality is losing ground to laziness.
There are literally millions of blogs in the blogosphere but only a small portion of them can deliver quality, valuable contents to their readership while the rest remain to be just empty shells that look good on the outside but on the inside contain nothing but emptiness. No real discussions going on - just some passive interactions between readers and bloggers. That’s not what blogosphere is meant to be.
I know only a few bloggers who I can really click with. Reading their blogs makes me feel inspired and motivates me to continue writing and sharing everything I know - you guys know who you are 
Because of this, I’ve got a question for all of you: are you another brick in the wall?
Clicking With People
What makes a blog unique? Is it its layout? It helps but it’s not an important factor here. Is it its contents? Definitely important, but that’s just half of the story. What really spices your blog and makes it stand out from the crowd is not your theme, or what widgets are displayed on your sidebar. It’s you. You are the secret ingredient that makes the meal exquisite.
Providing top-notch contents salted with a pinch of your personal touch gives them that little extra that your readers can see. People come back to our blog because they like our spin on things.
How can I add that extra spice to my entries?
- Be honest. Don’t write thinking of what your readers might like to read. Instead, write what’s in your head - be it something dry, sarcastic, funny, angry, etc. I bet they will like that better
- Provide quality information. Make sure your blog post is centered in one topic. Consistency is what you’re looking for - specially when you’re back linking to external sources. Check that the info provided there is genuine, that will add up to your credibility.
- Contextualize. Deliver your contents with references not only easily understandable for your readers but also closely related to their day-to-day experiences. For example, if you blog about fishing tell your audience why using a certain technique is best suited for people learning how to fish - including some personal experiences or some easy-to-follow examples can really help people click with your ideas.
Having a good theme, or the best plugins available, or a great domain name isn’t all it takes to make your blog unique. You are the main key.
So, are you a one-of-a-kind blogger or just another brick in the wall?
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I agree that originality is a rare merchandise these days, but I’m not so sure about the “be honest” and “contextualize” part.
You don’t shape yourself and your writing according to your audience, the audience is formed based on what you write. The only rule you should follow is to make no compromises and be passionate about what you do.
So am I a brick in the wall? Yeah… I am… One made of C4.
Regards, George
@George Cozma: You’re so right, George. Trying to shape yourself to your audience will only lead you to frustration -you won’t be able to fit everyone’s preferences- and loss of your readers -they will find your writings unnatural- so being honest to yourself is a way to show respect to your audience. That’s the point I’m trying to make - fortunately you found a clearer, better way to explain it
Comments like these are what makes the blogosphere a wonderful place to share ideas with others. Thank you!
Well, I don’t think think that i’m another brick in the wall. But I guess i could increase my frequency of posting, as the field of IT and technology is growing as we speak. What do you think?
@Wong: You, you need to increase your posting frequency.
*Hint* Whenever a new idea pops in your head, you should go to your dashboard, write it down and save it as a draft. Later, you can come back to polish it and transform it into a stunning blog post
*Hint*