5 Tips To Have a Blog with the “WOW! Factor”
Reading Time: 7 minutes 
I probably read more Blogs and posts than most folks. But that’s part of my job. It helps keep my finger on the pulse of what others are doing that works— and what doesn’t. Likewise, I can gauge what online users like, react to, and are seeking.
What I see happen all too often is that new Bloggers tend to be lemmings — not leaders. Everything is new, and we are learning so much that we tend to follow and imitate.
New bloggers, in most cases, jump right in without considering how they will differentiate themselves from all the others already discussing that very same subject. Many take a somewhat naïve approach, thinking that because they believe it’s a good idea and will be the one writing about it, that’s good enough. If only.
What often happens is that after the initial launch, they run out of steam. They aren’t consistently adding posts. They aren’t offering any content that makes folks want to subscribe for more.
The visuals are flat. Nothing new. Nothing different.
Yep. That’s the hard part, and it’s something every single one of us, including me, has to tackle. As they say, if it were that easy, everyone would succeed.
How to Have a Blog Folks Want to Read
How do you do this? We write about what our target market wants to know, combined with a great user experience and visually appealing content.
The reality is that most topics have tons of websites already covering them. However, each market is different and has its little niches within. So, regardless, the onus is on you to interrogate your market’s viability, hopefully before you invest your time and hard-earned dollars.
What can set you apart is creating content based on your unique point of view, expertise, and/or passion. And, as I’ve mentioned before, that doesn’t mean you write about what you want visitors to know. Instead, you keep what your readers want to know front and center—two entirely different approaches.
Three Strikes, You’re Out!
The first mistake is assuming your Blog will run on its own once set up. If you start a Blog, know from the beginning that you are starting an ongoing perpetual project that requires you to be prepared to maintain your website. Most find the required maintenance alone intimidating and tedious.
Next, be prepared to write — a lot. When you aren’t writing, you will be spending time doing due diligence and research on what you will write about.
The next mistake I see folks make is to blindly follow what they see others are doing. Many times, people mistakenly believe that what one person is doing will work simply by mimicking it. What works for one niche may not work for yours.
The third mistake made is thinking that you need not concentrate on creating a uniquely different blog. All you have to do is what others are doing, and your Blog will be read, ranked, visited, and bought from.
Nope. You cannot offer more of the same and expect to achieve the “WOW! Factor.” So what do you do?
You want to be uncommon!
Definition of uncommon:
1: not ordinarily encountered : unusual (an uncommon plant)
2: remarkable, exceptional (a soldier of uncommon courage)
Blog “WOW! Factor” Tips
Here are my five key considerations to consider from the very start. If you have already started, no worries — no time like the present to get on the right path. This is how to create and develop an uncommon, unique, and interesting Blog.
1. Determine what truly interests you.
Yes, I said your Blog should be about your target market. However, if you are not genuinely interested in or passionate about your blog’s topic, it will be a tough slog.
What topics do you know about (or are you willing to submerge yourself in)? What do you have a passion for?
Always be aware that you do not want to fall into the trap of being a “me-too” Blog. In other words, a Blog that discusses the same topics as thousands of others. Nothing new, nothing that can’t be found elsewhere. A Blog that is nothing special.
Without a genuine interest in and passion for your topic, you will not have the wherewithal to put in all the hard work, hours of writing, and resource gathering necessary to create a successful Blog.
2. Discover a niche.
Examine the subject matter and delve deeper into a niche, corner, or unique angle of that focus. Then, conduct your due diligence by searching Google, Twitter, and other social media sites until you discover a void that you can fill.
By void, I mean a need or desire for information that others are not yet providing or that you know, for a fact, you can do much better. But, again, be realistic here — this is much easier said than done.
Better yet, find an angle you can hang your hat on that puts a twist on the subject and makes your blog different from all the rest. You can achieve this by adding one thing that no one else has — your unique personality. There is only one YOU!
3. Get a great design and make it yours.
No, you don’t have to pay for a custom design — that’s one of the great things about WordPress. Many great premium themes are available that you can customize without needing to know code.
WordPress makes it relatively easy to create a theme unique to you. First, carefully review the theme demos to select a premium theme that aligns with the “bones” of your site. Avoid freebie themes—you don’t want to invest all your hard work in something that may not be supported or have the necessary support structure.
Take it up a notch by creating a memorable logo that incorporates your unique color palette, a distinctive header graphic, innovative features, and stunning accent graphics that stand out from the crowd. This is a visual medium, and if you are serious about standing out from the rest, you cannot look like a plain Jane or everyone else.
4. Create an engaging and creative About You page.
Written in the first person. As if you are talking to that one person on the other side of the screen. Put your personality on display while providing just enough personal information to show that you are honest, genuine, sincere, and approachable.
Talk about the passion behind your site, and add a dash of what led you to dive into starting your Blog. Finally, talk about what you intend to accomplish.
Include an attractive photo (or 2 or 3…) of yourself to allow visitors to get to know you better. Remember, people like connecting with, following, and doing business with those they feel they can relate to and who they like.
Then, let your personality shine through in every corner and detail of your site. If you consistently accomplish this, visitors will quickly appreciate your personal spin. This helps build trust and credibility while giving visitors a sense of familiarity that makes them comfortable with you and your topic.
5. Create catchy and distinct post titles and commentary.
Be edgy, quirky, funny, and sarcastic. Using off-beat, odd, or peculiar verbiage that your site visitors will “get” and that relates to your sole focus can help give your blog its own unique personality—one not to be found elsewhere.
Take creative liberties with standard and customary ways of doing things, and make it exclusive to your site and topic. However, again, only if you know your target market will “get it.” While helping you stand out, this approach needs to come naturally to you and be used consistently to make your site unique.
Can you see a pattern forming? There’s nothing special about being common—not if you want to “WOW” your visitors and keep them coming back for more.
The last thing you want to do is what everyone is doing. So, find a way to turn your topic on its head, be provocative, and stand out.
Be Uncommon!
Continually try new things and experiment with new angles. Yes, it is essential to employ effective methodologies and solid principles, but you will need more than that. I talk about all this in more detail throughout my Blog.
In today’s noisy online environment, where everyone seems to have something to say, you need to constantly think about how you can be different. So rise above the cacophony of those typing about similar things in less-than-interesting ways.
How you do that is by being unlike anyone else — by being YOU!
At your service,
