25 Apr 50 Ways to Leave an Impression on Your Blog Readers

Posted at 13:57h in Blogging by

There are literally millions of blogs in the world. According to Pingdom, there were 70 million blogs on WordPress and 39 million blogs on Tumblr at the end of 2011. That’s not even counting self-hosted blogs and blogs on other platforms. With so many blogs out there competing for the attention of your readers, how do you make your blog stand out in their minds? If you don’t want them to slip out the back, Jack, you may need to make a new plan, Stan. Because yes, there must be [at least] 50 ways to leave an impression on your blog readers. (My apologies to Paul Simon.)

someecards.com - She left me because she said my blog looked just like everyone else's. I told her, it's not my fault I like Twenty Ten.

50 Ways to Make Your Blog Different

  1. Have a designer create a memorable logo for your header graphic.
  2. Declutter your blog. Visual overload can drive readers away.
  3. Choose a vibrant color scheme – just make sure it doesn’t hurt the eyes.
  4. Embrace an identity that is NSFW.
  5. Answer the questions everyone else is asking.
  6. Customize your social media buttons to fit your theme.
  7. Create a tagline no one will forget.
  8. Write memorable blog post headlines that are more than just keyword optimized titles.
  9. Don’t be afraid to try new formats for your posts, like audio and video. See what sticks.
  10. Maintain a discussion forum for your blog community.
  11. Let your personality shine! No one else can write just like you.
  12. Find spectacular images to go with each post, not just “safe” stock photos.
  13. Humor is a great tool. Make your readers laugh!
  14. Respond to your commenters and let them know you value their thoughts.
  15. Put something personal into your posts – anecdotes can drive a point home.
  16. Create interactive content, like polls that will get your readers talking.
  17. Find an angle to approach your topic that you haven’t seen before in your niche.
  18. Link out to other blogs and resources. Those you link to may pay it forward!
  19. Ask your readers what they would like to see you write about.
  20. Make it easy for readers to close those layer ads that load first.
  21. Go with a fluid theme with rounded corners instead of the standard boxy straight lines everywhere.
  22. Take a controversial topic and write up both sides of the debate.
  23. Take your own photos – so you’re not using the same stock images as everyone else.
  24. Re-purpose your old how-to posts by turning them into videos.
  25. Use a visually stunning background image.
  26. Score the Big Interview with an industry superstar.
  27. Make it easy for your readers to subscribe to your content – so they’ll come back for more!
  28. Include a lot of negative space in your design.
  29. Create the content that makes you the go-to resource in your niche.
  30. Incorporate subtle shadow effects into your design.
  31. Rotate your header images.
  32. Use unique (but legible) fonts throughout your site design.
  33. Change up the standard blog layout with something unexpected.
  34. Spotlight guest posts from other bloggers in your niche.
  35. Replace your stuffy about page with a sexier bio.
  36. Highlight up-and-coming blogs that your readers may not know about yet.
  37. Customize the design elements in your premium blog theme.
  38. Don’t neglect your favicon.
  39. Avoid using CAPTCHA for your commenters; this puts people off of commenting.
  40. Adjust the number of characters per line in your posts for greater readability.
  41. Make your navigation tabs pop.
  42. Stay away from fonts like Arial, that everyone uses, or Times New Roman and Comic Sans, which no one likes.
  43. Don’t have pop-up ads or subscription boxes.
  44. Make sure your URL structure tells people what they’re in for before they click.
  45. Provide different options for following your blog: newsletter, RSS feed, Facebook, etc.
  46. Skip the Top 10 lists. Pick a different number. (Like 50?)
  47. Make light text on a dark background work for you.
  48. Shake things up with a caption contest or another way to have fun with your readers.
  49. Check for broken links on a regular basis to ensure value for your readers.
  50. Always remain authentic and true to yourself.

So what do you think? Can you still be different in this sea of blogs? You don’t need to be coy, Roy. Let me know.



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