How Not to be Boring (as a Blogger)

~ Cristian Mihai

There’s something you need to know, and I’m afraid you’re not going to like it.

Your blog is putting me to sleep.

I gave it about three seconds of my attention…

Nothing grabbed my eye. No headline inspired me to read. No images drew me in.

And here’s the thing: it was easy for me to rid myself of your insipid writing, your bland blog. Closed my Internet Browser and that was it.

It doesn’t have to be that way. A few tweaks here, a little more effort there, and your website will stop me in my tracks.

Here’s four ways not to be boring for you to try out this week. This will not be boring…

1. Never forget it’s about me. So speak to me!

If it’s me you’re trying to reach, let me know by tailoring your writing and design so it connects with me.

Find out what angers me, and write about how to fix my problems. Find out what I’m passionate about, and share everything you know about the topic.

Learn what keeps me up at night, and figure out how you can restore my slumber.

If you’ll do that, I won’t be able to resist reading. I’ll become a frequent visitor, and I’ll know you’re speaking directly to me when you write.

2. Use a bit of color

Why’s everyone so afraid of color?

If we had to print our blogs instead of displaying them on screen, I could understand the hesitation. In print, color costs money.

But this is the web. We have millions of colors available to choose from.

So pick two.

Why only two? Using two main colors (not including black or dark grey text) is a great way to visually brand a website.

It’s easier for visitors to remember two colors. That’s one reason sports teams use two colors.

Don’t be afraid to use colors to establish your personality as a blogger.

3. Break it down

You may have a lot to say on your topic. There’s nothing wrong with that, but please, please do it in a way that I can effortlessly read it.

It’s frustrating to arrive at a website only to be greeted by walls of text with no line breaks, no subheads, and a scrollbar that gets progressively smaller as the page loads. Reading sites like that feels like a chore.

The solution is easy. Stick to one idea per paragraph. Keep them short: three to four sentences at the most.

Spend time writing good subheads, too, because many readers will scan your subheads to decide whether or not to invest time reading your blog post.

4. Do not be afraid to be a bit bossy

You’ve drawn me in, you’ve held my interest, and I made it all the way to the end of your post. Now what should I do?

Tell me what you’d like me to do next. Should I share your post? Do you want me to sign up for your newsletter? Or perhaps you’d like to hear from me in the comments?

End your posts with a clear call to action. I can’t read your mind.

Undoubtedly some of you are going to be like, “I just want to write. I don’t want to market my blog. I don’t care if anyone reads my blog.”

These techniques don’t take a lot of effort.

The first one takes some thought.

The second is a one-time decision.

Numbers three and four are simple habits you can adopt.

From zero to hero is all about changing one lousy letter.

59 thoughts on “How Not to be Boring (as a Blogger)”

  2. “Zero to Hero” – I love that! And even though it is not a matter of numbers, of course I want readers to read my blog Of course, I relish the “likes” and covet the comments. Of course I want to constantly learn and improve. So, thank you for your instruction, your encouragement, and your honesty. No, I do not want my blog to put you to sleep!! ❤

    Liked by 6 people

    Reply

  5. Thank you – this was a really good post. I hope my blog has a handle on 1 and 2. I’m always working at number three. (Yes, I do tend to talk on and on…) And four – I hadn’t even thought about! Love the encouragement to be bossy! 🙂
    As always, thank you for your thoughts and advice!

    Liked by 6 people

    Reply

  13. My one tip for not being boring is just to be yourself. Everyone is unique in their own way and just remember to celebrate what’s unique about you 🙂

    Liked by 8 people

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  17. Great post! I’ve seen many times we become appreciators rather than critique of our own content. Its important to think as your own intended audience. The challenge comes in penning down the thoughts. I am beginning to read more about it and apply the learnings.

    Liked by 7 people

    Reply

  19. Great post! A lot of people seem to forget how their blog is perceived by their readers. You aren’t the one reading, you’re the one writing! So read it back to yourself like you’re the reader. What would interest you about your post?

    Liked by 7 people

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  36. All good tips, as usual. But Cristian, tell me, what are your thoughts about blogs that only vent about their problems; those blogs get lots of engagement. But I don’t see how reading those types of blogs are solving any of “my” problems.

    Liked by 3 people

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    1. What’s your definition of lots of engagement? I never found such a blog. They rarely get a few comments, and mostly from folks who want to feel some pity for someone else (while also feeling better about their own lives.)

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. I define engagement as lots of likes and comments. (20 or more per post). I guess you’re right, some people engage with those posts to feel better about themselves. I just feel like the writers of such posts gain more (attention, engagement, ego boost?) than what they are giving, which is what you suggest good bloggers need to do: provide value, answers, and solutions to readers’ questions and problems. I realize I sound like I’m venting, I’m really not. Merely sharing an observation and wanted to hear your take on it. Your posts motivate me! Enjoy your day!!

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Well, you never know what goes on behind the scenes, so they may be investing a lot of time interacting with other bloggers, commenting on their posts, etc, and that’s why they get a lot of comments in return.

        20 comments per post is not that difficult to get, regardless of the type of content you share. All it takes is to spend an insane amount of time networking.

        Now, the idea is that in the long run (and getting to a hundred thousand followers, etc.) you must provide some kind of value to others. The more valuable the posts, the more influential you are.

        Liked by 1 person

      3. You’ve given me much to think about and work on…I want to say I don’t have an “insane amount of time” to network, but that would only sound like a lame excuse, so I need to make the time

        Liked by 1 person

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