Tag: creativity

How Not to be Boring (as a Blogger)

~ Cristian Mihai ~ 15 Comments

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… Continue reading “How Not to be Boring (as a Blogger)” →

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The Truth about Blog Post Length

~ Cristian Mihai ~ 60 Comments

Some bloggers suffer from what I like to call verbal narcissism. Only it’s in writing. Anyway…

To avoid this awful fate, you probably try to keep your posts short, sometimes writing series of blog posts. After all, you don’t want to scare away readers by dumping too much information on them all at once, right?

Makes sense, but what’s weird is it doesn’t work that way.

Many popular posts here are around 1,000 words. But other times, short posts pack the most punch. It’s almost as if the length of a post matters not when it comes to how successful a post becomes.

But how could that be?

Continue reading “The Truth about Blog Post Length” →

Blogging for Busy People: How to Blog Despite Having a Full-Time Job

~ Cristian Mihai ~ 58 Comments

Finding time to blog is something we all struggle with. Whether you are just starting out, whether blogging is just a hobby, or your blog is a part time job – finding time to write is a challenge.

Even though a lot of people compliment me on how productive I am, the truth is that I struggle with the challenges of being productive in limited time-frames.

Over the last 6 years of blogging, I guess I’ve settled into something of a workflow and routine. What follows is a collection of reflections on what I’m learning. Continue reading “Blogging for Busy People: How to Blog Despite Having a Full-Time Job” →

[Blogging Mindset] Consistency is Key

~ Cristian Mihai ~ 27 Comments

What if your favorite TV show suddenly started misbehaving like this: they release one episode today, another one tomorrow, then nothing for three weeks, then they release another episode, one week off, then another episode, then another one the next day… And they wouldn’t tell anyone when the next episode will be released, or on what Channel. They won’t even stick to the same hour…

No matter how good the TV show, you’re going to quit watching.

If I were to give you a piece of advice on blogging, writing, life, love, money, getting in top physical shape, or anything else, it would be this: it is more important to be consistent, and by definition, persistent, than it is to be anything else.

But, just in case you’re curious, here’s why. Continue reading “[Blogging Mindset] Consistency is Key” →

How to Blog like an Artist

~ Cristian Mihai ~ 15 Comments

A few weeks ago, I wrote a blog post about blogging like an artist.

But what does that mean? When you think about it, what does “art” mean?

Is it that inner fire, the creative spark, the connection between seemingly unrelated dots, the unapologetic expression of one’s personality, the moment of real human empathy and connection?

What does art even have to do with blogging?

I’d say that art is everything around us. Art and life are so, so close to one another that at times they even touch.

And I believe that a blogger could aspire to the kind of sensibility required to be an artist.

After all, this site is called The Art of Blogging for a reason, right? Continue reading “How to Blog like an Artist” →

5 Super Simple Steps to Building an Unforgettable Blog Post

~ Cristian Mihai ~ 15 Comments

Once upon a time, one could could simply sit down and write a blog post in 15 minutes or so. Well, sorry to disappoint, but those good ol’ days are over.

Today, there are hundreds of millions of blogs and other types of content that are competing for your readers’ attention. To stand out, you need to take your blogging game to a new level.

And the best way to do that is to focus relentlessly on the fundamental mechanics of writing a great blog post.
Don’t just hope you’re writing something that maybe somehow it’s going to go viral. Learn to consciously build great content, brick-by-brick, and watch your posts gain the attention they deserve.

Ready to get started?

Here are the building blocks of any great blog posts.

Continue reading “5 Super Simple Steps to Building an Unforgettable Blog Post” →

8 Best Ways To Gain Followers For Your Blog

~ Cristian Mihai ~ 66 Comments

Traffic! It’s one of those words that I do not like much, for it almost begs us to forget that those stats represent actual people.

But… but… I know that one of the main reasons we blog is to be read by other people, so this makes it important to gain more followers, to receive feedback, to feel as if what you blog about truly matters to other people.

That’s why I compiled a list of the eight best ways to increase traffic and gain more followers for your blog. Continue reading “8 Best Ways To Gain Followers For Your Blog” →

10 Rules to Help You Punch Those Damn Keys

~ Cristian Mihai ~ 12 Comments

The blank page tends to scare people into a state of inactivity. The possibilities are endless, the desire to create perfection so intense that it is easier to do anything else.

Perfectionism and procrastination have an awful lot in common, and the truth is that most bloggers waste an insane amount of time thinking about writing. Weeks go by like this, and then they start wishing they have written when they had the chance, but now… they’ll just write a short post apologizing to their readers for not posting anything.

And then the cycle resumes.

The essential part of writing is to punch those damn keys. Don’t think, just write. You’ll be able to rewrite, one, twice, as many times as it’s necessary.

Today you focus on writing like a lunatic.

Today, you’re going to punch those damn keys…

And the best way to do that is to follow a few simple rules. Ten, in fact … Continue reading “10 Rules to Help You Punch Those Damn Keys” →