This topic always seems to come up when you talk to a new blogger or a blogger trying to get to the next level. Most people will start out a blog with one of a few theories on how to best create their site. Some people will write for themselves and their friends with no thought of the outside world. Others try to write for everyone else and lose the personal touch a blog should have. The trick is to find a balance that allows you to be yourself, but also allows readers to connect with you. The question is how do you accomplish this?
I believe when you look at the ways to create your voice you have to first investigate what you are trying to accomplish with your site, who you believe your readers will be, how you can draw them in and make them return, and finally how do you create user interaction on your site. If your site doesn’t offer anything to visitors why will they stick around or spread the word of what you are saying?
1. Be Knowledgeable Within Your Niche
This step is critical if you are going to be taken seriously with your site. Your topic has to fit your skill set or it will come off as a waste of time to serious readers. If you are creating a site about financial advice make sure you have a strong financial background. If you are starting a cooking site be sure to have a solid knowledge of the subject. If you do not have sufficient knowledge your site will lose steam quickly and become a lost cause. Remember that wanting to do something can only take you so far without knowing how to do it properly.
2. Make Your Writing Fit Your Topic
Aside from having knowledge of your topic your writing style has to fit also. Creating content to match what you believe readers are expecting is crucial. If you want to be taken as a leading expert within a niche make sure you are able to back that up with your writing. If your site is designed to be carefree and loose try to avoid being overly critical or serious. i find people frequent sites that they believe will provide consistent content. Look at the sites you frequent most often and ask yourself why? In my case I hit sites where I know i will get the information i want or sites I enjoy reading. Where does your site fit?
3. Be Consistent
Once you have decided you have a niche you have a passion for, are knowledgeable enough to generate content, and have decided the feel of your site make sure you remain consistent. This is very important if you decide to incorporate guest writers, paid reviews, or you expand. Once you have gained an audience don’t alienate them by becoming something that your readers don’t want. I am not saying to be afraid to take some chances or drift a bit, but just remember that there are a lot of sites covering the same topics and losing readers is easier to do than gaining them.
4. Listen
A big advantage of the blog is the user interaction it is able to generate. Don’t be afraid of criticism you might get because that is sometimes the most useful information you can receive. Also users tend to make suggestions on way to improve a site or make it more interesting. A lot of times they will bring up thing you never thought of or overlooked in your zest to get content on to your site. Interact with people and you will find it beneficial to you in the long run. On my Celebrity site I contacted people that commented and found many owned similar sites which led to link exchanges, story ideas, and in the end increased traffic.
5. Above All Be Yourself!
Read that again! If you can’t be yourself when you are writing your content your site is doomed to fail. if you trying to create an original, entertaining, informative site you have to make sure to stay true to who you are and not what you think you have to be. If you are able to do be yourself while providing quality content that peolpe will care about you are well on your way to creating a successful site.
Filed under: Blogging strategies, Blogging tips, Motivational
