Set Your Blog On Fire

September 23, 2008 · Comments

fireball Your blog topics are getting weak. You had a nice run with passion for a while, but now, you’re looking for better blog topics, more interesting content, and you’re still trying to grow that elusive community. How are you going to succeed? There are many simple tweaks you can make to the way you’re writing that turn posts into punches, and that turn readers into participants, and that should set you up with a chain explosion of added potential for your blog down the line. Here are some ideas.

The Content Itself

  • Build a text file of great potential blog post titles. Work on the titles every few days, sharpening them into punchy titles that convince someone to click.
  • Get great blog topics from reading the covers of popular magazines and from seeing what makes its way to the front of Delicious.com/popular.
  • Make your text punchy. Use short sentences, small words. Be willing to break a few grammatical rules, if only for effect.
  • Pay attention by way of stats as to what posts do the best. Repeat often by writing new posts on the similar theme.
  • Think long and hard on what you want your posts to do for your audience. Want them to link to it? Make a thoughtful piece they want to remember. Want more comments? Ask for feedback.
  • Do something new from time to time. Way new. Totally and completely off the typical radar of your blog. And yet, tie it back to what your community cares about.
  • Use pictures. Go to Flickr and use Creative Commons shared photos to punch up your posts.
  • Deliver USEFUL information, not just opinions. Give people something to focus on.
  • But, have a strong voice, and an obvious opinion.
  • Write for your audience. Write as if you’re them. Write to tug at their thoughts and attention.
  • Finish the post as quickly as you can. Let people move on. (Unless you want it saved in Delicious/popular).

Promoting Your Content

  • Try out Zemanta, a plugin that lets you find related posts (and art and other stuff). I’ve noticed that by using Zemanta, and when others use it, my posts are suddenly showing up as links on other people’s blogs, thus driving more inbound links and driving more people to my site.
  • Write guest posts for related blogs.
  • Bundle your best posts into a free ebook and distribute them widely. Be sure to include links on how to subscribe to your blog within the ebook.
  • Have outposts on all the social networks. (I say this all the time, I know.) Outposts means building a profile there, and being sure that people know how to reach your blog.
  • Keep your eye out for new tools that will spread the word of your blog even further.
  • Make your RSS subscription buttons very visible, and also your social bookmarking tools.
  • Send out the occasional post via email to people who might not read you daily. Be brief and tactful in doing this one.

Above all else, consider who you’re trying to build the relationship with and write in such a way as to deliver that person the best possible experience with your blog they can have. Think like an entertainer in that regard. Give them the best show possible.

Is there anything else I missed? What do you see in your own blog that might be made better by any of the advice above? Look at my last few posts. Am I practicing what I preach? If not, call me out.

RingCentral Online – Free Trial plus 10% Off

Photo credit, Focal Intent

Related articles by Zemanta
Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed to have future articles delivered to your feed reader.

Tagged as: , , ,

ChrisBrogan.com runs on the Thesis Theme for WordPress

Thesis WordPress theme

Thesis is the search engine optimized WordPress theme of choice for serious online publishers. If you’re a blogger who doesn’t understand a lot of PHP, Thesis will give a ton of functionality without having to alter any code. For the advanced, Thesis has incredible customization possibilities via Thesis hooks.

With so many design options, you can use the template over and over and never have it look like the same site. The theme is robust and flexible enough not only to accommodate a site like ChrisBrogan.com, but also to enable the site to run far more efficiently than it ever has before.

  • I carry a note-pad around to write down those titles! (You won't always have your computer on you ya know?). And when it comes to trying something new, I know it's uncomfortable, but like Nike says, "Just Do It!" The interviews series I was doing at Blogworld is my first time working with video :-)
  • JG
    Chris,
    Another brilliant and helpful article. I have been using Zemanta for awhile and it has proved to be useful and intuitive. Thank you for helping me set fire to my blog.
  • Marvelous Piece once again Chris!
    I decided to just go for it.
    Extra hard work.. Extra Hours.. That's the secret.
  • All great stuff. Hadn't even heard of Zemanta, I'm going to have to check it out. Coming up with blog content isn't always easy, these are great tips. I just blogged about this last week.
  • Great stuff! I also subscribe to Google Alerts for the subjects I am focusing on. Not to copy or link to, but for inspiration, fact-checking, freshness, etc.
  • Great tips Chris.

    One tool that i think you have mentioned before that might be worth noting here:

    http://aiderss.com/

    they have a great new extention that even plugs in with google reader to 'score' or 'rank' stuff.

    http://gr.aiderss.com/


    I also know that reading is vital to having an opinion/voice. The more i read, the more i want or have to say about a given topic, tool, etc ...

    Being that i'm in the think of getting ready to launch a new company blog, i find that reading to stay up on the industry is very important.

    what i struggle with ... How to stay on top of the industry? how does everyone else out there sggregate it all together, pick what is really important, and focus time where it counts?

    --
    http://twitter.com/franswaa
  • Chris,

    Fantastic post. Can't wait to get home and try out Zemanta with Windows Live Writer.

    Cheers!
  • Hi Chris!

    I must say I aspire to your blogging talents! (I'm working on cloning myself so I have more time to manage my 3 blogs. ha!!)

    Seriously, it was such a delight to get to meet you face-to-face at the BlogWorld Expo this past weekend, after being your online bud for over a year. I just love how social media allows us to create "virtual rapport" such that when we meet in person, we're like long lost pals!

    And re blogs on fire, one of the many tips I learned from you a while back is to always end posts with question(s) to invite feedback. I admire how well you do this!

    Cheers,
    Mari
    @marismith
  • Chris, great post with some real solid tips. What sets you apart is your ability to really break it down and make it simple. Super.

    Maria
    @websuccessdiva
  • Hey Chris-- phenomenal advice once again!! I use my BlackBerry to punch in notes, ideas and titles then revisit the next day and email them to myself and then upload to blogger for edits. I usually run 2-3 blogs at a time, then post one by one. But what I found most useful from this blog, was "Write for your audience. Write as if you’re them. Write to tug at their thoughts and attention." Outstanding!
    David
  • Great posts, thanks for the bits of advice I hadn't come across before.

    I was wondering if others find too many links out during a post (especially without a real point to them) distracting and even annoying, and if so, would using Zemanta in this way really be such a good strategy?

    I already use Zemanta for tag suggestions and sometimes photos which is great.
  • Nicholas Chase
    Chris, Saw your panel at BlogWorld. Nicely done, you are worth every penny those corporations provide to you for speaking. (I was the video guy at BlogWorld Expo 2008, on the platform at the back..).

    Can you please send me the AKOHA kit you mentioned in your panel discussion?

    I'll be sure to blog about it and my BlogWorld experience.

    Please send me an email, and I'll email my address to you.

    Respectfully, 'a new subscriber', Nicholas 'the video guy' at BlogWorld Expo 2008, Las Vegas
  • Chris, I want to thank you for this article. For me the best tip is the one about the free ebook. I'm going to make up a PDF of the best tutorials from my blog and offer it up there for the visitors.

    Thank you.
  • I have found that promoting the blog is one of the absolute essentials. If you write great content but no one reads it you may as well not write it. Good tips on promotion
  • Just been trialing Zemanta, looks like a really great tool. Going to get my writers to start using it tomorrow will get back with the results.
  • Have a major financial crisis and be the financial guy in social media ;)

    Seriously - become an expert in your niche.
  • Above, you mentioned delivering USEFUL content. Can't emphasize that enough. At BlogWorld this week, one of the presenters suggested that you think about your very best client when you write. You wouldn't just push a bunch of dribble on them, just to post "something". You would think long and hard to write something useful and meaningful.

    I fear that many bloggers may be posting just for the sake of posting (and for the sake of self promotion). Over time, that will surely compromise the medium and the credibility of blogging in general. So, I say, think USEFUL, USEFUL, USEFUL.

    Thanks, Chris. Not sure how you continue to write so much USEFUL content... but thanks.
  • We've recently started a company blog here at Morningstar and I feel these tips will be a great tool to help us get our content headed in the right direction.

    As others have mentioned, promoting a blog can be a tricky thing, but very important. One thing we are experimenting with is adding a blog link to our email signatures. Anyone have thoughts on this tactic?
  • Outstanding blueprint for setting cyberspace on fire. Thanks. For those who use Wordpress self-hosted blog, here's the link to download the Zemanta plugin - http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/zemanta/.

    David
  • I want to add (highlight) one comment in particular that you made;
    "Make your RSS subscription buttons very visible, and also your social bookmarking tools"

    To many blogs relie upon the new ShareThis / Addthis button IMO, and sometimes too much choice leads to no choice. Look at how I end my post here...I "ask for the order" with DIRECT links to what I believe are the most important actions ...(follow me on twitter, comment on my post, DIGG this). Look at the very end of this post for the example:

    http://bit.ly/4cNVbr


    www.twitter.com/A_F
  • Hi Chris. When I advise my advertising agency clients about their content strategy (which usually includes blogging) I try to help them see how their firm's positioning can really help with maintaining the content strategy. For example, a generalist design firm can come up with a bunch of initial post ideas (designs they like, cool typography, new projects, etc.) but soon they run dry and slow way down--or stop. In contrast, a highly positioned firm (ex. one that specializes in credit union marketing like currencymarketing.ca) will rarely run dry on ideas, in fact the hard part is for them to find time to write them all out.

    Not only are post ideas for generalist firms hard to maintain, but they are also usually less impactful. They tend to be similar to most other designer blogs, and the content interesting mostly to their peers rather than to clients. Blog posts from specialized, well positioned firms, on the other hand, flow freely and are often more compelling and helpful. Like yours.

    Thanks!
  • Hey Chris,

    Great article. I ran into the guys at Zemanta at BlogWorld and honestly didn't give them enough attention to really find out what they were all about. Since you mentioned them, I'll have to check them out and see what they can do for me. Thanks for the tip!
  • Great advice, Chris. I also try to incorporate conversations and discussions I have with friends and acquaintances into my posts, as they often inspire or take my brain in a new direction.
  • Hi Chris,
    Thanks as always. Could I ask you to share some advice related to analysing blog traffic. Currently, I am getting different information from Feedburner to the info I get from MyBlogLog, for example. Could you suggest one comprehensive analytical tool that shows traffic to the site, page views, offsite clicks etc.
    Kind regards
    Kevin
  • Hi Chris,
    Thanks for the great info. Could I ask you to share some advice related to analysing blog traffic. Currently, I am getting different information from Feedburner to the info I get from MyBlogLog, for example. Could you suggest one comprehensive analytical tool that shows traffic to the site, page views, offsite clicks etc.
    Kind regards
    Kevin
  • I always know I will get something useful here, Chris. Thanks again. I am walking away with new ideas. I will also be blogging about your Personal Branding e-book in the next week or so. It's a must-read.
  • Tks for the Info, I have been concentrating on just putting up posts. I need to change my writing to get visitors involved.
  • Thanks for the info! For a new blogger like myself this is really helpful.
  • I think a big part of keeping a blog going is just setting aside the time for brainstorming. Getting the ideas going on a regular basis helps continue them. Plus, just reading other blogs helps me spark my own creativity.
  • I'd offer "go beyond your comfort zone."

    I've been surprised that the blog posts getting the most feedback are the ones I thought "should I post this?" Not that its anything controversial, just beyond the low-key/conservative approach I'd normally take.
  • Brill-E-Ant.

    I'm saving this post for reference. Also checking out Zemanta - what a handy tool.

    One thing I do to find topics is: Since I'm active at www.etsy.com, I check the forums to find out what kinds of questions people are asking over and over with only vague answers. I do a little research, post a solid answer, then post a link to my informational blog post on the forums. I have gotten more than a few comments from readers thanking me for the information and tips.

    Thanks again Chris!
    One of your regulars,
    Pam Hawk
  • I was just reading a draft of a blog post and wondering how to add more punch. I think it's important to fire tings up every once and awhile. Thanks for the post.
  • Chris,

    You do great work. I don't go one day without reading your blog.

    I have been in IT for 20 years and own my own business but I am new to internet marketing and social media. Your articles have become an essential resource for developing my business plan.

    If you what to "Set Your Blog On Fire" check out www.chrisbrogan.com everyday!
  • Great post as ever Chris! Have now installed Zemanta plugin and used it on my latest post, cheers, Gareth
  • Great post. I find www.alltop.com is a great resource to browse what other bloggers are talking about in my industry for inspiration and appropriate link throughs. www.popurls is also a great place to see what's happening in pop-culture.
  • Great post! I'm already using its advice. :-)
  • I love the practicle, put-into-action advice here about starting a text file of titles and keeping track of mag cover titles. That's something I can go and do right now, and it'll make an impact.

    Stopped at the Zemanta booth at BWE and have been meaning to check it out ever since... sounds like it's a great tool.
  • Outstanding, Brogan. Here's a thought I'd like to share that I feel can add to this: provide opportunities for others. It's an amazingly powerful thing to do, with massive rewards for the people who take those opportunities and run with them. And that comes back to you in the form of good karma and further opportunities for yourself.
  • Hey Chris,

    Thanks for the post. I've always had a notepad with me but never written any blog post idea on it. I'll start now! I think I have to make it as a habit. Usually when I got an idea, I told myself, "I'll write it later when I have my laptop in front of me", but then I never did! Tsk.

    Chetz
    <a href="http://chetztv.com/love-money-fitness" rel="nofollow">ChetzTV.com - Love, Money & Fitness Blog
  • Chris,

    Awesome post. I'm helping start up a new blog right now, and your tips will absolutely come in handy.

    One idea that's worked for me in the past: Come up with a theme that will allow you to write a handful of related posts -- say, like a couple of chapters of the same book. Post them all at once, with prominent links between them for cross-traffic. Market them in slightly different arenas, and your traffic will be compounded.

    Cheers!
blog comments powered by Disqus

Previous post:

Next post: