Your posts and writing style: Your ability to communicate in writing is the biggest factor at play as a blogger. When I am writing a blog post, I imagine that my reader is sitting on an empty chair in front of me, and we are having a conversation. If your blogging has a conversational tone, you are more likely to leave a footprint. Notice the number of times I use the word “you” in this article. That is because this article is for you and you only. It is written for just one person, and that is the person who is reading this article – you! Another way to improve your blogging style is by using “I” instead of “we.” Sometimes writers who continually use the word “we” are showing us that they avoid taking responsibility for their work. If it’s a one man show blog, why do you need to use “we”? Open these articles in a new
Your blog design: I’m sure you must have been to a restaurant where your impression of the waiter was created by what he was wearing. I’m more likely to tip a waiter who is in a uniform than one who is not. When you are working online, it’s your design that is the suit, and you are the waiter. If your blog design is unpleasant and doesn’t leave a good impression, then you are not likely to get a tip, i.e., turning the one-time visitor into a subscriber. So get rid of all mumbo-jumbo from your blog, and have a neat and professional looking design that reflects your personality and that of your blog. Remember, your blog design is the first point of content, and a first impression lasts forever.
Come out of the closet: How many popular bloggers do you know of? Check out this awesome infographic of professional bloggers, and ask yourself how many of them you are familiar with? If you know even two or three of them, ask yourself why and how do you know them? It’s because they didn’t hide in the closet like you are! All of these successful bloggers have given a face to their brand along with their name, and you can clearly see that on their blog. Isn’t it easier to connect to a person rather than a brand? It’s time for you to make some changes to your blog and to introduce us to the person behind that awesome blog! Add an author box, add few details about you in your blog’s “About” page, and add your profile to the blog’s sidebar. Make sure to add a quality photo and an intriguing bio. Tell us about yourself in a way that allows people to relate and connect with you.
Be honest, and don’t doubt yourself: “Honesty is the best policy” is a “life rule” that we all learned in kindergarten, but with time we all learn that it is not easy to live by that rule. How many times in a day do you lie about little things? When I asked myself this question, I realized that I sometimes lie unintentionally in small and seemingly inconsequential ways. We lie because we want other’s to be happy, or we don’t want to hurt them. But lying always has a consequence. For instance, when we lie to please people, we turn ourselves into people-pleasers. Take this as a challenge, and for the next seven days trying to be completely honest. Be honest in your offline and online life, and let me know how this changes your life. I started this as an experiment myself, and within seven days I started to feel the difference. I have now been doing this for a month, and apart from two or three instances when I lied, my life has improved significantly. As a bonus, being careful not to lie taught me how to say “no,” and my confidence level has gone up ever since. Once you do this, it will also have a positive impact on your writing and your online presence. I invite you to read