9 Reasons Why Your Blog is Generic and How to Make it More Unique

Just Another Blog in the Sea?

Look. I’m not actually saying that your blog is the same as all the rest but far too many of the blogs I visit on my adventures across the blogosphere are (let’s face it) ‘a bit samey’.

Nothing too wrong about that per se but here’s the rub:

If your blog doesn’t stand out, less people will:

1. Click your headers or links (and arrive at your blog in the first place)
2. Stick around to read your content
3. Comment upon and share your content
4. Follow your recommendations
5. Buy your products
6. Be your friend (kidding, kinda)

Ding-a-ling-a-ling! Alarm bells… I hope you want to avoid the above from happening to you. I do. My blog’s not perfect yet by any means but I like to imagine that I’m trundling along in the right direction.

9 Reasons Why Your Blog May be Blending in With the Wall Paper in the Blogosphere, and What to do About it…

#2 – You’re using the same theme as everyone else

I know there’s some moderately watertight arguments for the popular premium themes out there (yes Thesis, that means you). I may just ignore my own advice on this one soon – certain themes do offer better optimization potential and faster loading speed.
But there’s plenty that do a good job and look great. Check out Flexibility (which you’re looking at now). Check out Atahualpa. Check out Swift, Hybrid, Carrington, Woo themes…

The point is – just because others are using it (and marketing it hard as affiliates) doesn’t mean its the best. It does mean you’ll have to work harder to inject some originality into it though.

#3 – You’re copying the same blogger/guru/course/system

OK we all have to start somewhere, and obviously we learn from the successes (and failures) of others, or following blueprints which have worked etc. But sometime or another every little birdie has to leave the nest. Take the principles and core elements of your mentors or blogging ‘heroes’ and somehow make them your own.

#4 – You haven’t got a customized header

I know that a blog title and tagline can look clean (even ‘professional’) but it’s boring, and in most cases not doing your blog justice. Check out fiverr.com and get something put together for $5. If it doesn’t work out spend $10 trying a couple more and keep the best. Bigger budget? Check out 99designs instead. Somewhere in the middle? Contact me and we’ll see if I can help you.

#5 – You’re using generic keywords in your title and tagline

In the Internet Marketing niche? Hey! Me too! Avoiding fixing your aim on stuffed to the gills niches like ‘MLM’, ‘Personal Development’ and ‘Internet Marketing’. Have them in your tagline with other keywords if you must, but a better idea would be to get creative, and/or search for a more long-tailed keyword focus.

#6 – You’re using the default ‘language’ across your blog

There’s plenty of places where a moment’s consideration and creative flare can add to the feeling that yours is not ‘just another blog’. Try changing some of these snippets of text:

- Search box

- Comments section

- CommentLuv text

- Navigation Tabs

- Widget titles

An online thesaurus can be helpful here.

#7 – You’re writing the same posts as everyone else (with the same old titles)

’5 Easy ways to increase blog traffic’

‘How to use Social Media for Internet Marketing’

‘What my 5 year old taught me about blogging’

‘Why I love network marketing’

Sure, we have to start somewhere. I actually used two of these (close enough anyway) in my very early days as a blogger so of course I forgive you (and myself) but please try to blog outside the box.

In fact, how about climbing out of it too? Maybe even turn it upside down and stand on it – you’ll get a better view, and maybe write better posts too (the world will love you for it!)

#8 – You haven’t found your blogging voice yet.

Eminently forgivable, but nonetheless an essential step in the evolution of any blogger. This one is more a function of time served than anything else. The way you blog may well be(come) more akin to the way you usually speak than the way you usually write.

Let’s face it – blogging is a chatty medium. It took me almost a year to find my blogging voice, and since them I’ve been largely neglecting it in favor of practical postings but that will be remedied very soon (starting with this very post in fact).

#9 – You’re using SEOPressor as if its suggestions were the law.

Don’t get me wrong, SEOPressor is a very helpful tool for tweaking your in post SEO and thus increasing your chances of gracing the hallowed #1 spot for your chosen keywords. BUT following it’s recommendation blindly and mechanically leaves posts with ‘SEOPressed’ stamped all over them.

You’re better of with my free Blog Post SEO Cheat Sheet (although the two together make the post optimization process a whole lot easier and better). Download it for free by clicking the +1 button at the end of this post (read more here about Google +1 and getting more +1 clicks)

Here’s the deal. Blogging is Marketing

You may or may not be selling or promoting something for cash, but you’re certainly sending your ideas and content up the flagpole and waving them around for the world to see (if not, why blog?)

As such the success of your blog rests firmly and soundly upon it’s ability to offer something unique, or something in a unique way. That ‘something’ must touch a nerve in your readers, tickle an emotional chord and somehow serve up a juicy portion of solving their problems, entertaining, enlightening or otherwise leaving them feeling enriched.

That’s what attracts them in the first place.

That’s what keeps them interested in reading what you have to say.

That’s what keeps your Alexa ranking on the rise

That’s what serves your blogging goals (revenue/influence/fame/fortune/etc)

Be unique. Reveal your message. We want to hear it. No really, we do.

In fact, I want to hear your message right here in the comments section of this post, as soon as you’ve shared this post with your friends and networks. So tell me – what makes a blog stand out in your eyes?

To Your Abundance, Freedom and Success

Click here to +1 this post and get your free copy of the Bloggers Alchemy Blog Post SEO Cheat Sheet:

image credit: adapted from http://www.flickr.com/photos/deanoakley/4554150774/

9 Reasons Why Your Blog is Generic and How to Make it More Unique ©2011 Blogger’s Alchemy

Here at Blogger's Alchemy, Jym shares simple tips, tricks, strategies and techniques to make blogs remarkable, successful and exceptional. For a long time, he felt like his blogging career was going nowhere fast. That is, until he learned and implemented the things that you'll learn if you stick around... Get the best from this blog by Subscribing Now

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