The Thing About “Special” Blogs
I read tons of blogs. Perhaps, the day I die, God (or demons, if I land in hell) will be like “Dude, you wasted a lot of your life reading that stuff.” But that’s the way it is. I like reading blogs.
However, after spending a huge chunk of time skimming and immersing myself in what people create, I’ve also learned a number of things.
While asking myself simple questions like “What distinguishes a good blog from a bad one?” or “What makes me want to read this blog and not the other one?” I found something common among all the blogs I love.
The difference between “Meh.” blogs and “Spectacular!” blogs
Basically, why some blogs are like sparkling unicorns that you feel like chasing, while the rest of them resemble the same herd of mules that you couldn’t care less about.
Here’s the thing: Everything you see on the internet is almost the same stuff.
Same templates. Similar stock photos. Equally Clickbaitish titles. Sure, some sites are decorated with fancy stuff like themes and designs and whatnot. But honestly, that’s not the core. Those things aren’t something that can necessarily separate once blog from another.
“Then what is it? The magic serum, what is it?”
Okay.
Firstly, my own blog isn’t so special. And most blogs aren’t, which is fine. Yet, this post isn’t about “How to gain 15,000 email subscribers.”
It’s about keeping it real and unearthing what makes our audience, readers, or people care about those words on the screen. I’m expected to be honest, I hope.
Ready? Here are my two cents.
What really makes special blogs special
The special blogs have damn different perspectives. Not necessarily good or bad, but different. While ordinary blogs say the same things, over and over, special blogs tend to stand out.
That’s why they’re special. They’re dancing mascots standing amidst a crowd of corporate guys dressed in same suits. They may not be the best, but they’re authentic. They’re what they are — not a bunch of borrowed ideas weld together.
That’s the whole point.
Special blogs stand apart. Others? They go down the drain of oblivion. They’re forgotten. And that’s not fair or unfair — that’s simply the way it is.
But you can see why that happens — sameness becomes boring after a while. You can’t afford to not be original, not have a point of view, and keep trying to keep up with others.
The fix?
Be original. At least, try to be, while you’re learning. Tell your own stories. Share how you see the world with your pair of eyes.
- Respect your eccentricities, you’ll need them.
- Use your brain for solutions; the heart for perspectives.
- Don’t fit-in; you’re better off that way.
I think that works. The one-line answer? Show your perspective in your blog, always. Nobody has lived your life or has seen the world as you do — which is a great thing.
Write as you are.
You’re good to go.
Learn from these
Again, this post is about “Special” blogs, not the best ones. Meanwhile, I’m sharing some examples below. These are some people you can learn from.
Ramsay Taplin posted some of the most authentic articles in the blogging niche. While he might have sold Blog Tyrant, his picture on that couch sticks.
Right now, he’s working on his new blog, The Outsidely. The thing is, he talks like a friend to you. And he can definitely inspire you to be yourself.
John is real. He’s been writing for more than a decade. While his posts may aren’t long and in-depth like whitepapers, he knows how to create an impact. Read this post to know what I’m talking about.
Well, I came across Ad-Aged (his blog) after reading his 60 Thoughts blog post. And I’ve been a subscriber since then. He’s learned from Gods of the trade like David Ogilvy and Steve Hayden — and he sure knows how to tell g̵o̵o̵d̵ phenomenal stories.
Actually, there are many.
While the above examples are more about bloggers rather than blogs, you can find some blogs which create authentic content. You can sense it when you come across one.
That’s all.
P.S. The Potato image? Because it’s better than those fake-looking stock photos. Somebody had to break the monotony, you see.
