I have visited plenty of other blog websites and seen a lot of things I like… but also a lot of potential that’s not being used. Many people have the right idea when it comes to blogging, but a lot of bloggers (particularly beginners) are missing key ingredients that make blogs that really buzz!

I’m sure you can relate to this, and have visited blog sites that are as dead as a doornail. You’ve also probably visited blogs that haven’t seen any updates for months or years. Clearly they’re still getting traffic (you’re there, right?), but they’re not using it in any kind of useful way.

So, how do you generate buzz on your blog website once you attract the traffic? It all comes down to a few simple points: presentation, writing style and topic choices.

Nail the Presentation!

When you visit a website, the first thing you probably notice is the aesthetic element—what the site actually looks like. Within seconds of a site loading on your website, you will form opinions and come to certain conclusions about the site and its owners. Those first few seconds on the site will determine whether you stay to explore or leave immediately.

That’s why you need to put some thought and effort into your blog site’s presentation. Make it look great, so you can attract people in to explore and participate! Experiment with color, with fonts and with images. You’ll be amazed at how much you can do to really liven up your blog site. Consider getting a custom design made or explore the free WordPress themes available to you now.

Develop an Attractive Writing Style

If you’re not much of a writer, you can practice daily to improve the way you come across. Blogging will help with this. For maximum results with your blog, most people do best with a down-to-earth and relaxed tone that encourages participation. Engage your readers with a friendly writing style, rather than “talk” at them. Some bloggers find it easier to write “lightly” when they write their posts in their email program. Just being in the program helps them feel like they’re writing to a friend (and most of our friends would laugh if we wrote pretentiously).

Develop Interesting Topics

Let’s face it. Some blogs focus on boring, industry-based topics, but even so, it is possible to brighten a topic by writing about it in an engaging way. A skilled writer can make even the most boring topic sound interesting, and encourage plenty of discussion.

It is important for you to present to your readers a whole range of relevant and interesting topics that gets them talking, and also stay focused on the topics that brought them to your blog in the first place. The best way to do this is talk about topics that are of interest to your readers (and to you!) and stay tuned to what’s going on in the world relating to your topic. Focused, topical subjects almost always work well—just make sure you use a writing style that engages and encourages participation.

Post Regularly

A surefire way to turn people away from your blog website is to neglect it completely. As a blogger, you must commit to your website and post regularly. Depending upon your traffic, create your own update schedule (you can call it an “editorial calendar” and make it sound official!) so you can keep your readers happy and returning regularly. You might start by posting one article per week and then once you have started generating a little traffic, increase to a couple posts each week. By the time you have a lot of traffic, you might increase it to several articles per day. It’s up to you, but keep your readers in mind at all times!

Most importantly, have fun and make sure you consistently deliver articles of value to your readers. This general rule of thumb works for all bloggers.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 27th, 2007 at 6:42 am by Sarah Lewis and is filed under Beginner, Tips. It's also tagged blogging, Design, marketing. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.