Have you ever read something that inspired you so much you couldn’t help but take action?
What about that post/article or book took you to the point when you woke up one day and said I need to start a blog?
Was it a desire to start your own business, the need to share your views, or the need to help others?
Great blogs have the ability to change our lives and move us closer to our goals in life.
They have the ability to reach out to millions without the author having to leaving their room, favorite coffee shop, or bench park, and they all have these great things in common.
Great blogs are informative and useful
Being informative is about creating value for your readers.
The reason most people are on the internet or visiting your blog is because you have the ability to help solve a problem, enlighten them, and help them move closer to their goals.
Whether your website is about health, travel, entertainment or any other number of topics it usually boils down to providing useful and informative content that‘s easy to digest.
The more helpful you are the better your chances at building an audience for your blog will be.
Show your personality
What separates one great blog from another?
Having a great personality! In order for me to feel connected to a blog and want to visit it time and time again I need to feel a strong sense of the authors personality.
I need to feel that I know the person and that he/she cares about my success.
Being able to relate to your audience is one of the most powerful tools you can possess.
Without it your blog or website may feel like just another version of the same, boring content they see everyday.
Great authors such as Seth Godin and Tim Ferris, and understand the power of being openly human and showing a strong sense of personality in their work.
Even if we don’t know them personally we feel connected to them and have a strong sense of trust because over time believe we have a good idea of who they are and we like it.
Give your audience what they want
Aside from the music industry, and a few blogs and people here and there, it can be pretty hard to talk about what you want all day and expect your readers to care.
I’m not saying it isn’t possible but drawing readership and loyalty usually comes from giving them what they want.
Even if you know what your readers need to reach their goals they won’t listen unless they have a strong desire for it to begin with.
The good news is you can give them both what they want and what they need, but you have to build on their wants first.
Once their desires are strong enough then you can help them reach their goals by showing them what they need to do to get there.
Many people have made the mistake of creating blogs, products, and/or services centered around solving a problem that nobody cares enough about to read or use.
Being able understand your audiences wants in advance will determine their needs.
And when that happens you’ll be the perfect person to go to for the solution.
Offer more
Great solutions are only the beginning.
After you have helped your readers solve a problem they feel a closer and deeper kinship to you.
This is where the magic happens. This is where they spread the word of how great you are and what you’ve done for them, and this is what will make you successful.
Going above and beyond, offering more, and connecting are some of the best things you can do with your readers.
I know I would feel much closer to someone who shows me that they care and wants to help me succeed than someone who just solved a problem and disappeared, and I think you’d feel the same way.
Tell a great story
Stories have built art, relationships, cultures, and societies.
They have drawn large groups of followers and have given us hope in our times of need.
They have inspired us to take action when we never thought we would, and changed the direction of our lives forever.
We relate to those that have stories that are similar to ours and admire those who live the lives we dream of.
Everybody needs to feel inspired in life.
More than knowledge, inspiration from a good story can inspire us to accomplish things that moments before we felt where too difficult.
If you can inspire your audience and share a story with them you can build relationships that will grow and prosper indefinitely.
What is it that makes a blog great to you? What have you found to be the best/worst parts of the blogs you follow?