Creating a blog that is going to stand out from the crowd is not going to be an easy task. Thousands of new blogs are starting each day and it seems as if each one is better than the next. This post is about brainstorming ideas that can help you find ways to create that competitive edge.
As an entrepreneur and blogger, I strive each day to come up with creative ideas to position myself as an industry leader and not a cookie cutter site. It’s a challenge, but definitely worth the effort.
Let’s get started…
First Step: Research what’s already out there
The best way to see what creates a successful blog is to visit and dissect other successful blogs. Here are some things to look at:
- Design – Is there a certain look to the site you like? How about the colors? What’s the general flow of the content?
- Verbiage – How does the author communicate to his/her audience? Is it light and friendly? Is it edgy and confronting? Is it purely professional and tutorial-based?
- Are there any unique characteristics that you have not seen elsewhere?
- Are they following a particular theme and being consistent with that theme? How is that theme working for them?
- Are they using certain applications that are enhancing the user’s experience?
- What are they doing to encourage participation from their readers?
I would suggest visiting blogs in different industries. The point being, it will allow you to come up with more creative ideas for your site, mix-and-match if you will.
Second Step: Ask yourself, how can I do it better?
This exercise is about seeing what has worked for others and igniting those brain cells to start generating ideas that you can begin to implement for your blog.
Think of the blogs you are researching as muses that will give you the inspiration for you to create your own work of art.
Write all your ideas down no matter how far out there they may seem. Don’t limit your creative ideas to what you think you can pull off, just put it all down and then you can figure out how to make it work.
Third Step: Continue to test and tweak your blog until you come up with a winning formula
Chances are you are not going to create the perfect blog right away. It’s going to take some time to evaluate what is working for you and what is not.
Pay close attention to what areas in your blog are peaking interest and concentrate on developing those areas. In the same respect, if there are areas that are not working, you may want to consider fine-tuning them or getting rid of it completely.
Don’t get attached to your ideas. It’s easy to get attached to a particular theme or page you’ve been working on for some time. Just because YOU like it, does not mean others will.
If your intention is to create a welcoming, engaging experience for your readers, than have THEIR likes in mind.
What have you been doing to create a blog that stands out from the crowd?
Hi Michele,
Thanks for sharing the accurate advice.
Not becoming attached to an idea is a gem which bloggers should take to heart. We tend to become attached to our own brain child, but we aren't writing for ourselves. Our audience decides what works for them and what doesn't. Keep them in mind as you proceed with the design process.
Ryan Biddulph
Hi Ryan,
Yup, been there. I had a page in the beginning that was difficult for me to let go.
But it's all a learning process and it get's easier to be objective about your work as soon as you realize it's not about YOU. 
Thanks so much for your comment!
“Continue to test and tweak your blog until you come up with a winning formula”
Sometimes i also think the important thing to do is “just stop.” I have never known anyone that is completely happy with their designs, so they will just go on and tweak it forever, not getting anywhere. Sometimes you just need to stop or you will end up in this situation.
Hi, glad to be here. These tips are very helpful.
But I think that creating ideas is not always the only way to give visitors what they want. Sometimes, certain services just like e-books are found everywhere on the internet without good arrangement and usually not chosen to meet visitors' needs. They need to be re-posted in a way that people really look for. That's what I tried to do in my blog “The free PDF library”. Please take a look to evaluate it.
Frank
Hi Frank,
I'm not 100% clear on what you are saying, but I'm going to take a guess here.
Looks like you are saying, that there are services out there that offer ebooks in an unorganized fashion and not targeted towards the visitors needs. Well, I'm sure that is the case. =)
With that said, I visited it your site. I think it's great that you are offering the pdf's to your visitors for free. And it seems to be well organized in categories. The only thing I would add, if you like, is information on how these pdf's may be used. That is are there any restrictions, resales, altering the content, etc. that they need to know about? Is it only for personal use?
Thanks for your feedback Frank!
P.S. The meal plan pdf seemed very interesting =)
Hey Peter,
Yup, I agree, with somethings you do have to stop. With my first site, I must of changed my font five times! =)
But you learn that you probably will never be 100% satisfied and learn to move on.
With that being said, what I was mostly referring to was things such as pages or applications you've added to your site and never taken off. The goal is to optimize each page as best as possible to get the most from your site…basically dropping dead weight.
Thanks for stopping by Peter…nice to chat with you!
Hi Michele,
This is my first comment here. First of all thanks for the tips. I think the last point seems to pointing out target what the audience want and that's really true. I agree we should have the audience in mind whenever we need to do any drastic adjustments to our blog. To come out with a winning formula takes time, there is a lot of trial and error and we need to keep track on what the audience think about it.
There is definitely some differences in opinions with the audience. When that happens, do you normally go with the majority? What's your take on this?
Hi Lye,
Great question. One thing I've learned in the corporate world and the same applies online, is that the more you push the decisions to your customers (in our case as bloggers, to our readers), the more it goes from being a personal venture, such as a hobby, to a business. And the more you are being “smart” about your business by listening to your customers.
So to answer your question, I would go with the majority consensus. HOWEVER, I don't compromise on what I truly believe in. So if it's something I really want to try out because I believe it can be something worthwhile in the long run, I am always open to giving it a shot.
Worst case scenario, it doesn't work out. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?
Thanks for stopping by Lye…see you soon.
I just came over from Bloggerluv. I like what you say about our blogs. It can be easy to get attached. I was reminded early on with my blog that I am blogging for my readers not just for me! Even though I have only been blogging a few months I am already changing things on my blog. Cos I am not a techie it is a slow process as I have heaps of ideas but not necessarily the techie know-how to achieve it all. Since becoming part of the blogging community I have found bloggers who are really helpful and encouraging so I hope to eventually have the blog just as I want it.
I haven't found any other blogs like mine and before I started I did heaps of research and looked at my competitors as part of a business plan as I eventually want to monetize my blog. My readers have been asking questions and I have some ideas for a PDF book eventually as well as doing product reviews on all things lavender.
Patricia Perth Australia
That sounds wonderful Patricia. You're definitely are on the right track. In a unique niche with hungry readers… awesome!
The techie stuff does take a while to learn =) but you'll get there and it's great to know you have a positive attitude about it.
Thanks so much for stopping by Patricia and good luck on your endeavor.
PS. I think those two ideas you have there are right on point!
i have to go with peter on this one. I have redesigned and designed again countless number of times. is it the perfectionist in me or the little voice saying “nope trash that” – anyhow, great post.
Yup, know that feeling of wanting everything to be perfect…kind of gets in the way sometimes, doesn't it?
Nice to meet you HK…and thanks for stopping by!
Awesome Post Michele!
The two most crucial things if you ask me.
And you put the don’t bloody copy in a red box – SWEEEEEET.
Be orginal – watch and learn, tweak – and then do it a lot.
it’s not rocket science.
Awesome post
Thanks Alex! Yeah, the red box is a bit over the top, but sometimes you have to clarify things clearly so you are not misinterpreted.
It makes a point though =) Ciao.