It’s Your Blog. Why Be Boring?

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When it comes to your own blog, this is a little piece of the digital universe carved out for yourself, by yourself. Sure, you want readers to flock there, click your links, buy your affiliate products and services. But you also want, in some small way, your work to reflect your personality, your values. This may be far from your primary goal, but it’s still something that is probably important to you. And if it’s not, perhaps it should be.

Different bloggers let this play out in different ways. Not every travel blog is going to be the perfect platform for you to go on at length about your love for the works of D.H. Lawrence or armchair philosophy, but there may be deeper values that fill up page after page. If you have a passion for design, for instance, let the layout, colors, and logo of your blog demonstrate those values for all to see. If you believe in financial integrity, let the information that you put out on your personal finance blog be legitimate and helpful.

And if you value good and interesting writing, let it flow, bro. To read most blogs that come out of the English speaking world, you’d think there was an international moratorium on style and individuality. Thoughts clunk to the floor lifeless, communicating barebones information but doing little else. You may not be a great writer in the academic sense – most people have little control over that. But you do have a say about whether or not you are a boring writer. Here are a few ways to your work from sucking in this particular way.

Write Like You Talk…When You’re Slightly Drunk. “Write like you talk” is a great piece of advice that a lot of writers are given at various points in life. Quibblers will quibble about professionality and propriety in writing. And while those have their place, writing in a natural, conversational manner will almost always lend power and authenticity to your work. I add the bit about being slightly drunk because it’s a helpful metaphor for me. You know when you’re at the bar, you’ve had a couple of pints, and you tell a story that blows minds? I’m not telling you to drink on the job, but by finding that sort of comfortable conversational tone, your writing is bound to be more interesting.

Write For Your Friends, Not Your Mom. When it comes to what you allow yourself to say on your blog, think about what your friends would find interesting, not what you mom would find appropriate. Times change. We live in a rough world, and it has trickled down through all forms of media. In 2016, what is interesting is not what is nice or family-friendly. You may want your blog to be appropriate for all ages, but don’t make it whitewashed and lifeless in this effort.

Writing is what drives your blog. Without interesting writing, it’s going to be hard to cobble together clickable material. It can be done, but with good writing as an ally, you’ll find it a lot easier to build your blog.

jeremy
 

Jeremy is the blogger behind ModestMoney.com where you can find a wealth of personal finance and investing information. Check out these product reviews for Motif and Betterment.