How to Stand Out as a Blogger

There are a lot of bloggers out there. In fact, according to Wikipedia—with stats from different sources—on February 20, 2014, there were around 172 million Tumblr and 75.8 million WordPress blogs in existence worldwide. And you still wanna start a blog? Well, so how do you make sure that your blog stands out from the rest? How do you make sure that your voice is heard?

It takes more than just good content. You need to be authentic. You need to build a connection with your readers. You need to be real. You need to be youself!

Well, although all of them may sound so cliché (I mean, hello? We’re talking about the Internet, after all), these are the kind of things that will make you an authentic blogger:

1. Find Your Niche

One of the best ways to stand out as a blogger is to find your niche. When you focus on a specific topic, you become an expert in that area and can offer your readers valuable insights that they can’t find elsewhere.

For example, if you blog about travel in general, you’ll have a hard time competing with bloggers who focus on specific destinations or travel experiences, not to mentions sites like TripAdvisor that offer comprehensive reviews. But if you blog about, say, solo female travel or budget travel or adventure travel, you’ll have a better chance of standing out. You’ll be able to offer a unique perspective that will appeal to a specific group of readers that nobody else is reaching.

Finding your niche will make you a more authentic blogger because you’ll have something unique to share. Don’t try to be everything to everyone—it’s just not possible (nor is it sustainable), and it’s always better to be a specialist than a jack-of-all-trades. Focus on a specific topic, become an expert in that area, and offer your readers valuable insights.

2. Be Yourself

This is probably the most important one. Long gone the days where people used to read blogs just for the sake of reading. Now, people want to connect with the person behind the blog. They want to know that there’s a real human being on the other side, somebody they can relate to. And the best way to show them that is by being yourself. You need to be you. You need to write in your own voice. Don’t try to imitate someone else—not even your favorite blogger!

When you’re authentic, people will respect you for it and will be more likely to trust what you have to say. Besides, it’s just a lot more fun (and a lot less work) to be yourself!

People connect with other people, not with faceless brands. So if you want to build a connection with your readers, you need to be real. You need to show them who you are—the good, the bad, and the ugly. Be yourself, and people will respect you for it.

3. Offer Value

If you want people to keep coming back to your blog, you need to offer them value. This could mean offering helpful tips and advice, sharing interesting stories, or providing information that they can’t find anywhere else. Whatever it is, make sure that your content is worth reading!

Nobody likes and wants to read a blog that’s all about you, or blogs that are too sale-sy. So make sure that you offer value to your readers. Share helpful tips and advice, interesting stories, or information that they can’t find anywhere else.

People are always looking for something of value, so if you want to stand out as a blogger, make sure that you offer it! Other things will come and go, but if you offer value, people will always come back to your blog.

4. Be Consistent

Consistency is key when it comes to blogging. If you want people to keep coming back, you need to give them a reason to do so. One way to do this is by posting new content on a regular basis. If you only update your blog once in a while, people will soon forget about it. But if you’re posting new content on a regular basis, they’ll keep coming back for more.

Be consistent also shows that you’re reliable and that you can be counted on. If people know that they can rely on you to provide them with new content on a regular basis, they’ll be more likely to come back and visit your blog again and again. It also shows that you really mean business!

An on-and-off relationship with your blog won’t get you very far. You need to be consistent if you want people to keep coming back. Post new content on a regular basis, and show your readers that they can rely on you to provide them with fresh, interesting content. If you do that, they’ll keep coming back for more!

5. Engage with Your Readers

People want to be heard. They want to know that their opinion matters, and they want to feel like they’re a part of something. So if you want to stand out, it’s important that you engage with your readers.

Encourage them to leave comments on your posts, and make sure that you respond to those comments. Ask them questions, and start a conversation. If you make your readers feel like they’re a part of something, they’ll be more likely to keep coming back. The more engaged you are with your audience, the more likely they are to keep coming back for more!

Here, I don’t mean that you have to be best friends with everyone who comments on your blog. Sometimes, it’s just best to ignore the trolls and their negativity online—there’s just no point in engaging with them. But for the most part, try to engage with your readers as much as you can. It’ll make a world of difference!

6. Be Passionate

Readers are very perceptive, and they can tell when you’re not being genuine. When you’re passionate about something, it shows in your writing. It shows in the way you talk about your topic. It’s one of the things that will make people want to come back to your blog again and again.

Passion is also contagious. When you’re passionate about your topic, it’s easy to get your readers excited about it, too. If you can express your passion in your writing, you’ll be more likely to engage and connect with your readers. And that’s what it’s all about!

Final Thoughts

When it comes to blogging, being authentic is one of the best ways to stand out from the crowd. People will respect you for it, and if you offer value and are consistent, they’ll keep coming back for more. So don’t be afraid to be yourself, and let your personality shine through in your writing!

Do you have any tips on how to be an authentic blogger? Share them with us in the comments below!