What Can Separate Your Blog or Pumpkin From Another? The past few weeks I have been reading lots of blogs and after a while, they all seemed to look alike.
I had been to the supermarket and took a picture of these pumpkins because it seemed so early to have them out and ready for Halloween. The pumpkins all looked alike and if I was going to purchase one would not be able to decide which one to choose.
It was the same for the blogs I had visited. Which blog do I comment on? Which blog do I share?
I thought maybe labeling the pumpkins with letters would make a difference. What can you do to separate your blog from other blogs today? Let’s see what things you can do to separate your blog now from the others.
Table of Contents
Here Are Some Ways To Get Creative With Your Blog:
- Take your own pictures – Since we always have our mobile devices with us. Why not use your phone or camera? You may never know what will catch your eye and turn into a post. People love images and are drawn to them on blog posts.
- Take a video – People today love watching videos. It will add another element to your blog post and boost your SEO.
- Embed Tweets and other social media posts into your blog. These also help provide your readers with other resources relevant to your blog post.
- Create your own graphics – Henneke from Enchanting Marketing does this best today. If you haven’t visited her blog, do check it out. Her images are so popular she now has a coffee mug line!
Be Generous with White Space
Please use white space on your posts. How many times have I visited a blog and everything is clumped together with no white space or images?
I do not stay around long enough to read it – never mind to comment. Sometimes not even the reading glasses or bi-focal contacts can help me read your blog. Make it easy on your readers!
Make Your Text Big Enough to Read and Separate Your Blog From Others
Oftentimes, I visit a blog and the text is so small or in a font that is hard to read. What do you do? Do not read the post and go elsewhere for the information.
So make sure your text is big enough and easy to read, especially on mobile devices.
Do Away With Ads Everywhere
I’ve been in the ad business for over 30 years. I know ads can pay the bills. But if you overuse them on your blog they will turn off readers and become ineffective.
Have you ever visited a website on your mobile device to find that you could not even read the blog post? Yes, that can happen when you have too many ads or pop-ups.
Always check yours on your mobile phone. You might be surprised at what you find!
Eliminate Blog Side Bars
Today many blogs do not have the old fashion sidebars filled with promotions. Use your blog space wisely and have a promotion in your blog post instead.
Keep your promotions to a minimum or use one pop-up on certain blog posts that are relevant to your pop-up. It looks less salesy and keeps your blog looking clean and minimal.
Use An Inviting Headline to Separate Your Blog From Others
Something that draws others in. Others who are great at this draw people right into their blogs. When they share on social media sites it draws more attention to their latest post.
You spend so much time writing it, why not spend a little more time on your own headline?
However, you could use a tool called Sharethrough that analyzes headlines for you. Try it out as it is FREE to use. The tool grades your headline and you can try again until you get a higher grade for your headline.
Add Creativity To Your Blog
To make those pumpkins look different from one another you could get creative with cloth and markers to make them look really unique. A few years ago I bought a New England Patriots Pumpkin.
Wish I knew where that picture was now. Seems every year people are getting more creative with their pumpkins! It can be fun to decorate them for Halloween.
Making your blog look different can be fun with different graphics, infographics, and videos to complement your writing.
Write With Finesse To Separate Your Blog From Others
Sue-Ann Bubacz talks about this in her blog post “Why you need to be blogging with finesse.” Instead of letting it all hang out use some finesse to your blog to life.
Don’t let your posts need a lifeline to be read and commented on. Reveal a little about yourself in each of your posts going forward. See how it can make a difference with your readers.
Your Turn
What do you do to separate your blog from others today? And do you decorate your pumpkins to stand out for Halloween too? I’d love to know more in the comment section below.
She has 30+ years of experience in marketing/advertising with 12 years of experience in content marketing, social media, blogging, and SEO.
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Lots of blogs definitely do look alike! These are great tips. Also, I think if you let your personality shine through a bit on your blog as far as the appearance of the blog as well as the content, that helps separate your blog from the others too.
Hi Sabina, welcome to Inspire To Thrive. Yes, do let your personality shine through as no 2 people or bloggers are alike. Don’t try to copy every blogger along the way. Thanks for coming by and have a great day and weekend ahead Sabina.
All blogs do look alike but unique content makes a difference. Images are an important ingredient, second only to a great headline. Every great book needs a cover; every great post needs an image. Thanks, Lisa.
Hi Chole, welcome to Inspire To Thrive. Thanks for your input. Unique content surely can make a difference. Make it a great day!
Thanks again, Lisa
Yes, Lisa. I’ve tried pictures before and the traffic usually stays the same. The only time I see a major difference in traffic is when I write a super attractive headline.
Very interesting Kevin, thanks for coming back and the added info. Headlines over images?
I prefer to not use pictures on my blog because I like to let my words do all the talking.
Wow Kevin, that is unusual. Have you tried one post with images to test it?
I never thought about that Lisa, but I know what you mean when it comes to some blogs looking the same. I think where some bloggers make big mistakes is not changing their look and feel. I am in the middle of mine, slow coming, but it is in need of a update and I have gotten good use out of the template that I have been using for over a year now. Another thing that helps is personality too. I love blogs that can poke fun at them self every now and then to keep it fun.
Thanks Sonia, but on the other hand what if one changes too often? Will that be distracting? Great point about keeping it fun too!
Hi Lisa
I love this article. I always feel like my site is a work in progress. I know that it is hard to get people to come back and read you blog especially if they find you for the first time and you are having an off day. I try to put thought into everything that I put out there. I don’t always hit a grand slam but every once in a while I get lucky. I have tried to make my blog a bit unique from other with the set up. I know that I still have a lot to do with my sidebars and coming up with great titles that make people want to take a peek.
Cynthia
Oh yes, a website is always a work in progress Cynthia. Just like housework, it is never done. I loved that title about Jane married to Jack….
Hi Lisa,
You are very right. We need to create a difference and you have provided the right tips to follow.
thanks for the advise, Lisa
Thanks Enstine for coming by and commenting.
Hey Lisa
I just changed the theme on my blog to Pagelines and it’s so much easier to read, or at least I think it is!
I usually use free images but that’s such a cool idea to just take your own. I always have my camera so there’s no excuse! Mostly I take pictures of my kids so it will be interesting to take a picture of something different for a change.
My blog has evolved even from only starting it in May and I’m trying to get more creative with each post.
I always have Google Alerts sending me an email if anything happens in the news, although I often forget to look at them and then it’s too late!
I tend to have a look at Google Trends as well just in case there’s anything on there that is of interest.
Thank you for sharing Lisa.
Have a great weekend.
Tim
Hi Tim, yes, I really like your blog’s look. Just found it the other day. I used to use the free images and sometimes still do. Thanks for coming by and commenting. You too have a fantastic weekend!
Hey Lisa,
Now that I think about it you’re right. There are a hand full of blogs that I visit that look the same. You can tell their theme is similar and it’s all white. They have no heading or logo and their sidebar is boring. They don’t put images in their posts and it’s all I can do to get through them at times.
Now my theme isn’t classy or colorful I admit. For the most part my headlines don’t grab your attention either, but I do love images and I do my best to keep your attention. For the most part I think I’m having some success in that area.
I’m really not good at keeping up with what’s happening today online because I write my posts ahead of time and schedule them to post. I’m definitely no last minute writer.
Taking my camera with me everywhere I go is a great idea. Thanks for reminding me to start doing that.
~Adrienne
Hi Adrienne. Your headlines are great, everytime I get an email with your headline I have to look. Love to see what images you will capture with that camera. Thank you for coming by and commenting. Have a nice weekend!
Hi Lisa!
greta tips .pumpkins what a great idea to seperate your blog to another.i like your idea .because many of blog looks alike so there are a situation of mingle arise which is to choose or not.so i think pumpkins is a great concept.
Hi Lisa,
Blog or Pumpkin? lol… I call it “Creative Thinking”… Nice concept and really cool title Lisa. It grabs attention.
Jan is quicky. He got that talent. Ohw yes! He’s engaged and “GO DADDY”… What?! Now he’s talking about Watermelons.
Reading is a kind of art too. But if all blogs seems alike with similar topics, then it might feels boring. Sometimes the outer look can be seems alike as you represent pumpkins in above images, but there could be an unique message inside. But bloggers need to be careful more and be creative to grab attention of readers. However it’s still harder when it comes to blogs related to tech, news etc.
I like your suggestions Lisa. They can really work out. Taking own images would be awesome if we can spend time out.
Cheers…
Thanks Mayura. Yes Jan is talented and quick. I would agree it’s getting harder to distinguish oneself from another with so many in the same niche.
Sage advice, Lisa. I struggle with the “taking your own pictures” part. I just don’t feel as if I have the time or the skill to take great pics for my sites. I don’t hold any fantasy that I’ll ever be a great photographer and that doesn’t really bother me. I’m willing to put my less-than-stellar pics on my sites, but my biggest stumbling block is time.
It takes time to seek out the appropriate subject for a certain article or story. I can barely keep up with what I have on my plate now! Any suggestions for me?
Samantha, you are always taking pics on Instagram. Just continue to do so but of the beauty and sights around you and you will find something that will fit in to your next post. Just think more out of the box (though you already do quite a great job of that) Always be ready with the camera and even if it’s yours smartphone, so many of them take great pictures now! I keep shooting away and when I work on a subject I think back to see if any photos would fit. Thanks for coming by and commenting today- much appreciated.
I always learn from you Lisa. btw- my pumpkin is bigger than your pumpkin.
LOL, Hi Paul, glad to see you still are a reader here. Thanks for commenting. I’ll have to check if yours is bigger or not.
Great post! I tend to agree that a lot of blogs look the same, in other words they begin to look generic once you start reading a lot of them. Having a catchy headline and some great photos that you took yourself is sure to make you stand out.
Does it take more time? Yes. But then how much do you truly value your readership if you can’t take a couple extra minutes to make them happy?
Good point Michael about it taking more time. Putting the alphabet on the pumpkins did take some extra time for sure! But needed to do it to prove a point and give it some zing.
That’s a topic that’s been on my mind lately as well. And that’s the reason I decided to add a picture of myself to the sidebar (just an hour ago). I used to think that the design would be the difference, then the words we write (and the voice), now I’m more of an opinion that it’s a mix of many things. But, in one way or another, we need to be different.
Thanks Jens, that was a good idea for you to add that on the SIDEBAR. Thanks for commenting on this one.
Great post! p.s. How long did it take you to label those pumpkins? I have to agree with the cluttered blogs, run on sentences, not so good formatting is a major turnoff. I might read the first post, but I’m not subscribing. Then I run into blogs that I have followed for quite some time and something has changed. Run on’s, poor grammar and spelling, just a major turn off. I can’t stand it! But I know there are people, especially Blogger ones that love sidebar graphics and such. Oh my…..I could go on and on about this one. My blog isn’t the best but I do try to keep it “clean”.
Hi Brenda, it did take a little while, Yikes, I know I’ve had typos in the past, hope you forgive them. If they are a lot I sure do understand your point. Clutterness is the worst for me to bear. Thanks for input. Always appreciated.
Hi Lisa!
I don’t know much about pumpkins, but I know a little something about water-melons. To find out if they are ripe you just thump them. If they make a ‘hollow’ sound, they are good to eat.
What makes a water melon even better, is cutting it up for your guests in nice bite – size bits,
Just like you write a blog post. nice bite – size pieces. Ripe. Ready to eat. With a great title, like this post. Thanks for mentioning me on your blog, Lisa.
Hi Jan, thanks for coming by, commenting and teaching us about watermelons, you were part of inspiration for this post
Loved your title Lisa!
I was just about wondering what you had to share where pumpkin was concerned.
Yes, most blogs are the same and one doesn’t find anything different, unless you choose a different niche or see something really different than the usual. Most people I see are trying to sell their products or services, which might not be something that people are interested in – or perhaps they need to try a different way to convey what they really want to rather than doing so the normal way.
Having an inviting title is the first criteria I think that attracts people to your blog, followed by a nice picture and yes, your own pics work well if you can manage to take them and they are related to the post. And yes, being creative or trying out new things is another thing that attracts readers to your blog and makes it separate.
Thanks for sharing.
Hi Harleena, I guess the title worked on this one. it was not planned but
after I took the picture I knew it meant something and would be used. Sometimes the best things are NOT planned. Thanks for commenting.
I hope I don’t have any white space I need to check on that. I hate blogs that have everything jumbled together or has so many things on the page makes navigating so hard. My headlines usually make the difference if I have a topic that is different I get more readers. Great tips
Thanks Kita for coming by and commenting on it too. I hope you do have some white space, it helps the reader scan it or read it easier.
You’ve brilliantly conveyed what I’ve been recently kicking around in my brain. I think a blog has to be what it purports to be, and the personality of the Blogger has to shine through the content. It’s similar to reading a good book. You want to love the protagonist. I’m drawn to information, honesty and great storytelling, as well as originality.
Oh thanks Lauren. I appreciate that.
Hi Lisa,
This pumpkin concept of presenting blog is simply superb idea.Yes, your concept is correct that all blogs do look alike but unique content do make a blog look different and also attracts the attention of readers to read and comment on it. This is all what I think which makes a blog different from others.Thanks for the share!!
Thanks Aditi – at least it is cute.