by Rachel Cool | Featured Contributor

People don’t just read your blog for the information you share; they read it because they like you. They like the unique perspective you have, the way you approach topics, your style of sharing information and in essence, your personality.

But, adding your personality to your blog is easier said than done. This formula will help you resist the temptation to hide your personality so you can make your blog more valuable, helping you gain a bigger audience and loyal readers.

Prepare with Visual Style

As someone who loves to cook and experiment with new recipes, I know preparation is key. Trying to bake a cake without the right ingredients or without the right tools could be a disaster. The same holds true when it comes to blogging; you need to start off right to see the desired results.

Your blog’s visual style should speak to your personality. Refresh your blog so that the colors, design, layout, fonts and images all reflect who you are. The very first thing people see when they land on your blog is the visual style, so use it to make a great first impression that tells people who you are.

Start with a Handful of Individuality

The best blogs are unique and offer things other blogs don’t. In such a crowded blogosphere, this can be challenging. Discover what you can do on your blog that your readers won’t get anywhere else, and use it to its fullest potential.

Maybe you have a unique professional background, approach your industry in a new way, specialize in the latest technology or simply have a fresh outlook on your subject.

Fold in Personal Experiences

Personal experiences are what make your blog posts special. They add your own point of view and make you more credible, helping you leverage your blog to build your business. Whenever possible, add personal experiences to posts where they naturally fit, and don’t be shy about writing posts that are solely about an experience you had.

Mix in your Own Voice

For some reason, we tend to adopt a formal tone when we blog. While you want to look and sound professional, you don’t want to come across as boring and drive readers away.

Write like you talk. Use your own style and loosen up a little so your posts aren’t stiff or overly promotional. Maintain a professional attitude and use good grammar, but don’t distance yourself from your readers by being too stuffy.

Add a Dash of Humor

A simple way to add your own personality is to use humor. This doesn’t mean your blog needs to become a comedy act, but humor can make you more relatable and make people want to keep reading. Add a joke, use puns intentionally, create light-hearted titles and tell a funny story when it fits with your post to make your blog more entertaining and personal.

Garnish with Unique Photos

Finally, before you click “publish,” add some unique photos. Whenever possible, stay far away from stock photos and instead, use artistic images that evoke emotion and help your posts stand out. Even better, use your own images from your business, experiences or even family to give readers a glimpse into your life.

This recipe for adding personality will transform your blog from one that looks like every other blog out there to one that helps you connect with your market, build your business and create a strong online presence.

Photo Credit: Clever Cupcakes

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Rachel Cool has a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis in public relations. She has experience working in public relations, journalism, Internet marketing and search engine optimization. She is a freelance writer and editor and teaches public relations writing and production at Brigham Young University.

Rachel’s passion is writing and she loves helping brands tell their stories, reach their markets and influence their audiences. She feels that a business’ copy, whether it is online or print, is an integral part of its marketing and communications strategies.

When she’s not writing, Rachel loves to cook and get lost in a mystery novel. She also likes to get competitive over a good card or board game, watch movies, fish and spend time outside.

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Rachel Cool