Features that Divide Successful Blogs from Ordinary Blogs by @rachelccool

 by Rachel Cool | Featured Contributor 

Your blog can be one of your most powerful marketing tools if you know how to use it right. But, in a world where anyone can set up a blog in just minutes and start publishing content, it’s important that yours stands out and is something special.

Every blog will require different elements depending on what kind of business you have and what industry you serve. But, there are some elements all successful blogs have in common.

Compelling Posts that Inspire

It’s absolutely essential that your blog posts inspire visitors to take some kind of action: work with you, sign up for your email updates, follow you on social media, buy your products or any other action that will benefit your business.

These kinds of posts will also keep your readers coming back for more. You want your blog posts to be so valuable and helpful to your market that people won’t want to miss out on what you have to say in each and every post.

A Focus that Meets a Need

Some of the most successful blogs meet a unique need. They fill some sort of gap in their industry or the blogosphere in general to offer something different that readers are looking for.

It’s up to you to determine what exactly this will be for your blog, but working to find a niche focus, looking at which blog posts get better results, considering what your market needs and doing things other bloggers aren’t can help you get started.

Personality that Shines

Have you ever read a blog and started to feel like you know the writer? Personality is what gives a blog that quality, and it’s something you can’t do without. People don’t just read blogs for the content or information; they read them because they feel like they can relate to the blogger.

This isn’t to say you have to open up your entire personal life for everyone to read about. But, when you add some tidbits from your personal life, by adding personal photos, mentioning hobbies, referencing travels, or telling people about your background, you add that secret ingredient that makes blogs stand out.

Reliability that Goes Above and Beyond

You hear all the time that bloggers need to post consistently to gain traction. But, you need to do more than just post content on a regular basis; you need to develop a relationship of trust with your readers so they know they can rely on you for up-to-date information, quality content and valuable posts.

If all you publish are fluffy posts that don’t have very much value, your readers will stop coming to your blog. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with some light-hearted, fun posts, but more valuable content should make up the foundation of your blog.

Whether your blog plays a major part in your marketing plan or it’s just a small part of your business, making it stand out will bring all kinds of benefits. If you are just starting a new blog or are looking for ways to get more out of your existing blog, these tips can help you make it stand out and get attention online.

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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.

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