This is a Guest Post by Sue Ann Dunlevie From Successful Blogging
Let me set the scene…
You’ve been blogging for a while now. Maybe it’s been 3 months, maybe it’s closer to 3 years.
You read The Branded Solopreneur religiously…
…because you know how important it is to make your brand stand out by distinguishing your website from everyone else’s.
After following Dre’s badassery, you are creating incredible blog images that are branded with your brand’s color palette and font theme.
But you are probably still wondering…
How do I differentiate MY content from all the other content out there?
Here’s the deal:
The days of simply publishing articles and being done are loooooong gone.
These days if you want your content and blog to out shine the rest and have reader’s flocking to it like bees to honey, you need to do more than just publish a plain ole blog post.
What you need is some different content flavors!
THE 5 of best ways to spice up your content are:
- Adding photographs and screenshots
- Using infographics and Slideshare decks
- Incorporating video tutorials
- Creating podcast episodes
- Using social sharing buttons
Let’s run through each on of those…
PHOTOS AND SCREENSHOTS AND IMAGES, OH MY!
Photographs, screenshots and images are all designed to help break up your content and make it easier to scan and read.
You have to remember that your readers will be visiting your site on all types of devices. These will range from smaller mobile screens to large desktop monitors.
There is nothing worse than having long paragraphs of text staring you in the face. That’s just not ‘read on’ friendly, and these days you have to have ‘read on’ friendly content!
The simple act of including a visual can break up those chunks, making it much easier for your readers to devour your content.
Notice how Dre uses the graphic numbers in each list item in this post. That simple visual breaks up her content , and makes it completely ‘read on’ friendly. Proof that you don’t have to get super fancy with your in-content visuals. The goal is simply to provide your reader’s with the best reading experience possible, by breaking up large chunks of text so their eyes don’t start to bleed and run.
TURN YOUR INFO INTO AN INFOGRAPHIC OR SLIDESHARE
An infographic is a great way to repackage tips and facts in a visual way, which is easier to digest than plain text.
Experiment creating your own infographic at Pictochart or Infogr.am.
Slideshares are all the rage right now too, and for good reason. They are easy for you to make and fun for your reader to consume. I just published my first one last month.
Try taking one of your old posts and turning it into a Slideshare presentation using PowerPoint or Google Slides and voila, you’ve just given new life to an old post.
ADD A VIDEO TO SPICE UP YOUR CONTENT
Videos are a fantastic way to spice up a post, including creating tutorials or mini advertisements.
If a picture is worth a 1,000 words can you imagine what a video is??
Added bonus…
If you upload your video to Facebook, YouTube or Vimeo you’ll also increase the social exposure of your brand.
Or, you can always opt to record it as a Facebook Live first and then embed that recording in your content. Live streaming is not only all the rage right now, but it’s the future of content as we know it, so why not get in on the benefits now.
I call that: two birds, one stone!
CREATE A PODCAST EPISODE
Some bloggers like to include an audio version of their text content.
Why?
Audio files make easy listening for readers who are on the go, which is why including one in your blog posts will almost certainly help your content stand out from the rest. Think going the extra mile and that mileage being the scoring yardage you needed!
Regardless if you call it an audio file or a podcast, which is just a fancy way of saying ‘audio’, you are allowing people to consume your content in a totally different way….through their ears that is.
That audio consumption option will broaden your audience and attract audio lovers, which will most certainly help you stand out in your niche.
SHARING IS CARING
Another thing to remember, when creating your content, is that people are always looking for a way to share things that they love.
In order for them to easily do this you need to make sure you’ve installed social sharing buttons (Dre and I both use Social Warfare) on your site.
These social sharing buttons make sharing your content quick and pain free. If you don’t make things easy you’re going to lose the massive benefits that social sharing will bestow upon you. And you don’t want that!
Making things tap and share easy will encourage your readers to share your content on their favorite channels, like Twitter and Facebook, which will drive more traffic back to your website and blog.
You never know when your content might go viral – getting your brand and website more free exposure.
The reality is, that could be one share away!
WRAP UP
The first step is deciding which of these 5 methods are the best option(s) for YOU and your audience. After that, it’s all about creating and adding those elements to your blog posts and reveling in how flavorful your content now is!
Making your content visually appealing, easy to read, audible if chosen and shareable friendly will undoubtedly help you make your content stand out in the sea of bright lights out there.
I double dog dare you to give it a try!
Sue Anne Dunlevie is the Blogging Coach at Successful Blogging, where she helps beginning bloggers earn a living with their blog. As a free bonus, she has written a report on “How To Attract 1000 Subscribers In 30 Days”.