Free Bonus: Download the PDF version of this post, which includes 3 extra tips not included on the blog. Just click here.
We all do it.
Sometimes, we’ll pour our blood, sweat, and tears into a blog post.
We’ll spend hours getting the headline just right. We’ll spend days fine-tuning our esoteric references to pop culture. We’ll tweak, revise, edit, and refine the post over and over until it’s perfect.
Other times?
We’ll publish just for the sake of publishing.
We’ll think of an idea, throw down a few mildly-inspiring and fleshed-out thoughts into a post, and click the ol’ publish button. Then, after tweeting the latest Magnum Nopeus to our followers, we’ll pat ourselves on the back for meeting some arbitrary, self-imposed publishing deadline.
Sound familiar?
The problem is most blog traffic comes from first-time visitors. We get one shot at them. One chance to make an impression. One chance to impact their lives.
And, too often, too many bloggers publish posts that fall far short of their best.
The posts are just… there.
They don’t enrich the readers’ lives. They don’t teach them something new. They don’t make them laugh or help forget their troubles for a few moments. They don’t inspire them.
And so they leave. Never to return.
Yours is now one of the thousands of blogs in their rear-view mirror. By the time they’ve hit the BACK button, they have already forgotten about you.
Congratulations – you’re forgettable.
The good news is it doesn’t have to be this way.
Let’s take a look at 10 ways some of the web’s best bloggers make their posts so gosh darn memorable…
#1: Make Them Laugh
Laughter has been shown to boost the immune system, reduce stress, and enhance brain chemistry through the release of endorphins.
In other words, Patch Adams was right:
Laughter does do a body good.
Adding humor to a post does more than cut down on your readers’ healthcare costs, though. It’s a powerful method for captivating a blogging audience, piquing their curiosity, and keeping them glued to the page.
Marc Ensign knew this to be true – so much so that when he got the opportunity to write for Boost Blog Traffic, Marc wrote about that very idea:
And true to his headline, Marc sprinkled humor throughout his post. References to Seinfeld, Mr. T, Alanis Morissette, and more were used to release endorphins and tickle the funny bones of readers.
The result was a memorable guest post – as proven by the fact I’m referencing it nine months after it was published.
And speaking of memorable…
Let’s talk about Amy Harrison.
When I stumbled across her site last year, I didn’t get any work done for an entire week – she’s that good. And no, I’m not just saying that because she paid me. I mean, she did pay me, but that’s not the only reason I’m saying it.
(Note: For legal purposes I should state Amy Harrison has not actually paid me any money. That said, if she’s willing to pay me to compliment her more often I would gladly accept it. Do you use PayPal, Amy? Email me.)
Amy complements many of her posts with funny (and educational) videos. She uses humor to break down business complexities into nice, easy-to-understand pearls of wisdom.
Here, she explains how you can make copywriting as irresistible as cookies or puppies:
Pretty memorable, wouldn’t you say?
Videos outside your skill set? How about a meme?
To promote my Ultimate Guide to Writing Comments That Open Doors with Popular Bloggers guest post last month, I created a series of (hopefully) humorous memes and unleashed them onto the unsuspecting public.
Did they work? Well, I don’t like to brag, but the image you see above compelled three people to click “favorite” on Twitter. So, yeah… I’d say they worked.
Of course, my memes have nothing on Brittany Bullen’s.
Last year, Brittany created 25 humorous memes for her blog.
Enjoy cat memes? She had three of them. Love the McRib sandwich? She had a McRib meme. Like zombies? Yeah, Brittany had a zombie meme, too.
These 25 memes were part of a post titled 25 Things to Remember When You’re Having a Hard Day.
Did they brighten the days of readers? Definitely.
Were the memes shared and pinned over and over? Absolutely.
Was Brittany memorable?
You better believe it.
That’s what humor can do. It can brighten days, release endorphins, and ensure you’ll have readers who still remember your name in the morning.
Plus, sometimes you’ll get three people to favorite your tweets.
So you’ll have that going for you. Which is nice.
#2: Come Bearing Gifts
Have you ever met someone who didn’t enjoy receiving gifts?
Yeah, me neither.
Everyone enjoys gifts!
Even those ugly sweaters our grandmothers would give us for Christmas or birthdays held some entertainment value. (If you had a younger sibling you could hand them down to, ugly sweaters were gifts that kept on giving.)
Blog readers love gifts, too.
If you offer them something unexpected and worthwhile within your post – a free content bonus, perhaps? – they will appreciate it. Many will gladly subscribe to your email list in return for said bonus.
And if they subscribe, that means they’ll receive the emails you send out each day, week, or month. And that means you’ll have opportunity after opportunity to be memorable.
Bryan Harris has utilized this strategy to great effect – he’s a master when it comes to enticing readers with helpful content bonuses.
Here is one of his many posts offering a free bonus at the end:
Adam Connell is no stranger to bonus content either.
Check out how he attracts readers with a free PDF checklist to accompany a massive post he wrote on list building:
Of course, gifts don’t have to be tied to email compensation.
Sometimes, it makes sense to offer a bonus that doesn’t require a subscription. Ramsay Taplin tried this approach with his checklist for starting a blog:
And Demian Farnworth offered the same totally-free approach with a PDF “poster” that accompanied a post he wrote for Copyblogger:
Gifts are memorable. Free gifts are very memorable.
Want to be memorable?
Give content bonuses a try in your next post.
#3: Help With a Problem
Know who people tend to remember?
Those who helped them with a problem.
Will you ever forget the “Good Samaritan” who helped you with your flat tire? How about the teacher who stayed late after school to tutor you? How about the person who told you about the Open Tweet Filter browser extension so you could block all references to “Kardashian” or “Bieber” on Twitter?
My guess is you could live a thousand lifetimes and not forget such saints.
So, when Stefanie Flaxman picked apart bloggers’ weaknesses and offered tangible solutions to correct them, people noticed:
For bloggers who lacked a strategy, failed to use subheads, or any of the other weaknesses Stefanie discussed, her words were extremely helpful.
That made her memorable to them.
Readers also took notice when Jeni Elliott dove into a topic that often perplexes even experienced bloggers: Pinterest.
Heck, I was on Pinterest for a little over a year and it still dumbfounded me. Thanks to Jeni, I now have a clue.
And speaking of things that befuddle many bloggers…
eBooks.
It seems as though bloggers fall into one of two camps: Either writing eBooks comes easily to them (my friend Ryan Biddulph has written 67 eBooks), or it’s something they struggle to conquer (I have written as many eBooks as my wife – zero).
For those in the latter group, in-depth posts like this one written by Ali Luke are extremely helpful.
If I can ever find the free time to work on my eBook, the knowledge Ali provides will be invaluable. Think that will make her unforgettable in my eyes? You betcha.
Okay, so what about easy things?
Is it possible to help readers while writing on a topic already well known to them? A topic most would call “easy”?
Absolutely.
Take Twitter, for example. Everyone is on Twitter. My mom is on Twitter.
But that didn’t stop Alexis Grant from crafting an extremely-helpful post on the mistakes many people make on Twitter:
If you’re a tweeting fiend, these tips might be old hat. But for those who use the application for the sole purpose of tweeting pictures of your chickens (hi, mom!), Alexis’ post is manna from Heaven.
And speaking of gifts from above, if you haven’t read the WordPress hacks written by Kevan Lee of Buffer you’re definitely missing out:
WordPress seems quite easy. And for those of us who have been using it a long time, it can feel as though there’s nothing new to learn about it.
Kevan’s post shatters those illusions.
He takes a seemingly simple topic, and he shows us something new about it.
Definitely memorable.
What about something as simple as blog comments?
Yes, you can help readers with a “simple” topic like blog commenting, too. After all, most blog comments suck.
(Not yours, though. Yours are great!)
Jenna Dalton recently helped her readers with this very topic. As Jenna explained it, it all comes down to making that all-important connection.
Sound easy? It’s really not.
Thankfully, Jenna shows her readers how it’s done.
Help readers find a solution, and you’ve got a new best friend.
Help them with something that’s been troubling them, and they’ll sing your praises from the mountain tops.
Help them with a problem, and you’ve got a fan for life.
#4: Tell a Story
Stories are powerful.
They can establish a point.
They can make a topic more relatable.
They can allow the reader to make a personal connection with the post and the person writing it.
A good story can inspire, enthrall, and captivate a reader. It can compel them to fight dragons, swim oceans, and climb mountains.
Less dangerously, they can compel readers to tweet, comment, and subscribe.
The blogger who knows how to tell a good tale is capable of most anything.
Case in point…
This next post has been tweeted 3,104 times.
It’s been liked on Facebook 10,294 times.
It’s been stumbled 53,411 times.
It’s been shared on Google Plus… 104 times. (Seriously? Get your act together, Google Plus.)
What post is it? It’s Jon Morrow’s How to Quit Your Job, Move to Paradise and Get Paid to Change the World – possibly the most popular post in the history of ProBlogger.
What did Jon do that was so special?
He told a story.
His story.
Jeff Goins knows the power of storytelling, too.
“We all have stories to tell,” he wrote years ago.
And through his blog and four books, Jeff’s told many of them. A recent one that struck me involved his son, Aiden:
What followed was a look at the innocence of a child, and the shame we feel as adults – shame that often hinders our dreams.
It’s a simple story.
But its effect is powerful.
And speaking of powerful storytelling…
There’s simply no way I can write about storytelling and not mention Jaime Buckley.
Jaime is an author, a cartoonist, a blogger, and a friend.
And he tells stories like nobody’s business.
I was 11 years old.
My brother and I hit the grass and started crawling.
…but something was horribly wrong.
“MATT!” I cried out, looking over my shoulder, “What are you DOING!?!”
My best friend was still standing in the middle of the road, bright lights from the cop car shining on him.
…as he unzipped his pants.
(Don’t worry. The story is harmless.)
Jaime is one of the most memorable individuals you’ll meet online, and it’s not just because of his friendly demeanor. And it’s not just because he’s good at what he does.
It’s because Jaime knows the power of storytelling.
Want to be unforgettable? Follow his, Jon’s, and Jeff’s lead.
#5: Give ’em Eye Candy
Ohhhh yeahhhh.
Who doesn’t love eye candy?
I know I do. So do readers.
According to data I made up just now for the purpose of this blog post, bloggers are a billion percent more likely to read a post with images than one without.
Want more hypothetical data? Facebook posts with photos get a zillion percent more engagement than those with text only!
(For those who prefer actual data, Jeff Bullas says those percentages are 94% and 37%, respectively.)
Fuzzy math or no, one thing is clear: nice graphics can turn a good post into a great one.
And what happens when you add nice graphics to a great post? Well, you get everything ever written by Henneke Duistermaat.
I’ve mentioned Henneke numerous times in past posts. I’m a huge fan of her writing. However, one of the most unique things about Henneke’s blog is her graphics.
Each post she writes includes a custom, hand-drawn feature image. That’s right. She takes the time to draw and color images to accompany her blog posts…
The above post actually has four different hand-drawn images in it.
The result is a post that is unique, memorable, and definitely Henneke.
Of course, it’s difficult to talk about blog graphics and not discuss Pamela Wilson.
Jon Morrow says there is no one he trusts more for smart graphic design than Pamela. That’s because she’s excellent at what she does, and she routinely wows readers with her visual content and know-how.
For one of the guest posts she wrote for Jon’s Boost Blog Traffic, Pamela created a series of wonderful graphics. Here is one of them:
These images were used as examples for making your content more “memorable, shareable, and beautiful.”
Memorable.
That’s what we want.
Think Pamela is impressive? (She is.) Look at what Brian Dean did…
When you see a post with the following title, what are your assumptions?
Would you assume it contained 21 actionable SEO techniques?
Would you assume it’s in-depth and packed with actionable info?
Would you assume it had tons of comments, tweets, and backlinks?
You would be right to assume all of those things. But… would you also assume the post contained a whopping 78 images?
That’s how many detailed, helpful images Brian packed into his post.
An unforgettable post? You better believe it.
Do you really need more examples to convince you that great graphics go a long way in making your posts better?
No, you don’t have to be an artist like Henneke. No, you don’t have to be a graphics guru like Pamela. And no, you don’t have to capture 78 different screenshots like Brian.
But you do need to take the time to find or create a nice, interesting, unique image for every post you write.
Otherwise, your post will be white noise.
#6: Go Big
Let’s face it…
Sometimes, size does matter.
If you’re planning a wedding and there are 400 confirmed guests, a small cake won’t cut it. Right?
And if you have twelve kids like my friend Jaime, don’t you think a one-bedroom apartment is a less-than-ideal fit?
Sometimes, bigger is just better.
This is often true of blog posts.
True, many bloggers have found success keeping their posts under 1,500 words. In fact, I regularly stay in the 1,500 range when I’m writing. It’s served me well.
But there is a reason my five most popular posts have an average length of 3,691 words.
There is a reason Boost Blog Traffic posts are in the 2,000 to 3,000 word range.
There is a reason the examples I’m about to share from Neil Patel and Ramsay Taplin are 6,561 and 9,188 words, respectively.
Big posts impress.
They get a reader’s attention.
That’s certainly what Neil did when he wrote 25 Smart Ways To Increase Your Blog Comments.
The 6,000+ words are packed with useful information, examples, and graphics. It’s virtually impossible to read it and not walk away with a new idea or two to try.
That’s how detailed Neil’s post is – he covers all the bases.
The same can certainly be said for Ramsay Taplin’s post.
At 9,188 words, Ramsay walks readers through the process of starting their own blog.
Picking a niche. Picking domain name. Picking a host. Ramsay covers all of them, and he does it thoroughly.
When you read it, you can’t help but be impressed.
It isn’t all about word count, though.
(Of course, Uttoran Sen’s 4,441-word post isn’t what anyone would call short.)
“Going big” can mean offering an impressive number of tips, too.
Uttoran offered just that with his 43 Creative Ways to Breathe Life Back Into Your Blog.
For each suggestion, Uttoran would provide 50-100 words of detail. The result was a helpful, detailed, memorable post.
Last but not least…
Kate Erickson is the content creator for John Lee Dumas’ Entrepreneur On Fire. So, you know right away she knows a thing or two about creating memorable content – both in text and audio form.
To celebrate her recent “100 episodes” milestone, Kate wrote The Step-by-Step of an Entrepreneur’s Journey.
As her title promises, Kate offers a detailed guide for entrepreneurs that’s filled with numerous links of additional reading.
Kate decided to go big, and the result was a post that will help (and be remembered by) every entrepreneur who reads it.
Yes, to “go big” is hard work.
Such posts take longer to write. You’ll have to be with your computer more than your spouse for a little while. And your fingers very well may get sore from all the typing.
But as strategies for making an impression go?
It’s arguably the most effective one out there.
#7: Teach Them Something New
There are millions of blogs out there in the big ol’ blogosphere.
So, statistically, it is quite probable another blogger or two or ten is crafting a post about this very topic at this very moment! How cool is that?
Unfortunately, it’s also a problem.
People like variety. When they come across a post with a topic they have already read ten times, they aren’t interested in an eleventh.
This means you have three options…
One, “go big” like we talked about earlier. Take that much-discussed topic and kick it up several notches. Write the most in-depth post on the topic ever!
Two, make everything you write ooze with personality. “I know I have read about this topic before,” your readers will say. “But I’ve got to get Kevin’s take on it!”
Or, three, write about topics that haven’t been discussed ad nauseum.
Let’s dive into this third option…
Have you ever run a webinar?
If you’re like me, the answer is no. Have I participated in a webinar before? Sure. Run one? Man, I wouldn’t have the first clue!
Or, at least that is how I would have answered before I read Mary Jaksch’s webinar tutorial:
Mary used her experience to educate the rest of us webinar newbies.
What once seemed difficult and intimidating now seems… well, less difficult and intimidating! 🙂
Similarly, Ann Smarty has demystified expert interviews.
Until I caught my break and received opportunities to participate in a few of them, “expert” interviews and roundups were ciphers, wrapped in enigmas, and smothered in secret sauce…
Of course, Ann didn’t just tell us about a problem with which we’re already aware. She offered solutions!
Bloggers of all experience levels are able to benefit from Ann’s take on this common, though rarely discussed, quandary.
Danny Iny, on the other hand, wrote about a much discussed blogging dilemma.
Money.
Specifically, the lack of money our blogs are making (even though we really, really want them to).
Using his background and experience, Danny offered advice to bloggers seeking answers. Were all of them easily implementable? No, but nothing worth having in this world comes easily.
Want to earn money with your blog? Just like being memorable, it’s going to require hard work.
The good news?
Writing posts that teach readers something new is a strategy that can benefit you on both fronts.
Give it a try.
#8: Get Off On The Right Foot
A strong, well-crafted headline can often be the difference in a blog post that’s given a chance and one that is ignored.
Don’t believe it?
Neil Patel, a prolific writer with a readership in the hundreds of thousands, ran a test. He discovered 8 out of 10 people read your headline, but only 2 out of 10 will bother to read the rest of your post.
In other words, if your headline is lame, your post is going to be passed over like celery sticks at a Super Bowl party.
That’s why Brian Clark put such an emphasis on headlines when a pre-fame Jon Morrow started working at Copyblogger. Brian made Jon write 100 headlines every day until he perfected them. Over a year later, Jon had gotten the hang of it.
This emphasis on great headlines continued when Jon started Boost Blog Traffic in 2012. Jon and his editors tweak each headline until they are the perfect balance of informational and intriguing…
- 11 Traffic Techniques That Are a Waste of Time for Beginners
- Why Most Writing Tips Are Useless (and How to Really Up Your Game)
- 20 Ways to Be Just Another Mediocre Blogger Nobody Gives a Crap About
- Stephen King’s 20 Tips for Becoming a Frighteningly Good Writer
And, from personal experience, I know this attention to detail extends to the guest posts published on BBT.
The awesome headline for my most recent contribution (“The Ultimate Guide to Writing Comments That Open Doors with Popular Bloggers”) was the work of Glen Long, BBT’s amazing managing editor.
My original headline?
Doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, does it?
If you want your posts to stick in your readers’ minds, if you want them to come anywhere near the 300+ comments and 1.2k social media shares the above post has received, you need to get them started on the right foot.
You need to give them great headlines.
#9: Be Generous With Your Time
Chris Garrett writes a lot about making “connections” with people. For some, like the lovely ladies I’ll discuss in a moment, that comes easily. For others, it can be difficult.
So how do you do it? How can you connect with your readers? “Be approachable, friendly, vulnerable, inclusive, and generous,” says Chris.
As usual, Chris is spot on. But I’d like to touch on the last piece of advice he shared: generosity. Specifically, the act of being generous with your time.
Carol Amato, Sue Anne Dunlevie, Harleena Singh, and Adrienne Smith have each built thriving blogging communities.
How have they done it?
They take the time to respond to each of their readers’ comments. They respond to their emails. They interact with them on social media. They go above and beyond whenever possible to help them.
In short, these ladies are generous.
Generous with their knowledge, generous with their expertise, and generous with their time.
You could be half as good as they are at blogging, and you would still be able to build a sizable legion of followers.
That’s the power of generosity.
Want your readers to remember you? Reach out to them. Connect with them. Make the effort.
You’ll be amazed with the results.
#10: Make Every Post An Event
This is the big one…
When you write, how often are you able to say, “This is the best post I’ve ever written”? How often do you click publish and think, “Readers are going to love this one”? How often can you honestly state, “I did my very best”?
If you’re like most of us, the answers are “rarely,” “sometimes,” and “once… I think.”
That’s a problem.
It’s usually not obtainable, but one of your goals as a blogger should be to have each post you write be better than the one before it.
Meet this goal half the time and you’re a blogging superstar. Try to meet this goal every time and you ensure you’re cranking out quality posts – the kind not easily forgotten.
So how do you do it? How do you best yourself time and time again? Simple:
Think about it…
If you had the chance to write for a website that is read by tens of thousands, what kind of post would you produce?
Would you throw 1,000 words together and call it a day? Would you spend less time than it takes to make a sandwich thinking of a headline? Would you do the bare minimum?
No, I dare say you would go all out if you had such an opportunity.
You would do research. You would tweak your words over and over. You would fill the post with quality links and graphics. You would promote the post like crazy. You would respond to every comment. You would thank every tweet.
In short, you would do your very best.
That same level of effort – that same sense of urgency – needs to be applied to every post you write.
Do that and you’re golden.
The blogging world will be your oyster. You’ll be able to fall asleep each night comfortable with the knowledge you wrote something of substance…
Something that impacted the lives of readers…
Something that was memorable.
Ready To Be Unforgettable?
Crafting amazing, enriching, inspiring posts that are memorable won’t come easily. You’ll have to spend more time on each post than you would prefer.
You might have to miss a night out with the guys or gals from time to time. You might have to wake up early some mornings to write. You might have to cut down your publishing frequency.
But the reward?
Your posts – whether they come weekly, monthly, or once in a blue moon – will be cherished by readers. They will be feverishly discussed and tweeted. They will be repeatedly linked to and referenced.
In short, you’ll never be forgotten.
Sound worth it?
Thought so.
Get out there and do your best. Make it count.
I, for one, can’t wait to see what you do.
“Wow! If you blog and don’t read Kevin J. Duncan you are crazy.”
“If you want to stand out from the crowd, sign up for the newsletter & give Kevin a high-five on Twitter. It’s one of the best decisions I ever made.”
“Kevin has mastered the art of standing out online. Wanna do the same? Follow along and subscribe – you’ll be glad you did.”
[ Smiles ] Those are superb pointers, Kevin.
I believe that the SEO sweet-spot where the word count is concerned is: 2416 words.
Very few people can get away with writing posts that are around 3000 words and over; my friend, Ryan Biddulph is one of them.
And, it is imperative that we bloggers create as well as join blogging communities.
Hi Renard,
I have a question about your comment regarding joining blogging communities. I frequent the Blog Zone on LinkedIn. Are there other free communities you’d recommend? Thank you.
Janice
Hi Janice,
Good question. You know, I have badly neglected LinkedIn. I really should remedy that…
Do you enjoy the Blog Zone?
-Kevin
Hi Kevin,
Yes! I enjoy visiting the Blog Zone for several reasons. I see my blogging friends there, I make new blogging friends there, and we discuss topics that benefit us all. I am actually one of their top contributors!
[ Smiles ] Janice, I am pleased that you asked me that; I would recommend, Triberr.
Thanks Renard! I am already a member of several tribes, but thank you for the suggestion.
Hi Renard,
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed them. 🙂
I’ve never heard that number (2,416) being the sweet spot. Interesting. Is that something you read, or something you’ve figured out from personal experience?
Agreed. Writing extra-long posts aren’t for everyone. It’s a way to be memorable, but it’s certainly not the only way. For certain bloggers, like Ryan, it works. For others, 1.5k or less work best!
Appreciate the comment, Renard. Good to see you here again after taking a few weeks off (after my big guest post on BBT).
Hope you’re having a great week!
-Kevin
[ Smiles ] As a matter of fact, Kevin. I believe that it was Neal Patel who mentioned that posts around 2416 words (content rich posts) are shared more on social media.
Seth Godin can get away with writing less than 150 words and he does well.
I wrote a post that was around 2500 words entitled: “Bon Air Gardens, Arouca: Paradise In East Trinidad” in February and it is on the front page of Google (Yes, so I know from experience that Google likes beefy articles).
And, my week is going well.
I can’t wait to see what you are going to post next.
Hi,
I agree. My posts are getting longer. I find they are getting shared more.
Wow, what a great article! Thanks for the mention of EntrepreneurOnFire, it’s an honor 🙂
Hi John Lee,
THANKS! You’re very welcome for the EOF mention. You and Kate do great work, so it’s a pleasure getting to reference you.
Appreciate you stopping by and leaving me your comment, John. Hope you’re having a great week!
-Kevin
Kevin, WOW – talk about an epic post! Such a valuable round up with great examples of how to make your content count. Really appreciate the mention of EntrepreneurOnFire here; thank you!
Hi Kate,
Awwww… you’re too kind. I’m glad you enjoyed the post, and you’re VERY welcome for the mention. You and John are awesome. 🙂
Hope this response of mine finds you doing well. Enjoy the rest of your week, and hope to see you around again real soon!
-Kevin
Hi Kevin,
Thank you for the article and the important reminders about how to write a memorable blog post.
1. The video was hysterical. Amy was quite the actress. She definitely made her point in an entertaining way.
2. I agree that longer posts rank better on SEO and would have the potential of getting shared more. However, it is also possible to bore the reader. Bloggers shouldn’t fall into a trap of getting repetitious just to meet a word count.
Thanks again for this important checklist.
Janice
Hi Janice,
I’m so glad you enjoyed the post! Really appreciate your comment (and your tweet earlier). 🙂
1. Yes, Amy is hilarious. My only complaint with her is she doesn’t produce new videos every day!
2. Agreed. If you’re not careful, a long post will definitely bore the reader. This is usually due to “long posts” being packed with filler…
Let’s say someone wanted to write a 3,000 word post. Ideally, what would happen is you’d write 3,500 words and trim down to 3,000. This way your writing would be good and tight.
Of course, the opposite usually happens. A blogger will write 1,500 or 2,000 words and then add a bunch of stuff to get to that “magic” number. The result, almost always, is a boring post that is difficult to read!
Hmmmm… I hope this post of mine isn’t difficult for anyone to read! 😀
Thanks again, Janice. Hope you’re having a great week so far!
-Kevin
Agreed – this post was awesome, and thanks for linking to Amy Harrison’s video! She’s not just hilarious – she’s one hell of a copywriter and I love the way she says “puppies.”
Also liked the points about blogging communities. People are very generous and if you’re gonna blog, might as well make it a hot one!
Hi Cathy,
Thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed the post, as well as Amy Harrison’s video. Isn’t she funny? She cracks me up. 🙂
Well, I agree that some people are very generous. Haha.
Really appreciate you stopping by and commenting, Cathy. Hope this comment finds you doing well. Enjoy your Saturday!
-Kevin
Oh, my gosh. Ramsay, Jon, Carol A, Adrienne, Carol T, Amy, Henneke plus all those other wonderful bloggers. I LOVED this post!
Thanks for the shout out today. I love my community and when I started out, with an average of 3 comments a post, I never thought I would grow my readership. I’m so lucky to have such a great community. They make my day, every single day.
I so appreciate you and your great writing, Kevin.
Sue
Hey….can I get into our community?
I LIKE having great days!
A community just isn’t a community without you in it, Jaime!
Hi Sue,
I’m glad you enjoyed the post! Yeah, I definitely mentioned a lot of great people, huh? Demian Farnworth mentioned on Google+ I hadn’t left out a single person in the marketing field! He might be right. 🙂
You’re very welcome, Sue. It’s so cool to hear how you’ve grown from the days of 3 comments to where you are now. You take care of your community, so they take care of you!
Thanks for the kind words! Hope you are having a great Saturday, Sue. I’m looking forward to reading Jaime’s guest post on your site Monday. I bet it’s going to be epic!
-Kevin
Hi there Kevin, I am visiting your blog after some decades. Fortunately I am on your subscribers list which brought me here on this amazing posts.
You shared some really great tips to remain memorable and be unforgettable. I was just wondering, how much time it took you to write this gigantic blog post?
Because I am always reluctant to spend much time on a single post. Usually I publish post just for the sake of publishing. So I was just curious how long it took you to craft this post.
Thanks for this amazing write up 🙂
Keep up the good work ^_^
Hi YF,
Good to see you after all this time. Has it really been “decades”? My, time flies! Haha.
Thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed the post and the points I made. Hopefully there was something for everyone in it.
As for how long it took me to write it? Gosh… I think I easily spent 40 hours on this one. It’s one one of the most in-depth posts I’ve done to date.
Of course, this is an anomaly. Please don’t think all “make it count” posts take this long to write. My next post could only take me 5-to-10 hours. The main takeaway from the post is each thing you write deserves your best effort. Sometimes, it might take a long time. Sometimes it won’t. It depends on the particular topic you’re writing about.
Appreciate you stopping by and commenting, YF. Hope you’re doing well.
Enjoy your Saturday!
-Kevin
I was just wondering if a guy like Kevin Duncan, who taught English for some years can spend 40 hours in a single post. Then why the heck I will reluctant to do that?
Thanks for the post 🙂
Hope you have a great Sunday xD
Thanks so much for including me in this amazing article. Really nicely done!
Ramsay
Hi Ramsay,
You are very welcome, my friend! You do some amazing work, so it was a pleasure being able to highlight some of it.
Really appreciate you stopping by! Hope your week is a great one so far.
-Kevin
I read and listen to most of the people you mentioned. I have to in order to keep improving.
I listen to JLD and Kate regularly. Amazing how she got to 100 so quickly. Hustle right there!
Love what you did to assemble this post. It’s great that you are back on track Kevin!
Dennis SHHHHH!
Don’t say he’s back on track—we don’t want to jinx him!!!
We…must…maintain…Kevin…fixes….
Doesn’t mentioning a jinx increase its power ten fold??
Doh.
Darn!
Just tell me what I should do next time.
Ill keep my mouth shut for the time being.
LoL
Hi Dennis,
Good to see you! I’m glad you read and listen to most of the people I mentioned. It’s great that you continue to focus on improvement — we all should do the same, if we’re smart. None of us have this “blogging thing” figured out yet. Not a one of us. 🙂
I’m glad you enjoyed the post, Dennis. It’s good to be “back on track.” Haha.
Enjoying your Saturday? Hope so. Talk to you again soon, my friend.
-Kevin
GooooOOOOOD MORNING KEVIN DUNCAN!
*ow….ow….* Too loud. Sorry.
[headache]
Been trapped in a board room with the GCC all week (Gnome Comment Council) trying to come up with strategies for the gust post responses at Sue Annes next week.
Grrrrr. Gnomes.
FanTAStic post, but then again…they always are from you, eh?
Thank you for the mentions….and…
WAIT A SEC….!!???
Is THAT why it’s so flipping’ crowded in the apartment?!?
(…should encourage more of the older ones to get married and move out.)
Your information got my mind swimming again, which, ya know, is good….I NEED exercise (or so Kathi tells me).
I used to do daily posts, about 1200 words a day, with art, humor, even videos on many…but then I went to weekly…more epic size and with both video and audio, but it didn’t ‘fit’ me.
Realized I preferred to spend my time writing books and fun things, and then go visit you and other friends online–while posting when I felt the inspiration. Come up with gigantic posts that will serve people in a truly green way–today, tomorrow, 5 years from now.
So that’s what I plan on doing–while building my website with fun stuff for people to do and read about my world. I mean, isn’t that what people are here for?
ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?!!?
*ahem* (adjusts his kilt)
Funny how this keeps coming back to commenting, huh? The value of interacting and starting/building relationships, it’s key to EVERYone’s success. Even when they’re like me–and they don’t have a potent niche or industry.
That’s kind of funny–being a fantasy writer. My industry is a dead sea. There’s no one to talk to, or blogs that truly have traffic or pools to fish in for fantasy readers. Seriously, I’ve been looking for years. Instead, you learn how to be a “connector”.
That’s why I strive to make my blog unforgettable, helpful and then make friends because, well, I like people. All SORTS of people.
I don’t have a landscape/blogsphere section where someone will find me and say, “Hey, I’d like to buy that guys books!” Nope, doesn’t happen. Instead, I think what happens is, I mix, I mingle and comment, making friends, who–when out in the ‘real’ world, perhaps hear a conversation at an activity, event, dinner, talking to neighbors….and when they hear someone ELSE talking about fantasy or books, my site/personality come up.
“Have you heard of Jaime Buckley? You might want to stop by WantedHero.com.”
Yup, it’s a lot of work and a complete long shot at every single stage…but hey, that’s why this article you wrote is so important, Kevin. If you’re unforgettable, well…chances are, someone might tell a friend about you.
Eventually.
Hopefully.
Someday.
SO IN THE MEANTIME…HAVE FUN!!
(grin)
(waves at Devon…AND her mom)
Signed with a smirk,
Jaime Buckley
Vice President of the Not-So-Official-But-It-Sounds-Good Kevin Duncan Fan Club.
Hope Anne’s looking forward to my ‘gust’ post…..
Put a lot of thought into it.
Kevin – one of the best things about your writing is they way you allow your personality to come through. You come across as someone that’d be cool to hang out with. Refreshing!
Just recently discovered you and already a fan!
~Manny
Hi Manny,
Thank you very much! That’s very kind of you to say. I do try to make sure my personality and voice shine through in everything I write. Usually, that means my posts go from educational, to humorous, and back again. 🙂
Glad you discovered my site! Cool to have you as a new reader, Manny. Hope you are doing well, and best of luck when your site launches soon!
Hope to see you here again soon.
-Kevin
He DOES that, Manny!
(it’s magic, I swear…)
First of all, big thanks for the mention in your post, Kevin. I really appreciate the love and am honoured to be mentioned along other awesome experts!
Secondly, you’ve brought together some super helpful tips – faves include “Make Them Laugh” (I’m a sucker for a good meme) and “Help With a Problem” (and not just because I’m included in there!) I figure that if my potential blog readers are Googling something, it’s gonna be a problem – like “how do I get more blog comments?” And when they type that into Google, *poof* my post appears to (hopefully) dazzle ’em and help them solve their conundrum. So I definitely agree that focusing on solving problems is a great strategy.
Of course I’ve sent the post off to the twitterverse and will share it with anyone who’s feeling slightly (or totally) forgettable. Thanks again!
Hey Kevin,
I have no idea where to even start with my comment because you gave us so much great information here along with handy dandy examples. Who doesn’t love these kinds of posts?
Now I totally get why people freak out when we tell them they have to be memorable, they have to be entertaining, they have to be helpful, they have to be all these amazing things in each and every post and they don’t even know how to put words together nicely. Anyone would freak out but what I always like to tell them is that we all started at the same place. Granted, there are a LOT of people online who write fabulously so for those of us who fall behind in that category, we just have to work harder to continue to improve our skills. But it’s like anything else, it can be learned.
The humor part, as I’ve shared with you numerous times before. I only wish I had that, my Dad sure did but it didn’t rub off on me. He gave it all to my brother and now nephew. But I do okay I guess, I think some of my stuff is entertaining.
We do have to find ways though to stand out and the lengths of our posts along with great content that will really help and entertain our readers all while being visibly appealing, well that’s what we need to do each time. There are more and more bloggers coming online every single second so we have to learn to stay ahead of the game.
For me and the other ladies you kindly mentioned here, a lot of what we do does come naturally for us which of course is a darn good thing. I wish some of that could rub off on others too.
What a great share Kevin, as always you’ve outdone yourself once again so you get the medal for awesome posts my friend. We all want to be like you when we grow up. 😉
Thank you for the mention, thank you for this wonderful information and you KNOW I’ll be sharing it everywhere I possibly can.
Have the best weekend ever and keep the great stuff coming.
~Adrienne
What an epic post! I’m sending it to everyone I know, it’s so damn useful 😀
Hi Stacey,
Very cool to see you here on my site! Welcome to Be A Better Blogger. 🙂
Thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Hopefully the people you share it with will benefit from it. There should be something here for everyone!
Thanks again for stopping by, Stacey. (And thank you for all the great work you do over at ProBlogger.) Hope you’re having a great weekend!
-Kevin
Hey Kevin,
What a memorable post you wrote!
Really, you’re great blogger i know. You’re genius to build relationship in blogosphere. Keep going.
I thank you very much for giving me such a big post.
Hi venkatesh,
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed the post and found it memorable. That was the goal! 🙂
Appreciate the kind words, venkatesh! Hopefully I can continue writing, growing, and building blogging relationships with good people like yourself.
Hope you’re having a great weekend. Thank you for stopping by and commenting, venkatesh!
-Kevin
Insightful tips on how to create a blog that stays with you. I believe humor gives the necessary relief in every post and creating stories engage people more than just being formal and informative. When there are millions of content as Amy Harrison pointed out then you have to stand out like Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels in your content (but off course in a right way.) As bloggers you get one chance and creating a lasting impression is most of the battle won.
Hi emfluenz,
I’m glad you found the post to be insightful! Hopefully everyone who reads it will agree. 🙂
Getting “one chance” to make an impression with readers was the inspiration for this post. I wanted to talk about why it was so important to “make it count” each and every time you write. Hopefully that came across!
Appreciate you stopping by and commenting, emfluenz. Hope you’re enjoying your weekend!
-Kevin
Hi Kevin,
Great information here. Brittany’s memes cracked me up! I definitely agree with the go big piece and Neil is a great example – his posts are very long, but you are stuck to them like glue from start to finish because there is so much useful information. Much like this post you wrote. It’s longer, but I read every word, it’s enjoyable to read and I’ve learned a ton. I’ll share this for sure.
I think being yourself is a great way to be memorable as each one of us is truly unique. We come from different backgrounds, walks of life, have one of a kind experiences so on and so forth. The trick is being able to convey that through your writing, storytelling, etc.. Easier said than done I know, but it can be done!
Have a great weekend Kevin.
Kurt
Hi Kurt,
Thanks! Yeah, Brittany’s memes were great. She had something for all tastes and all levels of maturity. Haha.
Many of Neil’s posts are awe-inspiring. The one I linked to in the “go big” section is crazy long. But, as you said, you’re glued to the page because the information is so helpful.
Appreciate that, Kurt! I’m glad to hear you read every word (and enjoyed said words)! I sometimes wonder how many readers make it all the way through a post. Do most skim? Probably. Shame… I try to sneak in random, humorous references here and there for those with the dedication to read and spot them!
Totally agree. Everything about each one of us is unique. As I once wrote: “God made each of us unique. There might be billions of people on the planet, but there is only one you. You have unique DNA. Your hopes, thoughts, and dreams are unique. Even the face you make when you accidentally walk into a spider web is unique.” 🙂
Appreciate you stopping by and commenting, Kurt. And thanks for sharing, too. I hope you had a great weekend, and your upcoming week will be a fun one!
-Kevin
Hey Kevin,
Thank you for the mention, much appreciated. It feels amazing to find my name among such greats.
Am absolutely loving your posts, the kind of posts you are able to pull out and so quickly – your BBT guest post is so fresh in my mind and here you are, back with another beauty!
This is an absolute Gem of a post and would take several readings to get everything out of it – so many great tips, would love to implement as many of it as possible.
I agree with you, one needs to make sure that atleast some of their posts are worth the effort. I make sure to write a few Flagship posts every month, be it a Guest Post on a larger blog or a post on my own blog – where I can say I have given everything to it.
thanks,
Uttoran Sen,
Hi Uttoran,
Good to see you here!
You’re very welcome regarding the mention. I’m a fan of your writing, so it’s a pleasure highlighting you.
Thank you! That’s very kind of you to say. This post actually bests my recent BBT in word count. It might even best it in number of graphics, too!
Appreciate that, Uttoran. I did try to make this post as layered as possible. Tips mixed with humor. Actionable info mixed with interesting graphics. Motivational paragraphs mixed with randomness. Hopefully I succeeded. 🙂
Your strategy is a good one. It’s good advice to have at least one of the posts you write each month (assuming you write monthly or more frequently) be a “flagship” post packed with everything you can muster. That’s certainly my strategy going forward.
Thank you for stopping by, Uttoran. Pleasure to have you gracing us with your presence! Hope you had a great weekend. Talk to you again soon.
-Kevin
Great post! I know this goes without saying, but all of the suggestions above can only help your blog if you have determined a target audience for your blog. For instance, if you’re aiming for a serious audience, then humor as the tone of voice for your blog posts may not be the best medicine in this case. You need to zero in on a particular audience and find out what ticks them.
Once you have an audience in mind, develop a content strategy that will allow you to make an impact to them. Actually, bloggers should integrate or at least consider all of the tips mentioned in this post. After implementing your strategy, only then can you truly make an impact to your audience.
Hi Kevin,
I’m a sucker for a list of posts and tutorials (as well as a sucker in everything). This one is good and definitely unforgettable. But why reiterate the obvious?
This post sums everything my blog doesn’t have. I think it (my ugly baby, that is) deserves to be put in the International Blogging Hall of Shame.
Facebook, Twitter and StumbleUpon shares are on their way.
Thank you for letting me save your life that time.
Roman “mediocre dumbass with a blog” Shinkarenko
Hey Kevin,
These were some great I sight full tips. For me they are great reminders of what I need to maintain in order to not be forgettable. One thing I need to remedy is to be more social on social media. Lately it’s been more like an oxymoron since I have an account on 5 of the most popular ones but yet haven’t been social.
But anyways, thanks for sharing these great tips! Have a great week!
Hi Kevin,
You are a massive content creator and sure your blog is something which can’t be forgotten, you have the tips and experience to back it up.
Recently, I realized one of my personal blogs is something which you jut described as forgettable.
Thanks for such an epic post. I am charging myself to come up with the juices to make it huge.
Have a good day ahead. Keep smiling.
Hi Kevin,
Very great stuff here! I love the way how you described. For a blogger, it is very important to make the relation with their audience and it can be done with creating epic content that solve their problems. Everyone remember that person who helped from zero to hero stage. Your blog and your blog post both are very memorable.
Thanks for this great and memorable post. I have bookmarked it to read completely.
Regards,
Jyoti
it’s late at night and I can hardly read. Is this just one post Kevin? With all the links to follow, it’s longer than some novellas I’ve downloaded. The trouble is, it’s so interesting that I have to read it. If I can find it again tomorrow, I’ll finish it then. At the moment, I’m like the person in the image asleep at the computer.
dgho asdfjo wn Whoops, my head hit the keys.
Is there a prize for the longest blog post?
Great stuff. Glad that Iv’e found it. Now if I can just find the bookmark…
Kevin, I couldn’t agree more that we ultimately have one chance to make an impression on our readers and if we don’t.. our blog will inevitably fall into the abyss of the unread and forgotten. Loved the simple steps to creating an unforgettable blog (and the laughs that came along with it.) ONTRAPORT has just updated our blog’s aesthetic and interface and we’re constantly trying to see what content of ours works. Wondering if we should post more humorous images… do you feel that it will diminish our credibility as a business blog?
Hi Aylin,
Welcome to the blog!
I’m glad you enjoyed the info (and humor)! I have a background as a teacher and as a humor blogger, so sprinkling humor throughout educational posts is sort of my thing. 🙂
I checked out ONTRAPORT’s site so I could see your redesign. That’s one sharp-looking site you guys have there. I’m betting that cost a pretty penny. 😉
To answer your question… That’s a tough one. It’s certainly a delicate balance when you have a business blog. Too serious and you’re boring. Too funny and you’re clownish.
I noticed you did a bit of humor with your April Fool’s Day post earlier this year. How did readers react to it?
Maybe you could try it in small doses? Or, maybe let a guest writer take a crack at it? I saw you regularly publish “Guest Voices.” If someone not affiliated with ONTRAPORT wrote a post with a little humor sprinkled here and there (via funny images or whatever), it would allow ONTRAPORT a bit of separation if the humor experiment didn’t go over well with readers.
If it bombs you could say, “Hey… don’t look at us! That was the work of a crazy guest writer.”
But if it works, it’s something you could use occasionally to liven up your content.
Just a thought. 🙂
Really appreciate you stopping by, Aylin. Hope this response of mine finds you doing well!
Hi Kevin,
What an awesome post, indeed! 🙂
I was sad when I just read your opening, especially on the “Congratulations – you’re forgettable” it is sad and intriguing at the same time. 😆
This is one of the longest post I’ve ever read. But, it is filled with important points to develop ourselves as a blogger. I love it. 🙂
Thanks for sharing this with us, Kevin.
Keep up the hard work. I will share it. Hope you can enjoy your weekend!
~Nanda
Hi Kevin,
This is a wonderful write-up. I do agree that maintaining a good relationship with the audience is important. I love the idea of sending surprise gifts/bonus or any of your premium tool or service for free (if possible) to your subscribers and readers. Definitely gonna try this. Keep sharing such articles.
Regards,
Mohit Arora