How to Spice Up a Boring Blog

We are creatures of habit. We like routine because it’s easy (and it means we don’t have to think too hard about things).

However, that gets awfully dangerous when you try that with your blog. After awhile, you might just bore your readers to tears.

I know what you’re thinking. I write about ______ (insert boring topic here) there’s no way I can make my blog more interesting.

WRONG!

There are plenty of ways to add some flavor and sizzle to your blog. You just have to get out of your comfort zone, think creatively and be willing to try new things.

Here are several ideas to help you mix things up and create some more interest on your blog:

• Design Infographics. Infographics are a great way to take boring statistical data and convert it into something that tells a story or conveys a message. Adam Toperek did that on his blog last week and Michelle Quillen shared a great example this week. If they just posted a list of all of those stats, it would have been a complete snoozefest. However, the graphic made the content interesting. If you want to see more gorgeous examples, check out Daily Infographic.

• Include photo or visuals. Photos do a great job of driving home a point, while adding visual interest. Sometimes, the photo can even drive conversation or add some humor to your blog. Try adding photos to your posts to breathe some life into them.

• Create comics. Who doesn’t love a good comic? I know I do. Tom Fishburne does a great job of illustrating marketing concepts with his cartoons and Joey Strawn and Kacy Maxwell lighten things up on Mark Schaefer’s blog with a weekly “growtoon”. You don’t have to be a professional artist to come up with fun comics or illustrations. Try scribbling out some ideas and see what happens. You might be surprised at the results.

• Make lists. People love lists because they are easy to digest, read and share. Instead of chunky paragraphs with boring prose, try conveying your point in a short, snappy list. Or, compile comprehensive list of links and resources for your readers. They’ll love you for it.

• Interview people. Give your blog a different voice by interviewing people your audience will find interesting. It could be industry leaders, employees, customers or even people on the street. Simply ask people to share their thoughts on a certain topic or get them to answer a particular question. There are lots of possibilities here!

• Add video. Video is a great way to give readers a different way to consume content. You can give readers a “backstage pass” to your business by showing how your product is made, show creative uses of your product (i.e. Will it Blend?) or have employees in different departments talk about their area of expertise.

• Take a new angle. How can you look at your business in a different way? Margie Clayman is a master at this – she regularly uses songs, movies or other pop culture items to convey her message. How can you take your topic and turn it upside down?

• Broaden your topics. If you’re a realtor, you don’t have to focus your entire blog on buying and selling houses. Maybe you could talk about home improvement, landscaping or house cleaning tips. Get advice from an insurance agent about what kind of homeowner’s coverage you need or have a financial planner talk about how much money to save for home repairs. Those are all related items that would be beneficial and of interest to your readers.

• Go local. If you’re a hairstylist, attorney, financial planner or other local business, focus your attention on the world right outside your door. Talk about local news that relates to your business or share information about events in your community. Doing these things will help you become the go-to resource in town and make your blog more relevant for your community.

What do you do to make your blog interesting? What ideas do you have for spicing things up?

P.S. If you’re having trouble coming up with fresh, interesting content for your blog, we can help. We’re pros at developing a blog strategy and training you how to get the most out of your blog. Contact us to learn more.

Photo credit: Andrew Taylor