Liz Strauss at Successful Blog

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November 24, 2010

But Your Blog Has… And Mine Doesn’t

Liz wrote this at 7:00 am

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When I was a kid, I always wanted a Power Wheels Barbie car. You know what I’m talking about. It’s one of those cars that children can drive around in their backyards. I thought I would go on backyard adventures in my own Barbie Jeep.

When I begged my parents for one, they said that the cars were too expensive and that I would soon grow out of the toy. Needless to say, I hated that answer and persisted in my requests. But I never got one.

Don’t feel badly for me, though. I was never deprived of anything as a child. My parents were right. I remember passing by those little cars in a toy store once, wondering if I was ever tiny enough to squeeze in one.

In the meantime, I improvised. I took my little red wagon and pretended it was my race car. I took it on many adventures and “drove” it all around my house.

Do the best with what you have

My little story illustrates what you can do with a supposed lackluster blog. I see it all the time. Blogs have super impressive graphics, photos, amazing video, killer content, free reports, e-books AND the kitchen sink. They have everything, and that makes me feel like I have nothing.

But I’m not going to sit around and feel sorry about myself. You shouldn’t, either.

Here’s something you can do when comparisons leave your blog behind others. Ask yourself:

  1. What makes my blog special?
  2. What uniqueness do I have to bring to the table?
  3. How can I use these two things to benefit my audience?

For me, first and foremost, I’m a writer. So, I make it a point to do my utmost to write quality content. What is it for you? Are you best at research, marketing, design, or something else? Whatever your strong point is make it the strongest part of your blog. So, if you take great photos, then include your own original, awesome pictures with your posts.

But what if you want to be that big time blog that has it all?

Take baby steps

You’ll get there, and so will I, for that matter. You are not going to have a flashy blog overnight… unless you pay a pretty penny for it. So take your time to first create a blog rich in high quality content which highlights your strongest qualities.

After you master that, move on to add another aspect to your blog and another and another. Personally I don’t have all the time in the world, and I know that it’s impossible for me to learn a new concept in a few days. It’s not that I don’t have the mind for it; I just don’t have the time for it.

If you’re in my boat, rest assured that you can learn simple html coding and how to edit video content. Just take your time. If you don’t, a rushed, thrown-together product will not get good feedback from your readers or yourself.

Do the best you can with what you have, and try to not compare yourself with others. Instead, learn from the gurus’ victories and mistakes when building your blog.

What do you do to improve your blog?

—-
Terez Howard operates TheWriteBloggers, a professional blogging service which builds clients’ authority status and net visibility.  She has written informative pieces for newspapers, online magazines and blogs, both big and small.  She regularly blogs at Freelance Writing Mamas . You’ll find her on Twitter @thewriteblogger

Thanks, Terez!
–ME “Liz” Strauss
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Filed under Marketing, Successful Blog, Writing | 9 Comments »




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9 Comments to “But Your Blog Has… And Mine Doesn’t”

  1. November 24th, 2010 at 7:12 am
    dannybuntu said

    Thank you for the inspiration :)

    You’re right on all counts.

  2. November 24th, 2010 at 7:21 am
    Ali Davies said

    The first part of your post reminds me something someone said to me years ago – “Comparison is the killer of creativity”.

    I found it quite powerful and it has stuck with me ever since. If I ever catch myself comparing myself to others in business or personal life I catch myself because while I am comparing myself to them, I am not being creative in my own solutions.

    I totally agree with your comment about taking baby steps. I think applies to all areas of business and personal life.

    Reminds me of my six year old son’s favourite jokes – how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time!!

    Just about to take my next blogging baby step. Have been doing written blog posts since I started blogging in Jan but in the next couple of weeks am going to start doing video blogging.

    As a recovering technophobe am sure it is going to be fun and games!

  3. November 24th, 2010 at 11:02 am
    StormDriver said

    Terez, thanks for sharing your car anecdote. You are absolutely right, we should make the best of whatever we have. When it comes to improving your blog you don’t have to make an all out effort because this can prove overwhelming and may obstruct your other activities and may even demotivate you. You can do this slowly; make small changes everyday. Even as a writer you must figure out how to stand out, what is there that other blog writers are not providing that is interesting and you can provide.

    It is really not about the looks, it’s about how you talk to your visitors, how you stay in touch and how carefully you listen to them and then respond accordingly. This is what makes your blog, and you, unique

  4. November 24th, 2010 at 2:29 pm
    Diana Antholis said

    I find the best thing to do in this situation is turn my feelings into motivation. When I first entered the blogging landscape (not too long ago) I felt overwhelmed by how much was out there and the bells & whistles of every blog. I eventually just told myself that I had to do this my way and I could keep adding as time went on.
    So whenever I see someone else’s blog that I admire, I try to over come the heart-sinking feeling and turn it into motivation to be creative and think of something better.

  5. November 24th, 2010 at 3:47 pm
    Frank Sonnenberg said

    Great post Terez! You placed everything in perspective.

  6. November 24th, 2010 at 7:57 pm
    Andrew said

    I especially like your advice on taking baby steps. All too many people expect immediate results. Quality, lasting results will definitely require a consistent effort over a significant period of time.

  7. November 25th, 2010 at 10:43 am
    Andy @ FirstFound said

    Damn right. Focus on quality content, and build everything around that.

    That’s the bottom line, not lusting after fancy graphics.

  8. November 26th, 2010 at 12:06 pm
    Frosted Good Stuff: Week 4 Of Guest Blogging said

    [...] But Your Blog Has… And Mine Doesn’t [...]

  9. December 5th, 2010 at 7:39 pm
    David said

    I remember the first time viewing a competitor’s website I felt a punch in the gut. An all around horrible feeling. Suddenly my life had no purpose.

    Just to tell you the internet is a competitive back-biting no free trade zone.

    I liked the article made me feel my life has purpose after all

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