9 Tips for Promoting Blog Creativity

by Marian Schembari on January 6, 2010

Everyone and their dog has a blog these days and though I follow many, there are few I actually feel add something to the web. They’re awesome because they’re creative, they’re different, they look at the world in a slightly unique way meaning the readers come in droves. This may be an oxymoron, but I’ve learned a lot on how to be creative by reading other people’s blogs. Here are my favorite tips on how to generate blog content by being unique and being creative:

Be controversial. I sometimes worry about what other people think, and then I look at Penelope Trunk and I stop caring.

Read. All. The. Damn. Time.

Google. You know when you’re with your friends and want to look something up? Write it down. For those of us without an iPhone, this helps us  remember what was on our minds. Stuff that comes up in casual conversation is always important.

Be yourself. Corny, I know, but I’m starting to realize that the things that got me in trouble when I was younger (swearing like a sailor, arguing, mild attitude, and sarcasm) makes my writing unique, regardless of it’s complete lack of quality prose.

Check out editorial calenders. If you can find the calender for the magazines you read you can be way ahead of the game. A great thing about blogging is that you’re always ahead of print.and this means you can cover something months before the magazines get to it.

Go through old journals. I kept dozens of them when I was a kid and it reminds me what was important at the time. Good stuff.

Go back. The blogs that generated the most interest are the ones you need to keep your eye on. My best posts (in my opinion) never received comments, but if I look over the ones that did I know what readers want and can then expand on that. And in case you’re curious, my posts with tips or some form of bitchiness are the ones people read the most.

Relate the unrelated. When you have writer’s block take two topics in your “field” that at first seem unrelated (i.e. publishing and dating) and find a way to connect them to each other.

Argue. This is different than being controversial. Go through newspapers and blogs, take something that everyone’s talking about and write about it from the complete opposite angle. Ex: the book price wars.


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  • http://twitter.com/marianschembari/status/7442429752 Marian Schembari

    Helpful for my fellow bloggers… Do you have any other suggestions? 9 Tips for Promoting Blog Creativity http://bit.ly/6TxJGY

  • http://twitter.com/marianschembari/status/7461193698 Marian Schembari

    Seriously dudes, I need feedback! What tips do you have to generate blog content? 9 Tips for Promoting Blog Creativity http://bit.ly/6TxJGY

  • http://twitter.com/SajAkhtar Sajid Akhtar

    Some very useful things to bear in mind when writing a blog. Knowing that there are so many blogs out there, It can be difficult to have a meaningful blog. I will endeavor to heed you advice.

    Thanks, Saj

  • http://twitter.com/SajAkhtar Sajid Akhtar

    Some very useful things to bear in mind when writing a blog. Knowing that there are so many blogs out there, It can be difficult to have a meaningful blog. I will endeavor to heed you advice.

    Thanks, Saj

  • http://www.e-swastya.com/ Sudeep

    Really Nice Ideas from your post for sure . I am definitely going to take some of the pointers that you have pointed out.
    One of the most important point that I think so one should have is that who ever writes a blog should have a commitment and should love that niche. Unless and until it is very hard to communicate well in any blog.

  • http://www.e-swastya.com Sudeep

    Really Nice Ideas from your post for sure . I am definitely going to take some of the pointers that you have pointed out.
    One of the most important point that I think so one should have is that who ever writes a blog should have a commitment and should love that niche. Unless and until it is very hard to communicate well in any blog.

  • http://www.betterlearningbetterearning.com/ Steve C

    Marian,

    One thought is to rework old content. Give it a shot in the arm. Get more mileage out of your efforts. I see Darren Rowse do this constantly.

    Thanks!

    P.S. found your site through Brazen Careerist

  • http://www.betterlearningbetterearning.com Steve C

    Marian,

    One thought is to rework old content. Give it a shot in the arm. Get more mileage out of your efforts. I see Darren Rowse do this constantly.

    Thanks!

    P.S. found your site through Brazen Careerist

  • http://jiipe.com Russ

    Great list Marian. I particularly liked the first four – I do those all the time! :)

    Might I add one more, which may sound a little contradictory: don’t read others blogs in your same field too much. Why? Because it can lead to feelings of inadequacy.

    One of my blogs is about personal finance and I find that if I read too many other personal finance blogs I end up feeling like I cannot do what they are doing (“I can’t write that well”, “how can I break into this field when they are all so well established?”).

    But again, nice list.

    • admin

      Man Russ, you’re so right. I’m going to blog about this – check back soon.

  • http://jiipe.com/ Russ

    Great list Marian. I particularly liked the first four – I do those all the time! :)

    Might I add one more, which may sound a little contradictory: don’t read others blogs in your same field too much. Why? Because it can lead to feelings of inadequacy.

    One of my blogs is about personal finance and I find that if I read too many other personal finance blogs I end up feeling like I cannot do what they are doing (“I can’t write that well”, “how can I break into this field when they are all so well established?”).

    But again, nice list.

    • admin

      Man Russ, you’re so right. I’m going to blog about this – check back soon.

  • http://janeo-learningtoblog.blogspot.com/ Jen

    Thanks a lot. I just started learning to blog and your tips have been an eye opener.

  • http://janeo-learningtoblog.blogspot.com/ Jen

    Thanks a lot. I just started learning to blog and your tips have been an eye opener.

  • http://twitter.com/kemlo/status/7525015642 Kemlo

    RT @marianschembari 9 Tips for Promoting Blog Creativity http://bit.ly/6TxJGY

  • http://alisaan.wordpress.com/ Alisaan

    Great post and I totally agree with your point on reading. I harp on this point all the time – it’s the easiest way to expand your horizons and when you do that you’ll be amazed at the connections you’ll make in your brain (i.e. dating & publishing and how they go together).

    Def’ly reco this as a read…especially for me as I am starting a blog. I read many but it’s time everyone heard my two cents. :p

    xoxo

    Alisaan
    (www.twitter.com/alisaan)

  • http://twitter.com/alisaan alisaan

    Great post and I totally agree with your point on reading. I harp on this point all the time – it’s the easiest way to expand your horizons and when you do that you’ll be amazed at the connections you’ll make in your brain (i.e. dating & publishing and how they go together).

    Def’ly reco this as a read…especially for me as I am starting a blog. I read many but it’s time everyone heard my two cents. :p

    xoxo

    Alisaan
    (www.twitter.com/alisaan)

  • http://twitter.com/alisaan/status/7530485287 Aleksandra Stalmach

    Great post by @marianschembari: 9 tips for promoting blog creativity. (spoiler: Read all the damn time!! AGREED!). http://ow.ly/Ugj9

  • http://www.thriftcore.com/2010/01/being-fit-is-thrifty.html Van

    I love these pointers and agree with all of them. I really want to find my own journals from High School- I feel like my High School writing is better than what it is now. Maybe it was the stress of imprisonment in High School that turned out more creative writing, maybe it was the lack of corporate training. I miss writing without a filter!

  • http://twitter.com/tunderwood/status/7555875735 Tim Underwood

    9 Tips for Promoting Blog Creativity http://is.gd/5OJxh

  • http://twitter.com/grafmartin/status/7555876469 Graf-Martin Agency

    9 Tips for Promoting Blog Creativity http://is.gd/5OJxh

  • http://twitter.com/gardenpublisher/status/7555957529 Roger Waynick

    9 Tips for Promoting Blog Creativity http://bit.ly/6TxJGY This is pretty simple, but I think the ideas are solid! Basically, Have a plan…

  • http://fashionismymuse.blogspot.com/ Ingrid Mida

    I like your tips. I would also add that a focused blog is critical to finding an audience. There are a lot of blogs out there and just spewing off your opinion won’t necessary generate an audience.

  • http://fashionismymuse.blogspot.com Ingrid Mida

    I like your tips. I would also add that a focused blog is critical to finding an audience. There are a lot of blogs out there and just spewing off your opinion won’t necessary generate an audience.

  • http://isao.typepad.com/ Isao

    My favorites are the last two.
    Relate the Unrelated: I thought I haven’t tried it but then I realized when I write a blog entry, it is always because of finding something interesting at the intersection of two topics. I have been following this advice without knowing so! Thanks to you now I am more clear.
    Argue: I use this more often than necessary. Isn’t it much easier to counter-argue than argue?

    I am curious about the Going Through Old Journals. I haven’t tried it and as far as I know none of 10,000 other blogging advises have said so. I would like to read an independent entry just on this topic :) Or is there already is?

    • admin

      I’m totally going to write an entry just on this. Thanks for the comment Isao!

  • http://isao.typepad.com Isao

    My favorites are the last two.
    Relate the Unrelated: I thought I haven’t tried it but then I realized when I write a blog entry, it is always because of finding something interesting at the intersection of two topics. I have been following this advice without knowing so! Thanks to you now I am more clear.
    Argue: I use this more often than necessary. Isn’t it much easier to counter-argue than argue?

    I am curious about the Going Through Old Journals. I haven’t tried it and as far as I know none of 10,000 other blogging advises have said so. I would like to read an independent entry just on this topic :) Or is there already is?

    • admin

      I’m totally going to write an entry just on this. Thanks for the comment Isao!

  • http://twitter.com/thecoolestcool/status/7954140166 Ross Simmonds

    9 Tips for Promoting Blog Creativity – http://ow.ly/Y9XP

  • http://twitter.com/TheCoolestCool/status/7954140166 Christa Marzan

    RT @TheCoolestCool: 9 Tips for Promoting Blog Creativity – http://ow.ly/Y9XP

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  • http://www.thriftcore.com/2010/01/being-fit-is-thrifty.html Van

    I love these pointers and agree with all of them. I really want to find my own journals from High School- I feel like my High School writing is better than what it is now. Maybe it was the stress of imprisonment in High School that turned out more creative writing, maybe it was the lack of corporate training. I miss writing without a filter!

  • http://www.sukiebaxter.com Sukie Baxter

    Marian, love the idea of checking out magazine editorial calendars and publishing ahead of time. Brilliant!

  • http://www.sukiebaxter.com Sukie Baxter

    Marian, love the idea of checking out magazine editorial calendars and publishing ahead of time. Brilliant!

  • Wisdominthemind

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  • sharita

    Great advice. I blog in Dutch and in English (will get better the more I blog).

    I want to add another advice.
    Write about the same topic but from different angles. For example. You write a post about picknick. You can write about how this can be used as a free day out in bad economic time (not spending money) and you can also write about it as a day out with friends, or focus on the menu ‘what to eat’, etc..

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