In blogging, it’s not really what you say, but how you say it.
In blogging, many topics have been written about a lot of times. But if you write that topic from a creative angle, using creative writing, with creative pictures, and creative points, that blog post is bound to go far.
For an example, let’s take a look at commercials.
Most commercials deliver one message: that you really should use their products. But how should they convince you to do that?
By clever, funny, or stunning advertisements, of course. Here are two great examples of commercials on the net:
The Man Your Man Could Smell Like by Old Spice & Stop-motion T-Shirt commercial for McDonalds and Coke by Rhett & Link (pic).
So, in blogging, we must not only focus on what we blog, but how we blog, too.
What do you mean by “how you say it” in blogging?
1. The way you write it
Write:
- clearly – people love to read writing that is clear and straight to the point.
- humorously – everybody enjoys humor. In fact, many stuff become popular on the web because they have got the humor.
- readable-ly – write in short paragraphs; format your posts.
- thought-provokingly – if you write like that, readers will think and reflect on your writing and opinions after they are done reading it.
- concisely & precisely – expressing much in few words, brief and to the point.
- captivatingly – so interest-grabbing that readers can’t stop reading your writing.
- passionately – Above all, if you want to write superb articles, you must make sure you love your topic.
Write with your personality–who you are. Don’t write like a robot. In other words, that means don’t ever write like wikipedia (No one reads them unless they want specific info, right?). 😛
Photo by wenzday01
2. The way you deliver the message
You can also think outside the box, even beyond text. Have you heard of a blog post delivered just via…
Comics! Haha! Comics!
Actually, it has been done by Mark Anderson on his guest post on Problogger, titled Blog Like a Cartoonist – Six Stunning Secrets to Help You Break Through Bloggers Block.
Here’s a little snippet of the comic. Click here to view the whole comic.
Other than comics, perhaps you can write your blog post in other people’s perspective, like your 1-year-old son’s. Or make your blog post a funny video. You know, get creative! 🙂
3. Formatting
Style up your blog post. Can you imagine if this blog post was written without list-points, without paragraph breaks– just one big block of text? Would you read it then? I bet you would just skim the whole thing and never actually read anything, right?
So, format your posts with
- bolds, italics, underlines
- paragraph breaks
- points in lists
- heading styles
4. Creative pictures
Pictures make the whole reading experience for your readers much more comfortable and pleasurable.
It decorates and gives colors to it while hinting what it is about. It’s like a special ingredient to put in your blog post to make it more delicious.
I use Compfight, a cool site to search for pictures on flickr quickly and easily. I usually set my search options to “Creative Commons only”, which lets you use the image for free as long as you link to it; like what I’m doing here 🙂 .
Photo by Unitopia
But wait! It also depends on what you say…
What you say is quite important too! Notice the word “not really” in the title of this blog post – “It’s not really what you say, but how you say it” – it means that what you say matters too!
Here are some circumstances in which what you say matters.
– When a topic is trending – If you are one of the first to write it and also do it creatively, many people are going to share and link to your post.
– When the topic is what many people are looking for – like… how to lose fat, how to set up a new blog, etc.
– Is the topic your passion? – Too many people blog about a topic not because they like it, but because they want to earn money. So, don’t follow the crowd. Follow your passion and you will achieve much better results!
– Don’t blog about a completely irrelevant topic – If a blogger, whose blog is about sport, suddenly blogs about Internet marketing, his readers are going to get confused and unsubscribe.
Other than that…
<!–begins rap–>
You can blog about jeans,
you can blog about beans,
you can blog about tasty
Las Vegas cuisines.And proteins, teens, routines,
sardines, limo machines,
going green, Halloween,
hygiene, even vaccines.
<!–ends rap—>
You can blog about anything… it really depends on how you say it. I’ve even heard of a guy who blogs about jeans!
And if a blogger blogs about how to use a spoon, and does it in an extremely funny way, it’s gonna go viral.
But if he does it during a time in which spoons are popular, that article is going to get more attention.
In conclusion, how you say is much more important than what you say. But if you do both greatly – what and how – you can go further!
Like.. movies – If there was a new movie with an average plot but with a lot of awesome special effects, breathtaking graphics, amazing-wow soundtrack, and mind-blowing acting, don’t you think it is going to succeed?
Yes, of course. But if it has a better plot, it would succeed better.
Fill in the blanks:
It’s not really what you ____, but how you ____ it.
I also realized this saying applies to a lot of other things in life. It can be changed to numerous other sayings.
- It’s not really what you advertise, but how you advertise it.
- It’s not really what you eat, but how you eat it – When you chew the food slowly, you appreciate it more and experience what the food tastes like. Also, your stomach will have an easier job digesting your food and absorbing the nutrients. 🙂
- It’s not really what you sing, but how you sing it
- It’s not really what you photograph, but how you photograph it – In photography, you need to try different angles, perspectives, exposure, white balance, etc. in order to get the most out of your shot.
>> In conclusion, it’s not really what you blog, but how you blog it, so focus on how you blog! 🙂
P.S. Don’t forget to do some promotion on your blog after you post it! 🙂
___
So, what do you think about this post? I’d like to hear your opinion and views in the comment section below! Cheers! =)
Hi Gloson,
I like your breakdown here. What you say may generate interest but how you say it makes an impression. By carefully deciding how your post is crafted it becomes easier to influence your readers to read and share your post. Get the “How” done pat and your posts can go viral. As you note the manner of how the message is delivered makes all the difference. Posts with super content but bland packaging aren’t enticing.
Thanks for sharing your insight and have a great day.
Ryan
Hi Ryan! Thank you very much for the great conclusion. You have a great day too! 🙂 Cheers!
Well done Gloson. You write like a Pro-Blogger.
In another word, I would say “It’s Not Really What You SEE, but How You LOOK It” 😉
haha… Thank you Simon! 😉
I agree with you – you can choose whether or not to look on the bright side.
Loving the rap Gloson! But really important message. You need to find a way to be different to the other blogs in your niche.
Haha… Thanks Thomas! I agree; you must be a “Standout Blogger” 😉 .
Hi Gloson
This is seriously awesome! You write better than most professional writers I know.
I love the message here and the creative angle you have taken.
Bravo!
Michael
Really? Thank you very much, Michael! I’m really glad you like my writing 🙂 .
Humor, way to go, you have to keep them engaged 😉
You did it though, well done and great post 😀
Thanks Peter! Yeah agree, you better keep them engaged otherwise you will have sleeping readers… haha. 😀
exactly Goloson…..by the way I’m also a 15 year old blogger. Just have a luk into mine @ http://www.blog4info.co.cc
Hi Mohammed. Your blog is cool! Have left a comment 🙂 .
Awesome post Gloson,
This post sums it all up!
You are absolutely right by saying how you present your content is more important than the content itself and you also gave great examples. After looking at the 2 guys promoting Coke and McDonalds I felt like drinking coke 🙂
Hi Oni! Thank you very much! Those guys are Rhett and Link, and they make really creative videos on YouTube. They have just recently made a backwards pillow music video promoting SleepBetter.org!
I would try to take care of every step listed above because they are all correct. Thanks for sharing such tips.
Btw, is that rap written by you?
Now, thats a nice and original presentation 😀
Thank you Vinayak! Yes, that rap was written by me 😀 . LOL
Awesome Gloson, really well written like usual. Love coming here for superb blogging tips, they always help 🙂
Thank you so very much Ben! I’m really happy and glad that you find this blog useful. 🙂 cheers! Gloson
Yes Gloson, you are right. Both what you say and how you say are right. What you say is time dependent where you it matters only if its new or breaking but if the things are already said hundreds of time, it matters how to say this next time, otherwise you will be ignored.
I really like the way you write LOL.
Haha… thank you very much Pritam! That is a great point – you can take something that has already created and improve it a lot 😉 .
Hey,Gloson.Your blog is sweet and very informative.The t-shirt commercial for McDonalds and Coca-Cola is really cool how they do it.Thanks again for the post.
Thanks Bradley! Gotta love those two guys Rhett and Link 😀 .
Great tips. Just be original and bring out new ideas and the blog will be crawling with readers.
Thanks.
That’s right, Amir! Originality rules! 😀
Hi Gloson,
I think your right, its important to be creative, I also find even when commenting on blogs it is also be creative if you can there also! 😉
You practically need to be creative in every aspect of internet marketing and this includes ways of building links too 🙂
Exactly, Dan! If you are really creative with Internet Marketing, you are sure to get noticed and be successful 🙂 .
Nice job putting this list together Gloson. The keys of original and creative content in your blog is right on! Hope to see you around. Cheers!
Hey Justin! Thanks for dropping by! 🙂
Gloson, you have a great point there. It gets old reading the same stuff over and over again but use some creative input, and I’m all yours! Humour, transparancy, case studies–all different ways to cover an article/post.
Thanks Moon! Yeah. And if you get the same thing delivered to you differently, you might learn something different too! 🙂
Great post Gloson, although the word readable-ly is not a word which made that sentence kind of ironic LOL – but then there was the humour if you ask me!
Your poem rocked man! You really are a creative soul – brilliant to see my young friend.
and btw- remember the Matrix? Because: There is no Spoon 🙂
Awesome post Gloson. I really like point 2 – I think that humour has been the key to making my writing stand out (IMHO anyway LOL)
Thanks for sharing
LOL! Thank you very much Alex! Love your silly puns!
I really agree! – Being funny is indeed a way to help you make money online because everybody loves your cents of humor! 😉
Cheers!
Gloson
ah ha!
Touche my friend touche!
Well said… but it was surely difficult for me to be funny though writing technical issues only peculiar to the industry. Hopefully I can improve over time….
Hi James. Thanks for the comment. Yeah, I agree that it is not easy to be funny every time, so you can try some other ways to deliver the message other than being funny 🙂
Actually to me how you say it doesn’t matter, what matter is what you say… here’s an example that you might understand…Imagine you are having a meeting with an important client of your life and one dude who do not speak English very well call you and tell you in a broken English way that your wife is in hospital… tell me wouldn’t you be anxious to know what happen to her?
Well… how this dude say it doesn’t matter much after all, is what he say really does matter after all…
You see, in blogging, how well you write does not matter, but what you write does matter, people want to know “WHAT IN IT FOR THEM.” not “HOW”
This can be very hard to accept for some people but, if you ask yourself, usually you don’t ask… “how I want” because you will ask yourself “what I want”
proof me wrong… that’s just what I learn from selling…
That’s a good point.
In my blog post, I also said that what you say is important too, but not as much as how you say. And that if you do both greatly – what and how – it will bring you the best results.
Maybe what you say is more important in selling, mainly because it attracts people, but how you say things brings you more loyal customers because they enjoy the way it is presented, the way you write.
Anyways, what I’m trying to say is that bloggers should consider less about what they write, and work on ways to make the blog post stand out and get noticed.
Thanks for the comment. 🙂
Ya.. you are right what I’m saying is mainly selling because that’s where the money is make, of course, in selling “how” is not going to work… but as you say attracting is another case… because people wanted to be treat in a better way, so ‘how’ you treat people is also something that we need to consider…
Well, I think both of what and how should be both use together to the best abilities… think of it… both really makes sense in terms of better presentation and also selling…
Hey Gloson,
Great share! I doubt i could write like you did.
LOL i have to learn more from you. Keep the good work up!
Your blog is impressive.
Hi Kimi! Thank you very much for the kind words! I really appreciate it! 🙂
LOL, you should see my previous writing. Haha.
I like your blog Gloson I learn something new. I was amazed that you were too young at my age and yet you knew something different from me.
Thanks for the kind words Anne. I’m glad you like my blog! 🙂
I saw their youtube video’s of shirt war.It is so cool how they do it.
Yeah. I agree, I really like their work. They also have a cool video of how they made T-Shirt War 2, if you are interested 🙂 .
Great post @ Gloson
Your articles teaching me much and i like the way you explained.
Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Thanks a lot! I’m really glad you like my blog post! =)
Hi Gloson,
You’ve done a great job writing this post. I think what you’ve mentioned here applies to all forms of conversation in life, whether your are just talking to your friends or public speaking. I’m sure you’ve recited your poems to a crowd before and although they are just words coming from your mouth but it will never be interesting if you don’t recite your poems with all the appropriate nuances and expression
Thanks Bryan. Yeah, I really agree with you. If you perform a poem with lots of expression and drama, the crowd is more likely to enjoy it 🙂 . Cheers!
Hi Gloson, you are such a very adoring child. You are talented. I am encouraging my daughter too to start a blog and I made her read all your posts, she loves to write like you but she’s 14.
Oh well about your post, you made a 100% right point the HOW is the most important thing, and yes when you got the WHAT and HOW tandem perfectly! That was totally awesome!
I really appreciate the kind words! Thank you very much for showing my blog to your daughter! You really encourage me! 🙂 It is never too old nor too young. Cheers! 😀
Hey Gloson! I just found your blog yesterday and stumbled across this article! You’re a really great writer! I’ll probably come back to this article and use it as a reference for my next post =). Pretty awesome
Hi Leslie!
I really appreciate the kind words! Thank you very much for using my blog post as a reference! 🙂
Cheers.
This post is an evergreen post, the topic it shares is applicable in our everyday lives. As we interact with others we also have to watch out for how we speak. How we express is really important, sometimes even the harshest of words can sound just fine when the speaker knows how to deliver the message without hurting the other party.