Indie Designer Marketing

I won’t lie. Running a blog isn’t always the easiest task in the world. Especially if you’re committed to doing it right.

There’s the technical aspect of setting one up. Then deciding what widgets and plug-in’s you’re going to have. Once it’s all shiny and brand new, you have to fill it with content. Then you have to promote it.

But the payoff is like winning the lottery. If enough people visit your blog on a regular basis, you’re going to generate sales.

That’s why I wrote about Blogging Beyond the “Here’s what’s new” Post. You’ve got to be prepared to supplement your blog with non-commercial content.

And that brings me to the purpose of today’s post.

You see, a blog that’s being advertised will generate some traffic.

But what you want… what’s going to be the bread-and-butter of your blog-existence… is repeat traffic.

And there are only two reasons why people come back to a blog:

1. You offer interesting information that’s going to help them in some way, shape or form.
2. You deliver that information with a strong sense of personality.

In other words, you help your readers to look and feel great, and you do it with your own sense of written chic-ness.

Blogs without personality are like seriously overcooked turkeys.

You might take a nibble just to see what it tastes like. But once you realize you need 12 glasses of water to push it down your throat, you pack the whole thing up and toss it in the trash. And that’s what happens with a personality-lacking blog. It never gets tasted again.

So what do I mean by ‘personality?’

Talking to your readers through your blog the same way you’d talk to them in person. It’s okay to use humor and interject interesting pieces of who you are.

I have one business related blog where I (gasp!) actually cuss from time-to-time.

Does it turn some people off? I’m sure it does.

Do I care? Nope.

Why? No matter who you are, or what you say, or what you do, you’re NEVER going to please all of the people all of the time.

Case in point, I was just watching a True Hollywood Story about Food Network star Rachel Ray. Apparently there’s a web site called Rachel Ray Sux.

They talk badly about her clothes, her hand movements, her recipes, how chipper she is, her little EVVO (extra virgin olive oil) catchphrase. I mean I could see if Rachel Ray was using child labor or something. But she’s cooking! And that’s just who she is.

But again, it just shows that you’re never going to please all the people all of the time.

So when blogging, just allow who you are to shine through - and don’t worry about the folks who don’t get it.

A prime example of a blog with personality is my own Indie Lust.

I like to attach a personal story to a lot of the products I talk about. I think it’s more engaging that way.

Here are a couple other blogs that are personality driven–

Style Bytes
http://stylebytes.net/
I like the way she photographs herself in various outfits.

You can use this idea too. Photograph yourself with your own merchandise on. But not in an obviously modeling kind of way.

Faking Good Breeding
http://fakinggoodbreeding.blogspot.com/
She’s intelligent, funny and she does good product reviews.

Yes, you can use this idea too. Be intelligent, funny and do good product reviews.