20 Unconventional Ways To Spice Up Your Blog

Blogging has revolutionized the internet in a way that few other trends have been able to accomplish. Millions and millions of people have found an outlet for their writing and opinions. Anyone who can use a keyboard can literally have their own blog, their own journal up within literally three minutes of reading this article. It is really that easy. Then why are most blogs drearier than a Miley Cyrus concert? Why aren’t there more of creative writers that make the world stand up and take notice of what they have to say? If you have been around the internet blogosphere, then you have invariably stumbled upon those “me-too” blogs that are basically nothing else than online journals of every excruciating detail in the bloggers’ life. Things like what they had for lunch, what time they woke up, what they watched on TV etc. routinely find their way into blogs. The trouble is, no one other than the writer themselves really cares about these things. If you are an aspiring writer and want to avoid these pitfalls, this article will provide you 20 unconventional ways to do so. These tips will make sure that your blog becomes an interesting, thriving community platform where people that share your views or have something to say can interact with each other. Even if you are the most talented writer out there, you will occasionally find yourself short of ideas for blog posts. Whenever you have a case of writer’s block, use these ideas to quickly churn out quality posts that will keep your blog going.

1. Be the change you want to see

Act as if you are the supreme overlord of the world, and let your readers know what you would change if you were in charge. If people who take too much time to get their lunch orders when standing in line annoy you, let your readers know. For the purposes of this post, your wish is humanity’s command. Example: When I am crowned the king of the world, I shall make it illegal for anyone to take more than 30 seconds to order lunch. If you have been standing in line for ten minutes, you should’ve made up your mind already.

2. Come clean

The great thing about writing online is that you can carefully construct a persona of yourself. Your writing can make you look like a more altruistic, wittier version of yourself. Sometimes, the urge to appear perfect can filter through to your writing. Once in a while, let go of the reins and just write an account of your misgivings. Are you frequently clumsy? Can’t stick to a diet? Let your readers know. This is a great way to make a connection with your audience.

3. Gift ideas

Did you recently watch a movie that you couldn’t stop thinking for weeks on end? Did you recently get a present that was so thoughtful it made your eyes well up? Tell your readers. The stories behind your prized possessions almost always make for riveting reading.

4. Kids say the funniest things

If you have a few minutes to spare, asking a kid for opinions on an otherwise serious topic is guaranteed to get you some great answers. Kids are often surprisingly funny.

5. Wisdom by hindsight

Inevitably, there are things about your life that you would have done differently if you knew how things would eventually turn out. This may applies to your graduation in a particular discipline, choosing a job or even appearing for an interview. When you look back, there are things you could’ve changed to make things go more smoothly. Use this experience as guidance for your readers. People who are on the verge of making a similar decision will surely benefit from your insights.

6. Be grateful

There is way too much cynicism in the blogosphere. Way too many bloggers complain or moan about their state of affairs. You can be the exception by occasionally just taking stock of the things you are grateful for. These things need not be as extravagant as a spanking new car. Simple things like the train arriving on time, or finding your keys in the first place you looked for them etc. can make for a good post.  Be a positive blogger

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7. Recall your Shakespearean days

Like most aspiring writers, if you have an account of old writings or poetry, then these are great treasures to share with your readers. If you have poetry or essays you wrote when you were 12 years old, then these are sure to make for some great comic relief.

8. Add to the discussion

Current affairs or media trends are always good places to look to for inspiration. If there is an ongoing issue that you feel strongly about, use your blog as a forum to post your responses. This is cathartic, and also serves as good fodder for a blog post. Since the issue is current and relevant, readers are more likely to start their own discussions in the comments.

9. Put your to-do list online

All of us have ideas about what changes we would like to see in ourselves. If you have a burning desire to adopt a new habit or drop an old one, put your goals online.

10. Reminisce

All of us have fantastic stories and amusing anecdotes from years past. If you find yourself searching for the topic of your next post, look into your own past for inspiration. Whether it is your experience of getting lost in the fruit section of the supermarket, or adolescent impressions of Marlon Brando, write about them.

11. Cite your inspirations

There are lots of wonderful writers on the internet. If you stumble across a site that you really like or a site that you follow regularly yourself – link to it on your site along with a short description of the page.

12. What’s your favorite?

There are entirely too many reviews of popular movies like The Dark Knight and The Lord of the Rings online. Don’t waste too much time saying something that has already been said a thousand times before. Instead, offer up a list of your favorite media in short lists. Cite your favorite movies, books and songs as references for your readers. You can even make this an ongoing section on your website where you add an entry whenever you read or watch something noteworthy.

13. Be seasonal

Is there something special that you do with your family every Christmas eve? Or perhaps you would like to introduce your readers to a festival from your part of the world? Writing about traditions and seasons is always a great way to spice up your blog as long as you have something interesting to say about the topic.

14. Feed the memes

There are great quotes and ways of speaking that have become popular around the internet. If you have an interesting way of communicating to share, encourage your readers to adopt it. Maybe you’re a huge fan of Kung-Fu Panda and would like people to say “Skadoooosh!” more often. By all means, bring the trend back.

15. Look at this photograph

There are times in everyone’s life where we are reminded of specific incidents by experiencing certain audio-visual cues. If you stumble upon an old photograph while browsing through your disk and have a great story to share about it, it makes for great reading. You could also use stories about the first time you read your favorite book or how you got to watch a particular movie.

16. Be a consumer

Whether you have been looking for the perfect exercise machine for a long time in your quest to drop a few pounds, or just the perfect kind of pen or diary, all of us have certain recommendations to make about popular consumer products. If you find something that is just right, let your readers know.

17. Drunk-dialing and other misadventures

We all have stories where we’ve received (or made) hilarious phone calls or accidentally sent texts to the wrong person. Sometimes, there are things that you don’t remember saying or writing at all. All of these are golden as material for your blog posts.

18. What’s your hobby?

Are you an obsessive collector of Pink Floyd cassettes? Do you remember all the tracks from Dark Side of The Moon verbatim, right down to the track durations? We would love to know!

19. How do you take notes?

Most of us have a system for memorization or note-taking that makes tedious tasks easier. If there is a great way to condense information that you stumbled upon, it makes for a very interesting read. You may also want to share a collection of quotes or passages that has served as inspiration for you over the years.

20. Things that made you go “Wow!”

Adults are much harder to impress than kids. And when something does really amaze us, it is usually something quite remarkable. If you stumble upon something like this in your travels or your day-to-day affairs, write about it. You could also share YouTube videos or blog posts that really amazed you. In summation, whenever you find yourself fumbling and lost for the next post on your blog, use one of the above tactics to instantly get some ideas. These ideas are also great for changing up the general theme of your blog once in a while to make your posts less repetitive. Use these wisely and make your blog a vibrant platform for sharing your ideas with the world.

This guest post is written by Roko Nastic of Webmaster Format – great place to learn about web design and development, blogging, best web hosts and website promotion.