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The competition for attention<\/a> online is overwhelming. Many people, businesses, and politicians are clamoring for your attention.<\/p>\n “Check out my video!”<\/p>\n “See why my blog post is the best!”<\/p>\n “Click here for killer content!”<\/p>\n “Buy my product!”<\/p>\n Whether you’re starting a business<\/a> and building an audience for your products and services or launching a personal blog, it can be frustrating and discouraging to try to break through the noise.<\/p>\n A single video can go viral<\/a>, but a marketing campaign you’ve spent hours or weeks on can often receive little or no attention.<\/p>\n Over the last ten years, I’ve successfully developed my blog into a revenue-generating business that attracts over 500,000 monthly visitors. I’ve built my blog into something I’m proud of and coached and consulted many other bloggers to help them build successful revenue-generating businesses.<\/p>\n Below, I’ll share some of my favorite techniques I’ve used on my blog \u2014 the ones that made me feel like the hard work and time spent blogging was worth the effort.<\/p>\n Are you ready to grow your blog and attract the readership you’ve hoped for? These six proven insights and strategies will help grow your website’s traffic, regardless of your niche.<\/p>\n It may sound like I’m directing you down a seedy path, but I mean, go the extra distance to do more than your competition.<\/p>\n Being a modern blogger means leaning into your strengths and finding clever, innovative ways to differentiate yourself from your competition<\/a>.<\/p>\n Your content can be more helpful, entertaining, engaging, or unique than other bloggers in your niche. You can provide something new that’s relevant, informative, interesting, and different from other blogs.<\/p>\n Have you ever read an online article that covered a topic you were interested in, but every point was general and vague? It probably scratched the surface but didn’t provide new insights or help answer the questions you were trying to answer.<\/p>\n You might read something like “10 Ways to Save Money this Holiday Season”, but you haven’t learned anything when you’re done reading it. It turned out to be a waste of your time.<\/p>\n Don’t waste your readers’ time \u2014 go one step further to give them honest information that answers their questions and doesn’t require them to go to another website to find out more.<\/p>\n One way I’ve done this is by writing a nearly 20,000-word guide about how to start a blog<\/a>. When I wrote that guide, it was almost double the length of my competitor’s posts. I did something they weren’t willing to do.<\/p>\n I also chose not to stuff it with useless or repetitive information to boost my words. I tried to be as in-depth as possible, covering the granular details my competition didn’t bother to share with their readers.<\/p>\n I also spent several weeks putting together a 40-minute YouTube video embedded in the article. By doing this, I attracted a large audience that appreciated the more nuanced tutorial that provided more information and action steps than others had written in that space.<\/p>\n How can you apply this to your blog?<\/p>\n Having a strong blog doesn’t only mean writing longer articles than your competition. You must make deliberate decisions and create a brand strategy<\/a> that differentiates your blog from others in your niche.<\/p>\n Fortunately, there are many ways that you can differentiate<\/a> your blog:<\/p>\n What is different or unique about your blog? What’s something that you can offer that your competition isn’t? What personal gifts can you use in your space that make you appealing in a new or different way?<\/p>\n Take a look at your current content and be honest with yourself.<\/p>\n Are you providing something that your audience would want to read? Are you writing something better than the competition?<\/p>\n If not, take some time to brainstorm changes you can make. Your goal shouldn’t just be to add to the noise on the internet but to make something worthy of your readers’ time.<\/p>\n Storytelling is a proven way to engage an audience<\/a>.<\/p>\n Sharing parts of your life and who you are gives your visitors something to connect with<\/a>. It’s the same reason people love to learn about an underdog who makes it to the major leagues or why they think it’s interesting to learn about huge companies that started in a garage.<\/p>\n Storytelling gives people a reason to care<\/a>, which is essential because you can appeal to people with only facts and logic, but most people feel more inclined to follow something when there’s an emotional draw.<\/p>\n Storytelling is an art. Start with a blog outline<\/a> to map out your story, and don’t forget to write catchy subheadings<\/a> that will draw readers’ attention. This will ensure that your story is coherent and flows naturally.<\/p>\n To this day, some of the most successful (and engaging) content I’ve written leans hard into storytelling. When I chronicle my journey in a way that’s relatable to my audience, and I show them I understand where they are because I’ve been there, it not only humanizes me as an author but it also puts me on a level playing field with my audience. I know what it feels like to be where they are, which allows them to connect with me and my writing.<\/p>\n For example, I wrote about making money from a blog in my how to start a blog guide. I start by pulling the curtain back on my journey as a blogger. I share screenshots of my Google Analytics reports, and I go to great lengths to share lessons I’ve learned from my own experience as a blogger. I provide helpful insights to people at various stages of their adventure while showing that I understand what it feels like to be on a similar path.<\/p>\n Another way to set yourself apart and get ahead of your competition is to offer freebies that go above and beyond anything other people provide. Giving away something of value will encourage your readers to share your content with others in their network.<\/p>\n On my blog, I have a blog business template<\/a> that is one of the most successful pieces of bonus content I offer. It’s popular because it’s highly involved and helps new bloggers create an action plan they can understand and use immediately. Over the years, it has attracted much attention, which drives more traffic to my blog and other blog posts that generate a profit.<\/p>\n Potential freebies for your blog will look different, depending on your niche<\/a>. Crowdspring, for example, shares numerous terrific guides, such as their popular guide to building a great brand identity:<\/p>\n1. Go where your competition won’t<\/h2>\n
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2. Use storytelling to grow your audience<\/h2>\n
3. Offer exceptional bonus content<\/h2>\n
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