Flip Your Blog To Stand Out From The Crowd

As I sat down at my desk ready to write an article entitled “How To Write Quality Content” for my blog, a shocking revelation hit me and I let out an ear-piercing scream that vibrated my walls, sent stray dogs barking, and brought my neighbors knocking on my door!

After taking a few deep breaths to gather my strength, I somehow managed to crawl over to the door, open it, and feebly greet my two elderly neighbors.

“Kumiko-chan!” they exclaimed. “What is wrong? Are you ok?”

“No! No! No!”, I replied. Could I tell them? I had to. “I’m the epitome of all evil!! Please help me!! I was about to write a post about how to write quality content for a blog!”

“What is wrong with that?” my neighbors asked. They weren’t exactly up to date with the happenings in the blogosphere.

“Don’t you see!?” I asked in disbelief, “The catchphrase ‘write quality content’ is the most overused of all the phrases in the blogging world! By nearly writing about it, I was succumbing to it’s allure and ease and joining the masses of bloggers who think that just saying ‘write quality content’ is the only bit of advice that’s worthwhile! Don’t you know that EVERYBODY is trying to write about quality content and there’s nothing original about it anymore! What should I do?”

My neighbors were a little stunned. They had heard their grandchildren talking about this ‘write quality content’ phenomenon and how it could build their humble blog into a money making work of art. They glanced at each other and a comforting look of understanding came across their faces as they both strangely said in unison:

“Flip it”

And in those two words I understood exactly where I was going wrong with my blog. Quality content was not going to save me, it was ‘Inequality Content’ that was going to set me apart and allow me to find my niche. I shivered as thoughts came flooding in to my mind at warp speed:

Write catchy headlines that contain keywords – No! Flip it! Write headlines that actually explain what the post is about so that readers don’t feel manipulated when they find the article only loosely matches the headline!

Never write negatively about another blog – No! Flip it! The blogosphere isn’t run by a big brother type figure. If you think someone is wrong or just plain stupid, tell them in a lengthy post devoted to it! Better yet, go Web1.0 and create a free Geocities site devoted to your hatred for them!

Write a list. All readers go crazy over lists – No! Flip it! Write a story. In this internet age nobody curls up with a good book anymore. Web users are desperate to read an exciting tale of adventure and discovery!

Blog about breaking news – No! Flip it! Blog about news that happened years ago and how it affects you to this day. This has a lot more impact than the latest hot topic and usually involves subjects that have real “staying power”!

Provide a well balanced argument – No! Flip it! Be opinionated, controversial and tell it like it is. That’s what is truly unique these days!

Make your posts informative and useful – No! Flip it! Write a post purely for entertainment value. Blogs aren’t encyclopedias and everybody likes to have a laugh!

I explained all this to my elderly neighbors who listened politely and silently to my hurried, excited blabbering. After I had finished, I apologized for my screams and thanked them for their simple, yet enigmatic advice. I returned to my desk with my newly found ideas on ‘flipping it’ and proceeded to write a controversial and biased story entitled “Why I Hate Bloggers” about a blogger that I hated 10 years ago. Purely for entertainment value of course.