Three Ways to Keep Your Articles Fresh

I thought long and hard about whether or not I should do a holiday-themed post. There certainly aren’t a lack of them this week so I had to consider if I really had anything to add or if I was just jumping on the bandwagon. In the end, I decided that - at least at the moment - I have nothing to add regarding writing and the holidays. However, the exercise did end up giving me this week’s topic, a question: Do you really have something original to add or are you just jumping on the bandwagon?

The blogosphere is the home of 1001 Me Too! blogs. My own blog (at least one of them) is a “me too” in the make money online niche. When I started it last March, however, I had read just a bit of Darren Rowse and Liz Strauss (now that I see those names together like that, I think it might be wise to change my last name to House or Mouse…although I think both of those invite a few too many insults…Krauss?) and decided that I really really wanted to try to make money online and journal my journey. As it turned out, so does everyone else and their adopted cousin.

Once I realized that I was in a “me too” situation, I was already about two weeks into my blogging endeavour. At that point, I had read a bunch about how bloggers rarely make it past three months and pledged that I would not be a casualty. So, since quitting was out of the question, I vowed that, even though I was in a “me too” niche, my blog would bring original, unique content to the table. And, for the most part, I think I have reached my goal.

So how do you know your content is unique? Aside from being sure that you aren’t blog-scraping, it means seriously staying on top of the blogosphere. Here are the three primary methods I use to be sure that my articles are fresh.

Research

I perform thorough research on almost every article I write. My research has two source groups: (1) other blogs in the niche and (2) resources on the topic. Sometimes these two things are one and the same. I have talked about the importance of reading other blogs many times. In this case, it is key that you know what other bloggers in your niche are blogging about. This can prevent you from seeming like a copycat and also give you ideas for topics if you have something original to contribute (see Style and Opinions below).

I don’t need to tell you that the web is full of resources. However, if you are just reading other blogs you are severely limiting yourself. When I perform research, I use a slew of online resources. Newspapers, encyclopedias and static informational websites are often rich sources that other bloggers have not yet pillaged. Find some obscure, yet reliable, sources that you can count on to help you provide a fresh outlook.

The other thing about research is: it doesn’t have to be performed online. Do you remember when you were in elementary school (or even high school and college if you are old enough) and you went to that place with all the books to do your research? You can still go there. It is still full of books. And, like various spots online, you can find resources at a library that have been untapped by most other bloggers. While you still need to bring your own twist to this information, it can fill in your knowledge gaps and bring fresh sparks of inspiration to your articles.

Style

As a blogger, the way you write is often just as important as what you write. By bringing in humor, pathos or any other type of new spin (see Opinion below and Research above), you can often safely cover the same topics as everyone else on your block. The trick is to inject enough personality that the reader doesn’t feel as though he/she has read this before.

Some bloggers make big bucks playing the style card. Either they become known for their personality (How could John Cow have been so successful if John Chow wasn’t so recognizable?) or they have a knack for rewriting content (often PLR content) to create mini-sites in specific niches.

However you use it, your style is ultimately capable of making or breaking you. Find a voice that works for you and stick with it. Readers like to feel that they know you and they can’t feel that way if you are snarky and sarcastic one day and soft and philosophical the next. It is okay to go with your moods to a certain degree, but if you are all over the place readers will have more difficulty become attached to you.

Opinion

Opinion is perhaps the trickiest and most important aspect of a blogger’s originality. If your opinions are too harsh or extreme, you run the risk of alienating readers. However, wafflers rarely make the front page of Digg. Though you might not always need to share how you feel about something, it is often the clearest way to make an article unique.

So how can you share your opinion without losing readers? Be consistent. If you love Google, then love Google. Even those who don’t agree with you will read because you have a strong stance and they enjoy disagreeing. The problems come when you love Google today and hate Google tomorrow and your readers feel as though you can’t take a stand.

When it comes to opinions, if you don’t stay put, then no one can stand behind you. Though you might have some readers stick around, you will never see the sort of fervent support gained by a blogger with strong opinions. And, remember, there is no such thing as bad publicity; as long as you can back up your opinions, are honest and stay steady.

Though I often draw comparisons, bloggers are not journalists. We don’t have to break a story to get readers’ attention. It doesn’t hurt to be the first to report on something, but, for the most part, you can still be wildly successful without every being the first on the scene. By using the three tactics above, you can avoid becoming a re-hasher and, at the same time, gain attention by bringing original ideas to the table.