I headed out of the house to pick my wife (then girlfriend) up for church one night and took a back county road to her house. About halfway there, I was struck suddenly in the side by a deer. He jumped a fence out of nowhere and his head crushed into my fender so hard my door wouldn’t open. The impact was such that the deer didn’t survive and my car required a couple thousand dollars in repairs. That dear made a lasting impact on me, and I’m telling the story over a decade later.
I said a few posts ago that you don’t just want blog traffic, you want collisions with a promise to revisit a few important words, one of which is the word impact. It’s one of the words you should have emblazoned in your mind as the goal, the target for which you aim every time you write a post.
What does “Impact” Look Like?
I think you can say your post made an impact when one (or more) of several criteria are met…
- People reacted to it. Questions were asked, comments were made, and links were passed.
- People talked about it – passed it on via their favorite social media outlet, or re-posted it with expanded comments on their own blog.
- People acted in response to it – they bought someting, subcribed to something, or in some other way changed their online behavior because of your words.
That is, you can see some kind of ripple effect or dust settling after genuine impact is felt.
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But how do you make an impact with your blogging? There are plenty of practical ways to add weight to your posts and leave a greater impact, but here are some things I have found quite reliable…
How To Make A Greater Impact With Your Blogging
- Use powerful images that evoke human emotion and stimulate thinking.
- Write off-the-cuff, from-the-hip, and in-the-moment at times, without editing.
- Use actionable or descriptive words. In other words, stop telling us about “ten things” and start talking about “ten principles… advances… techniques… etc.”
- Be bold. You don’t have to be offensive, but be bold.
- Stick to the point. Your post has a point, right? If it has two, make it a series. Stick to one idea and drive it home.
- Don’t finish every thought – make the reader think too.
- Get into the soul. We all know the difference between a post that is informative and one that is inspirational. Err on the side of inspirational.
The point is, make a dent. Chip some paint. Scratch your initials in. Make it stick!
About Brandon Cox
Brandon,
I am guilty of #5 and #6 which is probably while my posts are longer than normal. I think I write like a Baptist preacher (no offense) sometimes – you know, a good sermon must have three points and a prayer. That’s hard to get into an acceptable blog length.
You’ve given me something to think about, as usual.
Brad
.-= Brad Harmon´s last blog ..An Introduction to Blog Engage =-.
Excellent post. Something I desire to put into practice. Your article helped me to get a better grasp on how to do this.
Beautiful blog design. I am currently working on a redesign for my blog and I like much of what you have done here.
Subscribed and became a fan at FB.
.-= brad´s last blog ..No Beginning and No End =-.
Thanks so much, Brad! I hope the redesign goes well.
Brandon, I like your take on impacts. I want to improve in the “actionables” department.
Bookmarked for future reference!
.-= Ryan´s last blog ..What Are You Allowing To Stop You? =-.
Nice post Brandon. I love the practical tips at the end. Very useful! I personally will use it as a guide.
.-= Design Informer´s last blog ..Dealing With Your Mistakes =-.
Why thanks – glad you found it helpful!