Buzz it!
I’ve always been a visual learner. If you show me how to do something, I can often get it fairly quickly if I have an opportunity to immediately apply what I’ve learned. Blogging is no different – that’s why when I first started out, I sought out the high ranking blogs and tried to get a feel for how they did things.
I knew blogging was more than good design, I needed to know what it was that these bloggers did to stand out from the rest.
One day in my search for knowledge, I ran across Lisa Irby’s 2createawebsite blog and was immediately amazed and challenged. When I found this blog, I thought to myself, now that’s the kind of blogger I want to be.
I quickly realized that there were some aspects of blogging that I had all wrong. What’s weird is that these are things I already knew, but for whatever reason I imagined it differently online. I knew that people are more likely to trust you if you help them and offer them the information they need. I knew that the quickest way to get the desired result is by doing the same for someone. You know the old saying, “treat others as you’ll have them treat you.” Somehow I managed to overlook that in my early blogging days as I overpromoted my site day in and day out.
I wasn’t purposely trying to be an unethical blogger, but because my blog was missing some important components and too many ads, I can see how it might have come across as spammy.
Lisa’s site challenged me to go above and beyond and present something new; something creative and of value to my readers. I love her blog because she puts herself into her blog and she openly reveals how she achieved a commendable level of success. Her most popular post, How I Doubled My Traffic in 2 Months is probably the one post I can contribute to the success of Highly Favored. I wanted to succeed at blogging, so that meant I’d have to take cues from someone who’s already successful.
I’m not telling you to blindly imitate or copy someone else’s writing style (and plagiarism is out of the question) – what I’m saying is that when someone shows you what worked for them, you put those things into action in a way that meshes with your niche and your style of writing. Don’t run out and get the same WordPress theme; don’t start writing the same type of content, or promoting the same products. Instead learn from them and use it to enhance what’s unique about you.
Although Lisa basically tells it all on her blog, I still thought it would be great to interview her. I was almost too shy to even ask, but then I thought, the worst she could say was “no” and either way, I’d still admire her. To my surprise she accepted my request.
Join me tomorrow as I reveal her responses and tips for better blogging. Some of you may already know the ironic detail about her blogging success, but for those of you who don’t stay tuned…
Is there a blogger that you’ve tried to model yourself after? If so, who and why?
Jean Sarauer
Josh Garcia
Evelyn
mark
Blog Angel a.k.a....
Gurl
James Tayo
John Soares
Mars Dorian
Mike Roosa
I’m really glad that you are a fan of Lisa Irby because without her, I don’t think that you and I would be such good blogging buddies. I’m a member of her forum, Website Babble and I see bloggers and webmasters on a daily basis who thank her and give her credit for being such an inspiration.
Trust and credibility are synonymous with Lisa. I can’t wait to stop back tomorrow for more.
Thanks Kiesha!
@Ileane
Ileane @Blogging´s last blog ..Diigo Extension for Google Chrome Browser
Hi Ileane! I’ve learned so much from Lisa and her blog – it really changed the way I blog – for the better! :)
Nice!
I’ve been heavily influenced by the work of the people behind the FUEL network. They just do it right in my eyes.
Everything from design to social interaction to the quality of their content.
Christopher // CrackerjackBlogging.com´s last blog ..What Bloggers Can Learn From Storytellers – Part 2
I thought by the title of the post you were referring to copying others. But having read your post I see what you mean. I like your site layout and use of plugins etc.
I’m looking forward to tomorrows post! Thanks Keisha.
Hi Matthew – Thanks for your compliments, although I can take the credit. This blog was originally owned and designed by Brandon Cox
http://brandoncox.com – He passed it on to me about a month ago.
See you tomorrow :)
Yup, you can learn a lot by observing the style and formatting used by other bloggers. But don’t stop there, seek out articles specifically about writing better blog posts. Of course make sure that you are reading articles by successful bloggers who really know their stuff.
Always be willing to change things up a little, but don’t go overboard. Too much change all at once can really throw your readers for a loop!
Hi Joella!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. You’ve make good points! :) You don’t want to leave your readers totally confused and wondering if they’re even on the same blog. :)
Thank you so much for featuring me. When I started affiliate marketing 12 years ago, I realized how much I enjoy helping people. It is so rewarding to see how my sites have influenced people and it just makes me want to do more and more. Thanks again!
Lisa Irby´s last blog ..How I Recovered From My Computer Injury
Hi Lisa!
The pleasure and the honor is all mine! What you do goes beyond just help – you inspire people to do better – and that is a tremendous gift.
Thank you for all you do at 2createawebsite. You are a true gem – diamond quality! :)
I don’t have one per se but I do read a lot of blogs and I am continually being challenged to grow through them.
Kevin M.´s last blog ..3 principles to deal with conflict