9 Tips for Designing an irresistible Blog Project
Yesterday in Julia/Julie Blog Project I wrote about how a blog project helped Julie Powell create a successful blog that led to a book and movie deal. I’m not promising you the same results, but I am going to offer you some tips for developing a blog project that will reel your readers in and hook them.
They’ll be hooked because they’ll want to see your progress, they’ll wonder if you’ll actually be able to accomplish what you’ve set out to do. It’s one of the reasons must Americans are hooked on reality television, we are mesmerized by the idea of a real person partaking in a seemingly impossible task. I remember when Survivor first aired I was hooked and wouldn’t dare miss an episode.
If you develop an irresistible blog project, that’s how you’re readers will be, they’ll need to know how the project turns out, they’ll want to know if it’s even possible.
So let me back up and explain what a blog project is – it’s basically a blog series on steriods. It involves more than just writing, but requires you to actually dig into a project and then write about your accomplishments and experiences. That’s what Julie Powell did in Julie & Julia, she took on a personal challenge – to cook her way through Julia Child’s famous cookbook – and then blogged about the challenges and obstacles she faced. The noteworthy part of this is that she actually took the time to cook each recipe. As she did this, each one presented a new and very unpredictable result – this element allowed her to write unique content that no one would find anywhere else.
That’s what we all as bloggers want to do – to create the kind of content that people feel that they must have and that they can’t get anywhere except in one place.
So here’s some tips for developing that irresistible blog project that will help you and your blog stand out among the multitudes of other blogs in your niche.
- Don’t be afraid to choose a project that has a high probability of failure. In fact, the more impossible the task seems, the more your subscribers will be drawn to it. Even if you fail, if you write about it in a detailed and engaging way, your subscribers still would have gone along for the ride and if you’ve given it your all, they’ll probably sympathize with rather than be disappointed by your failure.
- Pick a project that is related to your niche, preferably a recurring issue or problem that needs to be solved. Your goal will be to see if you can solve it and you will blog about the actions as you take them and will present the results.
- Decide on how long your project will last. I think a month is probably the minimum and a year’s probably the max. (Just going by Julie’s example)
- Create a plan for when you’ll complete the tasks associated with your project. Julie Powell cooked in the evenings after work and probably on the weekends. It’s critical that you actually set aside a time for this because the entire project depends on it.
- Post updates frequently, don’t allow longer than a week to go by without posting an update. You don’t have to write about your blog project everyday, but you do need to create a regular schedule that your subscribers can get used to. Depending on the project, everyday, might be to difficult for your subscribers to keep up with, but more than a week and they may lose interest.
- Post relatively short, but high impact updates. You can get away with shorter than average blog post the more frequently you decide to update. But keep in mind that this really and truly depends on the type of project you’ve chosen to undertake. Some of Julie’s posts were longer than others.
- Check out Julie Powell’s example to get a feel for how you might want to present your updates. Here’s the link: http://blogs.salon.com/0001399/2002/08/25.html
- Don’t forget to interact with your readers and give them an opportunity to influence your project.
- Generate some buzz for the project before you begin to drum up some reader interest, but don’t let the responses or lack of responses determine how much enthusiasm and energy you will devote to the project. Your readership will grow as you go along and some may even come after the project is finished, so don’t worry, just continue with your project as if the world is watching – because at some point they just might.
At the end of the project you may decide to close the blog or start up another series of projects. Of course it will be your choice.
And by all means, if as a result of reading this post, you decide to undertake a blog project, you must certainly let me know about it. Send me a link, a tweet or something, so that I can join you in your quest.
So what do you think? Is there a relevant blog project that you’re considering? What might be useful to your readers?
About Kiesha Easley
I think Julie Powell is such an inspiration for bloggers- as was Julia Child for cooks. I have been trying to figure out a Blog Project for months but either talk myself out of it because I am scared I will fail, or can’t figure out how exactly to go about it. So this article is going to prove very helpful, especially the first point about not being scared to pick a project with a probability of failure. But I also wanted to ask if you know of any ways I can generate buzz before I start it?
Twitter: weblogbetter
says:
Hi Karen,
To generate buzz, it’s best to get as many people involved as possible. When launching my latest contest/project, I recruited the help of as many people as possible. I asked them to share info about my contest with their readers in blog posts – I also wrote a couple of guest posts and mentioned the contest there. I also, exchanged some ad space for sponsorship.
Posting unique quality content on a regular basis has been the best way to attract readers to our blog. We post fishing reports in season almost on a daily basis! Integrating this with facebook, twitter, social bookmarking, etc… gets a lot of attention. Plus other fishing sites have picked up our content and share it on their sites. It is all free for the most part too which is great!
Islamorada Fishing recently posted..Florida Tarpon Fishing, Fishing Key West, Miami Fishing Charters, Islamorada Hotel
I’ve been think about doing something like this. It sounds like a great idea and fun to boot.
Brad Harmon recently posted..9 Lessons Bloggers Can Learn from Cats
Twitter: weblogbetter
says:
Hi Brad,
I think it helps keep things fresh and keeps your readers on their toes. I’d love to hear about what you come up with.
I want to thank you for this another fantastic post. I am always searching for great hooking subscribers tips to recommend to my readers. Thank you for writing this tutorial . It’s just what I was trying to find. Truly amazing post.
That was some great information that I can use in my blog, thanks for the insights into great blogging.
.-= Keith´s last blog ..In Haiti, international relief targets rats and bugs. Kudo’s to the Team =-.
this is a very good idea and does makes a lot of sense…really something to think about..thanks..but one has o get word out about the project for it to really work out ..
.-= mk akan´s last blog ..How Too Many Backlinks can Increase Your Bounce Rate =-.
I want to be a succesful online Marketier someday,thats why i really do my best visiting some site that truly can help to build more idea on how to make money on blogging.Ofcourse,i would be a patient on doing step by step process so that i can win what i want in online business..tnx for this blog!gl
.-= Jackie from Money Blogging´s last blog ..How To Avoid Getting Your Adsense Account Terminated =-.
Great idea Kiesha.
A published blog project is a great way to get readers involved. The fact that there are persons waiting to see what will happen can give that extra motivation to ensure the project’s success.
Here’s a post – http://samswebguide.com/2010/04/03/my-blogging-journey-so-far-march-blog-statistics/ – of the progress of my blog although I have not been using the same guidelines you stated above. Its a huge long-term project nonetheless and my journey will hopefully offer an opportunity for learning.
Keep writing these great articles Kiesha :)
.-= Robyn from Sam’s Web Guide´s last blog ..My Blogging Journey So Far – March Blog Statistics =-.
I think it would be a great idea to start a blog project and like an internet marketer, start a blog showing the results and teaching others side by side. I wish to start a project myself :)
.-= Gautam Hans @ Blog Godown´s last blog ..5 Conversion Rate Optimization Tips for Bloggers =-.
A great idea for starting a blog project and it seems to me that would be a great to start a new blog and i wish to start a new one really soon. I will see if i can post some updates on it
I think I have the perfect project and what motivation it will be for me to have others anticipating my progress! Thank you, now let me rush over to share my goals for the Kassie Knows series.
Hopefully, my daughter and cousin will pay close attention to this post and even your upcoming ones….I’m sharing this site with them because I know it will benefit them both.
.-= Kissie´s last blog ..What’s YOUR Favorite Eating Place =-.
Twitter: weblogbetter
says:
Hi Kissie! I can’t wait to see what you come up with. See the anticipation has begun already. :)
I’ve been doing a blog project for a number of weeks. I’m working through Rowse’s 31 Days to Build a Better Blog.
It’s a huge project if you do it right. I’ve linked to one of the posts in the CommentLuv.
I really like your project tips here. Great info to implement.
.-= Alison Moore Smith´s last blog ..31DBBB: Day #4 Analyze a Top Blog in Your Niche =-.
A successful blog is about having an idea worth spreading. Keep posting quality content, on a frequent basis, and people will spread the word on your blog, for free.
I don’t think there really is a “secret”. Constantly having great quality content, posting every day, and marketing your posts even a little bit will ensure your readers will check out your blog
.-= Inside the Webb´s last blog ..Template Monster’s Design Blog Kicks Off! =-.
Twitter: weblogbetter
says:
Hi Inside the Webb! Yeah, it’s not a secret, but you’d be amazed by how many people who ignore the need to consistently produce quality content.
Hmmmm … I had never thought about doing a blog project before. You may have just inspired me Kiesha! Great thoughts here to get me going! :)
.-= Kevin M.´s last blog ..Favourite Links Friday 4/2/10 =-.
Twitter: weblogbetter
says:
I’d love to hear what you come up with – I love following projects. Keep me posted on this.