Last week I wrote about having a consistent style in your blogging so that your readers will know what to expect from your blog. (To understand what I mean by “style”, please read that previous post. I give four examples of what I mean when I say “style”.) Having a consistent blogging style will help your readers recognize and remember you. This leads to repeat visitors and better branding. But how do you know which style is the best for you?
Experiment. Finding an effective style starts with experimentation. Unless you experiment, you may not find a blogging style that fits you well. Yes, blogging is a creative pursuit, but testing different styles helps you find the best style for you. So, try different styles and see which gets more visitors, subscribers, and positive feedback.
As you experiment with different styles, also consider what comes easy to you. If you are more comfortable writing with a conversational tone than a scholarly tone, write with a conversational tone. I used to write in a more scholarly tone because that is what I was used to reading. However, I experimented with writing in a conversational tone and I found it easier to write than a scholarly tone.
Ask yourself, which style do I enjoy using? Again, you should experiment with different styles. For example, publish 7 short posts weekly for a couple weeks. Then, for another set of weeks, try writing longer but fewer posts a week. After this experiment, ask yourself: Which was more enjoyable, writing many short posts or writing fewer long posts?
When it comes to enjoyment, I realized that I enjoy finding interesting articles online and sharing them. Because of this, I’m linking out much more than I used to. You may not be like me. You may not like to search for interesting content on the internet. In this case, your blogging style may resemble Steve Pavlina’s. He rarely links out but he is still a popular blogger.
Ease of use and enjoyment are important when choosing a blogging style because these traits help you blog for the long term. And long term blogging is really the best way to blog.
Finally, as you’re experiment with different styles, consider which style fits your personality the most. Blogging is a personal medium. Be yourself.
By being yourself, you establish trust, rapport, and set yourself apart from the other bloggers in your niche. These things, in turn, lead to increased traffic for your blog.