# Seven Ways To Give Your Blogs Some ZING!

- Link: https://chatterblast.com/blog/7-ways-to-give-your-blogs-some-zing/
- Published: 2016-03-14T18:32:25-04:00
- Author: Matthew Ray

[_The blog’s the thing_](http://www.enotes.com/shakespeare-quotes/play-s-thing).
Right?

It’s no mystery that blogging is a central part of any content marketing plan. To
fully engage the power of organic SEO and ensure your company can broadcast its 
story, having a popular blog is _always_ a key ingredient in the recipe to success.

Here at **ChatterBlast**, we spend _a lot _of time writing blogs for our clients.
Then, when we have a free moment, we blog for ourselves. And according to a year’s
worth of good old Google Analytics data, here are our top five blogs:

 1. [**Reporting Live: Cecily Tynan on the Social Media Forecast**](http://chatterblast.wpengine.com/blog/reporting-live-cecily-tynan-on-the-social-media-forecast/)_–
    Our Blaster scored an interview with the most social-savvy meteorologist in town._

 2. [**Your Everyday Guide To Getting Social At The 2015 Philadelphia Flower Show**](http://chatterblast.wpengine.com/blog/your-everyday-guide-to-getting-social-at-the-2015-philadelphia-flower-show/)_–
    Pretty much exactly what it sounds like._

 3. [**Snapchat Has Conquered The World**](http://chatterblast.wpengine.com/blog/snapchat-has-conquered-the-world/)_–
    A look into Snapchat’s world domination via the live story and discover features._

 4. [**Charity Flip Cup Tournament: FAQ**](http://chatterblast.wpengine.com/blog/charity-flip-cup-tournament-faq/)_–
    We tackled the event’s biggest questions ahead of time._

 5. [**You Have Friends, Likes And Followers, But Do You Have Buds?**](http://chatterblast.wpengine.com/blog/you-have-friends-likes-and-followers-but-do-you-have-buds/)_–
    Our interview with the founder of _**_MassRoots_**_, a new marijuana-based social
    app._  

Fascinating, right?

After looking over our blogs, and the most successful posts we’ve written for our
clients (like [this one](http://www.crossroadshospice.com/family-caregivers-blog/2016/february/28/the-silver-screen-of-death-and-grief/),
or [this one](http://theideaforge.com/can-we-please-stop-using-michael-jordan-as-the-benchmark-for-greatness/)
or [even this one](https://blog.aquaamerica.com/post/2015/10/05/Could-You-Imagine-A-Day-Without-Water.aspx)),
AND industry trends,  I’ve put together a short ‘n’ sweet punch list of tricks to
make your blog sing with ZING!

 

 1. 
    ### ** Be Authentic AND Accessible**
    

What do the **Huffington Post**, **TMZ **and Business Insider have in common?

 * They’re easy to read and understand.
 * They all produce relevant content.
 * They each have an authentic voice, making them accessible to the average person.
 * They happen to be the [**top three most-visited blogs**](http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2015/05/learn-popular-blogs/)
   in the world.

So take some lessons from them. Find a voice and stay true to it and write content
that will be relevant to your readers. In doing so, you, yes, darling,_ can become
a thought leader_!

You should _always_ speak honestly and openly about your latest discovery or breakthrough,
and your blog should come **from your heart**, in your own voice.

Be aware though: If only six people in the world understand what you’re blogging
about, though, then _maybe_ you’ve missed your ideal market.

Getting readers to understand lofty concepts or sophisticated work can be tough,
yet it’s also _rewarding_. While you want to appear professional and technically
advanced, remember that many of the people looking to hire your firm don’t have 
the breadth of knowledge that _you_ do. You need to [speak to them in language they understand](http://chatterblast.wpengine.com/blog/lets-investigate-peach-that-juicy-new-social-platform/)
with [examples and ideas to which they can relate](http://chatterblast.wpengine.com/blog/heres-why-twitter-users-are-super-upset-with-twitter/).

I’m _not_ telling you to dumb down your content. I’m suggesting that you [convey your message in a way that comfortably speaks to a broad audience](http://chatterblast.wpengine.com/blog/the-keys-to-snapchat-success-as-told-by-dj-khaleds-snapchat/).
Throw out the million-dollar words and focus on the message. Don’t talk down to 
people, and don’t talk over them, either!

 

 2. 
    ### ** Act Like a Trained Journalist**
    

One way to make your blog content accessible is by putting on your journalism hat
and explaining sophisticated paradigms through _modern metaphors_ and _current events._

Way back in the day, journalists spread information across the world. And now, with
blogs, anyone can spread information. Yet, the **best bloggers** weave in current
events and adhere to journalistic standards, original content and well-researched
writing. They don’t just spew out whatever comes into their heads.

This approach helps to **legitimize content**. Many of the ChatterBlasters have 
experience in journalism, myself included, and it’s positively influenced the way
we approach social media. Blogs should have substance, truth and _tell a story_.
Stories are what people have shared since the printing press was invented and continues
to be the driver behind what’s shared on social media.

 

 3. 
    ### ** Pop Culture Can’t Hurt – Dare to Trend**
    

Don’t be afraid to use pop culture to tell a great story. It’s _extremely_ accessible
and helps more readers find a common ground in your blog. The average American might
not _completely_ understand artificial intelligence, but they probably have an emotional
connection to **R2D2** or **C-3PO**.  Showing your thought leadership through the
lens of [modern trends](http://chatterblast.wpengine.com/blog/hack-your-periscope-game-with-these-three-tips/),
[fashion](http://chatterblast.wpengine.com/blog/a-stitch-in-time-has-me-dressed-to-the-nines-or-has-it/)
or [pop culture](http://chatterblast.wpengine.com/blog/expressing-herself-has-madonna-gone-too-far-on-instagram/)
doesn’t dumb down your product – it gives you a **larger audience**.

[⌊70928⌉⌊70928⌉[

Wanna talk about the future of robotics? [Mention that nasty **Ultron** from the **Avengers** movies](http://theideaforge.com/think-your-job-is-too-special-for-a-robot-think-again/).

Need to deal with complicated ideas about grief and death? Perhaps some of [our favorite moments in television can help build a bridge to understanding](http://www.crossroadshospice.com/family-caregivers-blog/2015/october/29/death-grief-on-television/).

I _don’t _recommend making your entire blog a series of sugary-sweet pop culture
_bons mots_, but showing that you’re in touch with common culture _and_ that you
know what you’re doing is a **significant way** to drum up interest in your skills.
This, of course, leads us to…

 

 4. 
    ### ** There’s This Thing Called Humor – Consider It! **
    

You know what I do _not_ want to read on a B2C or B2B blog? Anything depressing!
Look out the window, folks: the world has _enough_ grey in it.

Writing optimistic, positive blogs is the honey that draws the flies. Plus, if you
can find a way to be funny within your line of products and goods, _you should_!
Many leaders in consumer content marketing like [**Oreo**](https://twitter.com/oreo/status/298246571718483968)
and [**Taco Bell**](https://twitter.com/tacobell/status/433404923812646912) consistently
incorporate humor into their posts. Even the **Philadelphia Police Department** 
strives to find [a sunnier side of the street when engaging with their citizens](http://chatterblast.wpengine.com/blog/they-dont-want-you-to-save-how-the-philadelphia-police-won-jonas/).

> Looks like a big [#snowstorm](https://twitter.com/hashtag/snowstorm?src=hash) 
> is coming. If u see folks saving spots, call us on your cellphone to report [#NoSavesies](https://twitter.com/hashtag/NoSavesies?src=hash)
> [pic.twitter.com/9NzUBNVcey](https://t.co/9NzUBNVcey)
> — Philadelphia Police (@PhillyPolice) [January 20, 2016](https://twitter.com/PhillyPolice/status/689864654043086848)

Again, authenticity is important, but [it’s okay to crack a digital smile every now and then](http://chatterblast.wpengine.com/blog/is-your-tumblr-post-going-down-the-toilet/).

 

 5. 
    ### ** It’s Not All About ****_You!_**
    

Too often on our own blogs we fall in the trap of just blasting out our own opinions,
thoughts, successes and ideas.  How much fun it is to listen to someone talk about
themselves all day? Spoiler alert: _It’s not_.

Don’t be afraid to [showcase the thought leadership of a celebrity or public figure](http://chatterblast.wpengine.com/blog/fantastic-tweets-and-where-to-find-them/)–
doing so adds _value_ to your brand and message. Some of the best ChatterBlast blogs
have featured the successes of organizations to which we have_ zero connection_,
such as [Super Bowl advertisers](http://chatterblast.wpengine.com/blog/social-bowl-social-medias-winners-and-losers-of-super-bowl-50/)
and [brands who embraced “Back to the Future Day.”](http://chatterblast.wpengine.com/blog/six-brands-that-won-back-to-the-future-day/)

They aren’t us, they aren’t our clients and we probably aren’t even on their Christmas
card list. (Yet.)  

 

 6. 
    ### ** If You Can… Talk ****_With_**** People, Not ****_About_**** People **
    

I’m not averse to pumping out blogs that talk about [celebrities](http://chatterblast.wpengine.com/blog/british-social-takeover-the-john-oliver-effect/),
[social media icons](http://chatterblast.wpengine.com/blog/wait-is-donald-trump-the-king-of-twitter/)
or their latest [stumbles or successes](http://chatterblast.wpengine.com/blog/how-to-come-back-from-a-social-media-fail/).
I _can_ tell you from personal experience, though, that it’s always best to **interview
a subject** as a source for your blog. Get their _honest and authentic _[thoughts, behind-the-scenes insight and any guru gossip you can](http://theideaforge.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-poop-bag-girl/).

 

 7. 
    ### ** Know When to Throw it Out**
    

Like bad days, we _all_ have bad blog posts. If you write a blog post that won’t
add value to your readers’ lives, and is more of a push for SEO, riddled with keywords
and useless rambles statements, then do what you do with a crappy day: _put it to
bed._

**So…**

Above all, your blog should sound like you wrote it because you _wanted_ to, not
because you _had_ to. Make it obvious to your readers that it was _important _to
you to share these ideas.

That, more than anything, is what they’ll share and remember.

What advice do you have for bloggers and wannabe bloggers? Tell us in the comments
or [let us know on Twitter](https://twitter.com/ChatterBlast)!