Just writing this blog post’s title made me feel REALLY conceited, so let’s clear the air right away. If you’ve read my blog for a while, you will know that this isn’t me claiming to have all the answers and to be the most stand-out blog out there, because, moment to laugh, I know I’m NOT at all.
If you’re new here, you know now that I’m far from being conceited about my blog. Honestly, I’m shocked even 6 years later at how I managed to grow my blog and how you all are here, reading this (hopefully. I hope you didn’t leave at the blog post’s title. Hello. I love you!).
I was struggling with this blog post idea for a little while now. I wanted to talk about a blog’s identity, a blogging voice, a blog’s brand.
Basically, I wanted to tackle everything that makes a blog, A BLOG. In all caps. You know, the blog you recognize straight away, the blogger that you’ll read everything from, because you just love them so much.
As I started typing ideas and notes everywhere, I realized… who am I to talk about branding your blog? Do I really know a whole lot about designing? What IS my identity, as a blogger, really?
Insert a two-weeks-span where I had an identity crisis about everything here.
Then, I realized that I could write about this. No, not my blogging identity crisis, but the rest of it all. Nothing except my own mind told me I couldn’t write about the things that I want. No one told me I wasn’t qualified for this job. Because you know what? I actually am.
If there’s one thing I feel like I’m doing okay at (no pretention here, hopefully), it’s this. Sharing my blogging experience and hoping it can help others grow, too.
So here I am.
Basically: this is me talking about what, for me, makes a blog popular, stand out from the crowd. This is about what makes me want to read a blog and makes me want to run back to it, too.
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What makes a blog popular?
I just wanted to take a moment to define what popular means.
To some people, a popular blogger will be one with one or all of these:
- 10 000+ pageviews
- 10 000+ followers
- 100 of comments per post
- MORE followers on all social media AND an active presence there
Of course, this varies depending on the blog’s niche. If you’re in the book blogging world and you got all of that, you’re seriously golden.
I don’t think that statistics are enough to define a blogger. A popular blogger is, to me, someone that might have a pretty nice amount of traffic, of course, but it’s also someone that everyone knows.
You know, like someone says the name of a celebrity and you’re like: “Oh, that’s the one playing in that movie, right?”.
It’s the same with blogging. When people say a name, in a particular community, it’s recognizable. I’m not going to shout out names right here for the book blogging community, but I have like 5 off the top of my mind right now that I’m sure, if I mention their names, EVERYONE will know who I’m talking about.
That’s popularity, to me.
When you think about it, it’s not even the blog in itself taking the fame of it all, but the blogger behind the screen. The real celebrity here.
Want to know why those blogs and their owners are so popular? It’s because they manage to stand out, in one way or another.
Below are 5 ways to make it like them. I’m not saying everyone uses those 5 different ideas at their best, but if someone’s popular, it’s most likely because of one or multiple of these reasons.
How to make your blog stand out?
Find your blog’s unique purpose
We all start blogging for a reason.
Whether it’s because we love books and want to scream about them, we love to travel and want to share our itineraries or we love food and are skilled at creating unique recipes.
Your blog’s purpose is deeply linked to the reason you started it all.
Personally, I started book blogging because I loved books (obvious. I know). As my adventure went on, I expanded my writing to talking about blogging, a tiny bit about writing, sometimes even about traveling.
My blog’s still mainly focused on young adult books, but it’s also a place that’s here to remind me of what I love and everything I’ve accomplished with it, too.
Today, my blog’s purpose is to share and make you discover my favorite young adult reads. But, yeah, sometimes like today, it’s also about sharing my blogging experience.
Tomorrow, this might change. I know, this is unconventional to say, when people tell you to have a unique purpose and niche to make it.
To me, that’s not the secret. To me, the secret is to keep that reason that made you create your blog in the first place. This passion will grow, evolve, change a little bit with time, too. But as long as your purpose is to write passionately, you’re doing great.
To make it, meaning to have a blog that people know, you don’t need to have a niche. You don’t need to keep your focus on one, singular topic. You just need to be yourself.
I don’t believe in a unique niche. I believe in a unique voice.
Find your blogging voice
A lot of people are talking about a blogging voice. Wondering what the heck that is and how to find it, if it even exists.
Your blogging voice is you. Just like your real voice in real life, it’s inimitable. It’s unique. It might be copied, but it will never be the real thing.
Because you’re the real thing.
It’s the way you write, the way you’re able to tell stories with your writing. It’s your witty spark in your writing, your humor, your beautiful prose, your relatable writing. It’s your own, unique way of talking about any topic, from writing book reviews to sharing your favorite skin care products or whatever. It’s your personality and your passion that you pour into your writing, too.
No two bloggers are the same.
It took me years to find my voice and some days, I’m still playing with it.
It’s okay. Your voice will grow as you go on, as you experience different things, as you write about different topics, as your blogging grows, too.
As long as you remain true to yourself, that’s what matters.
Quick tips to find your blogging voice
- Read a lot of blogs. Really. This doesn’t mean read and copy what you read. It just means, read, different styles, different blogs. That’s how you’ll grow.
- Write a lot of blog posts. That’s the only fool-proof way to discover yourself and your writing. By practicing a lot, in different ways.
- Always, always write with your heart. If you’re not passionate by something you’re writing, it shows. Leave that blog post idea aside for now and focus on something SO exciting to write that you can’t stop your fingers from flying on your keyboard.
Related blog post: How to find your blogging voice
Make your blog entirely yours
This is all about your voice and the way you write your blog posts, yes, but not only. Making your blog stand out is about the design, too. Let’s face it: we all judge at first sight and, when a blog hurts our eyes, we close the tab.
But, Marie, I suck at designing and have no idea where to start.
Welcome to the club, friends.
I wouldn’t be able to draw a tree properly to save my life, let alone design an entire blog. Let me tell you one thing: it’s not the end of it all. There are super easy ways now to make your blog beautiful without putting your hands in the dirt.
Standing out is about having a great blogging voice, yes. It’s about putting yourself out there, of course. It’s also about showing something that’s worth staying for.
An unreadable blog isn’t worth staying for, if you ask me.
Find the best WordPress theme for your blog
It all starts with your blog’s theme. You need to pick one that’s not too cluttered, but also one that makes you excited to work on your blog every single day. Or every week, depending on your rhythm, of course.
I’m talking about WordPress here, since I’m on it (and recommend it), but obviously this goes for any kind of platform.
There are so many themes out there… yet I still see a lot of bloggers ending up looking the same way. I’m not going to lie: it makes me a bit sad. Even if you love a blogger’s theme, you can, of course, have the same one, and switch it up your own way, too. This goes with the colors, the layout, the graphics you’ll add to it…
Of course, the possibilities vary whether you have a self-hosted blog or not. I clearly recommend jumping into this if you really want to be unique and stand out even more, but if you don’t have the budget, it’s okay, too. WordPress.com has TONS of free themes, too.
Some of the Best WordPress Themes For Your Blog:
Here are some themes I love and recommend!
Find some of the best WordPress Themes I recommend in my Shop’s page!
How to brand my blog?
I’m not going to lie: I wondered for a long time if having a brand was necessary. I still do, sometimes. My branding fell on me around the what, 5th year of book blogging, when I decided to re-design my blog entirely and thought…
Yes. If I’m taking my whole Drizzle & Hurricane Books‘ name further than that, I can build around it all. Rate my books in my reviews with drops of rain and hurricanes, for instance.
Don’t be like me: to stand out, you can think about this early in your blogging journey. Some amazing bloggers I know have such a unique branding and identity. Like The Quiet Pond, with their incredible drawings and characters, taking us on a real storytelling journey in their blog, for instance.
This, really, can be your little something extra.
Here are some quick ways to brainstorm the whole branding-my-blog thing:
- Think about what you like, what represents you. It can be anything, from a book to a quote to a place to a plant. Anything’s worth exploring.
- You got it? Think about how to develop this into a whole THING. Yes, with ALL CAPS. Rate your books with plants, make a periodic table of books, create food recipes in the shape of cacti. I’m rambling, but you get the gist.
Deep down, I still think it’s okay to change. To switch things up a little bit. You started all of this to have fun and to make yourself happy, so DO IT.
Need to know how to write a great blog post? Check out our tips to a blog post people will read!
Add value to everything you do
I do think that everyone has something amazing to bring to the virtual blogging table. A little something special people will get. This can take different shapes:
- The way you write your blog posts, the value you bring to them.
If you have a background in something that helps you do a deep-dive into book analysis, why not? If you’re taking traditional recipes and spinning them with your unique, one of a kind…, why not? You can bring value to your content itself with your talent. Fanfiction in your book reviews, your incredible photography or graphics in your blog posts…
- The little extra you give to people, outside of your blog
If you have a library with some extra content on your blog, a newsletter that brings value to your audience… those little things can make you stand out, too.
If I’m being honest, I sometimes wonder what my thing is. If I even have one. It’s okay not to know, too. It’s okay to experience, to try a newsletter, to try adding, changing things up to see what kind of things people enjoy.Most importantly, what kind of think YOU enjoy doing, too.
Personally, I hope it’s something like this blog post that can make me valuable, too.
Aknowledge and take part in the community
A blog that stands out is a blog that lives. Living comes with creating content, but also with the interaction you create, too.
Acknowledge your comments. Create a conversation with people stopping by your blog. Create a conversation with people outside of your blog. On their platform, on social media, too.
This is one of the best ways to grow your blog, make yourself known. It’s also an incredible way to make friends and make blogging more than just a thing you do on your free time.
Related blog post: My top 5 tips to interact with the book blogging community
If you ask me, the only thing that’s going to make you really stand out is if you’re being yourself, all the way.
📌 Pin How To Make Your Blog Stand Out on Pinterest!
What makes a blog stand out, for you? Is it the design, the bloggers’ voice, the originality of their blog posts? I’d love to know your thoughts in comments!
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Amazing post! I love what you said about voice. I find it difficult to find theme from so many options and the one where I want all aspects I have in mind and that’s why I have itchy figure.
Ah thank you so, so much! I understand that, there are so many choices out there, it’s tough to decide. I do love how customizable some themes are, though, so you can make them entirely yours! 😀
This was amazing! These were great tips, Marie! 😊💕
I think my favourite take-away from the whole post was when you said “I don’t believe in a unique niche. I believe in a unique voice.” I really liked this!
Oh thank you so much!! <3 I'm so happy you liked this. Really, in the end, what makes me remember someone is the way they write, not necessarily the fact that they're focusing on one unique niche :)
You’re welcome! ❤️
I agree full heartedly. 😊
Amazing post, Marie! 🙂 I really enjoyed reading it and seeing your opinion and tips. I know I haven’t really been blogging much the last couple years, but I know if I really start putting more effort into it again, I can start making my blog stand out more like it did years ago. Just have to figure out how to balance life and blogging. And also come up with some new content ideas that I love. <3
Thank you so much, Ashley! <3 I get that so much, balancing life and blogging can be so tough sometimes. Writing content that you're excited about is the key for sure!<3
“A popular blogger is, to me, someone that might have a pretty nice amount of traffic, of course, but it’s also someone that everyone knows.”
^^^ YES I totally agree with this, to me a popular blogger isn’t defined by their stats or following count. It’s simply someone that everyone knows. Or it feels like everyone knows who they are.
For me a blog can stand out visually/content wise and/or the bloggers voice captures me immediately. If the visuals don’t capture me then it’s down to the content on the blog. If I don’t vibe with the content then I’ll move on. I will also remember a persons blog if they have posts that stand out or a certain type of post that I love…equally I also remember blogs where I love the blogger themselves and their content is just pure sunshine and full of their personality hehe.
Above all though I think the blogger/s make the blog. If you’re not willing to inject some of yourself into your posts and content then I’m not sure how you’d go about connecting and sticking in people’s minds? Loved this post Marie and your blog has always stood out to me for it’s endless posts on lifting up other bloggers, your love for the community and it just being a space that feels like a warm hug to all book bloggers. <3
Ahh I’m so glad you agree with my definition, I was afraid it didn’t make much sense ahah. It’s just, some bloggers have this incredible voice and you’ll recognize them anywhere, it’s incredible and certainly what makes them stand out 🥺
I so agree with you! If you’re not pouring a little bit of yourself in your posts and your passion, it won’t work for sure. Thank you so, so much, you’re the kindest 🥺🥺🥺🥺
Lovely post, Marie! For me the thing that makes a blog stand out the most is a clear & authentic voice (this was def written by X!) and their passion shines through. I love when I can tell a person is really passionate about what they write about and it makes me excited… even if I don’t care about the topic.
also also, LOVE your idea of the favorite books “shop” page!
Thank you so much, Kal! <3 I completely agree, we can see passion pouring through blog posts and it makes me SO happy to read this, every time.
Oh thank you, this means so much!! 🥺🥺🥺🥺
Great post! I think your blog DOES do a really great job of standing out, frankly, so while I know you don’t want to sound conceited or anything (and you don’t!), I DO think you are certainly qualified in this arena! Like you said, it’s so much about just being yourself, and I think you (and Nyx!) do an amazing job- like I can always tell which of you is writing without scrolling down to check, you know?
I think a lot of people ARE scared to be their authentic selves- I know I was when I started! Like “wait this is too bizarre or random for a book blog”, but that is false! I mean- I don’t actually CARE if no one reads my The 100 posts or whatever, because I love them! And when I realized that it was more important to do what makes me happy, I was more fulfilled too. So yeah, I think what stands out for me is when someone is just being their awesome selves!
Oh thank you so, so much Shannon, this means so much 🥺🥺
I so agree with you! It’s tough at first to really let yourself… be, in a way, because you’re scared of judgment or of being a little weird, but.. that’s exactly what makes you stand out. When you’re being yourself, 100% and when you’re writing whatever makes you happy. That’s all that matters! <3
This was such a helpful and informative post, Marie ❤ I agree that finding your blog’s purpose is so important and really keep you going when things get though! I also think having a brand and theme makes you stand out and creates an immediate association between blogger and blog!
Thank you so, so much, Caro! So glad you liked it 🥺🥺
i love these tips so much, marie! i love what you said about not necessarily needing a unique niche as long as you have a unique voice — i feel like a lot of bloggers initially struggle to find what their “niche” is but like you said, i think there are other factors that will play a bigger role later on once you start developing your content, whatever “niche” that may be in!
Oh thank you so much! 🥺 I think that so many bloggers feel like they have to do that one, unique thing in order to stand out, but… to be honest, it sometimes get a bit restrictive and… we’re all different and have so many different things we love. Why not let that show?
Thank you so much!! 🥺🥺
What an amazingly written post! I would love to be a stand out blog that people think of when they think of bloggers they just really like/click with/relate to, and you have actually given me a few ideas on how to do that. Thank you so much Marie! Hope you’re doing well xx
Melina | http://www.melinaelisa.com
Oh thank you so much, Melina, I’m so happy this could be helpful to you 🥺 I always adore reading your blog posts! 🥺
I like so many things and my interest changes depending on my mood. So, it’s kinda hard to find my own niche :3
Like I said in my blog post, you don’t have to find one unique niche, you can talk about multiple interests! 😀
Love all of these tips. I especially think it’s important to engage with the community. You’ve carved out a name for yourself precisely for posting things like this!
Oh Nicole thank you so, so much, you’re so sweet! 🥺🥺🥺