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Are you boring your readers to death?

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This is a guest post by Alan Johnson, the author of The Online Business Handbook.

If you’re offering high-end services then sure, a corporate writing style is in order, because being professional all the way is a must. But as a blogger, choosing such a writing style is the biggest mistake you could possibly make.

Why? Look at it this way: there’s more to blogging than just getting a message across, that’s the main difference between blogs and other types of websites. Keep it personal, keep it conversational, add a “community feel” to everything or you may very well be facing the risk of boring your readers to death.

Think about it this way: how do you get a certain message across when talking to a person you have known for ages, a person you feel extremely close to? First of all, I’m sure you don’t use any of the “we pride ourselves with” phrases you see on corporate websites. The first thing you need to do as a blogger is drop the “we”. No, you’re not some sort of corporation, why would you want to make readers feel that you are? That’s not what blogging is all about, you need to establish a relationship with each reader and that’s never going to happen unless you relate to visitors on a personal level.

If you don’t enjoy the scenario of ending up talking to yourself, you had better make sure that you have the right attitude towards blogging. Don’t drive potential loyal readers away by boring them to death, don’t fall into the trap of thinking that a corporate writing style will somehow make you seem more professional, as that is simply not the case.

Most people don’t follow blogs as a chore, they follow them because they’re interested in being informed on the one hand, but they’re also visiting blogs because it is a pleasant experience on the other. If your readers don’t enjoy themselves when reading your blog, they will not stick around. Let’s face it, you would have the same attitude in their case.

Once again, keep it simple, keep it conversational and try to get your message across just as you would if you were talking face to face with a person who is close to you. Always understand that there are human beings behind that screen, not numbers or mindless robots.

After reading one of your articles, always ask yourself: what would I think about this one, how would I rate it if it wasn’t written by me? Always put yourself in the position of your visitors. Offering great information is the most important thing, but it isn’t enough, the way you manage to get your message across is also a factor which could make or break you as a blogger.

Always do your best in order to make sure that your readers are both informed and entertained as a result of following your blog. If you are accustomed to using a corporate writing style, it won’t be easy, but you will, without a doubt, end up congratulating yourself down the road.

Best wishes,
Alan Johnson

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