While the rest of the planet scrapes ice from windshields and shovels snow off of driveways, the people of Los Angeles gear up for awards season. It is a special time of year where the spirit of self congratulation sweeps nearly every industry in the city. Naturally, bloggers have gotten in on the act. Celebrating 10 years, The Webblog Awards or “The Bloggies” as they are commonly known will announce nominations for the best blogs online later this month. The prestigious Pulitzer Prize committee will hand out an award for best online content for the second year in a row with many blogs in contention. And for the first time ever, a film based on a book based on a blog, Julie and Julia has been nominated for several Golden Globes and seems like a sure-thing at The Academy Awards in February. The point is that well written blogs are gaining the recognition of television, film, and publishing. So what makes a blog truly award-worthy?
1.) A Fresh and Original Voice– In a radio world full of Britneys and Beyonces, standing apart from the pack like Lady Gaga helps an artist get noticed. The same thing goes for blogging. Granted composing your blog in fake blood while wearing mirror ball pants may not be the best idea, but creating content that isn’t simply regurgitated or rehashed from other sites will certainly get you noticed. The days of using a blog to simply link readers to stories from other sites are over. Today’s standout blogs have an individual perspective paired with one-of-a-kind content. Writing from your own perspective automatically sets your blog apart from the pack. Can’t seem to find your own voice? Try using a writer for your blog whose ideas and thoughts are a creative match made in heaven with your own.
2.) New and Cutting Edge Content – Talked about blogs like the Huffington Post have taught us that frequently updated blogs float to the top of the must read stack. Yet a blog doesn’t need a flock of writers and advertisers to stay current. Small businesses can beef up their blogs with daily videos, links, and personal twists on the day’s breaking stories.
3.) Catering to the Right Audience – Collecting the shiny awards and accolades means very little if no one reads your blog. Luckily, blockbuster audiences can be lured in with great keywords and specialized copy. Readers in search of a specific blog topic should be able to find their desired blog with little or no effort. Carefully chosen and used keywords can elevate a blog from the bottom of a search to the top. Specialized copy is another blog writing secret weapon that brings in the right readers. If a blog author is passionate about their topic, the audiences will come. In short, it doesn’t matter if you write about cats and drier lint. If there’s fire behind the copy, people will read and talk about it.
While awards season only lasts a few months here in Los Angeles, blogs live on forever. Using a few easy tricks, though, a blog can be memorable for all the right reasons and even award worthy.
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