How to Develop Unique Content

A lot of bloggers stress the importance of "unique content." However, how do you go about being unique? Here are tips to develop unique and engaging content:

Be Personal - Use personal examples to enhance your point. People like to relate to other people. For example, whenever giving my friends advice, I try to relate to them by explaining a similar situation that happened to me. Use this in your writing when giving your readers advice, and they'll grow to connect with you and trust you more.

Be Unexpected - Lead up to what people expect to happen, then shock them with the alternative. Describe how someone had all the right resources but couldn't do it in the end, and vice versa. Give your readers a surprise.

Argue Both Sides - Be controversial, and then argue for both sides. Begin a debate to involve your community. This kind of reasoning appeals to all sides of your community, and can spur some interesting response.

Be Honest - Give your honest opinion on something. Write a fictional letter to a company, or go on a rant. Many people will share your feelings and experience, and they will relay their own experiences.

Tell the Story Backwards - Start with the lesson, then explain what happened. This is a good approach when trying to explain a particularly difficult point.

Use Examples - Give interesting examples to solutions of problems. Instead of talking about how blogger A did such and such, try talking in terms of a restaurant, or a skydiver. Use your imagination.

Use Analogies - Compare things from everyday life to your point. Try comparing your activities to things like rugs or house lamps. You'd be surprised what connections come from being inventive.

Perform an Experiment - Get your hands dirty and generate some unique results. Try something no one else has dared, or challenge a well known theory. What would happen if you ran an ad-free blog? Can you blog in an hour a day and make money? Be creative!

Be Collaborative - Ask for some help and work together with someone. Get multiple opinions on a touchy issue and start a discussion. What if "problogger" never existed? What if blogger was more popular than WordPress?

Ask Questions - Give your readers a chance to be the experts. Ask them their opinions on strong issues, or about their own methods of problem solving. How do they go about managing their online businesses?

Using these steps will help you to engage your readers and provide a unique experience. Not all of these methods work for everyone, but finding a way to incorporate these skills with your tone will make your writing more powerful.

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