13 tips to make your blog stand out

As the number of bloggers has ballooned, so has the difficulty of standing out. Here's how to make your blog special.

1. Pick a unique topic: Picking a unique topic in the current blogosphere is not as easy as it sounds, but writing about new trends, new products, or new ideas gives us a chance to achieve this goal. Being the first is no guarantee of success, but it does help your blog grow.

2. Set a unique tone: Picking a unique topic may not be easy, but using unique language and tone to describe the topic can sometimes be easier. We can use humorous language, document real life (like the Fake Steve Jobs blog), blog in the third person (like Manolo the Shoe Blogger), or other ways, but no matter what method you use, using a unique tone, voice, or style will make your blog unique.

3. Unique design: Unique design doesn't necessarily mean you have to spend a lot of money to customize the look. Try using the default theme (or a paid theme like Thesis) and add a unique logo, color, and layout. A visitor's first impression of a website's appearance is so important that it can even be the deciding factor in whether or not a blog will be subscribed.

4. Useful content: Perhaps the best way to make a blog stand out and make an impression is to create content that affects readers in some way. By writing about something important, something helpful, something that solves problems and improves the lives of others, you're more likely to get a return visit, which will bring you more new readers.