step outside your blog box

Face it: blogs can get boring. Fast. If you’ve seen one mommy blog, you’ve seen ‘em all. If you’ve seen one design blog, you’ve seen ‘em all. If you’ve seen one tech blog, you’ve seen ‘em all.

We all have our boxes. We have a set of standards, formulas, guidelines. We know what’s worked in the past so we work to emulate it in our own web sites. We work hard to create a space that is familiar for readers – something that makes them feel at ease. So at ease that they fall asleep.

If you’re having trouble getting comments, traffic, and links back to your blog, have you considered that you might be blogging inside a box?

I can ask you this question with all seriousness because I have broken out of my blog box. I’ve seen people put all sorts of labels on Scoutie Girl: craft blog, handmade blog, design blog, lifestyle blog, etc… blah blah blah. Who cares? And really, do any of those fit? Heck no. Scoutie Girl is a crazy blog that works – and works well – because of one overarching principle: the indie craft movement has a lot to teach us about the way we live, work, and spend our money.

I use no other guideline to dictate what I will write about, how it content will be presented, or how the conversation will be directed. If it fits that principle, it’s in. If it doesn’t, it’s out.

All the while, my posts have become more passionate, more inspired. People comment more, link more, and talk about me behind my back – gah, I love that!

Are you trying to fit your blog into a box?

If you think you might have this problem – and even if you don’t! – go check out my guest post on Dave Doolin’s fantastic blog, Website in a Weekend: Blogging Outside the Box – Approaching Your Blog with Creative Spirit.

P.S. You should also check out my guest post on Be Awesome Online where I talk about how being awesome online means really being yourself!