This is part 4 of a 5-part series on Successful Blogging.
4. Stickiness Factor
In Malcolm Gladwell‘s The Tipping Point, he says this about Stickiness Factor:
And the specific quality that a message needs to be successful is the quality of “stickiness.” Is the message – or the food, or the movie, or the product memorable? Is it so memorable, in fact, that it can create change, that it can spur someone to action? (Gladwell, 94)
Whoosh. Those are some heavy statements! Too heavy for a blog? Think again. There’s no way you can expect someone to come back to your blog, or to subscribe, or purchase something from you later, unless there is something memorable/sticky about the content, about the design, about you as a writer, or about something else related to it.
How else can you use a blog to change the world, or to get more clients?
(The Tipping Point is my #1 recommended, must-read book for anyone on Earth who has a pulse. Buy The Tipping Point. You will be (a) 10 times smarter when you are done, and (b) undeniably cooler than you are now.)
People who understand The Tipping Point, I think, have a way of decoding the world around them. — Malcolm Gladwell on The Tipping Point
How to Make Your Blog Sticky
Sticky blogs
- Have regular readers
- Are shared across social media channels frequently
- Have consistent traffic rates
- Grow (like snowballs)
You can make your blog stickier by
- Writing something that is Worthy of Being Printed and Posted on a Refrigerator (see Two Kinds of Link Bait, SEOMoz).
- Doing the above over and over again.
- Fitting into one of these groups: very helpful, very funny, very informative, very poignant, very stupid, very… you get it.
- Doing something no one else does – and testing it and changing it until it works.
- Making yourself and your blog unique (go beyond a unique header design; think personality). If you are quirky, do not hide it. Use it to your best advantage; it will work.
- Being likable.
Bottom Line
Stickiness Factor is important. You may not have thought of it in that way before, but you have thought of it. You have seen a few blogs that have etched themselves on your brain permanently. You don’t even need to wait for an update in Google Reader because you visit them every day anyway. What do they do that is so cool… and, is it something you can do, too?
Image Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/richardmoross/858104686/
Today I stumbled upon your blog,
real sticky for you had me reading
and digesting a number of posts already!
I’m only 4 months into blogging
with around 2,000 monthly traffic rates.
If this is below average then mine isn’t sticky,
if above average, maybe because it’s a rah rah type
or maybe it’s either very funny or very stupid.
I may not change the whole world
but I’m changing at least one world, for sure.
‘Intelligent’ bloggers may raise eyebrows
and it’s okay because I’m raising mine too!
More blessings to you as you change the world.
I’m sticking!
We often think of being “different” as being weird or awkward but don’t mind someone as long you are in the right path.The most to make a difference, you first must be different…You can’t stand out when you look like everyone else right?.I think You’ll be a sucessful person someday. Goodluck to you and to all bloggers there!..
I think the best way to make your blog sticky is very simple.. have magnetic, highly useful content that you can’t find anywhere else. Instead about writing what everyone is writing about (ie Google Instant), offer a fresh perspective or twist that noone is covering (ie how Google Instant is really a conspiracy to make Google more money, etc).
Hey Tia, your title to this post is not misleading – this IS super simple! and I think you are exactly right – all of the blogs that I end up reading regularly have a way of sticking out in my mind, something about the writer or the blog has to be unique enough to be memorable or else I forget about it with all the other tons of blogs that I read throughout the course of the day…great post, definitely something to keep in mind!
Hi Tia,
Great topic, good points – and thanks very much for pointing me towards Copyblogger. Liked Justin’s idea of the “holy grail” of blogging by the way…
Cheers
Will
P.S. if you’d like to add a link to “Biz Chicks Blog” to Noaspa 2.0 – http://noaspa.blogspot.com/p/noaspa-20.html – you’d be most welcome there.
I liked the way you explained the point.
Yes!!! Once a blog consistently produces quality content then you don’t need any recommendations from search engines or RSS reader.
It sticks to the readers mind like gum.
Nice write up, Tia. A blog growth is mainly depends on its readership and in turn directly proportional to the stickiness factor.
Having consistent traffic rates is the most challenging work esp. when you have nothing to write about
The stickiness factor is something that can help you standout from the crowd. And to be noticed you really need to go against the flow, to be unique. It may be hard to stand out sometimes but just be yourself, each person is unique so you surely have something unique to share, you just have to know and find it. And as stated in this post be an extreme, very funny, very informative, etc. etc.
I can define a sticky post when someone bookmarked at delicious for reference or share organically to their followers. I’ve achieved sometimes but isn’t easy. When you visit the same place over and over? When you feel comfortable and learn – these are the loyal readers – a big key in the stickiness.
Have a great week!
Gera
Hey Gera!
so what do you think are the reasons that it isn’t easy?
You were the one who made my one post over at the other blog go wild!
I put a lot of heart into that post, and maybe I was ultimately being rewarded for the blood, sweat, and tears!?
I think of Kristi’s contest entry in the big Famous Bloggers/ComLuv post a couple months ago. She went far beyond anything the rest of us did. It took her a long time to do it, she said. Ultimately it paid off.
And of course if you use WordPress, it is super easy to make an article sticky..
..seems great minds think alike as i recently published an article on a similar subject
Thanks, Caleb! I just headed over there and checked out your post, and left a comment. Yes, I believe that great minds do think alike.
Great post, Tia. Being sticky is like the Holy Grail of blogging, a never-ending quest that is easy to talk about but very difficult to execute–especially with any consistency.
But if it was easy, it wouldn’t be much of a Quest, would it?
Rick
Funny, Justin also said that a sticky blog is the Holy Grail of blogging.
I was able to achieve something pretty close on another blog. The post title is Live What You Love: 50 Questions to Ask Yourself. I was blown away by the Stumble response, which to date (this was at the end of June) has sent over 125,000 views. It’s attracted 288 likes on Facebook, also. The Facebook thing is especially surprising, as I didn’t put up Digg Digg on the post until it had been up for a few weeks. It’s one that for some reason has attracted quite a few inbound links other than my own. Very surprising.
That wasn’t ever my intention. I don’t know what happened. All I know is that at points, I wanted to stop at 30 questions, 35, 40, etc. and I just kept pushing myself. It paid off.
So now I equate sweat equity with good content. LOL Might not be true for everyone, but for me, when I put my heart and soul into it, it tends to pay off.
Thanks for your comment!
Tia
See, that’s how stressed out I get; I’ve been reduced to plagiarizing Comments! Sorry Justin, my bad.
I have not read The Tipping Point, but I am going to go out and buy a copy asap. The idea of stickiness to me comes down to the idea of providing value. I try to make sure every blog post I write provides some sort of value to my target audience. That’s my way of being as sticky as possible.
You would like The Tipping Point. It’s a bestseller. Very good reading and though it’s not targeting bloggers, learning more about what makes some viral is key to weaving our way around social media.
Cheers,
Tia
Great Post, as always. You’ve made awesome points.
I like your point on doing something that everyone else is not doing. Great advice Tia.
Glen Allsop is one of them who always do things differently.
Doing something unique is the best way to make your blog sticky.
Thanks for sharing this great Post. Keep up the awesome work.
Thanks for
Hey Dev! Thanks. Yes, I completely agree with you about Glen. Genius kid.
Cheers,
Tia
Hi Tia,
Super breakdown into stickiness here. As you mentioned return readers decide to revisit your blog when they remember it.
Stickiness factor is about making impacts. Impacts happen when the blogger doesn’t hold back. Let your personality out. Write about something which moves you and your readers, causing them to remember you.
Thanks for sharing.
Ryan Biddulph
Thanks, Ryan. Yes! Personality is so important. I’m curious as to why so many bloggers choose to leave it out! It could be that they themselves prefer more dry content but something tells me that’s not the case.
Anyway, thanks for your comment as always.
Tia
Too many people think that if the write it they will come. Thats not always the case. When they dont come, they give up. Your tip telling people to change their style until something works is a great one.
Thanks, Nick. I agree! It’s a combination of things; good content is an anchor but the definition of “good” depends on one thing – your reader’s opinion!
Cheers,
Tia
I’m fairly new to blogging but I’ve already found blogs I visit daily to see what I can learn and to interact with the blog owner and other commenters. In fact one I visit brings a smile every morning. Quite disappointed if the blog owner has a day off and I don’t get my daily dose of humour. That’s sticky
Thanks for all the helpful hints to make my blog sticky. I think it helps if you are in a small niche like I am as there aren’t so many others doing the same thing.
Patricia Perth Australia
You’re welcome, Patricia! Thanks for coming by the blog again. It’s great having you as part of the community.
Cheers,
Tia
Excellent post I was sent in this direction by iLeane who was nice enough to retweet this post on Twitter. I love the inclusion of the quote in addition to your approach on this, gotta make it sticky if you want it to grow!
The tips to making the blog sticky is awesome.Regular readers and social media can bring more traffic to the blog which has cool content.
Nice Post Tia
Thanks, Goutham! Much appreciated! Thanks for stopping by.
This is a good thought, news articles and informational updates about recent items are not really sticky. Sticky is something that provides clear and concise value that someone will want to keep referring back to or recommending others to read if they run into a similar situation.
Stickiness is something like the holy grail of blog posts, creating one that not only is that popular, but gets lots of google search traffic on the subject and doesn’t age or get overwritten quickly by someone else with a bigger/higher ranked blog is very hard.
Enjoyed the article.
Thanks, Justin. Taking great notes from CopyBlogger helps. Of all of the “pro” blogs out there, it is a great example of creating sticky, well-liked, and well-linked posts. At least, it used to be when Brian Clark was doing most of the writing. That’s one thing to remember about accepting guest posts – they really do have to be very good in order to maintain the quality of the blog.
Hi Tia, yes I want to get some “stickyness” too.
I like your advice. I try to come up with unique topics or at least approach a familiar topic from a unique perspective. I try to add some humor, just enough to make you smile. A real LOL post every now and then is good too. Thanks for the tips.
You’re welcome, Ileane. Being funny goes a long way! If you’re memorable, you don’t even have to come up with particularly unique topics – just the unique perspective you mentioned.
Humor is always good!
Tia
You always have great blog tips! I’ve found that having regular readers plus informative and unique content drives traffic. I’m still learning and taking notes. Thanks!
Thanks! I appreciate that. Bloggers are always learning, I think. There is always something new to consider or try out. Thanks for commenting!
So I’ve got The Tipping Point on my list of books to read now. Is the stickiness factor the big thing that the book focuses on or is that just part of it?
Hey TJ – It’s one big part of it. Check out http://www.gladwell.com/tippingpoint/index.html as that will give you a great idea of what it’s about. Excellent, excellent read from an amazing writer!
Cheers,
Tia
Stickiness is the perfect word to use here. That really must be the goal of a blogger who wants to make it bigtime. With the number of people blogging these days and the quality of the competition, it is getting increasingly more difficult to make your posts sticky to other people. There is a good chance that some of the information you think is going to be sticky is already available elsewhere from someone else who is aslo delivering it well. This reinforces the notion of how important it is to be persistent. It might take a bit longer to accomplish your goals online these days compared to how it would have been five years ago. Don’t you think?
Yes, there’s a lot of competition, and a hundred posts for every one of ours. The good news is that there seems to be fresh waves of new Internet users, and if you can attract their attention, they won’t go looking for information elsewhere. It’s all about attracting the right readers.
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