[note]This is the fifth and final post in the ‘how to be interesting’ series.[/note]

We’ve heard what Michael Martine of Remarkablogger, James Chartrand of Men with Pens and Naomi Dunford of Ittybiz have to say about being interesting to your audience. It’s time to find out what you guys have to say.

Before starting this series, I had my final post all drafted and was looking forward to typing it to perfection.

Then I published my first post of the series and Starliteve left a comment that bested my views in every sense of the word. She was matter of fact where I would have gotten er… emotional and to the point where I would have rambled.

So instead of my pearls of (very questionable) wisdom, I present to you Starliteve’s three points that make a blog interesting to her. Feel free to substitute blog with business, product,  services etc.

1. Your blog is interesting because it gives me information and a perspective that I can’t get anywhere else.
2. Your blog is interesting because you go out and find the best information and save me the time by linking me to it all at once (with your glowing commentary).
3. Your blog is interesting because you tell me intimate and interesting things about yourself that are entertaining or thought provoking.

Do you guys look for the same things? Or does something else hold your interest? The floor is now yours.

Image credit: Chris Owens

[note]This is the fourth post and 3rd (and last) one-question interview on how to be interesting so that our audience will stick around. Our guest today is Naomi Dunford  from IttyBiz[/note]

Naomi Dunford needs no introduction. She’s a force to reckon with and embodies everything Michael and James have said about being interesting.

Naomi is as real as they come and she has an equally helpful assistant Jess who got me this interview from Naomi.

If there’s one person I could voice my real question to, it’s Naomi.

Q. How the hell do I become interesting so that people like you will visit and read my blog? How do I catch and hold your interest? Tell me for God’s sake!!!

IttyBiz: If you’re not terrified 23 hours out of 24, you’re not doing it right. (You can take an hour to answer email if you like. That’s allowed.) Not sure if you’re terrified? Use a handy little post-it checklist. Check your offering — your blog post, your ad copy, your sales page, whatever — against this criteria:

Does it make you say, “Jesus fucking Christ, am I INSANE? There’s no way I can do this. I’ll be a laughing stock. I’ll lose everyone. I’ll be broke and homeless and live in a gutter”?

No? Then back to the drawing board go you, darling.

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Nobody says it like IttyBiz. Thank you for the interview Naomi. You’re the (wo)man!

[note]This is the third post and 2^nd one-question interview on how to be interesting so that our audience will stick around. Our second guest is James Chartrand from Men with Pens.[/note]

When I decided to send one-question interviews to people I found interesting, I knew there would be one person I’d be interviewing for sure – and hounding them if they refused.

If you want a poster child for a blog/business that engages its readers and customers, provides excellent content, thrives on conversation and has a blog community to die for – then you don’t have to look further than the Men with Pens. James Chartrand is the face of MwP and the guy who heard my half crazed question that I didn’t voice.

Q: What is the one thing we should change about our approach to become more interesting?

James: Being interesting means being real. Gone are the days where companies boast and try to appear more than they are. Today’s consumers want to hear stories from the people behind the company. They want to have an experience, to get to know those they buy from personally.

Share your stories. Talk about your interests. Be genuine and show that you’re human too. Discuss past mistakes and what you learned from them. Mention accomplishments and what you went through to achieve them. Have fun and talk about something from your life that you’re passionate about – a hobby, for example.

You can be real and be approachable easily without losing professionalism. So enjoy what you do, have fun with it, and demonstrate that to your target audience. They’ll learn to love you for not only what you offer, but who you are as well.

And that, my friends, builds trust and loyalty, two huge factors to your success.

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Thank you for the interview James. You guys totally rock!

[note]This is the second post in a series of 5 posts on how to be interesting so your audience will stick around. We kick off the one-question interview with Michael Martine of Remarkablogger[/note]

Today, Michael Martine (Remarkablogger) answers my question about what we as bloggers, can do to hold the interest of our readers.

Michael is a blog consultant and coach who’s the brain behind a lot of things. The most impressive of which (for me) is WordPress SEO Secrets.

I asked Michael the vaguest question in the world and he came back with the most specific answer I could have asked for. Thank you for your time and insight Michael. You’re awesome!

What is the one thing people should change about their approach to become more interesting (to their target audience)?

Michael: The one thing people should change in their approach to become more interesting is the “voice” of their writing. Interesting writing is full of personality and the voice of the writer is unmistakable in it. Inject your personality into your writing voice.

When we write, we often write in a voice that isn’t natural to us. It’s forced. We think we have to sound a certain way, that we have to sound “professional” or “business-like.” That is complete bullshit. You must sound like YOU. Write how you talk. Write like you’re writing an email to your best friend. That doesn’t mean your spelling and grammar can suck, but even those are secondary to personality. Do this and your writing will instantly be more interesting.

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To learn more about blogging from Michael, check out the series of posts he did at Remarkablogger on how to write for your blog.

• No More Rambling Brain Splats
• Quit Qualifying Your Words and Just Say it Already!
• Don’t Get Mad – Get Persuasive
• Separate Fact from Fiction in Your Blog Writing
• Simple doesn’t mean Stupid or How to Write So Anyone Can Understand You

[note]This is the first post in a series of 5 posts on how to be interesting so your audience will stick around. We’ll be featuring three very interesting people in one question interviews.[/note]

“You’re boring.” declared Seth Godin.

I could swear he was pointing at me.

“The only path left is to lean out of the edge and become interesting, noteworthy and yes, remarkable.”

‘But how do I become interesting?’ I wondered. Before I could voice that question, he’d gone off to his next post. I wanted to scream after him to come back and tell me how to be interesting. I didn’t want to go through his archives. I wanted my answer right now!

Knowing I’d fallen for Seth’s trap didn’t stop me from grumbling. He’d forced me to think and wonder about how to be interesting. I don’t know about you, but there was no way I was going to fumble around in the dark making a fool of myself in an effort to be interesting.

Of course, one could argue, that making a fool out of myself would be extremely interesting for a number of people.

I figured if Seth wouldn’t tell me (not that I asked him), I’d ask other people through a one question interview. Three stellar and totally awesome people replied to my one question interview.

I asked them:

What is the one thing we should change about our approach to become more interesting?

Yes, I realize. That’s got to be the world’s vaguest question. I was going to chicken out of sending the email to them if I hadn’t sent it when I did.

What I really wanted to ask was: “How the hell do I become interesting so that people like you will visit and read my blog? How do I catch and hold your interest? Tell me for God’s sake!!!”

The nice, professional blogger that I am, I couldn’t possible ask in exactly those words now could I?

So I sent the first question that popped in my head without stopping to frame it properly. And I got replies! Imagine my shock when the first email popped in within 24 hours! It didn’t even ridicule me or tell me to go get my act together.

Starting tomorrow, The Base will be featuring one interview per day for three days. Learn how to be interesting from three of the most interesting people online who know what it takes to keep their readers riveted.

Tomorrow, Michael Martine of Remarkablogger fame will be sharing his view on how to be an interesting blogger.

Tune in tomorrow to find how we can become interesting bloggers, the Remarkablogger way.

P.S: The Base will be updated every day this week and the review of Unit III of the Staff Blogging Course will return next Tuesday.

Image credit: Scragz