With the explosion of Tribes, we have even more of an opportunity to reach a wide audience. As I take a look around, I'm beginning to see familiar names producing great content that really stands out. So it got me to thinking about why some posts are "stickier" than others. What is it that causes me to keep visiting the same blogs over and over again?

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Painting a vivid picture with words

One of the things that struck me was how the combination of just the right photos along with insightful descriptions, really helped set the scene. The writers that stood out, were the one's that painted a picture with words which carried me along on the journey with them. I remember once talking to a shy guy from Asia who really wanted to start blogging. He lived in a small village and didn't know what to write about. I replied "you'd be surprised how many people in developed countries might wonder what life in a rural village is like." My advice was to share the everyday ripples of events that make his day. Offer up a sampling of some of the colorful characters around him and their memorable interactions with others.

Let's say you're blogging about a meal you had at a nice restaurant. Put our heads right over the dish by taking a shot of the fully-loaded plate. However, when you describe the smell and taste of the item (good or bad) this helps to draw us into the meal with you.

I still recall my trip to a fancy restaurant in Mombasa, Kenya where I asked for the Special of the Day. Telling the waiter to give me the menu item, which was written in French, I sat down to a delicious meal. A mouth-watering scent wafted up into my nostrils, tickling them with anticipation. The repast had sort of a smoky, meaty smell topped by a delicate gravy fighting for its share of attention. The slice of meat was beautifully presented and each bite was like a little taste of Heaven in my mouth. If food were sex, I was getting laid right there and then. Remember that scene from The Matrix when Cypher ate the piece of steak? that food was good. Afterwards, I asked the waiter what the tasty main dish consisted of...

What came to me was an image of some exotic fast-moving animal from the African savanna. My brain stem will never forget his response of "Ostrich Tongue." The mind of mine is now doing somersaults along with my stomach. "Did you say "Ostrich TONGUE?" he nodded. Now I don't know about you, but all I could think of was the many different things that bird's tongue could have licked before ending up in my mouth. Images of strange private parts, winking orifices and hard, bony protuberances danced around in my head - each of them being lovingly slathered by the glistening slab that sat on my plate. Of course they were jeering at the foolish Westerner who dared taste of their brethren without knowing what it was. Lesson learned: always find out what the "Special" is before eating it.

Funny as it was, the whole point of the account above was to put you in that moment with me. The goal was to replicate what happened externally, while also sharing what was going on in my mind. Using the senses as well, so you could imagine just what I was going through. Instead of just saying I had a strange meal, this style of writing makes for a very memorable vignette that hopefully won't be forgotten anytime soon...

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Actifit

Over on sportstalksocial, I'm starting to see a lot of Actifit posts. What we don't want is for these to start becoming no-effort knockoffs. So I'd like to share some of the things I've noticed with a few of the more standout content creators. Instead of just writing:

I went for a run in the park with my dog, took the bus to work and then ran home. It was a busy day. I got my 5K Steps in before 10AM. WIN!

That doesn't really tell us much or allow the reader the feeling of tagging along with you throughout the day. Let us see, smell and feel your trip by using descriptive language to flesh out the scenes. Maybe something like this:

I woke up this morning to my Golden Retriever Buffy, licking my face as if it were a free breakfast buffet. Yeah, I know, tongues again - can't seem to escape them. Nuking a pepperoni Hot Pocket, I wolfed it down before heading out to the beach. The day was warm but not too humid. Seagulls were shadowing me like a fleet of on-duty drones, they could smell my morning meal and wanted some for themselves as well. I felt the tactile waterfalls of hot sand trickling between my toes with each and every step. Off in the distance I could see what looked like bodies in motion, skin glistening in the sunshine. Ahhh, this was the nude section of the beach - time to get closer.

You get the idea. Hopefully, a cliffhanger like that would make you want to keep on reading.

Some bloggers may be just like me, not having the time to write more expressive posts due to work and school. However, going forward, I plan to begin taking the time to incorporate some of the very same suggestions I'm including here. We want our Actifit posts to become a destination on the platform.

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Burying the lede

Last fall, we were taking a college tour and the guide was explaining the usual boring stats about tuition, dorms and events on campus. At one point, he fleetingly mentioned that the old hall had a resident ghost. I was like "WHOA! did you say ghost?" Nodding affirmatively, he continued on when I stopped him and said "that's cool, tell me more!" Turns out a woman had hung herself in the 1850's up in the old bell tower over a lost love. There were also tunnels underneath the college which added to the flavor and appeal of the place. I reminded him that things like this help make the school stand out to prospective students and gives it a unique quality of its own. Hell, I would have put the ghost lady in the brochure they were handing out as a way of adding a slice of history to the tour.

Are you "burying the lede" in your blog posts? There may be an interesting historical fact about the area you live in that you can fold into your writing. Maybe an odd person that lives in your city. Share that with us. A great example is the elderly tart who took up residence in our central business district. Wearing outlandish clothing like one of those old time burlesque dancers. She had to be in her 70's and wore short-shorts and a top with her breasts almost falling out. Her hair was done up like Amy Winehouse, with loads of makeup, cherry-red lipstick and a Marilyn Monroe mole on her cheek. This woman would blow kisses at the young men while loudly propositioning them. Jutting her ass out while striking a pose, saying "you know you want some of this!" GOD love her, I wish I had pictures, but she made my trips downtown a real trip!. It was amazing to see someone so full of life who didn't give a damn what anyone thought of her. She was an incredible character and her antics could enliven any blog. What tips do you use to bring your writing to life?

Thank you so much!

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