As most experienced bloggers know, blogging is an endurance sport. The key to success is regularity and consistency. While the process can be fun, there are days when it begins to feel like an irksome obligation in an already busy day. A sharp-looking skin can benefit the blogger by adding a little extra enjoyment to the process.
When carefully selected, blogger skins draw readers into the content and frame the photos nicely.
Readers know instantly for whom the blog is intended. They serve as a visual welcome, helping your targeted readers feel right at home.
Blogger skins can also be merciless in showing how well the blog is maintained. Ever see a Christmas themed blogger skin in the midst of summer holidays? For those who struggle to keep updates regular, this can be a little extra motivation to keep things going.
To Change or Not To Change
It’s always wise, when crafting something for your readers, that you keep their wants and needs foremost on your mind. Blog readers love visual elements that stay consistent, like an old friend, but we love when something surprises us in a positive way.
The story goes that a Hollywood executive demanded of a writer giving a tired old pitch “Give me the same thing, only different!” We like things that are tried and true because on some level they work. That, after all, is what makes them “tried and true.” But we also want to see something new and unexpected: the old and familiar with a new twist.
If you plan on changing your skin regularly, make sure you at least have a logo, photo, or some other visual element that always stays consistent. Your readers want to know they’ve come to the right place. Take a lesson from the pros. Glossy magazines have an entirely different cover every month, yet the banners stay perfectly consistent, sometimes not changing for years or even decades.
While most bloggers using skins prefer to change their skin regularly, some may choose to pick a permanent fixture for the blog. This process may require some testing period. This is a great opportunity to do a little market research for your blog. Check your readership before changing the skin as a control and then see what happens when you switch. Is readership up or down? Some systematic tinkering can pay off in boosting readership.