How To Write Better Blog Posts
Do your blog posts stink? Maybe they’re just the opposite, and they are incredible pieces of online content. Chances are, they are somewhere in the middle of those two extremes.
Writing a better blog post will demonstrate that you’re an authority in your niche or industry who really knows what you are talking about. It can also show that you have the skills and experience to create quality products. Blogs are usually less formal in tone than the text on business websites, giving business owners an opportunity to really connect with their target markets.
So, what makes a good blog, rather than run-of-the-mill or average one? You can create better blog posts that are memorable, valuable and shareable when you include these 5 elements.
5 Effective Ways To Writing Better Blog Posts
1. Eye-Catching, Search-Stopping, Click-Magnet Headline
The first thing your readers encounter, before they ever make it to your blog, is the headline or title of your post. They stumble across this when they are surfing the web. It’s competing against other search results and needs to be memorable. It should also stop a web surfer dead in his or her tracks. Your headline should make a promise and draw an image or picture in your prospect’s mind. State a fact or ask a question.
Start off with “How To …” or “The Top 10 …”, a couple reliable headline starters. Be controversial and edgy, make a huge, massive claim (only if you can back it up) and appeal to emotions and desire.
You may not be trying to sell anything in your blog post. It may simply be an informative resource or a funny story. Regardless, the importance of your headline can’t be understated. You worked very hard on your blog post content. Make sure it gets read, by fashioning a headline that begs to be clicked.
FREE Download: 21 Days To A Better Blog2. Effective Design
The greatest content in the world will simply not get read if it’s unappealing to the eye. You need to lay out your post as if you were an interior decorator, with a place for everything, and everything in its place. To start creating better blog posts, include the following:
Sub-Headers Like This One
Sub-headings make your blog content scannable. It allows your reader to first scan the page to find blocks of content he or she wants to read. You should also include …
Bullet Points
- Bulleted lists are easy to read
- They should be short
- You want them enticing (not like these)
- And they need to spell out benefits
Your sentences and paragraphs should be short and to the point. Remove all fluff. If a sentence can work without one or two words, take them out. Make sure your paragraphs are of different lengths and sizes. Align your content to your left, and don’t let pictures, charts and graphics break up the left-hand alignment. When reading, the eye should be able to travel smoothly down the left side of the page to start each sentence and paragraph, without being interrupted.
3. Images
Text with video and images does a better job of engaging your audience than text alone. Blog posts are also much more likely to get shared on social media and emailed to friends when there is some type of graphical presence on the page.
Another reason why better blog posts always have some type of pictures or videos is that they’re good for reiterating something you just said. Sometimes explaining a process can be difficult. However, when you add a video, a photograph or picture that shows very specifically just what you’ve written, it improves your reader’s level of understanding.
Images are also a great way to break up the monotony of a long blog post full of text. It helps your reader’s eyes scan the page when they first encounter your post, so they can quickly discern if they are interested. Videos and pictures are also excellent tools for adding your personal flavour to your blog posts and search engines look upon them favourably.
4. Make Them Easy to Share
Before social media, you published your blog post and linked to it in forums and chat rooms. You tried to take care of SEO and meta-tags to help drive free traffic. You may have even purchased traffic. Today, all of those practices make a lot of sense, and you should be using them. However, the massive power of social media means you absolutely must be on board this free traffic provider.
Yes, it does take time to create social media profiles on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and all the other social media networks worth your time. One way to simplify your blog post integration with social media is to allow your readers and followers to do all the hard work for you. Every blogging platform has Social Share Plugins that require no coding or HTML expertise and display prominently at the start and end of every blog post. With a single click your readers can share valuable blog posts with their favourite social networks.
5. A Strong Call to Action
A call to action (CTA) is simply that. You’re telling your reader what to do, what action to take, what they should logically do next if they have read your blog post. This should be located at the end of your post.
However, your call to action should also be mentioned throughout your content. Be reasonable here. If you compose a short 350 word post, you don’t want 5 different places where your call to action is displayed.
The alternative is true. If you create an epic blog post of 2,000 words that is getting a lot of traffic, it doesn’t make sense to have a single call to action listed only at the end of your content. Remember to make your call to action short, simple and to the point. Use as few words as possible, and tell your readers exactly what to do.
Free Checklist: How To Become A Better Blog Writer In 21 Days
A blog is essentially a relationship-building tool. Your target market could find your blog through search engines or links, read it, and decide to see what your business has to offer. It could give them the push they need to become paying customers. When you know how to write an engaging blog it becomes a valuable asset to your online business. Download my free checklist, 21 Days To A Better Blog for 21 better blogging tips that you can put into action each day to write better blog posts and achieve the results you want.
