It’s easy enough to write a blog post. But a compelling one? That’s the difference between writers who consistently churn out click-worthy articles and writers who don’t or can’t.
How do you become like the first group? How can you write great posts that will get your blog to stand out and entice readers to subscribe and share your content? Writers who have a loyal following use a bunch of tricks to come up with posts that people read. They may be funny, informative, helpful, or inspiring. Whatever…they succeed in attracting lots of readers.
1. Start with an attention-grabbing title.
Your blog post may have fantastic content, but it gets bypassed because your title does not spark excitement and interest. When readers do a search, they see only titles and it’s the forceful ones that stand out and get the traffic and the clicks. Title templates abound. Use them but put your own twist to make yours unique. Certain styles get more notice because readers can relate to them.
Here are some tips for a catchy title:
It should be in the active voice.
It should evoke emotion.
It should be clear and simple to be instantly understood.
It should tell the reader what he gets out of the post.
It should incorporate the main keyword for SEO purposes.
2. Make your paragraphs short.
Yes, tl;dr is still relevant today, and it’s not only for editors. Keep your sentences concise and pertinent. Readers will skip a long paragraph, especially if it contains unnecessary sentences and fillers. Avoid long-winded and ambiguous styles of writing.
Another benefit of short paragraphs is the white space between them. It gives the eyes a rest and improves readability.
3. Add images, infographics, graphs and videos.
Even if your content is superb, an all-text blog post gets a bigger bounce rate than one with striking images, helpful infographics and informative charts, and hi-def videos. Posts with photos get more views and higher conversion rates.
Conform to the suggested image and video sizes of your blog. For images, don’t go beyond your blog content width. Too large images that will slow down page loading and affect resolution while small ones are not attractive at all.
Embed a YouTube video in your post to liven it up and watch your conversion and engagement rates rise. If you have your own video, use them instead. You can use a free mov to mp4 converter for your old MOV files so you can be certain they’ll play on any platform. Always be aware of copyright issues to avoid legal problems.
4. Write posts that express your own opinion.
You may have the minority view on certain issues. That doesn’t mean you can’t write about them. Explain your side and show that you are your own person. You may get haters, but you’ll also gain followers. Opinion posts generate discussion and is a means of engaging with your readers.
On a personal note, avoid rude and hurtful comments and do not respond to such in like manner, if you allow posting of them.
5. Use a conversational tone.
Imagine yourself talking to a friend and take that tone to your post. It becomes more personalized and readers will feel a connection. Add your own relevant experiences and insights. If products or services are in the post, do real reviews. Inject some humor to lighten up.
6. Vary your style of writing and your topics.
Any niche you pick will have many different topics to write about. Keep up with trends, too, as they are always popular. Write listicles, guides and how-to’s. Include some investigative pieces, interviews and round-ups of “best” or “worst.”
Finally, don’t give up on your blog. Majority of the successful bloggers did not rise to the top overnight. Never stop learning new techniques and trends. And if you want to write better, read, read, read.
Gaurav Tiwari says
3/28/2019 at 5:53 pmToo add more, be sure to
– Target audience,
– Write about experiences,
– Focus on Quality content and Consistency.
Viola, you get the most compelling content ever.