Do you want to blog, but you’re just not good at it?
Does your writing have much to be desired?
Relax, it’s ok … it’s not so uncommon. In fact, it’s really quite common.
Some people just hate to write. They are not good at it. They write anyway, because they want to blog, but it just stinks. It’s not readable. It looks and sounds like a mumble jumble mess. Sound familiar?
Others love to write… they are good at it… but maybe too good. They could write a novel, but is that good for a blog post? Stories are awesome, but is the reader staying on the page? Is it captivating enough to keep their attention? Are you getting your message across?
Your writing has to be readable for the common man (or woman).
People love to scan…. they are busy….they are in a hurry but have a few quick minutes to see what you have to say. So how do we keep those eyeballs on our blog post’s long enough to get the message across? How can we present this in a friendly way so as not to lose our readers?
I think this is something that a lot of people deal with…they want to blog, and so when I came across some great content on this very subject I got to thinking, and decided to share it with you in a blog post.
Question: “You want to blog, but do you think you need to spend hours and hours perfecting your writing skills?” The answer…probably not. In fact you might need to dumb it down some. The solution may be a lot easier than you expect. Writing less and styling your text so it’s easy to read could be all you need to do to attract and hold attention.
To write successfully for the web, you need to forget some of what you learned in English composition class, accept that people scan web pages rather than reading them in detail, and work with this reality rather than fighting it.
If you want to cover a complex topic, consider breaking it into a series of posts. It’s a great way to keep people coming back for more, and your reader will find it easier to digest your content if they get it in portion-controlled sizes.
Here’s a few simple ways to simplify your writing and to get more people to stay on your page and read ALL your content.
1) Use the line break.
It’s an easy way to make your content more readable. Lots of white space makes it easier on the eyeballs. Feature one idea per paragraph, and keep them short — three or four sentences at most.
And try writing some paragraphs with one sentence only.
2) Break up the content with subheads.
Subheads help keep the reader engaged, acting as “mini headlines” to keep them moving through the rest of your content, and give clarity to the content.
3) Use bullet lists
- They create eye magnets your readers can’t resist
- They’re an easily-scannable way to present multiple points
- They look different, so they provide a visual break
4) Use images with captions.
Images draw attention and eyeballs, and are known to intrigue the reader making your content more interesting to them.
5) Add relevant links
Internal links back to your own content will keep people on your site and reading your best material, and external links demonstrate that you’ve researched the topic and want to highlight other experts.
Good content uses both to expand your reader’s understanding, adds value, and helps with SEO indexing.
6) Use formatting
Add emphasis to your web copy by bolding important concepts. You reader will be able to scan through and pick out the most important information at a glance.
Don’t highlight everything (which would have the same effect as highlighting nothing). Instead, emphasize the key points so the scanner can quickly pick them out.
7) Use numbered lists
Numbers are an effective way to both capture attention and to keep the reader engaged. You can often make a post more compelling just by numbering your main points. Give it a try.
8) Don’t hype
Forget about the caps, exclamation marks, multi-colored font, and pitching your deal. Your blog post is not a billboard and it’s not a classified ad. Think instead about teaching, educating, motivating, explaining, sharing, telling stories, sharing testimonies, and offering help. Calls to Action are not hype, and are ok, and even recommended, if not overdone.
and finally …proofread. Do you find it easy to read and understand. Will the reader keep from getting lost, and will they get the main points. Does it look like something you would want to stumble across online and would it captivate your attention.
So for those that want to blog, practice these simple steps and you’ll be a blogging pro in no time.
I hope you received some value from this. Please feel free to leave a comment or two
by Brett Gurney
Striving for Excellence
P.S. Stay tuned for more Internet Marketing Tips & Techniques and guides to building the brand of YOU.
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