There are right ways and wrong ways of doing just about everything ... would you agree? Writing blog posts and articles are no exception. At least not if you want to get read, and if you want people to take you seriously, and to come back for more.
Formats, styles, content, and how you deliver is ever evolving, but one thing remains constant, and that's how you write to get your readers attention, and to keep their attention.
The fact is, there are some critical basics for writing blog posts that never go out of style. I've listed a few of those here for you.
1. Know Who You Are Writing To
I'm sure you've heard it before about a gazillion times... know your audience. It only makes sense though. I do not need to spend a lot of time here. It kind of goes without saying that you will know who your target audience is. But even so... knowing who your audience is, and what they need to hear might be two slightly different things. It's crucial to provide content that your readers have an interest in, and in a way that will capture and keep them.
2. Know Your Topic
There's big talk about the importance of being consistent and regular in your online content. And it's true, you do need to be somewhat consistent. But that doesn't mean writing randomly about the sky just to get something out there. You do have to have a topic, and you do need to know something about it. So study up on your chosen topic if you need to. We are all a mouse click away from the largest information source in the world and it's all free, so use it.
3. Stories Don't Just Tell They Also Sell
Get personal. Write like a fellow human being and like a friend. Tell your story. Weave it in with your topic and content. You'll be amazed at the difference in reactions and attention. People love it when they have something they can really relate too. Your story may be their story too. Everyone can appreciate a good story, and now you are not just writing, but conversing as well. There is nothing better than captivating the attention of your reader with something that has an impact on them. Stories can do that well.
4. Use Bold Headlines That Summarize The Content
Headline your article, and some of your paragraphs too. Headlines should not be tricky or cute. That's hard to pull off. Headlines should do nothing but tell the reader what they are about to hear. Use your headlines to "hook" the reader, but never in a deceptive way. Creating good "hooker" headlines is a skill that you will learn and get better at. When a reader stays you know they are intrigued and want to learn more.
5. Provide Value For Your Readers
Gone are the days of keyword stacking and rambling just to deliver content. Google, and your readers, want to see real content that means something. You can suggest, recommend, teach, opinionate, summarize, educate, or narrate, but just make sure your reader walks away feeling as though they got something from reading your post. Provide value and benefit. That is what will keep your audience coming back for more.
6. Discuss Benefits Not Features
It's all about them ... the readers. How will your product make them feel, or make things easier for them, or change their financial situation. Regardless of what your product is, your readers don't care so much about all the features of the product, they care about how it will affect them. Tell your story, or the product story, in a way that makes it about them, the reader. How will THEY benefit?
7. Be Specific, Explain, and Provide Details
Will you agree that some of the reason for doing all this is to be found on the internet when people search for something? That means writing blog posts the way Google wants to see them written. They are the ones that need to be kept happy when it comes to page rank (your ranking or positioning in the search engine results).
There was a time when a blogger could write in just about any way, at any length, and stuff a bunch of keywords anywhere in the content. Not any more. Now google wants to see high quality content, details, and explanations, and quite frankly so does your readers. They can get filler and fluff anywhere. Google also wants to see longer posts than before. Keywords need to be strategically placed within the content in a way that makes good reading. It should all flow and make sense.
8. Include Images
Images do three things. They provide more SEO juice for Google, they get the readers attention, and they break up your content so it's more visually stimulating. Your images should relate to your topic in some way. It can be indirectly, but it should have some kind of connection, even if it's symbolic in a sense. You'll be able to keyword tag your images which is one of the SEO magnets. Your images can also be found in search engines for additional exposure back to your brand. Images are one of the most attention grabbing pieces of content used today. So are videos.
9.Just Get Started
Above all else ... just get started and you can perfect your blogging skills and your SEO knowledge along the way.Yes, Google will be looking for all the things I mentioned in the previous paragraphs. But that doesn't mean holding yourself back thinking it all has to be perfect or that you need to know everything. Writing blog posts is something that you will get better at as you go.
The main thing is to get started. You can learn and get better as you go. You won't break anything and you won't be spanked. These are simply guidelines and things to work towards. Just get started and you'll be surprised how fast you get the hang of it.
So there you have it. The A,B,C's of writing blog posts. It's not rocket science and it does not have to be perfect. It's better to be constant and conform as best you can to these simple basics. The rest will all come with repetition. You'll be fine. Writing blog posts does not have to be a dreaded chore. You can enjoy yourself doing it. So have fun and happy blogging to you!
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