Writing a Post People Actually Read

As a blogger and social media manager for a few years, I’m often asked the secret for pulling readers in and keeping them coming back for more. Luckily, my experience gives me the opportunity to see firsthand “blogging best practices” that work. In my case, the readers multiplied, so I’m happy to say it has worked. Want more than 8 readers to see your post? Here are seven tips to write a blog that people will actually read: Know Your Audience Before you open your blog and let your fingers loose, you need to have a clear understanding of your target audience. Ask yourself simple questions like: • Who are they (gender, age)? • What do they do for a living? • What do they want to know about? A better understanding of your audience can help you build engagement through your blog posts. Generic blogs about generic stuff fall into an Internet black hole—never catching anyone’s attention. Choose a topic that interests you, too Without a topic, you don’t have a blog post. I usually start with brainstorming a headline and a few keywords. The first few things you type don’t have to be genius, but there has to be something there, enough to give you an idea of what you want to say and the direction you’re going to take. I’ve found that people skip or don’t spend enough time going through the different angles and ideas on what they can write. Give an idea time to roll around on that blank Word document and develop in an open-mind state, instead of being too focused on writing for search only. Find your writing style Once you have all your headlines and initial ideas sorted, it’s time to write. Let me ask you a quick question: What is your writing style? Do you keep blog posts short and sweet, to the point, or do you write long, detailed articles? Do you like fact speak or flowery sentences? Do you get personal, or are you all business? For me, I prefer to keep it personal and write in first person if the topic lends itself to that. Since I know who my readers are, putting myself in my writing allows me to better connect with my audience through conversational posts. Here’s what not to try: becoming someone you aren’t. I did this once and I was so focused on keeping my blog posts “professional” that my writing slumped into something dull and boring—because it wasn’t natural. So if it doesn’t come easily or feel right, don’t force it. Write your way and watch the words flow. Write a great intro If you want readers to continue reading your blog posts, you’ve got to grab their attention with an irresistible introduction. While the art of writing a introduction takes time and a lot of practice, there are two easy tricks you can use to change the way you open your article: • Start with a question. Worried people might be invading your privacy on Facebook? The idea is to get people curious enough to continue reading your article. • State a fact or make a declaration. Everyone knows how to click a picture. It might sound obvious, but make sure your introduction actually relates to your article, otherwise you’d be left with angry readers who feel like they’ve wasted their time and that they’ve been cheated. A super-catchy title After you type that last sentence, it’s time to get creative with your working title. You brainstormed ideas to get you started writing, but now you have to go back to craft one that fits the final words on the page. “On the average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy. When you have written your headline, you have spent eighty cents out of your dollar.” —The Father of Advertising, David Ogilvy #bloggingtips #WixBlog