Blogging gives an average person a chance to share a unique part of themselves on the internet. Started in the early 2000s, blogging was somehow an online diary for content writers. Soon, they were gaining audiences and engaging in consumer interactions. Time moved fast, and it is now demanded by many and is used for various purposes.
With the internet being widely accessible and filled with talented writers, it may be difficult to compete. But it’s not impossible. A simple Google search can give you a lot of tips on how to write the best blog post, which mostly consists of a catchy title, a good headline, and throw in some ‘call-to-action’ for spice. It is about right—simple and manageable. But to have a killer blog post is way easier than these.
Of all the blog posts on the web, how can you make yours stand out?
A blog post can be written based on the experiences, thoughts, and feelings of the writer. “Show them your personality,” they say. You can do this—if you’re in 2005. Today, we’re not settling for the bare minimum. This year is dedicated to doing 101% more than the standard. A killer blog post must exceed the bar– if it’s on the ceiling, make yours up into the atmosphere.
Captivating Title
Come up with striking words, but easy on the eyes.
Let’s not pretend that books are not judged by their cover. Recent studies have shown that the average attention span of Millenials is 12 seconds, while Gen Z has 8 seconds. Providing a captivating title for a blog may fit your audience’s attention span while hooking them onto reading the content. Simple but striking words enable your blog to pass off of the rejection phase that may occur in the first impression.
However, working smart is still better than working hard. The internet, being filled with hundreds of thousands of blogs of all contents, has to filter each of them. Learning and cultivating your Search Engine Optimization (SEO). This process will allow your blog to be found easily on search engines, like Google. The whole process involves knowing your audience, taking points of what they search for, and incorporating those words and tags in your blog. If you aim to be on Google’s first page of results, invest in this starting on your title.
Mind Your Headline
Contemplate about it, make it as catchy as you can.
Not everyone will read your content even if you passed the rejection phase. A good headline will give you another chance to hook your readers. And make them feel that they need to consume your content. It is essential to any write-up, in news, emails, articles, etc. Not only it allows your audience to take a peek at your topic, but it will also define part of the success of your blog.
Introduction
Give us some context.
When we tell a story to a friend, nobody jumps into the highlight. A context is demanded to understand the story and be able to deliver the right reaction to its highlight. Similar to blogging, an introduction is a space to provide context to the audience about the topic that you will talk about for the next 700 words. However, it is not necessary to squeeze the entire history of the topic into this space. Provide the readers with the right amount of information for them to comprehend the essence of the blog.
Use Subheadings
Blogs should be easy to read. Having chunks of paragraphs alone does not count as ‘easy.’
For example, you’re writing about the Best Birthday Gifts for Boss Babes and provided a list of possible options. The subheads will allow the readers to pick what charmed them best and be able to read through it without missing similar information (which can be in other paragraphs).
The subheadings allow you to write different sections on your topic. This will make it easy for you to explain certain individual parts that comprise the content while improving your SEO. Use this as a space to put more triggering words to boost engagement. On the other hand, your audience will be given a chance to easily navigate through your content.
Content/Body
Don’t be shy, pour your heart out.
This is the moment you’ve been waiting for. A chance for you to geek out on that topic you love the most. But be careful of oversharing.
Similar to a conversation, the content/body of your topic is where the highlights of the story are. The information and supporting details are here. Writing it down will allow you to express more concisely, avoiding the unnecessary parts that may turn away the focus of the topic. Much as we all want to lay down every detail, oversharing may shift the readers’ focus. You don’t want a confused audience. Keep everything on a single track towards one goal.
Graphics/Images
It has several advantages: (1) It makes your blog more visually appealing; (2) It breaks up the text; (3) Images with descriptions that are optimized with SEO help boost your blog.
The overall look and feel of the blog page are important in setting the theme or mood of the content. Supporting images/graphics, on the other hand, supports both the text and look of the blog. It also provides an opportunity to explain your topic further through related images or infographics for easier consumption.
Call-to-Action
Having a CTA is not an option. A blog is written for a purpose, a CTA is a purpose.
The topic may be interesting. All valid points were presented and written concisely. Luckily, your audience read all of it. What’s after this?
A call-to-action provides the audience a suggestive solution on what to do with the topic you just introduced. May it be a reflection on a relevant issue or a persuasive statement to try an activity—make it visible in your words. Suggest further action as a result of reading your content.
Boost Audience Engagement through Share Buttons, Links, and if possible, a Comment Section.
Your audience engagement game needs to step up. It will not happen alone with making your blog link available on Google. You need to make word-of-mouth happen on the web.
Providing a visible share button on your blog allows your readers to recommend it to others. This will already widen your audience reach. Having to receive a message—say, your blog— from a friend, appears that it is important or it is somehow related to the both of you. This will be an advantage for your blog to appear more interesting.
When writing a topic, there may be supporting details that may lead to another discussion that makes use of links. This can be used in two ways: (1) a link to your previous blogs. Relating your blog to this new topic may seem to be a part of a promotion—it is, also—but it will enhance the audience engagement of your brand. (2) Links can also be external links relating to shreds of evidence, studies, or statistics to support your details for a better understanding of the topic.
To create a space for your avid readers/consumers, have an active comment section. This will allow you to have their point of view firsthand. The consistent interaction with your audience will establish trust and engagement to your topic and soon, your brand. In no time, you will be able to know their cup of tea and discover ways to please them better.
In Conclusion
The blogging standard today is far from what we knew it was two decades ago. With the increasing number of skilled writers, system changes on the web, and various blogging styles that appeal to the current audience—starting on your own may not be advisable.
We can’t let you take your first steps on blogging empty-handed. We have created the only, fool-proof guide you will ever need. Use it to your advantage.
