Blogging has become an important part of internet marketing. It’s a great way to showcase your expertise while helping to increase your site ranking on all the major search engines. With all the positives that blogging brings to the table, it can become a little discouraging because there is quite a bit of content saturation online. Everyone seems to be fighting for that top spot.
Most business owners understand that it takes time to start reaping the benefits of blogging, but there are ways to speed up the process. Here are 7 key elements of a great blog post to help your blog stick out amongst the crowd.
Eye Popping Headlines
Headlines are extremely important because in many cases, it is the first thing the reader will see. You want your headline to have bold text and a larger font. In addition to the look of your headline, you want the message to be something that really resonates with your audience. Your headline should be something that you know your target audience needs and is currently searching for online. For example, if you are a business coach that focuses on client generation for startups, a great title for a blog could be “9 Guaranteed Tips for Landing Your First Client.â€
Authenticity
Use your own unique style so that you can differentiate yourself from other businesses that blog. The worst thing you can do is imitate someone else’s style and tone. Your blog is an extension of you and how you do business; so, give your readers a chance to get to know and love you.
Bullets
Bullets help simplify content and makes it easy to read. Some blog visitors may never read your blogs in their entirety, but they will scan through them. Scanners like to read things that stick out because they know they can get a pretty good understanding of what the blog is about with this method. They are looking for things that are bold, italicized, underlined and especially bulleted. Words or phrases that are bulleted let the reader know that this is something of extreme importance.
Cool Images
Pictures are a nice addition to any blog post. They give readers an idea of what your blog is about before they read any words. Studies show that people are more inclined to read blogs with pictures versus ones without. Some great places to find images for your blog are istockphoto.com and fotolia.com.
Entertain
As I stated earlier, there is a great deal of competition on the web, so your content has to bring something to the table if you want people to read it. Look for creative ways to make your blog posts fun and entertaining for your readers. Some examples would be interviewing a client in your niche, case studies, how-to articles and other points of interest that you know your prospects are itching to read about.
Educate
Give your readers valuable information that will keep them coming back for more. You have to know your audience. Focus on content that educates, solves problems and makes your prospect or client’s life easier. Stay away from generic content, there’s enough of that online, give them something that is actionable.
Strong Closing
Make sure that your readers leave your blog wanting more. A great closing makes your readers want to take some type of action whether it’s commenting on your blog, reaching out to you by phone, signing up for your newsletter or free offer, following you on social media or completing a form on your website.
Is there something you want to add or maybe you have a question? We’d love for you to share your comments below. Are you a business coach or consultant struggling to consistently get high quality content out? Contact RJ’s Internet Marketing Services, LLC for a free consultation today at 866-651-3073.
