Topic

A solid idea is what gets you off the ground. When it comes to choosing a topic, consider what your audience is looking for – what questions are they asking? Providing useful, relevant information, such as tips and advice on SEO, copywriting and content strategy for a digital marketing blog, is key to success.

Headline

An enticing title is one of the most important parts of a blog post! The first thing potential readers see, it must be engaging and click-worthy – boring headlines are much more likely to be passed over. A great headline lets readers know what’s in it for them.

Images

Every blog post needs a great image or three. Images should be eye-catching and relevant – they break up blocks of text and make them easier to read and more visually appealing. They add another dimension to the post and also work to keep the reader’s eye moving downwards.

Introduction

The introduction supports the title and connects it to the rest of the post and also provides an overview of the content to come. It lets readers know what to expect in more detail and, as such, should be captivating and inviting – just remember not to give too much away.

Body Content

Body content should be concise, grammatically correct and informative. Reflective both of your business and the topic at hand, breaking it up into short paragraphs makes it much easier to read. To ensure you offer the reader what you’re promising, proofread once and then proofread again. A second set of eyes is always good to have on hand.

Conclusion

A proper conclusion summarizes the content of the article and is short and concise. A handy way to wrap up, it provides a simple overview of the points of discussion as well as their benefit.

Social Networks and Sharing

Make it easy for readers to share your blog posts on Facebook, Twitter and other networks by including social sharing buttons on each page. This also encourages readers who don’t follow you to take the plunge, especially if they enjoy your posts and would like to stay up-to-date on what your company’s talking about.

Call To Action

One last thing that every great blog post has is a Call To Action. A main purpose of a business blog is to generate traffic and, ideally, leads for your company. Once a potential client has landed on your webpage and is reading your content, take it a step further by encouraging them to, for example, download a free eBook or white paper or sign up for an email newsletter. Another option is to offer the reader a next step, such as contacting your service team or visiting and “liking” your business Facebook page.

Representative of your business as a whole, blog posts provide useful, relevant information, promote your services and play a key role in initiating client relationships. A great way to build trust and rapport, taking the time to craft engaging and effective posts begins with these key elements. For help developing, launching and maintaining your company blog, contact Yabsta Digital today!

Differentiate yourself. Today, there are many bloggers trying to make it on the Web and standing out is critical to success. Great content is key to doing this. Look in a wide range of places for ideas, such as offline magazines, and remember that your audience is interested in much more than just one topic.

Optimize your posts. Blogging is great for SEO and optimized content makes it even better. Add relevant keywords to captions, descriptions and the post itself. Saving images under relevant titles also helps.

Publish for free what users would pay for. Original information that users find useful is what will bring them back to your blog.

Invest time in your headlines. An excellent title attracts attention, promises a specific benefit and, hopefully, entices the reader to click through.

A friendly tone goes a long way. Opting for a conversational instead of a corporate tone is much more engaging. Choose active over passive, use contractions and scrap the jargon and long paragraphs.

Show personality. Letting your personality shine through on your blog lets people know that there’s a person behind the posts and that’s a good thing.

Add an email list sign-up button. Email is a great way to develop a true connection with your readers and encourage the consumption of your content. Offer a benefit for signing up, such as a free downloadable eBook, and place your form in strategic locations such as on the homepage and in the sidebar.

Educate and inform. While the occasional self-promotional blog post is more than acceptable, the bulk of your content provide value for readers, answer their questions and encourage them to take action.

Invite guest bloggers. Built up your blog content by encouraging writing-inclined colleagues, industry experts and others to submit a post on an interesting topic. This offers a fresh perspective and can widen readership.

Organize your posts. Superior information architecture, which includes clear navigation, categories and tags, makes it easy for readers to quickly and easily find what they’re looking for. This is also key to a successful blog.

Have you tried any of these 10 tricks? Do you have a tip to add to our next instalment? Contact us on Facebook or Twitter!

1. Keep creating content! Producing regular content is key to blogging success. Fresh, interesting posts are a big reason why readers choose to check back regularly or subscribe.

2. Subscribe to, and read, top industry blogs. This is a great way to generate ideas and boost your inspiration.

3. Set a schedule. If you find that you’re falling behind, this might be just what you need. Decide to post daily or biweekly, for example. Stick to it and hold yourself accountable.

4. Increase your scope. Especially important for business blogs, it is necessary that the content reflects more than your products and services. For example, if your company offers social media management, include posts on the latest networks and how to use them.

5. Market it. Increase reach and readership by promoting your blog posts via avenues like social media. Just finished a new article? Post a link to it on your Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter accounts.

6. Think outside the box. Why not turn that series you just finished into something new and exciting with video?

7. Utilize buttons. Prompt readers to subscribe via RSS or email or share posts they enjoy on Facebook and Twitter.

8. Get visual! Great images are eye catching, provide much-needed visual stimulation and also break up the text, making it simpler for readers to consume.

9. Keep a list of topics handy. Excellent for preventing burn-out, brainstorm ideas with your coworkers or friends and record them by hand or in a Word document. When the time comes to write, pull it out and pick one.

10. Write in short paragraphs and use bullet points. This is much easier to read, and less intimidating, than a page full of long paragraphs of text.

Do you have any tried-and-true blogging tips? Share them in the comments below!

Image Credit: Blogging Research Wordle by Kristina B, via Flickr, CC License, no changes made