Who doesn’t want their blog to be more successful? Nobody.
As business owners and marketers, we are all looking for ways to increase readership, enhance engagement, and ultimately, get more mileage out of the blog posts we write!
A couple weeks ago, we published a short video: “4 Ways to Make Your Blog More Successful.”
While the tips in this video offer a good foundation for quality posts, we wanted to dig a bit deeper.
Here is a more in-depth explanation of how you can take your blog posts to the next level. These are the tried-and-true strategies we have been using for the past year. Enjoy!
Here's how to take your blog to the next level.
1. Write value-focused content
Whether your posts do well or not in the long run, it really comes down to the quality of your content. So often we get inside our own heads and just enjoy hearing ourselves “talk.” If you want to create a blog where your readers love to hang out and can’t get enough of your content, you need to make sure you are providing value!
Value-focused blog content means that you have taken the time to understand the needs and problems your customers have. You know what they are searching for, and you have a reliable solution for them.
Don’t blog about your products and services. Sincerely do the research that will make your customers’ lives better. By focusing on the interests and needs of your customers, you will soon become a resource they turn to.
Striving to provide value will also push you to get away from writing fluff. Don’t just add to the pile of irrelevant content on the interwebs. Make sure you are adding something to the conversation!
2. Publish posts frequently and consistently
The more you post quality content, the more you will show up online. Yes, it’s that simple. Google loves fresh content that serves a purpose.
Beyond helping people find you, writing consistently and on a regular basis will help position you as a leader in the eyes of your customers. If you are only going to post once a week, make sure you post on the same day/time every week.
If you commit to writing a post every single day, make sure you can keep up with it! The only thing worse than not posting enough is posting inconsistently. You don’t want to set the precedent that you will be posting content, get your customers in the habit of visiting your blog, and then disappoint!
We have been posting every week for the last 15 months. Knowing we haven’t missed a week really pushes us to make sure we get content out! We’re looking into posting more frequently, and you better believe we are going to analyze how often we can realistically post!
One way to help with planning and establishing consistency is to create a content or editorial calendar. Identify the types of posts you want to write, brainstorm some irresistible headlines, and assign specific dates.
By planning ahead, it will take the pressure off when it comes time to write. Because let’s be honest, the hardest part of writing a blog post is staring at a blank screen and having no idea what to write! We are big advocates of writing your content ahead of time!
There’s nothing better at zapping creativity than a looming deadline (ie: writing a blog post the day it needs to go live!). Here are a few extra tips on how to find time for blogging.
3. Create compelling and search-friendly headlines
How many boring headlines do you click on? Oh wait - none.
People are ridiculously busy these days, and there is A TON of content available to them. Businesses are getting better and better at crafting snappy headlines, and you need to as well.
To evoke interest in your content and motivate a person to click on your article, your headline needs to be search-friendly, emotional, and crystal clear.
Use numbers, tap their emotions, invoke urgency, get newsy. Your blog post better be filled with valuable content and be super interesting. The last thing you want to do is hide it with a deadbeat headline.
Oh, and now is NOT the time to get cutesy. In my personal blogging days, I used to come up with these flowery and creative headlines. Yes, I liked those titles, but they didn't help increase my audience. While creativity is good, you must make your headlines search-friendly.
Think about what people are typing into their Google search bar. It is not going to be super eloquent and read like poetry. Get rid of the fluff and make it so interesting they simply can’t resist clicking.
One of our favorite tools is the CoSchedule Headline Analyzer. It almost makes coming up with headlines a game!
4. Make your posts skimmable
If someone opens your blog post and they are assaulted by massive blocks of texts and disorganization, they are going to leave. Not only that, they are unlikely to ever come back.
Be respectful of people’s time! Make your posts nice and neat, break up content into short paragraphs, use lists, and add visuals! Headers and subheaders are your friends (and will help with SEO!).
After having a powerful headline, the next way to persuade your reader to keep reading is to have succinct and compelling subheaders.
Make sure if your audience only reads your headline and subheaders that they still have something to think about. Give them a quick and easy way to learn!
5. Provide helpful links to additional resources
As I said earlier, one of the goals behind writing blog posts is to be a reliable resource. Part of that is directing your readers to other great tips and tools that will enrich their lives or solve their problems.
No one expects you to know it all - so instead of pretending like you do, include helpful links to other sources of information throughout your blog posts. Feel free to link to helpful blog posts, videos, downloads, presentations, etc. Of course, whenever it is applicable, be sure to link to other blog posts in your library.
You can’t fit in the answers to everything in one post - so if you find it beneficial, provide a link so your reader can find the additional information quickly and easily.
6. Craft an enticing call to action
Ugh. Call to actions are probably my least favorite thing. But, they are vital to growing your business. If you want your reader to do something after they read your post, ask them!
To get your customers to engage with you, to ask for more information, or to download something, you MUST ask them. Having a call to action does not mean you have to be sleazy or pushy.
Make sure you have a goal behind your call to action. Be specific, be clear, and direct your reader where they should go next. Make it easy for them to say yes.
7. EDIT, EDIT, EDIT!
Okay, as writers, we are a bit biased, but EDITING IS SO IMPORTANT! Yikes, sorry for getting a little out of hand, but seriously. You are hurting your business’s credibility with every typo you let slip.
No, we don’t expect you to be perfect (we aren’t!) but we do want you to try really hard to edit your content thoroughly. There are so many great tools like Grammarly and HemingwayEditor that make the process super easy. At the very least, read through your post a few times (slowly, with a red pen!) or ask a friend/colleague to take a look.
You won’t lose business by a few silly typos, but if you consistently make major grammatical errors, people may begin to question your professionalism. Don’t give them that chance.
If you don’t feel like you’re a strong writer - don’t worry! You are well-versed in your field and that is the most important. Check out these helpful tips to get started honing your writing skills.
8. Share on any and all platforms
If you don’t share your blog posts, nobody's going to read them. It’s as simple as that.
Sure, posting your blog to multiple platforms takes time. And yes, you are putting yourself out there by sharing your content with the world, but that is the point!
Make sure you share your blog post on all of your favorite (and maybe not-so-favorite) social platforms. A few of our go-to platforms include Pinterest, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Google+.
Now, we don’t love to hang out on all of those platforms, but they seem to be the most relevant for our content. Make sure you are giving your content the best chance of being read! Don’t hesitate to re-share your content multiple times a day, and then again in the future! As long as you are producing valuable and relevant content, it should not get stale!
Want some extra help? Check out our free blogging checklist!
Don’t want to tackle blogging on your own? We are here to help! We would love to brainstorm with you, create a blogging strategy, or simply be your go-to blog writer. You’ll love the ideas we’ll come up with for you!
