By Rebeca Moss You spent ages writing that last blog post, but when you checked the analytics, hardly anyone had read it. Maybe you optimised your blog around the wrong keyword, maybe you didn’t do enough to promote it or (brace yourself) … …. maybe it just wasn’t that good. Ouch. Sorry to bring you down like that, but it’s true. All too often, we forget that ‘content’ is the operative word in ‘content marketing’. For a content marketing strategy to work, the content itself needs to be captivating. Have I used the word ‘content’ enough yet? Content. If your blogs aren’t being read, don’t despair. Here are some simple tips on how to write better blog posts. Follow these steps and you’ll have readers devouring your blogs in no time. Purpose Before you start clacking away at that keyboard, spend some time defining the purpose of your blog. It will help to refine your writing and will make the reading experience more enjoyable. Take this particular blog as an example. Its purpose is to tell you that a) I understand how to write a good blog post, and b) you should hire me to write your blogs. Sneaky, eh? Have a think about what you want people to do after they’ve read your blog. What do you want to convey? Blogs can help you to: Demonstrate your expertise on a given topic Build a community around your brand Sell a product or service After you’ve decided what you want your blog to do for you, use that to inform what you write. When you’ve finished writing, check back over your blog post and make sure each paragraph links back to the overall purpose. Value If your sole goal is to rank highly for a particular keyword, then you’re probably not thinking about the value you’re offering your reader. Think of your content marketing strategy as an exchange. You want visitors to stay on your website, so you’ve got to give them something that they want in return. Your content should offer something of real value to your visitors. That could be a piece of helpful advice, food for thought or some light-hearted entertainment. If your blog post is genuinely valuable, your readers will be more receptive to your sales messaging, too. Did I mention that my hourly rate is highly competitive? Clarity Nobody likes a lecture, not even people attending an actual lecture. Most of your readers are likely on their lunch break, on public transport or on the toilet*. Hardly the right time to be wading through dense blocks of text. If you can provide a clearly written blog post, your readers will thank you. With that in mind, keep your language simple, accessible and to the point. *That’s right, I clocked you. Don’t forget to flush. Personality Harken back to moments ago when I made that excellent point about clarity. That doesn’t mean ‘write like a robot’. Even if your topic is fairly technical or dry (e.g. ‘how to write better blog posts’), you can still inject a bit of personality to keep your reader interested. Now, that’s not to say that every business should use their blog posts as an opportunity to make toilet jokes, that’s just immature. Even if your business has a highly professional image, however, you can still bring a warmth and friendliness to your blogs. In the simplest terms, if people enjoy your writing, they’ll want to read more of it. It’s in your interest to make your blogs a pleasure to read by giving them some added sparkle. Subheadings You know that worrisomely high bounce rate you’ve got there? That’s from users scanning your blog and deciding instantly that it doesn’t contain what they’re looking for. People very quickly skim read blog content and if they think it’s relevant, they’ll stick around to read the rest. You’re the flustered young screenwriter, your readers are the busy movie exec – you’ve got about fifteen seconds to persuade them that your blog has got the goods, baby. That’s where subheadings come in. They’re your elevator pitch. There’s no need to overcomplicate your subheadings; they should just be simple summaries of the points that proceed them. Incidentally, ‘subheadings’ is a pretty good subheading for a point about subheadings, don’t you think? Length Blog posts can vary in length, but the sweet spot tends to be between 500 – 1000 words. That’s long enough to offer value and short enough not to overwhelm the reader. A lot of people are searching online for quick answers, so they’ll usually stick with blogs that are more concise. That can differ though, depending on the user’s intent. If someone is looking for an in-depth guide to a particular subject, they won’t run away from longer blogs that can offer a deeper insight. This particular blog post is 917 words in length. You can count if you want. Call to action If your readers have made it to the end of your blog, it means you’ve captured their interest. Take advantage of that. What would you like them to do next: read more of your impeccable insights? Buy a cool product you’re selling? Get in touch with you? Sign off with a clear call to action, a little invitation that encourages your visitors to extend their stay. On that note… If you’d like me to write better blog posts for your website, get in touch with me. Or, if you’ve got some time to kill, find out about my other services.