Do you ever feel that the content you write is a waste of time? Is anyone reading it? Does anyone care? Usually when people start feeling this way, it’s because they had their expectations too high.
When you first start writing blog articles, it’s easy to get excited and hopeful. Many businesses hope for more sales, a large community of fans and dozens of comments. Unfortunately, this doesn’t always happen.
I’m here to remind you that a company blog is still very important and very relevant. It accomplishes many things and is a core part of your content marketing strategy. Don’t expect the customers to come pouring in, but do expect to drive traffic to your website, increase SEO, develop better customer relationships and position your brand as an authority. Keep your eyes on these prizes and you’ll do just fine.
Tips & Tricks for Creating Engaging Blog Content
To help you get your content into more hands, it’s important that all blog articles are interesting, relevant and shareworthy. Here are a few reminders on how to accomplish this with each piece of content you publish.
-
Choose a worthy topic. Pick a topic that your audience would enjoy knowing more about. Often times, these topics center on common questions, pain points, breaking news, personal experience, etc.
-
Craft an engaging headline. People are flooded by online content, so you need a title that is captivating yet accurate. You don’t want to mislead your audience.
-
Start with a short introduction. Use a few lines to connect with readers, explain the problem at hand and discuss how you plan to address it. This helps readers decide if they should continue reading.
-
Break up content. Keep paragraphs short, typically 3-4 sentences. Use bullet points and numbered lists where you can, and break up your content using subheadings (usually every 3-5 paragraphs). Scannable content is easy to skim over while absorbing key information – which most people do.
-
Use real world examples. To make your content more relatable, use examples. Otherwise, the content gets boring and predictable. You can make up stories or share personal experiences.
-
Include graphical elements. All images should support your content and be high in quality. Photos, screenshots, blockquotes, tables, charts and graphs, etc. are all visuals to experiment with.
-
Ensure a great mobile experience. Many people will be reading your blog articles online so be sure to create a good experience for them. A responsive design is the best way to accomplish this.
-
Offer special discounts. Give readers a reason to keep coming back. Discount codes, giveaways and special promotions increase traffic and brand loyalty.
-
Add social sharing buttons. Add social sharing buttons to your articles, but do limit them. Include buttons only for your top 2 or 3 highest-converting social channels.
-
Promote your content. Content promotion is just as important as production. To get your blogs noticed on social media, invest in paid advertising.
Your blog is an integral part of your digital marketing strategy. By having realistic expectations and following our tips above, you can create more shareworthy, interesting blog posts that help you reach your goals.
