Elements of a Great blog

The term blog, meaning web log or also known as an e-journal, was not even coined until the late 1990’s when individuals would keep running diaries of their day online whether it was business or otherwise.  These were fairly obscure and mostly only read by the authors themselves. From those humble beginnings blogging has evolved into a massive marketing strategy that switched over to mainstream media in the last two decades. In fact, as of June 2014, there were more than 42.5 million blog posts published on WordPress.com alone. How, then, can a business be sure to stand out from the crowd and attract readers that will convert to consumers for your products or services?  There are several key elements that every bog needs in order to make it successful.

• Title and subtitles – Before a reader even thinks about clicking on your blog, he/she will examine the title and subtitles.  Are they eye-catching?  Does the title offer a benefit to the reader or offer valuable information?  Be sure to think about your title not only in how a search for the title will be found on Google or the other search engines, but also how it will attract the consumer.
• Hook ’em – The lead or opening paragraph to the blog should capture the reader’s attention and make them want to read further.  This could include: a question that may face business people in your field,  an insider’s perspective or a humorous account.  Whatever your style may be, the first paragraph needs to be well thought out at hook them into reading more.
• Bullets and numbers – People have extremely short attention spans especially if they are busy running a company.  Believe it or not, according to Quicksprouts research on consumer behaviors, the average reader will only spend 8 seconds deciding to continue reading or to close the page.  Bullets and numbering can make it easy for visitors to scan the blog and garner key points.  If they like what they see, they will spend more time reading.  Studies also show that readers stay on the page longer with fonts larger than 9 or 10 point font.
• Writing – Nothing is worse than mentally fixing grammatical or typographical errors in the article you are reading.  Make sure the writing is above par and edit all for small errors.
• Engaging images – Use images that capture the essence of what you are saying. Whenever possible use custom images instead of common stock images.  This uniqueness will help make a connection with your reader and ultimately your company.
• Social Media Connections – Be sure all social media icons are easy to find either at the top or bottom of your blog so that the reader can choose to follow you or your company on other platforms.
• Voice – Once you have chosen the voice you will use, such as educational, humorous, authoritative or conversational – keep it consistent.  Your tone and voice will shine through all of your social media  and most importantly in your blog.  Be human and allow the reader to relate to what you are saying.

Categorised in: Blog, Blogging