A blank canvas can be pretty daunting but if you flip it and look at it from the other side, it gives you the freedom to express yourself however you see fit. The main purpose of a blog is to present information and ideas about your specialised topic in an informal, almost chatty way. Remember, it is your chance to show the world who you/your company are – up close and personal.
Is it possible for anyone to write a blog?
The answer is YES! But there are a few things to take into consideration before you start. With the huge volume of blogs now available to us online and consequently fierce competition running parallel to this, it has never been more crucial for us blog writers to generate engaging and captivating content. The kind that is informative and satisfying, yet leaves people wanting more.
Let’s start at the very beginning!
This is where it is important to do some soul searching, you need to ask yourself some very important questions before getting started:
- What kind of writer am I?
- What am I passionate about?
- How do I want people to view me or my company?
- Who will my audience be and how will I reach them?
- How frequently will I post?
- How will my blog be different from others?
Consistently, consistent!
Once you have established who you are and what you will be writing about, you have another obstacle to overcome. Great content often takes time, something that many of us have very little of in this day and age. For your blog to be successful you need to be consistent in both the quality and quantity of the posts you are delivering if you wish for your readers to keep coming back.
A frequently asked question is ‘Why should I post multiple blog posts a week?’ to which the answer is simple. It boosts traffic to your website and generates opportunities to establish new relationships. For those relationships you already have, it will keep your customers up to date on your business. Google also likes to see that a website is continuously being improved and updated.
Writing that first post.
You know what you are writing about and have found your own writing style. Now it is time to see if all that preparation has paid off. There are many things to take into consideration when writing a blog post. Below I have listed what I feel to be vital to the success of a post.
- The Headline – Make it clear, accurate and to the point. This doesn’t mean you can’t make it sexy! Have fun with it: use wordplay or alliterations to add some zazz!
- Seductive intro – On average 55% of people spend 15 seconds or less reading an article, if it hasn’t caught their attention by then, they are off. (Thank you if you are still reading!) Get straight to the point. Ask a question that they need to know the answer to and hold them captive until it is answered.
- Create Sub-headings – Opening a page full of long paragraphs is enough to put most people off. Break it up into easily digestible sections.
- Informative – Teach your readers something, this is your chance to show them that you really know your stuff.
- Make it easy to understand – Don’t use difficult language that will break the flow for the reader. People want information but they don’t want to work too hard for it.
- Layout – Make it attractive, easy on the eye for the reader. Don’t be afraid to use colour or the different styles, such as bolding your words to help the reader focus.
- Images – This creates visual interest which will make people intuitive. It also breaks up the written content making it appear shorter and more digestible.
- Remember a good call to action – This directs people to the area of your website you wish for them to visit.
Always believe the impossible.
Be prepared, it is unlikely you will see positive results straight away. It takes time to see the benefits of your blog writing efforts and build that devoted following. However, once it starts you will see it is well worth the wait.
At this point, you may be wondering how it is possible for people to successfully keep up with writing two posts a week for their business, let alone more. After all, they are just normal people like you or me with a multitude of things written on their to-do lists. This is where we can help! Topcontent can take some of that pressure off while taking your blog to the next level by producing top quality content curated specifically for your company. That’s one thing you can scratch off the list right now. Check out our services!
