How to write great blog content for your business
Picture this: you’re on two competing businesses websites, you’re trying to decide who to choose to do business with. It’s a tough one.
You then stumble on a blog page on one of their sites. There’s posts that address all your concerns, answer your questions and convince you that they know their stuff.
Which business are you going to choose? The one with the blog that looks like they have it all together, or the one with minimal content which has left you with doubt?
Ladies and gents, if you’re wanting to take your marketing to the next level, a blog is a proven way of generating more business.
Content marketing is super relevant right now. Your followers want value for free, and you can give that to them. You can dangle your knowledge in their face (or screens), and you know what, they’d be silly not to choose you.
Blogs also give you shareable content for your social media pages and your newsletters, and we all know how hard it is coming up with content when you’re busy.
So how do you write an engaging blog post for your website? Here’s our top 13 tips to get you started.
1. IS YOUR BLOG TOPIC INTERESTING?
It seems pretty straight forward, but does your blog idea have legs?
The first step you need to take is brainstorming content ideas that you think your readers will want to learn more about. And ask yourself, is it shareable? If you post this on your LinkedIn and Facebook, will people comment and share your post? If not, back to the drawing board.
2. IT’S ALL IN THE HEADLINE
You’ve written a blog post so you want people to actually read it, right? It all starts with a catchy headline that hooks the reader in. And you don’t have to be a writer to put together a great one.
Here are some proven headline formulas you can use to DIY.
Ask a question: Do you know how to write engaging blogs?
Use the “How to” “Learn how” or “Here’s how” formula: Learn how to write a blog, Here’s how to write a blog, How to write a killer blog post
Use numbers: 5 business blogging mistakes and easy fixes, 13 easy ways to improve your blog
Use power words: New, Introducing, Discover, Results, Proven, Save, Free, Guarantee, Now
Combine two of the above steps: Do you make these 5 blogging blunders?
Another tip: Make sure your headline is less than 60 characters long so it’s not cut off by Google and other search engine results.
3. INCLUDE A STRONG INTRO
Once you’ve got your headline sorted, the next step is coming up with an engaging opening sentence or paragraph that grabs your readers attention and plays with their emotions. Here’s some ways you can start your blog post:
Ask a thought provoking question
Reveal a surprising fact or statistic (and back it up)
Share an anecdote or quote
Tackle a problem readers may be facing
Reveal the benefit of what readers will get out of your post
Keep it short and punchy
4. ADDRESS YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE
Think about who will be reading your post and what they will want to know. If you’re in the lifestyle industry you can be more conversational in your tone of voice. If you’re a corporate firm, your language will be more on the formal side.
5. USE SUB-HEADINGS
Now, you need to ask yourself: is your blog easy to read? Make your content scannable by using sub-headings. For example, for an 800-word blog post aim for at least 4 sub-headings so your content can be broken up into digestible pieces of copy so readers can jump to the bits that interest them. In each sub-heading, you can also use some of your keywords and keyword variations to boost SEO.
6. USE RELEVANT, EYE-CATCHING IMAGES
Adding visual elements to your blog will keep your reader’s interest and make reading your blog a far more enjoyable experience.
The most important image is your hero shot (the main photo people see when they click on your post). This image needs to be relevant, eye-catching, and complement your headline.
You can use content of your own, purchase a stock image, or if you’re game, go searching for a royalty-free image on sites like Pexels; Pixabay or Unsplash.
But, when using images, don’t forget to include image credits to the original source or photographer. Copyright is real. Don’t be stung with a nasty fine.
7. INSERT LINKS
No, we don’t mean inserting links into your copy like this www.fabricommunications.com.au You can hyperlink relevant words to direct readers to a site or the source of your information.
There’s two types of links you should be using:
Interlinking
Interlinking is a link to another page within your website (ie. A services page, or another blog post you have written).
Interlinking is super helpful for SEO, and helps reduce bounce rate (the number of visitors to your website that leave after viewing one page). In each blog post, try to include at least 1-2 links to other content on your site.
Outbound hyperlinks
Including external links within your blog also helps with SEO. Use a few links to high-quality websites, but make sure they’re relevant to the topic and contextual.
Another tip: When inserting links into your copy, make sure they open in a new window, as you don’t want people leaving your site that quickly, do you.
8. FACT-CHECK AND ATTRIBUTE QUOTES
Blogs, just like news articles, need to be factually correct and attribute information to the original source. Do 96% of people think xyz? Ok, great. But, where did you get this figure from? Include a link to your source. This builds trust in your readers and credibility for you. Remember to back up all your claims.
9. USE BULLET POINTS TO BREAK UP COPY
Within your paragraphs, break it up with some bullet points to make the copy easier to read. Our top tips:
Keep your bullet points short, up to 2 lines each
You don’t need to include a full stop at the end of the bullet point
Use bullet points in moderation
Keep the list brief- It isn’t your Christmas list
10. INCLUDE CATEGORIES AND TAGS
When you’re ready to post your blog, the platform you’re using (ie. Wordpress, Squarespace) will give you the option of adding categories and tags on the backend. This is to help your website organise your blog posts by subject matter, and help your readers find archive content relevant to them easily. Categories are typically general and tags can be more specific.
11. DON’T FORGET SEO
We’ve touched on some ways to make your blog SEO-friendly (Google-friendly). In case you missed it, here are some easy tips to implement:
Conduct keyword research and sprinkle keywords and keyword variations organically through your Headlines, sub-headings and copy
Add a proper title tag and meta description (the text that shows up in the result of your Google search)
Include an image alt attribute (rename your images to describe what they are showing and use keywords here too).
12. PROOFREAD YOUR POST
Before you post your blog, sleep on it. Read your copy the next day with a fresh set of eyes, and then get someone else to read it. When you publish, have another look through and make sure its formatted correctly, there is consistent spacing, appropriate fonts and headings.
13. END WITH A CLEAR CALL-TO-ACTION
This is a non-negotiable. You need to include a great call-to-action at the end of your blog posts that invites the reader to do what you want them to do. This may be a question prompting readers to leave a comment, follow you on Facebook, sign up to your newsletter or book in an appointment.
You could say things like:
Do you have any other blog tips that are working for you? Share your examples in the comments below!
Curious how blogs can help your business reach its marketing goals? Call us on
0424 502 111 for an obligation-free discussion.Want to know how much a blog costs? Head to our Services page to find out more.
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