Whether you want to author a nice quick piece for a LinkedIn Post or start a full-blown series that you host from your website or the myriad of blogging sites out there, here are some surefire ways to make sure your blog engages readers.
Hook them immediately. If you have a title that doesn’t tell the reader what your article is about or is so dull the person doesn’t want to read on, you’ve already failed! A great title and great introductory first sentence or two will help ensure the success of a compelling blog. I’ve shared this before, but a free tool I like to use is:
https://www.aminstitute.com/headline/
I scored 57.14% on the above headline which puts it in a very acceptable realm.
Know your audience. Your blog needs to be authored with an end user in mind – not just for your love of seeing your words on paper! Who are you trying to reach and why? Answer that question each time you start a blog.
If you are blogging for business, you are trying to gain trust and establish yourself as an industry expert. Do that by sharing useful content not by praising your company’s efforts. Your post should be useful to the reader. Read your first draft and ask yourself if you were in your target audience, would I learn something from this?
Short and sweet is good if you can convey the information correctly. Remember to use relevant keywords to aid in SEO efforts no matter how short your blog is. Also, don’t be afraid of quick bullets or enumerated points for people to consume. You are making it simple for them, as well as valuing their limited time.
Try to end your blog asking for action, response or effort, but do not ask them to buy your product or service.
Include a photo. Engagement online with photos is well-covered territory; grab the reader visually with something that is relevant to the blog’s content.
Use Grammarly or something of the sort. You are not credible as a business expert if you can’t spell. Also, keep text simple – don’t try to impress your audience with five-syllable words.
The end game is getting them to come back. If you did your job correctly, you have left the reader convinced that you are a credible source and that it’s worth checking your blogs out again – better yet your company!