Making the most of your blog posts

Make the most of your blog posts! The better the post the more visitors you’ll get and the better you’ll do in search engine results.

So here are a few tips to keep in mind when writing your posts or articles.

Plan your posts well

Your posts should be planned and structured with your readers’ potentially short attention spans in mind. That’s not to say they’ve all got ants in their pants; it might be because they’re reading your blog on their smartphone on the train, just as they’re about to arrive at their stop. Remember that the web is accessed from anywhere and everywhere!

• A great title is a good starting point. Use your title to sum up what you’re saying with the blog post and grab your readers’ attention.
• You’ve got them for at least a paragraph now, so make sure your first paragraph is engaging and makes them want to read on. That way, even if they’re distracted, they’ll come back to read the rest when they get the chance.
• Short, snappy sentences are better for holding your readers’ attention.
• Don’t get too carried away and veer into more than one topic. Save that for another post! Stay focussed and make sure the ‘story’ you’re telling is simple and engaging.

Pay attention to the details

It’ll probably happen without you knowing it if you’re a one-man-band, but ensure your brand personality comes across in your posts.

This one might go without saying, but make sure the spelling and grammar on your site is good. A simple spelling mistake can undermine your credibility so make sure your spellchecker’s on and you proof read your post once it’s written.

Inspire action

Your reader should finish your post and feel compelled to do something. If you blog about motorcycle maintenance, leave your reader dying to get their hands oily; if you blog about cooking, motivate them to rush to the kitchen and try out your top tips!

If your blog has a comments facility, sign off by inviting your users to leave feedback. Let them know that you care about what they have to say!

Check again!

So you’re ready to upload your blogpost for all to see? Don’t post right away! Come back to it the day after with fresh eyes and read it again. This is also when you’ll be best positioned to spot any issues with the message, spelling and grammar.

Strategy

It sounds like a bit of a drag, but it’s a really good idea to set aside some time to write a post. Blogging regularly will keep your audience engaged.

How often you post depends on what kind of blog you’re running – it might be that posting daily is appropriate, but in most cases once or twice a week is a good amount.

I’d love to know what your experiences with blogging have been – why not let me know over on Twitter?