In recent years, blogging has boomed. It has changed from something that bored people used to do on the internet into one of the more lucrative marketing tools on the market. So, by now, you have probably heard how important blogging is for bringing in website traffic and improving customer engagement.
If you are working on a digital marketing strategy, then content is an important element. And a blog is part of this content. One of the questions you might have, however, is, “How do I actually write a blog post?” This is an especially hard task if you are not a natural writer or creative person, but with some simple tricks and tips, you can soon pen the perfect blog post.
Know Your Audience
Before you sit down in front of your screen and put a finger to keyboard, you will need to have a clear understanding of your target audience. You will need to know what they want from your business (and its content), what their interests are, and what their intent is when searching for the keywords for your business.
For example, if your audience is students who are looking to start their own side business, you likely will not need to explain to them how to use social media – this is something they know more than enough about. However, you could create a blog post explaining how they will need to separate their personal social media profile form their business profile in order to remain professional.
Find A Home
Now you have an understanding of your audience, you can move on to finding a CMS (content management system) and a website hosting service. If you do not have a large budget, you can use affordable platforms such as WordPress.com or WordPress.org, or even Wix or Weebly.
However, if you would like to own your domain name and have a professionally designed and written blog, then it is wise to speak to a digital marketing agency. They will help you by creating a responsive, beautiful blog as well as provide the content for it. If you feel as though you can handle the task alone, investing in a website hosting service rather than a free blog is better for business and more professional.
Create A Content Strategy
Once you have decided on a blog or website theme and host, you will need to move on to creating a content strategy. A content strategy involves researching keywords for topics, finding images for the blog posts, and thinking of interesting and relevant topics to engage with your audience. You will also need to create a schedule of when you will post your blogs.
For example, you might want to start off your blog-writing adventure with a “how-to” post based on a product or service that you offer. If you sell coffee-making equipment online, by performing keyword research, you might find that a long-tail keyword that has a high volume is “how to make a cup of coffee”. You can craft a blog post about this and link to your equipment in the body. A content strategy helps to keep your blog focused.
Heat Up That Headline
Headlines are what grab readers from the very first second. They are what draw in potential leads and conversions, which means that you will need to ensure that your headline is attention-grabbing and relevant. The headline also provides guidance to you as the writer, helping you to stay on-topic throughout the article.
If you want your blog post to be clear, concise, and valuable, then your headline needs to guide readers on a journey. In simple terms, it needs to set the destination for the blog post. Your headline should entice readers by providing an answer to a question that has been keeping them up at night, but it should also not sound like clickbait (read: BuzzFeed articles). This balance is difficult, but achieving it will create sharable content for readers.
Captivate With Your Introduction
Your headline is fantastic, punchy, and intriguing. But…your introduction is found wanting. If you want your audience to continue reading past the first sentence, your blog’s introduction needs to captivate readers. You can include an interesting fact or statistic to pique their interest, or even start the blog off with a joke or famous quote.
Your introduction should also describe the purpose of the post in order to keep people interested and reading. This will also provide them with a connection as to how the blog will help to improve their lives and answer their question. Introductions should never be longer than eight to ten lines, anything longer and readers will lose concentration.
Bring Out The Big Blogs
Blogging can be a highly effective marketing tool for your business, especially if it is optimised for search engines. Using keywords will help with this, as will creating a headline that is simple and to the point.
Start by understanding your audience and finding a CMS and hosting system you prefer. Create a content strategy with headlines and introductions that will surprise and delight your audience. If you would like to start your journey towards content marketing success, contact NetMechanic today to find out how we can help you.