Five Tips For Successful Blog Writing

A blog is a simple, yet effective way to promote a business. When written well, blogs can position a brand as an industry leader; yet many marketers struggle to leverage this tool to its maximum effect.

Here are five tips that can bolster your blog writing skills, craft successful posts and build the reputation your brand deserves.

Tip #1: Know your audience

To write good blog posts, keep your brand’s customers or end users firmly in mind. What are their common questions, points of confusion, little-used-but-helpful product features? If your blog can solve customers’ common problems or share tricks-of-the-trade, customers will value your brand. Write in the same conversational tone you’d use when speaking to your customer in person. Post a picture of your target customer persona and write to that very individual each time.

Tip #2: Use a compelling headline

A great blog post that no one reads is a lost opportunity. Without a good headline, viewers will not want to read or share your content. A headline provides readers with an initial impression of the blog post’s subject matter. That impression can make or break a post. Make sure that the headline, in seven to ten words, gets right to the point of the post. Just like a compelling image, strong headlines are like a window that helps “draw” readers into a story.

Tip #3: Use subheadings

One thing that can doom a blog is a dense page layout. No one likes to read an endless string of gray paragraphs. Subheads help break up your copy, while allowing readers to skim your content. Subheads also introduce different topics/sections, creating create structure for your story. In short, subheads make reading — and comprehending —  easier.

Tip #4: Use bullet points

While most stories are multifaceted and contain numerous subplots, readers today want to get to your main points fast. To ensure the key points of your story are readily attainable, use bullet points to aid skimming and reinforce key messages.  This very “list of tips” that you are reading demonstrates the value of using more bullet points and subheads.

Tip #5: Create a clear call-to-action

Persuasive writing is all about motivating readers to act. Such “conversions” help move prospects deeper through the sales funnel (or the next stop along their customer journey, depending on which metaphor you organization prefers). Different CTAs, or calls to action, can also target prospects at various stages of the journey.

Whether you want readers to check out a new product, sign up for your sweepstakes promotion, or to share your app with their friends, it’s important to provide a clear next step. A good call-to-action is easy to spot, and powerful verbs encourage readers to “get my free trial” or “download here.”

Make sure to experiment with different placement options for your CTAs including inline prompts, as well as the more intrusive “stop everything you’re doing”-type of popups or slide-ins.

Successful blogs

Remember, a blog is an invaluable tool for starting a conversation with your customers. Use it to demonstrate your brand’s position as an industry innovator by writing stories that bring your products to mind. If done right, a blog can bring in more sales and brand recognition.

Strong blog content and lead-nurturing programs reduce the burden on your salesforce, delivering highly qualified leads 70 percent of the way through the purchasing cycle.   

Need help with creating a blog?  Put our smart content experts to work for your brand. Call us today at 815.469.9100 or visit our webpage to learn how blogs can help drive better business outcomes.