Blogging for your business site can put you ahead of local competitors who put blogging on the backburner. You don't have to be a copywriter or a professional blogger to do this, but there are a few things that make blogging different from other types of writing.
You have to remember that when people read something online you only have a few moments to get their attention. They'll probably scan the page looking for that exact piece of information they're looking for. They're in a hurry. With that in mind, here are some key factors to remember when writing your blog posts.
Create attention-grabbing headlines
If your title is boring, how do you expect to grab anyone's attention? Regardless of whether they see your headline in a search result, a Twitter feed or a list of recent posts on your blog, the headline has to pull them in. You should be treating your titles like your business depends on it. If you create amazing headlines and follow the rest of these tips you can increase your readership dramatically.
Keep it short
The Pew Research Center says that as of April, 2012 over 50 percent of Americans used their smartphones to access the internet. If you've ever tried to browse websites on your phone then you know that it isn't the easiest thing sometimes. If you're creating posts that are extensive and super-long then readers are more than likely move on. They won't strain to try to read that crazy-long post you published. Get your point across quick and keep it short.
Keep it simple
Don't try to impress readers with fancy words. Chances are, that some of your readers won't understand what you're trying to say. Using big fancy words doesn't impress them. It annoys them and they aren't going to stick around trying to figure out what you mean.
Keep in mind how your reader benefits
What benefit does your reader get from reading your post? This is a biggie. Unless they're already avid fans who hang on your every word, they probably aren't too interested in why you chose LED lights for your business. But if they're going to learn about a light bulb website that saves them quite a bit of money they'll probably be more interested.
Keep interacting
If you've done everything above then you should have readers hungry for more. Don't let that go to waste. Use a clear call to action at the end of your post. Ask them to sign up to your newsletter. Tell them to visit a special deal page you've created. Tell them to follow you on Facebook. Tell them to leave their opinion in the comments section. Whatever! But tell them something.
Print this out and hang it next to your computer screen (or where ever you would see it while creating blog posts in the future). Put it to use and watch your blog gain more traction a little more with each and every post.
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