Blogs!
It is a word that you will hear bandied around in many business spaces.
Everyone knows what a blog is these days. However, not everyone has the right perception of the word.
When I say “blogs”, I am not talking about the Mummy blogs or the Travel blogs that you might read in your spare time. I am talking about a business blog. A great resource designed to provide valuable information to your readers and proving to them that your business is the obvious choice for them.
Good blog content is very powerful for your business.
It can boost your SEO, increase website traffic, generate leads, highlight your expertise and lay the foundations of a strong relationship with your audience.
But, how do you write the GOOD blogs that everyone wants to read?
There are a few essential ingredients that a good blog must include, they are…
Every Good Blog Post Needs…
A Great Topic
Without a compelling and interesting topic, a blog post is simply words on the page. Probably a bunch of waffly words if we are honest!
Leave the waffling for the breakfast table and pick something that your audience is going to be really interested in reading about. Something that is topical for them. Maybe a question you get asked all the time, the problems you help to solve, bust an industry myth, talk about something seasonal, or tackle something that is happening in the media right now.
Whatever it is, make sure that you are focused on one central idea. Don’t try and cover the history of the world in 500 words!
A Click-Worthy Title
The title of your blog is really important. It is the first advertisement for what your readers will learn. So, make it interesting! Make them want to click through to read the blog. If your title is boring, people will keep scrolling.
There is no perfect formula for writing a great title, so think about the things that stop you in your scroll and make you click through to read. Posing a question or making a bold statement is great, you just need to back it up in the content of the blog.
Ever-popular titles are ones that tell your reader they are going to learn something… “The 5 Best Vacation Spots For Under $500”, or “10 Easy Ways To Recycle More”.
An Attention Grabbing Introduction
If readers have made it through to your introduction then you succeeded in having a great title, congratulations! Don’t falter now! Now you have to hold their interest and set the scene for the rest of the piece.
Start your introduction with a bang so that your audience will want to read more. Ask a question, make another bold statement, tell a joke, paint a picture of your client’s “before” story, basically anything that will grab attention.
From there, you want to tease out what people will learn when they read. Don’t give away the ending yet, otherwise, why would they read to the end?
The Value Packed Body Copy
You have set the scene, now it is time to get into the good stuff. The body of the blog is where you want to deliver value to your readers.
You want to make sure they learn something and have some actionable points that they can take away and implement.
Break up your content under sub-headings and aim for around 3 points (or more) within the body content. Vary your sentence length, and try not to have too many that contain more than 20 words. Also, go for short paragraphs as they are easier to read.
Be interesting and don’t worry about giving away too much intel. Only you can do what you do, the way you do it! In saying that, don’t give away your trade secrets either.
Conclusion
It is important to round off your piece with a conclusion. Your conclusion doesn’t have to be super long, just a couple of lines to sum up how you delivered on the promises in your introduction. After all, it would be odd if a piece just stopped mid flow without a conclusion to tie it all together!
The Essential Call To Action
A call to action is one of the most important parts of a good blog. It lets your reader know how they can take the next steps with your business. They are not likely to be mind readers, so if you don’t tell them what to do next, they will probably do nothing!
The best calls to action direct readers to a place where you can capture their details. This could be done by offering a great freebie resource or getting them to sign up for your newsletter.
If they are willing to enter their details, then you know they are interested in what you do. And going forward, you can stay in touch with them via your newsletter.
There you have it, the essential ingredients for a good blog post. Want more great tips like these? Then sign up for my newsletter below to receive them right to your inbox!
(See what I did there with my call to action?!)