Everyone seems to have a blog these days - in fact, as of June, 2014, there were more than 42.5 million blog posts published on WordPress.com alone. That said, to make your blog stand out from the crowd, your posts must be more than just present; they need to be great and consist of these vital elements.
1. Write eye-catching titles and headlines
Before anyone reads the actual context of your post, they are going to see your headline first. Bloggers should keep a set of good headline templates for brainstorming and writing reference.
2. Open with a bang
If your blog visitors get to read your first 2 - 3 sentences, they are more likely to read your entire article.
3. Use Engaging Images
Articles with images attract more back links and views.
4. Proper post segmentation
Proper page segmentation with sub headlines, bullet points, images, tables, quotes, and charts allows people to scan and read your post easily.
5. Social Media Network Friendly
When people see something they like, they like to share it with friends - making this easy for them to do will help you gain more blog traffic from social media networks. Also, interact with your readers and encourage them to share your post (use call-to-action) on social media can greatly increase your blog traffics.
6. Have your own voice
Your voice is what sells your blog and makes it your own. Never be too shy to show your personality and take your stance against criticism . After all, controversial post often get more links and social network attentions.
7. Use Call-to-action (CTA)
Make sure that every blog post has specific objectives (ie. to boost social shares or email signups) for you and direct your readers to do what you want them to do via CTA. A/B test to optimize your CTA.
Further Reading
There are many things that turn an okay or good blog post into a great one - and the above are just a few of those ways. Interesting content that is unique, purpose driven, and full of relevant information from a good, reliable source never goes bad. Better yet is giving that post personality.
If you are keen to learn more - I discussed some of these elements in detail in my previous post - Good to Great: How to Make A Good Blogpost Great.
Do share with us your tips on turning good content into great blogpost. All ideas, tips, and thoughts are welcome.