I know some of you don't have blogs - yet. But, if you have a business, a blog or a WordPress website, it is essential to getting your site optimized and engaging with your clients/customers/market.
If you do have a blog, here are some simple tips to keep you blogging with the big dogs.
1. Keep your target reader/customer/purpose in mind. This means you can write about other topics they would be interested in.
2. Break your posts into short paragraphs, with no more than 7 lines each.
3. Use sub-headings between paragraphs. This helps readers to scan and not be overwhelmed.
4. Use body text that is 14px to show up optimally on mobile devices.
5. Use links, rather than writing out a link URL. Don't guess on the links. Best to go to the site that you are linking to and copy the URL and then paste it into the link box.
6. Have calls to action on the pages that your posts are on. Don't make people guess what you want them to do. Make it easy for them to shop with you, become your client, sign up for your newsletter, etc...
7. Use the "read more" tag in your posts, so that the articles on the front page of your blog or on category pages are not too long. You want people to be able to scan a number of titles and thumbnails of your posts. If the posts go on too long, they won't keep scrolling.
8. Use images in your posts. They break up the text and make your posts more appealing. Dreamstime is one of my favorite places to get images at a reasonable cost. You only need the small/low resolution graphics that don't cost very much. You buy yourself $20.00 of Dreamstime credits and then you have access to downloading the images you want.
9. Do post about other people's posts and link back to them. Don't copy their entire post. Just tell your readers what you liked about the material, maybe put your own take on it, and then link to their posts. Hopefully you will write a post or two that other people will link to.
10. Make 'em cry, make 'em laugh or kick up some dust with your posts. These are some of the things that have people comment.
11. Personalize your posts with your own unique voice and then put your own slant on a topic. Otherwise why are they reading it from you?
12. Ask questions of your readers. Get them to start commenting.
13. Use relevant key word phrases (something someone may search on to find your article) in the title and the content of the post. Your post titles may appear in a Feed Reader or search result, so they need to describe what you have written about. On the other hand, don't just stuff key words into your posts. It is bad form and spammy. Plus you risk getting dinged by Google.
14. Proof read and spell check. If you then make mistakes, so be it. Nobody's perfect.
15. Keep a file of good blog post ideas that can move you towards your goals and then make a schedule as to when you will write what.
16. Keep track of what you tell your clients over and over and then write a post about that.
17. Is there something you have figured out how to do? Write a post about that.
18. Is something bothering you about your business? Write a post about that.
19. Can you remember just starting out? Or why you are doing what you do? Write about that.
20. Use lists with bullets or numbered lists. People like them and Google likes them, as they are usually key word rich. Win-win.
Do you have any tips that help you to be a better blogger? I'd love you to share them here with us!