The beauty of a blog is that it gives you endless space for creativity. You can write about whatever topic you want, in any style you want, without worrying about limitations like length or subject matter.
That said, if your goal is to sell a product or service through your blog, then some best practices should be followed to make sure your business gets the most out of its content.
The following is an easy-to-follow guide to creating optimized blogs that will boost traffic and sales while also retaining an authentic voice and personality:
| Takeaways |
|---|
| 1. Understand Your Target Audience |
| 2. Craft Compelling Headlines |
| 3. Start with a Strong Introduction |
| 4. Use Clear and Concise Language |
| 5. Break Content into Digestible Sections |
| 6. Incorporate Visuals to Enhance Readability |
| 7. Tell Stories to Connect with Readers |
| 8. Address Pain Points and Provide Solutions |
| 9. Use Data and Research to Back Claims |
| 10. Include Call-to-Action (CTA) Statements |
1. Know Your Topic
Knowing your topic will help you write a better article, create a better blog post and even create a better title and headline. This is especially true when you are writing for an audience of non-specialists.
In other words, the more specific you can be about what readers need to know about a topic, the more likely it is that they’ll find value in reading your article.
You want to make sure that each piece of content on your site points back to one (or more) of these three things:
- Your product or service
- Your target audience’s pain points/problems
- Your brand
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2. Use A Blog Post Template And Fill In The Blanks
The best way to make sure that you are consistent with your blogging is to use a blog post template. A blog post template will help you fill in the blanks when writing a new blog post, and it will also help keep your posts consistent with one another.
When I started my business, I wasn’t sure how to write articles or blog posts that would sell my product or service. After doing some research, I found out about templates and decided to give them a try. They made all the difference!
Not only did they save me time on writing content for my website (I still use them today), but they also helped me improve my writing style so that people could easily read what I had written without getting bored or confused by long paragraphs that didn’t make sense.
3. Use Long-Tail Keywords
Long-tail keywords are phrases that are more descriptive and specific than the shorter, more generic keyword phrases.
They’re easier to rank for because they have less competition, and they’re easier to write because you can be more descriptive without sounding like an awful copywriter.
In general, long-tail keywords are also easier for readers who don’t enjoy a good story?
And last but not least, long-tail keywords convert better than their shorter counterparts people who read a blog post about “my 7 favorite things about cats!” might be inclined to click through and buy cat food when they see it on Amazon later that day.
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4. Create A Customer Persona Before You Start Writing
A customer persona is a fictional character that represents your ideal customer. It can be based on real people, but it’s more important to capture their characteristics than their names and personal details.
A great way to create a persona is by using existing data about your existing customers and prospects. You can find out lots of information about them from social media profiles, surveys, email marketing campaigns, website analytics and more.
5. Write An Attractive Headline, Not Just An Attractive Blog Post
The headline is the most important part of your blog post. It’s what will get people to click and read. It needs to be short, catchy, specific and relevant to the post. If you can’t express in one sentence what you’re going to say in your blog post then something is wrong with that blog post.
The headline should also be actionable for readers so they know exactly what they’re supposed to do after reading your blog post: buy a product or service from you; share it on social media; etc.
6. Use Simple Language
You should also use simple language. It’s a common mistake for people to write as though they’re speaking to someone who isn’t very smart, but the opposite is true the reader of your blog post is probably intelligent and well-educated.
They aren’t looking for a lecture; they just want information that will help them do their job better. So make sure that you keep it simple enough so that even the most basic employee can understand it!
To accomplish this, there are several things you can do:
- Use short sentences
- Use simple words (below)
- Use simple grammar (exceptions: conjunctions and articles)
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7. Be Consistent With Formatting And SEO Best Practices
Consistency is key. After all, you want to make sure your blog posts are easy for readers to scan and understand. When writing titles, descriptions, and tags (keywords) for each blog post, it’s important to keep the same formatting style throughout all of them.
For example:
Use headings like H1-H6 tags in a consistent way throughout every article so that search engines can easily recognize them as important information on your page. This will help with SEO rankings!
Bold text and italics can be used as well as links between different paragraphs or sentences within a paragraph if they’re valuable pieces of information that relate directly together but don’t need their section separated from everything else going on there
8. Tell A Story, Don’t Just List Information
It’s also important to tell a story, rather than just listing information. Stories are easier to remember and they’re more likely to stick in your readers’ minds.
Here’s how to make your blog post into a good story:
Use the right structure: A narrative structure is great because it makes sense of everything you want to say, and it helps readers understand where each part fits in the whole. You can use one of these structures for your blog post or another type of writing project:
The problem-solution structure: This is often used when talking about how something works (for example, “How To Fix Your Computer Using These 3 Easy Steps”)
The character-setting-plot-theme structure: This is often used when talking about fiction stories or movies (“The Matrix”).
It can also be used for nonfiction stories if you’re trying to convey an idea that’s new or unusual; for example, if you were writing about what life might be like on Mars.
The plot summary structure: This may work well if you want your reader just to get an overview of what happened in a particular book or movie without going into lots of detail — say, if they’ve seen some version but haven’t read/watched all versions yet!
9. Make Your Blog Posts Interactive Through Comments, Polls, And Surveys
Another way to keep your audience engaged is through comments, polls and surveys.
Comments are a great way for you to get feedback from your readers. You can ask them about topics you’re considering writing about, or you can share links to relevant articles on other blogs and ask them what they think of those ideas.
Polls are another great way to get feedback from your readers as well as encourage interaction between them. They’re also a fun way to see which parts of the article were most interesting or informative so that you can use those elements in future posts.
Surveys are similar to polls in that they allow people the opportunity to give their opinions anonymously or publicly (depending on whether they want credit for their answers).
Surveys provide valuable insight into what types of content readers want from writers like yourself which makes it easier than ever before for writers like yourself!
10. Don’t Wait To Create Content Until You’re Inspired By Something Exciting To Write About
Don’t wait to create content until you’re inspired by something exciting to write about. Instead, write about what you know and are passionate about. Your audience will appreciate the authenticity of your content, and it’s easier than you think to find topics that excite you.
Write about something relevant to your audience and/or business goals. This can be a challenge for many companies since there are so many industries out there.
But don’t let this stop you from creating great content! When writing blog posts on topics that are relevant to your audience or industry (or both), make sure they also tie back into one of your core values, such as customer safety or environmental sustainability.
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11. Give Your Blog Posts A Catchy Name And URL
Make sure your blog post title is short and to the point. A title should never be more than 17 characters, which means that if you’re using a keyword in your title, it needs to be one of the first few words.
Make sure your blog post title isn’t misleading. If you have an article about how to remove a stain from white clothing but include a picture of a red dress in the article, people will be disappointed when they don’t find what they were looking for!
Give each blog post an interesting name and URL but not too long! Avoid using numbers or symbols in URLs because they can make them difficult to type (and therefore harder for people to share).
12. Support Your Claims With Hard Evidence And Statistics
There are a few ways you can use hard evidence to support your claims. One way is to include statistics or case studies to prove the validity of your argument.
For example, if you claim that blue widgets increase productivity by 20%, you can back that up with data from an independent study or company case study.
Or if you say that red widgets decrease productivity by 50%, you can cite a clear source for this information (like a third-party website).
Another way to support your claims is through quotes from experts in their respective fields. If one of them says something about widgets and productivity, include that quote in the blog post!
It might also be helpful if one of these experts agrees with what you’re saying you don’t have to do any convincing yourself but even if they don’t agree with everything, including their opinion on certain aspects of life will help add credibility and depth to your posts
13. Write For Your Target Audience
Now that you’ve got an idea for your blog post, it’s time to write it. And writing is all about knowing your audience. So before you begin, ask yourself:
- Who are you writing this blog post for? What’s their background/knowledge level/experience level/etc.?
- What do they want or need from this content?
- How can this help them in some way? Do they learn something new that gives them a competitive advantage over others?
- Does it save them money or time (or both)? Can it help solve their problems or make them look good in front of clients and colleagues?
- What are the keywords for this topic so I can target those terms with my content creation efforts and ideally rank higher on search engines like Google and Bing!
14. Keep It Short
You want to make your blog posts as short and sweet as possible.
If you’re a copywriter, this should be a no-brainer. You know that the shorter your copy is, the more likely people are going to read it and act on it.
But even if you aren’t a sales pro, having a lot of words in your content doesn’t mean anything. It just makes it harder for people to digest their meaning (and remember their message).
When writing blog posts for your business or brand, keep these things in mind:
15. Focus On An Evergreen Topic That Will Grow
When you’re writing a blog post, it’s important to keep in mind that you’ll want your content to be evergreen.
Evergreen topics are topics that will still be relevant for years to come. You don’t want to write about the latest fad or trend because chances are, it won’t last. Instead, think about how long a topic has been around and how long it will likely continue being popular.
For example, I love dogs so I could write an article titled “How To Choose The Perfect Dog Breed For You.”
This is an evergreen topic because there are always new dog owners who need help picking out the right breed. The same goes for things like fashion trends and cooking recipes–there’s always going to be interest in them!
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Conclusion
We know that this list of best practices is a lot to take in but don’t worry! The good news is that many of them are things you may already be doing, or they’re things you can implement over time.
Take it slow and make sure to start with the basics, like formatting your post correctly and making it easy to read for the reader. From there, make sure that your title is attention-grabbing with an engaging opening paragraph.
Further Reading
Content Marketing Best Practices Short Description: Learn effective content marketing strategies and techniques to engage your audience and drive results.
How to Write a Blog Post: The Definitive Guide Short Description: Discover comprehensive insights and step-by-step instructions for creating impactful blog posts that resonate with your readers.
How to Write a Blog Post: A Step-by-Step Guide Short Description: Get a detailed breakdown of the blog post writing process, from idea generation to crafting compelling content.
FAQs
What are the key content marketing best practices?
Effective content marketing involves creating valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and engage your target audience. Prioritize understanding your audience’s needs, using storytelling techniques, and focusing on quality over quantity.
How can I make my blog posts more engaging?
To create engaging blog posts, consider using attention-grabbing headlines, incorporating visuals, adding personal anecdotes, and addressing the pain points of your readers. Interactive elements like polls, quizzes, and multimedia can also enhance engagement.
What should I keep in mind when writing a blog post?
When crafting a blog post, start with a clear and captivating introduction, organize your content into well-structured sections, use concise and readable paragraphs, and wrap up with a compelling conclusion that encourages action.
How do I optimize my blog posts for SEO?
To optimize your blog posts for SEO, conduct keyword research to identify relevant terms, incorporate keywords naturally in your content, write descriptive meta titles and descriptions, and ensure your content provides value to readers.
How can I maintain consistency in my blogging efforts?
Consistency is key in blogging. Create a content calendar to plan your topics and posting schedule, establish a consistent tone and style, and engage with your audience through comments and social media to build a loyal readership.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.