The tip today is:
How to Write Blog Posts that People actually Want to Read.
The short answer is that your posts should be relevant, of value, informative and entertaining to your audience. Of course, the information also has to be in sync with the services that you provide. So, let’s see how to do this in the most effective way.
Checklist of 7 Blogging Tips
1. Captivating headline
There are studies showing that 85% of your audience will determine whether or not to read your post based on the headline and subject title alone. (So consider spending most of your time thinking about what your headline should be).
David Oglivy, the Father of Advertising said this about headlines:
“On average, five times as many people read the headline that read the copy. When you have written your headline, you have spent eighty cents out of your dollar.”
Who are we to disagree with the Father of Advertising, really?
The headline needs to be magnetic, drawing in your readers and getting them to read the post. Think of your message and what you want to convey to your readers and what solutions they offer to the problems your market is struggling with.
The headline needs to be short (less than 8 words) and creative.
2. Keep it Simple
You don’t need to use big industry words to impress your readers with your knowledge. They already recognize you as the authority in your field- that’s why they have come to read your post/article.
Keep your wording simple so that they understand your message. Studies show that you should gear your language to those reading on less than a 7th grade level.
3. Sub-headers pique interest
Sub headlines keep the reader interested and help continue getting the attention that the headline started. Having several subheads in bold print sprinkled through the post gives the person skimming the information, a sense of what it is all about.
An additional trick is having sub headlines contain your keywords to help boost your search engine rankings.
4. Bullets and Lists
People love reading lists. They are easier to remember and readers can see at a single glance that there is a limited amount of information that needs to be digested. Use numbered lists or bullet points. It helps people read blog posts and find the information they are looking for instantly and helps skimmers get the gist of your message.
5. Use images and Videos
People love GIFs. They are funny and cute; when used in the appropriate place, it helps your post go viral.
Interesting images and videos tell a story in a much easier way than words alone ever will and do much to attract readers to your post. They grab your readers and gives them a break from lengthy text. Tell a story. People love stories. Consider case studies of your good outcomes.
6. Font and Presentations work on your behalf
Use a larger font size so that the reader does not have to strain. Avoid the use of italics unless it is needed for titles since it is harder to read and keep the fonts and typefaces legible. Sans-Serif fonts (without the squiggly bits) are easier to read on-screens, and of course there are others. Many leading bloggers use the sans-serif font Roboto that is created for easy reading.
Use bolding for Titles, sub heads and lists to attract attention. Bolding says- “hey look at me, I’m important in this post”.
7. Call-To-Action
Don’t forget the purpose of your blog post. Sure, you want to be informative and to entertain but at the end of the day, you want more than just having your reader say, “Oh, that was interesting” and then go onto something else on line t answer their questions. You want to tell your reader what to do next. If you have truly done your job of being captivating, relevant and of value, your reader will take the next step.
The thing is, you have to tell them what the next step is!
Examples of calls-to-action include:
- Click here to read another article
- Call to make an appointment
- Click to request a guide/FAQ sheet/ instruction sheet/ ebook or anything that you can offer
- Go to Contact tab to ask any additional questions
Need Help?
Perhaps you’d like a blog but you don’t have the time in your schedule to be consistent with one.
No worries. I can do this for you! Contact Barbara@TheMedicalStrategist.com
Let’s get you started!
