10 Ways to Make Your Blog a Powerful Marketing Tool
Blogging is an instrumental part of your content marketing initiative and can be your main traffic driver. But there are certain things that need to be in every blog post for it to be a successful marketing tool. Here are 10 ways to make every blog post as magnetic as a chocolate dollar bill.
1. Visualize the person reading your post and write to them
Successful bloggers don’t write for everyone. They have a specific reader in mind and they write about topics that appeal specifically to them. It helps to visualize your prospective reader (read: client) and write to that person. It’s important to know the following about your reader:
- Likes
- Dislikes
- Informational needs
- Current knowledge of your topic
2. Create a catchy headline
The blogosphere is a crowded place. If you want people to find (and read) your blog posts, you must write headlines that; 1. Capture their attention, 2. Address their informational needs directly and 3. Make powerful claims.
Examples: “5 Surefire Ways to Get a Promotion,” “How to Find and Hire the Right Contractor,” “Are You Getting in the Way of Your Own Success?”
3. Become a storyteller
People need to be able to connect with your message in some way. The easiest way to accomplish this is by storytelling. Telling your customers what you do and how you do it is not as compelling as sharing a story about how someone tried something, learned something, succeeded, failed, etc. Stories can convey a problem, approach and solution all while engaging the reader and softening your “sell.”
4. Write like you talk
You don’t want your blog to sound like a corporate brochure. Using plain, casual language is best and will give your blog personality. A sense of humor is welcomed in blog writing.
5. Give your post structure
Your headline will dictate your structure much of the time, for example, if your headline is “5 ways to…” then you will have 5 different numbered points in your post. Otherwise, break up paragraphs with section headers that explain what you plan to write about, and move the reader through your thought process in an organized fashion.
6. Use short sentences and short paragraphs
The average blog post should be between 250 and 500 words. Short sentences and short paragraphs will make your blog posts easier to read (read: scan). Most people do not read every word, they look for key words and read maybe the first sentence per section. Breaking longer posts into short paragraphs with the most important information in the first sentence will ensure your reader gets your point.
7. Engage instead of solve
The point of blog posts is to pull your readers into a conversation with you and entice them to come back. Don’t solve all their problems in one post. Give them just enough so they return again and again to learn more.
8. Get to the point
Tell your reader what you plan to talk about in the first few sentences and then get to your point. A blog post is no place to get extra wordy.
9. Eliminate weak words
“We were very excited at receiving the opportunity to briefly tell the group about what we provide to our clients,” is much better said, “We were excited to speak to the group about our services.”
10. Use spellcheck and good grammar
This is a big one. You are trying to establish your authority here, so don’t sabotage your efforts with typos and awkward sentence structure. We all make the occasional mistake, because, well, we’re human. But, you don’t want your readers distracted from your message because your post is sloppy. If you aren’t a great writer, pass your draft along to someone else to read and edit before you publish.
