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If you are wondering how to write great content for a blog, this article has 16 actionable tips you can start using today to bring massive value to your readers. Writing blogs that generate traffic, and score high rankings is more than a catchy title, and the over-use of keywords. Transforming “good” content into “great” content requires a detailed, and systematic approach. An enthusiastic blog post can start the audience down the path that leads them to your brand, but the level of engagement that content creates will dictate the opinion your audience will have when they get there.
A well-crafted blog post has the ability to connect the reader to your product for the long term. In this article, we will examine several strategies and tactics which will help you write unique blog content that gets results.
16 Strategies and Tactics to Write Unique Blog Content
Targeted Keywords
The correct and appropriate use of keywords is vitally important to the success of any blog or article. However, as necessary as they are, keywords are a catch 22. If used incorrectly, they can generate the opposite of what you were hoping for. Make sure you follow these suggestions for the proper use:
- Thoroughly research the keywords that are relevant to your topic, and identify which of those are the most often searched for. The most popular search terms are generally the ones which rank highly. (There are both free and paid search-tools that can help you with this.)
- Once you have selected your keyword, or words, use them as organically as possible. 2 to 3 uses in a 1000 word blog is sufficient. Any more than that, and it begins to sound forced and unnatural. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is “stuffing” your work full of common search terms. It decreases the readability of the piece, and most search engines actually penalize for this.
- Pay attention to your competitors, but don’t get too bogged down by what they’re doing. If they’re posting great quality stuff, use it as motivation to make your content even better. On the other hand, if your rival’s website reads like a third-grade book report, don’t assume you can get away with that. Your audience deserves the best, and they won’t stick around very long if that’s not what they’re getting.
Target Your Audience
Be clear about who your audience is, and create targeted content that speaks directly to them. What is the demographic where your product will be the most successful? Before creating any content, make sure you have answered these questions:
- Who is your target audience:
- What is their gender?
- What is their age group?
- If they are students, what is their education level?
- If they are employed, what is their occupation?
- Where is your audience?
- Do they live in Australia, or in another part of the world?
- In what part of the country are they located?
- Do they live in a city, a suburb or in a rural area?
- What are your audience’s expectations of you?
- What do they think your product will do for them?
- What are their individual needs and requirements?
- What issues are they facing, and concerns do they have?
Create Useful Content
Search engines love high-quality content, and your audience feels the same. If you’re writing a blog, be sure that you create comprehensive content that covers all the major points of your chosen topic. Make sure you do your research. The audience is looking to you as the authority on any given subject, so it’s pretty important that you actually know what you’re talking about.
Create Readable Content
If your blog reads like War and Peace translated into ancient Summarian, your target audience will probably run very far away from your website. A simple guideline to follow is this: if you wouldn’t say it, then don’t write it. Basically, try to write the way you speak. This will help keep your piece flowing, and sounding natural. A few other points to keep in mind are:
- Use smaller sentences/paragraphs. They are quicker to read, and easier to scan.
- Don’t get too fancy. Use plain, standard fonts.
- Proofread your work. Make sure it is free of both spelling, and grammatical errors.
- Utilise “readability” tools to verify the calibre of your content.
- Incorporate pictures and videos when applicable.
Posting Frequency
How frequently you post your blogs can have a significant impact on your readership. If you make your blog an afterthought by posting content erratically, and infrequently, your audience will make it an afterthought, as well. Having a consistent and reliable posting schedule will help maintain your audience’s engagement.
Create Eye-catching Headlines
Typically, when something appears at the top of an internet search results page, the first thing people will look at is the headline. A catchy and memorable title or headline will grab the reader’s attention, and generate more clicks. Blogs, or other articles that don’t make use of headlines (or use really bad ones) simply get ignored. Again, research is your friend. Study up on how to write creative headlines.
A powerful headline is one of the best ways in which you can promote your product, and creates an immediate connection between you and the reader. It gives the audience a pretty good idea of what they’ll find in your blog; both the information it contains, and the quality in which that information is provided. Think of it like a “pick up line.” If you’re hoping to get a phone number, your line better be a good one.
Use Visual Effects When Creating Your Content
It is human nature for the eye to be attracted to colourful things. Adding some visual flair to your posts, such as infographics, pictures, images and colours is a great way to grab attention, and develop interest in your work. Simple words can become tedious, or even worse: boring! Putting a little pizzazz on the page will help keep your audience reading until the end.
I’ve been using ‘Visme‘ on several projects, and find it is an excellent alternative to Canva so suggest checking it out.
Create Content That Gets The Reader Involved
This is really much easier than you probably think. Something as simple as giving your reader the option to “share” your blog on social media can go a long way. Other ways to promote reader involvement is the ability to leave a review or comment, or even provide a testimonial, or guest post.
Create Screen-friendly Content
This is another easy one. It only takes a few minor touches to make your post look professional and attractive on-screen.
- Use strong and catchy headings, and subheadings.
- Add images or videos when appropriate.
- Utilize numbers and bullet points to better organize information.
- Make sure your title stands out.
Find Your Voice
Your readers don’t have the benefit of hearing your tone or inflexion when reading your blog. So, you have to make sure to convey the proper sentiment through the words on the screen. This part definitely trips up many writers. When you were little, someone probably told you once or twice to “speak with a smile in your voice.” Well, the concept remains the same. Only now, you have to “write with a smile in your voice. ”When creating your piece, there are certain elements you’ll want to include, as they will help set the correct tone:
- What story does your blog tell?
- Does it have personality?
- Does it feel like the reader is communicating with a real person?
- Does the blog listen to, and interact with the reader?
- Does the blog have a point of view, and is it relevant to the context?
Create Backlinks Within Your Post
This can be a bit tougher to pull off. However, if you can manage it, it’s a fantastic way to increase your readership, and get a whole lot more eyes on your website. Here are a few tips and tricks to help you create backlinks:
- Write guest blogs for other sites that will allow you to link back to your own website.
- Put links to your website on your social media pages.
- Contact those influential within your field, and request they submit to an interview on your website. You can also ask if they will allow you to link to their sites, as well.
Email Marketing
Email is the first, and still the best form of digital marketing you can use. If you celebrate after a new customer visits your website one time, then you’re kidding yourself. You want that customer to come back to your site again and again. Creating an email list is the most efficient way to reach a large amount of potential customers in a very short amount of time.
Remain True to Your Personality and Style
With time (and a little bit of luck) you will begin to develop a loyal following of active readers. It isn’t a stretch to refer to these readers as your “fans.” And, as we all know, you can’t let your fans down. But what you need to keep in mind, is that your readers keep coming back because they enjoy the way you write. Forget the topic, they can read about it anywhere. It’s you that keeps them coming back time and time again. To put it another way, you dance with the one that brung ya’. Give the fans what they want.
Embrace Change
Yes, I am very well aware of what I just got done saying. And it is completely correct; you have to remain true to your personality and style. But you have to find a comfortable balance in that, because change happens all the time. Your readers, their needs, their expectations…these things can and will change frequently. And that’s to say nothing of any other external factors. It is important that you’re able to update and adapt the things you say, and the way you say them to the ever-changing desires of your audience. Just don’t go too far in the other direction. Remember what brought your audience there in the first place. Even when the song changes, you still dance with the one that brung ya’.
Track Your Performance and Rankings
Google Search Console is a free tool which allows you to track the success and rankings of your selected keywords. It is important to know what is working, and what isn’t. This will allow you the opportunity to make course corrections pretty close to real-time. By tracking your results and rankings, you’ll know if any of your underperforming posts need to be edited or changed. Believe it or not, readers pay attention to the effort you’re putting in towards giving them what they want.
Maintain Your Website
In much the same way you service your car, you need to keep your website in top shape too, as Google rewards sites that are fast, don’t have broken links, are updated regularly, and more.
There is nothing worse than clicking through to read a blog, only to find the page doesn’t work. I find that I’m not that technically proficient with things like updating plugins, adding menus, or adding widgets, and if anything happened to my site (like it got hacked or crashed) I’d be stuck. Therefore, I have a ‘Website Care‘ plan from ChillyBin that makes sure everything is backed up and running smoothly, and it gives me great peace of mind that if the worst should happen, a professional will sort it for me. Shaan and the team are also great with recommendations, so I get more than my money’s worth every month.
How to Write Great Content For a Blog: The Conclusion
Learning how to write great content for a blog doesn’t take much. All you need is passion, time, great subject knowledge, and practice. Okay, so maybe there is a lot to it. But, you know what? That’s okay. Even the most seasoned and experienced writer had to start somewhere, and I promise you, they made a whole lot of mistakes along the way. But if you follow all of the tips that were covered in this article, you should have a pretty solid foundation to build on. It takes hard work, and it takes a whole lot of patience. But you shouldn’t have to go 12 rounds with the words. Writing should be fun. If it’s not, then you’re doing it wrong.
One key point that needs to be repeated, is research. Make sure you perform it thoroughly. Nothing will turn off a reader faster than incomplete or inaccurate information. And don’t try to bluff. You’re not that good a poker player.
The most important thing to focus on, more so than anything else, is this: write good content. You can very easily optimize a well-written piece for search engines. But bad writing will always be bad writing, no matter how many keywords you pump it full of.
With what was covered in this article, you have everything you need to get started. So sit back, relax, take a deep breath, and get ready to write.
