Your company’s website is like a storefront and just like any store, fresh products or in this case, awesome blog posts, keep the audience entertained and it excites them so they keep coming back. And the way this “fresh produce” is can be compared to the structure of your blog posts.
It can spark interest or grab zero attention.
Blog posts, especially good ones, aren’t easy to churn out. In fact, more blogs get buried than those that gain significant attention. Blogging is usually a game of trying and trying until you hit the occasional jackpot.
Consistency should, however, never be sacrificed in the name of “freshness”. For your blogging adventure, there are a few rules you have to follow and keep consistent across your posts.
1. Blog post headlines that GRAB YOU!
WordPress claims that 70 million new posts are published on its platform alone each month.
Now that’s a lot of competition.
One important reason headlines are important is that it’s your first chance to be noticed. Grab that opportunity with a great, irresistible one-liner.
The other (less popular reason) is that web users are impatient. Your headlines should be clear and say the promise of your content off-the-bat. If it’s too obscure, potential visitors would likely leave and go to where they know what they’re getting.
2. Subheads that make sense are the backbone of a good blog structure
Subheads divide long-ish posts into bite-sized pieces. It’s the perfect structure for a blog because it makes complex subjects approachable for casual readers.
Search engines like Google and Bing.com have also been observed to prefer content with a lot of useful subheads.
3. A first paragraph that bites!
In traditional journalism, the first few sentences are called leads (also “lede”) and they contain the juiciest information inside the story. For blog posts, let that creativity reign. There’s no need to give it all on the first line. The goal is to keep them reading.
Tease your audience, make them a promise and entice them to read more. It’s your chance to make them buy what your selling or, at least, scroll down.
4. Well-written copy
This is an obvious one. Well-written content is important. It doesn’t have to be layered, nuanced, literary, or stylish. It has to be clear and accurate.
That’s the most important part of blogging. Clarity.
The audience can come from anywhere and good bloggers know what words to use and how to structure their blog posts to make the communication as friction-less as possible.
One more very important thing: your business blog IS the voice of your business. If the spelling is off and the language is sub-par, that’s a few brownie points off the trust you are trying to build with customers.
5. Good visuals instantly improves the blog post structure!
Social media is so popular largely because of one thing: people love pictures and videos!
Add images to your posts to break the blocks of text which can be overwhelming. Top-notch sites like Unsplash and Pexels also offer a wealth of royalty-free images you can use for your blog.
However, if you have a more discerning customer, why not contact our team to create more professional, eye-catching images for your website and brand?
6. Powerful call-to-action
A blog shouldn’t be the end of your interaction with the customer.
Here’s the thing: you have to give readers clear instruction on what to do next.
Do you want them to email you? Browse products? Subscribe to your email list? You have to tell them.
When you write a really good blog post, chances are, people would want more of your content.
Lead the way in keeping the conversation going.
7. Link them all up
A blog is your library. Linking your post to previous posts doesn’t just optimize you for search engines (as in SEO), it also gives your readers more information they could need.
What if you, dear reader, suddenly is interested in working with a professional digital agency for your business needs? You can click here to learn more about the benefits of doing so.
8. Good meta description
Search engines present a title and a brief summary of your blog post to users. This is called the “meta description”. Customize yours to give a good foretaste of your content to readers before they even visit your site.
Platforms like WordPress, Squarespace, etcetera will surely have these customization features. Practice good structure for your blog posts always.
That’s it!
When you’re just starting to build your brand blog, keep these 8 essential elements on the top of your head when drafting your next big blog post. It’s important you abide by these important rules to maximize your brand’s success online.