Don’t perplex your target audience with an unclear message. The best online content begins with gripping and cohesive storytelling. I promise to guide you through composing a first-rate blog that holds your reader’s interest to the end. By following my recommendations, your blog articles will then drive more traffic to your site.
I pledge—as you should when writing your blog entries—to still be talking about the same topic (logical and compelling writing) by the end of this article. I will not stray. For example, I will not address SEO or CTAs—though these are important components of a business blog (click here to read more). I will not use fillers or fluff to lengthen my prose or cover my inability to add value. Third, I will use proper grammar and punctuation so that you are not confused.
To begin, are you an expert in your subject matter? Have you done your due diligence with research? If you answered “yes” to these questions, then make sure whatever spin you give your material will teach the reader something new. What is fascinating and useful about what you are sharing?
Build an outline. Ugh, there’s that word. Yes, an OUTLINE! You know what you have to do: You have to think about what you’re going to write—the message you want to get across—before putting pen to paper, so to speak. If it’s too much work to write it down, do it in your head. But nonetheless do it!
Each paragraph must support your main idea and be its proponent. Your second paragraph must honor and respect your lead. Then it must add supporting material in a succinct and clear manner. If your lead is “different strokes for different folks,” then you will follow that by explaining the differences among folks, followed by what represents different strokes, and so on.
Will you be unimaginative and dull when you describe folk differences? No, you will not! You will talk about clever differences, such as the psychological make-up of various characters. You do this when you develop buyer personas for your business, do you not? Let’s stay simple for ease of readership’s sake—always keep this in mind. Say, for instance, that your “different strokes” include such a thing as a preference for blonds over brunettes. Ah, now you’ve used that well-known marketing tool: “sex”! Smart.
For businesses, a similarly impactful text driver could be “customer satisfaction” or “increasing revenue.” Use whatever makes your key audience tick. Make them smile if you can. Make them think. Make them want more!
Rewrite. Craft revisions. Word-smith. Check for logical flow by analyzing each paragraph. Summarize each paragraph in the margin. Do these phrases combine into a content summary that flows from beginning to end? Do you need to shift material, cut or change it? Set it aside now and look at it later when you have fresh eyes. Have another person or two proofread your article. Revise as necessary.
Go forth and share your good words!