How to Create Effective Blog Posts that Attract Readers

How to Create Effective Blog Posts that Attract Readers

When creating blog posts that attract more readers and build relationships with them, specific techniques can help you build a better audience.

Most of us don't have time to read thousands of blog posts to find the ones that matter to us. We want to learn and grow. And yet, hundreds of thousands of articles each month get published online. Which ones will capture our attention and stick in our minds? Which will we come back to? Will they be helpful to us personally and professionally? Will they lead to growth? 

To find out, we must become more intentional about the content we consume and why. So, in this post, I will share how to create compelling blog posts that attract readers.

Writing a blog is easy. Writing a blog post that's both useful and compelling to your readers is difficult. Here's how to get started.

1 – Use Visual Hierarchy to Make Your Blog Posts Easy to Read

Visual hierarchy organises the elements of a web page to make them easy to understand so visitors don't spend too much time scanning a page trying to figure out what's going on.

Visual hierarchy is an essential tool for designing any web page. You may not think your blog posts could use visual hierarchy, but if you look at popular blogs like TechCrunch and Daring Fireball, you'll notice that they do an excellent job of using visual hierarchy.

1. Use images instead of text: Using images makes it easier for readers to scan and skim your posts. Instead of using plain text, use images to break your post into paragraphs, headers, subheaders, etc.
2. Use bold text: If you're writing about a specific topic, you can use bold text to highlight the critical points.
3. Use bullets: Bullets can help you organise your post by highlighting significant sections. For example, you can use bullets to outline your main points or create a list of tips.
4. Use headings: Headings make it easy for readers to scan your blog post. When they see an H2 tag, they know they're starting a new blog post section.

2 – Focus on a Single Theme in Each Post

A variety of topics is suitable for readers. You want to interest and motivate people to keep returning, so you need many things to discuss. When writing a post, look at what people are interested in. 

Read through other bloggers' posts and see what they write about, then think about what you can talk about that is different and doesn't overlap with their posts. For instance, a single blogger may write about fashion, cooking, fitness, and home decor, and you might want to write about something completely different.

Or you might choose to write about something related to your main topic. For example, a post on food and recipes can include a section about healthy eating, recipes, tips and tricks for good cooking, or a discussion of the latest research. This means you can write about various topics while still relating to your central theme.

If you write about a single topic in each blog post, you will increase your chances of people liking what you write and keeping coming back.

3 – Write in the Second Person (i.e., “You”)

If you want to keep people reading your blog, write in the second person. This helps you communicate clearly and directly with your audience and gives your readers a warm connection with you.

Write as if you were explaining something to a friend.

Imagine you have just written a blog post and are sitting down to type it out, ready to hit ‘publish'. Would you do it in the first or third person? Most people would choose the third person, which is impersonal and distant. In the second person, though, you invite your readers into your world – you are talking to them directly as if you were sitting down and conversing with someone.

Moreover, the second person puts your audience at the story's heart. They become characters just as they are, and you can use all their experiences, emotions and opinions. You can speak directly to their minds and hearts, so they are no longer simply a group of strangers on the internet.

You can even make them a part of the story by saying, “You can be one of the people who….” Your readers will enjoy this experience of being a character in your story and stay engaged with your content.

Write as if you were speaking.

If you communicate with your audience as if you were talking to them face to face, you create a conversational tone. It's easy to do this, and you can quickly create a style that will make your readers feel as if they are sitting next to you, listening to you. For example, you might say, “The thing I didn't know until I started my blog was….” or “I've found some amazing resources that can help….

Use the present tense.

The present tense is a simple way to create a conversational tone. For example: “I'm still discovering new ways to make money from home….”

And try to sound like yourself.

If you want to make people connect with you, it's a good idea to sound like yourself rather than trying to put on an act. When you are writing in the second person, you can be yourself. So, rather than writing something that sounds like: “When I first started blogging, I didn't realise how useful it could be…” say something more like: “It's tough to get people to take notice of what you do….”

4 – Use Keywords to Drive Traffic to Your Blog Posts

Keywords are one of the essential elements of SEO. Using keywords, you can increase your website's search rank on Google, Yahoo and Bing. It means that people searching for information related to your business will find you.

The first step is to do keyword research. It is crucial to do keyword research before you start writing. There are various tools available online to do keyword research. Here, we will discuss the popular ones:

1: SEMrush

SEMrush is the most popular keyword tool. It includes an in-depth report which contains a lot of valuable data about your website. To use SEMrush, you must register with the tool and pay a small fee. It gives you a lot of insights about the current competition, monthly searches and keywords that are getting a good amount of traffic. 

It has a free plan which can give you a good idea about how your site is doing. Once you sign up, you can get started with the free plan. After that, you can upgrade to the pro plan if you need more detailed reports.

2: Google Adwords Keyword Tool

Google Adwords Keyword Tool is one of the most valuable tools for keyword research. With this tool, you can generate a list of keywords and search volumes. This tool lets you add the generated keywords to your Google Ads account.

3: Ubersuggest

Ubersuggest is a free keyword research tool. You can enter keywords or domains; the tool will show you the monthly searches for each keyword. You can also add those keywords to your AdWords account.

Once you have done keyword research, it is time to start writing. Start creating content that is optimised for the keywords that you have chosen. This will increase your chances of getting organic traffic. If you don't get enough traffic, you can continually optimise your posts and use paid advertising to drive more traffic.

5 – Use Social Media To Promote Your Blog Posts

Social media is an incredible marketing tool. It is inexpensive, allows you to reach out to many potential customers in just one click, and helps establish relationships with your readers.

What do you get for your efforts? An engaged reader. When you use social media to promote your compelling blog posts, your readers become familiar with your brand and see you as a credible source of information and advice. They might follow your feed or subscribe to your email newsletter.

Here are some reasons to use social media to promote your blog posts.

It increases traffic to your website.

Many social media sites have “Like” buttons. If you put these on your website, you will increase your page views and the number of clicks people make. The more likes you have, the higher your ranking in search engines, so this is a great way to get more traffic to your website.

It makes your posts visible.

If you aren't active on social media, your blog post will appear at the bottom of a reader's news feed or other social media site. This means that your post is much less likely to get seen by your followers.

Using social media to promote your posts helps you get to know your readers.

You will get to know the people reading your post by starting a conversation on social media. They will feel more connected to you and interested in your content.

It helps you build relationships with your readers.

If your audience is on social media, they are likely already familiar with you. By engaging in a conversation on social media, you can build rapport with your audience and establish yourself as a reliable source of information and support.

If you use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or other social media sites to promote your posts, you need to create a Facebook page for your blog.

It will help you build authority.

When you have a strong network of followers on social media, your content will be visible to many potential customers. If you can prove that you have a loyal following, you will be able to build your reputation as a trusted source of information.

You can use this to your advantage by using hashtags on Instagram.

It is easy to use.

Social media is fast becoming a mainstay in the marketing world. It is possible to use it without having any technical knowledge.

The best sites for promoting your posts are where your followers are most likely to be found. This will help you to reach a large number of people and generate interest in your brand.

6 – Include Images in Your Blog Post

Compelling blog posts should always include photos in the body text, not just as an afterthought. They help illustrate your point, grab readers' attention and provide evidence to support your opinion. Previously, we mainly used images to highlight an article's point. Nowadays, we have become much more visual and appreciate that photos can make a blog post far more exciting and engaging.

If you have ever tried to write a blog post but found it impossible without using images, then you will understand how helpful they can be. 

As a general rule, you should try to include at least one image with every blog post you publish. A simple, well-chosen photograph or two can make your point and make your readers want to read on. So, why not give it a go? It's not hard; you could use it to boost your traffic, increase your blog subscribers, and improve your rankings.

Showcase your content

One of the most common reasons blog writers include images with their posts is to showcase their articles. Whether a product review, an article about fashion, gardening or a recipe, your images must complement your words. This is especially true for photos taken by others, such as press releases and magazine photographs. They are only valuable if they illustrate what you are saying and if they are relevant and original.

Attract more visitors

Another reason why we use images in our compelling blog posts is to attract more visitors. Images are often used to add interest to a web page, making a site more visually appealing. You can incorporate them into your articles to boost your web traffic.

Enhance your SEO

The popularity of images has increased substantially in recent years. Images now feature heavily in Google's algorithms, making a website more appealing and more likely to rank highly on search results pages.

Add credibility

We can also use images to add credibility to your blog post and business. They can add credibility to your products or services, and they can also help to establish trust. For example, a picture of a food product can help to persuade readers to buy it.

Make your content stand out

Images can make your blog post stand out and attract more readers. If your blog is new, adding images to your articles can help make your brand more noticeable and memorable. You can also use images to attract visitors to specific sections of your site, such as a ‘featured images' section.

7 – Have a Call to Action at the End of Each Blog Post

The Call to Action is a simple but powerful way to make your blog posts more effective and generate traffic and sales. Every blog post you write should include a clear call to action. If you're selling a product or service, offer your visitors an easy way to buy what they've read. 

If you're writing about a subject you love, tell your readers what they can do to get closer to that passion. The call to action should be visible throughout your blog post – on your homepage, title, and throughout the post itself; if you can add a call to action to your homepage, even better.

Actions to Take:

• Create a clear call to action, as described above.
• Share your call to action on social media so your audience can get involved.
• Add a call to action at the beginning of each blog post you write.
• If you're offering something for sale, always offer the easiest way for your audience to buy.
• If you share your passion, encourage others to get close to it.

Conclusion

The most important thing you can do to increase traffic to your site is to offer valuable content that your readers want to read. The secret to attracting readers is providing them with compelling blog posts they care about. 

People read to learn or to feel more competent, and if your content doesn't deliver on either of those objectives, it's unlikely to interest them long enough to motivate them to keep reading. So what are you going to write about? That's the million-dollar question. 

But when choosing what to write about, it's all about knowing your audience. What will they find most interesting about your subject? Once you've answered that question, you'll be well on creating engaging content that your readers are likelier to share.

Write something unique and thought-provoking. You want to stand out from the crowd.