One of the hardest-hitting pieces of website content you can create is the blog post. These powerhouses are flexible content marketing tools, helping you deliver value to your audience in many ways. Plus, they’re often gateways from the search engines to your website.
Not writing blog copy for your business yet? It’s go-time. On average, businesses with blogs produce 67% more leads per month and 55% more website visitors. The other good news is, blogging isn’t as difficult as you may think. To help you get started, let’s take it back to the basics.
How to Build an Inspiring Blog Post
The anatomy of an inspiring and valuable blog post is quite simple. It’s the content you build around the individual pieces that make the post worthwhile.
Before you start writing, it’s important to do some basic keyword research around your blog topic. You’ll need these keywords to optimize your post.
With keywords at the ready, you can get to writing. In its simplest form, a well-written blog post includes four key elements: a great title, a strong introduction, inspiring body copy and a final call to action.
1. Title
What’s in a name? A whole lot when it comes to blogging! Your blog title, also called a headline, will be the first content your audience sees before they click through to your website. It must inspire your reader to click while accurately depicting what the reader can expect from the blog content.
How do you make a great title happen? Follow these tips.
- Use your power words: Power words elicit an emotional response from your reader, which inspires them to want to read more. Add one or two to your blog title.
- Insert a keyword: To optimize your blog post from the get-go, insert your main keyword or key phrase into your title.
- Include a benefit or solution: Valuable content often solves a problem and should always benefit your audience. Find a way to communicate the benefit or solution found inside your blog within your title.
- Keep it simple: Titles should be short and sweet. Aim for titles with no more than 12 words.
2. Introduction
Now that you’ve captured your reader’s attention with your title, it’s time to hook them into your content. Your introduction should briefly explain what your reader should expect from the blog post. It should also include a “hook” that builds interest, so they continue reading.
For example, start with an interesting fact. Or tell a quick story or anecdote. You might even pose a question to your reader or tell a joke (a well-placed GIF is also fun). Whatever you do, make sure it aligns with your blog topic.
3. Body Copy With Sub-Headers
Ah, the body copy. This is the magical place where you get to deliver the amazing content you’ve put together for your reader. Before you dive in, we recommend creating an outline of the subtopics you want to cover to ensure nothing’s missed.
Break-up your body copy with sub-headings that pertain to the copy below them. These sub-headings make your blog post easy to scan for readers looking for specific information. As you write, remember to keep sentences and paragraphs short. Sentences should be no longer than 20 words and paragraphs should include no more than 3-4 sentences.
Include keywords throughout your body copy, naturally. Whatever you do, don’t stuff your keywords. It’s just tacky and it reads as spam.
4. Call to Action
Around 55% of your readers will spend fewer than 15 seconds reading your blog post. But the readers who make it through your entire post? They’re ripe and ready for conversion. Add in a call to action (CTA) to your blog post to help them take that next step.
For example, ask your reader to give you a quick call or to send you a message for more information about a topic. Remember to keep your CTA simple and direct as to not cause hesitation from your reader.
Don’t Forget the Back-End of Your Blog Post
After you write, there are a few more elements to include as you build out your blog into your content management tool.
- Meta description: A meta description is the summary of your blog post that appears in search engine results. This is the blurb you see underneath a blog post’s title on Google, Bing or other preferred search engine. Meta descriptions aim to inspire the reader to click through to the post. Keep your descriptions short (no more than 200 characters) and remember to include your main keyword or phrase.
- Title tag: Your title tag is the title used in search. Include your main keyword and blog title as well as your business name. Title tags should be no more than 70 characters long.
- Image: Finish off your blog post with an image that captures your reader’s attention. The image you choose should explain your blog post visually while staying true to your brand.
Trouble Creating Blog Posts Your Audience Loves? We Can Help.
Just like anything worthwhile, blogging does take practice and persistence. If you’re struggling to create blog posts that inspire your audience to reach out to you, send us a message.
