How to Write Effective Content for Your Blog

Blogging is a great way to improve the SEO on your website; however, writing great content doesn't guarantee that people will read it. The actual writing of your blog content is only half of the formula for an effective blog.

You can spend hours researching and writing fantastic blog posts that are on topic for your audience, but if you don't have a strategy for how to consistently produce and market your content, your posts won't benefit your business. First let's focus on the elements needed for your content and then some tactics for reaching the digital marketplace.

Make Your Content Easy to Scan

The majority of people reading content online aren't sitting down to relax and read, they're looking for solutions. To make your content easy to scan, provide the most important information first. This way if they only glance at the first paragraph they can determine if the post is going to give them the information they are looking for.

Use Formatting to Direct the Readers’ Eye

If your blog post is too text heavy, you will lose the attention of your readers. You should use headings, subheadings, bold text, bullets, and numbered lists to keep your text easy to scan and to direct the readers' eye through you content.

Know Your Target Audience

One of the most important parts of marketing is to know your target audience. You need to be aware of their problems and concerns so that you can provide the solutions that they want. Research forums and blogs in your niche for discussions and questions, then draft an appropriate solution based on their needs.

Provide Actionable Content

Create content that encourages readers to apply the information you provide. This means more than providing your readers a link to click on or guides to read. Offer tips and resources your readers can immediately use to solve current or future problems on their own.

Get to the Point

There are many theories about how long blog posts should be to keep a reader's attention. Your blog post should be as long as it needs to be to get your point across. If your solution requires a lengthy explanation, consider writing it as a series. Keep your explanations as simple as possible and avoid using jargon. Have a purpose in mind while you're writing, and stick to it.

Avoid the Sales Pitch

Self-promotion will create distrust and likely turn your readers away. Sales will come if you keep your blog posts focused on providing solutions to your readers by giving them enough information to take action.

Have a Plan

Now that you know how to create effective content, you need to have a strategy in place to know what to do to promote it properly. Throwing content up on your blog when you have time to squeeze it in will not give you results. Be realistic about how often you can post content and how you're going to market it. Here are a few questions to consider:

• What social media platforms should you use to promote your blog?
• Who will write your blogs? What type of voice will best represent your company. Will you use any guest authors?
• How often will you post content to your blog?
• How much of your marketing budget will go toward promoting your blog posts?
• What types of campaigns will you use to promote your blogs?

Once you know the answers to those questions, you can work on a plan and a calendar that outline how and when you will provide content. Keep in mind that your content should be delivered on a consistent basis.

Execute Your Strategy and Measure Your Success

Once you've determined the strategy for your blog content, you need to execute and evaluate. Stick to your calendar to stay on track, and measure the results with analytics and insights, and make adjustments when necessary. Your plan and your calendar will act as a guide and should be adjusted if needed.

If you follow these tips for producing effective content and you post to your blog consistently, you'll see how beneficial a blog can be for your business.

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