14 AUG 2019
Keeping your blog updated with new content helps Google think of your website as ‘active’ and pushes it up the search rankings to reach more people. Here’s how to write a blog post people will actually read.
Draw people in with an exciting headline: think about solving a problem or putting a twist on a topical news story.
Write about what you know. You’re the expert so share your advice, tips and wisdom with confidence.
Focus on your audience. Listen to feedback and answer questions.
Sound authentic. Share struggles and vulnerabilities to show you are a real person. This is a great way to make your brand more personable and more relatable.
Create a mix of promotional and lifestyle content (videos, recipes and ‘how-tos’ are great).
Be consistent: post regularly and give your audience new, useful content.
Show your human side. Tell a story. Let your personality shine through and avoid complicated language.
Shout about your success stories. Been in the press recently? Tell your customers.
Test content on your mobile. Can you read it clearly? Are images big enough? Do the links work properly?
Provide value by writing something that is worth reading.
Use plenty of high quality images, ideally one image every 200 words.
Include (working!) links to other pages on your website and reputable industry resources.
And here’s what not to do:
DON’T blog for the sake of it. Each blog post should serve a function: telling a story, solving a problem, answering a question or just showing your fun side.
DON’T limit your blog posts to just words. Think video, infographics, picture galleries and single images with extended captions.
DON’T waffle! Use short paragraphs and, if necessary, create a PDF for longer articles to download and read offline or print.
DON’T be overly negative or too promotional and don’t get into online arguments. Respond to comments calmly and without casting blame or being insulting.
DON’T forget to proofread and include all the relevant social share buttons.
