Blogging is taking over the world – everyone’s already doing it (including me!). You’re likely already doing it too, or thinking of getting started. The startling thing is that compared to even a decade ago, blogging has become so widespread that people have stopped reading blogs. The solution? To write engaging blog posts that people simply can’t resist!
Before you feel cold with terror that this is all a colossal waste of time, let me explain! What I mean is people generally read headlines – 8 out of 10, in fact. That’s just 2 people clicking through to your article.
Essentially, this points to a certain desensitization to the proliferation of blog posts, and that people simply aren’t really reading them. Your best weapon against this menace is to create a blog post that people actually want to read!
Write Conversationally – This Isn’t An Academic Paper
Blogs are an informal medium, so let your hair down a bit. Talk about ‘you’ and ‘I’ – just like in a conversation with a friend. People enjoy reading content that feels a little bit more personal. Nobody really enjoys content that feels like a college lecture. Additionally, by being conversational, you’re also being more engaging, and far more likely to elicit a response.
Keep It Short and Sweet
Don’t write a wall of text! As a general rule of thumb, it shouldn’t be more than five or six lines. These days, people just don’t have the attention spans they used to (that goes for all of us) – which means that you need to give them short, easily digestible material. By keeping it short, you’re also not risking overwhelming people. Who would have thought it: that less writing actually makes for an even more engaging blog post!
Use Subheadings – That’s These Big Letter Guys Here
Following on from my previous tip, this is really just a continuation of keeping things short, sweet, and easy to digest. Subheadings also have an additional advantage of offering scanners big signposts about what the following section will be about. This means more scrolling, more reading, and more accessibility. Sometimes, people just want a snippet of information – don’t make it hard for them to find it!
Conclude Your Post In A Super Obvious Way
Now, not everyone likes to do this – I do it infrequently, for example, but it’s not a bad idea to let people know when the blogging fun is over with a conclusion that wraps it all up – and to use the simple subheader of… conclusion. Now, this might seem a bit clumsy, but it’s a useful navigation aid – a good conclusion quickly goes over the points again, lets skimmers know what the gist of your article was, and gives them another chance to go back and read it again properly.
Sounds strange? Well, once again, it’s just a simple courtesy: most people read blog posts by skipping to the end first then going to the top. Give them what they want!
Use Images to Make Your Blog Post Sparkle
You know what they say – a picture can tell a thousand words. Images aren’t just about adding a little graphic interest to your blog post; they’re also about helping to show people the general message that you’re trying to convey. Pictures can also break up long articles into what feels like more manageable sections. Either way you slice and dice it, images are an important part of a blog article – so don’t skip them!
Actually Write Useful, Actionable Content
This might be last, but it is certainly not least. One of the worst crimes any blogger can commit is to create a vague article that doesn’t really offer anything. We’ve all seen these, and they’re all pretty much terrible. When you Google something seeking help, you’re looking for articles that help you with your issue. An engaging blog post that delivers on that promise can keep people coming back. A blog post that delivers nothing will guarantee that people leave, never to return.
Conclusion
These tactics are all simple and straightforward, yet they will help you to create engaging blog posts that people want to read. It’s hardly rocket science: use images to add visual flair, subheaders to break up the article into scannable chunks, short paragraphs to maintain attention, and a conversational tone to engage – all while providing actionable content. Try these out on your next blog post, and you’ll see how well they work!
