The biggest reason people fail at creating a blog that gets engagement is because the content is written with overtones of advertising.
Writing a blog that people will interact with means writing copy that speaks to the reader, as if the reader and writer are sitting down together on a summer afternoon to have a friendly conversation about the topic.
Here’s nine techniques that will help you encourage engagement on your blog.
1. The Title
Every blog begins with the title, but how should it be written? It should be compelling and helpful above all else, because it is the first part of the blog that will draw in a readership.
If you’re stuck, tools like Coschedule’s Headline Analyzer will help you create killer headlines.
2. Add Images and Video
Visuals are almost always the first thing your readers look at, especially if it helps your audience become better educated on topic or helps them along the way of the purchasing process.
Furthermore, images can help your blog be easier to find for search engines.
Content Marketing Institute has come up with a guide you can use to choose the right images for your audience.
3. Make it Scannable
Ensuring that your formatting style is scannable will help capture the attention of today’s busy audience. No one wants to read a big chunk of text anymore. Your important points should stand out on the page.
4. Keep the Value Coming
Stay on a consistent blogging schedule and keep the information relevant to your audience. Using an editorial calendar or content campaign will help you stay focused and on schedule.
5. Encourage the Reader to Take Action
Readers might need a push to act on the information you provide. It’s okay to encourage likes, shares, or products and services as long as it is done in a tasteful manner.
Content marketing is highly competitive. Getting the word out through a blog means creating content that encourages readers to take the next step in the buyers journey.
6. Find the Experts
Readers want to know why you know what you know. They also want you to back up your statements with actual facts and direct quotes or opinions from subject matter experts.
Find a professional to interview or find expert opinions to add value to the blog.
7. Timing is Everything
Be sure to time every post carefully. While you can publish at any time, you should publish when you know the most readers will be available to read your content.
For example, if your crowd is the 9 to 5 working crowd, you could publish in the late afternoon when they are more prone to browsing.
This is when understanding your audience behavior becomes very important.
8. Make it Easy to Share
This may seem like common sense after talking about writing engaging content, but many businesses forget to add share buttons to every blog.
Even one blog, shared by someone who is interested in only that one blog, grabs attention and could pull in more customers. Ensure share buttons are in a prominent and visible location on every post.
9. Check the Length
Ultimately, ideal blog length will vary depending on the nature of your goals and audience. Here’s a data driven study that will help you decide how long your blog posts should be.
