5 Keys to Great Blog Posts

Now that you’ve started writing blog posts, you’ve probably wondered:

What do I write my next blog post about?
What do my clients want to read?
What if I run out of things to say?

In this article, you will learn how to create great blog posts for your online business. You will never run out of things to write about again, as long as you know your customers and prospects.

Great Blog Posts Don’t Just Happen

Writing for your audience is the main key to business blogging success.

This means that you have done your homework, and know your buyer personas, where they are in the buying cycle, what information they need at that point, and what anxieties and problems they have, that you can fix.

Great Blog Posts are Useful. Ask: “Will this solve a problem or teach something?” Make a list as many questions or problems your users are most likely struggling with. These become your blog post topics. Your information and solutions to these problems should be well thought out, comprehensive answers. No shortcuts, no holding back. In fact, make an effort to give all the expertise you can. This creates value. The more authority you have on your subject, and the more unique your content is (thought leadership), the better the value of your blog posts. Forbes suggests some great strategies for this.
Great Blog Posts have Great Titles.Ask: “Would this title cause me to click if I saw it on social media?” Your audience is searching Google right now for the answers to their questions. The headline, or title, of your post should include the keywords they are searching for, and should also draw the reader in. This may take more time than writing the whole blog post. And, if you are like me, you may change the title more than once, as you write the post. ProBlogger has some great ideas on how to craft post titles that draw readers into your blog.
Great Blog Posts Employ a Conversational Tone. Ask: “When I read this, do I feel like someone is speaking to me from across the table?” Make it interesting, funny, and/or entertaining. Don’t just inform them about something; make it a good read so they’re more likely to share it with their contacts and on social media. Make every post count. Each one is an opportunity to draw your reader in, to engage them in a memorable way, and to make them look forward to your next post. Surely, you have favorite online authors that you share often on social media? Write like that.
Great Blog Posts Start Conversations. Ask: “Is this entertaining or controversial?” Not everyone will agree with you all of the time. It can be good to make the kind of statement that gets people thinking and talking. Since you’re the expert, taking a position is better than playing neutral (when possible). If you have to defend your position, it’ll give you yet another opportunity to flex your expert muscle and share from your broad range of experience, knowledge and other customer examples. Be sure you have the data to support any claims that you make, and always do this in an entertaining way that doesn’t show your harsh or disrespectful side.
Great Blog Posts are Easy to Read. Ask: “How long does this need to be to cover my unique information thoroughly?” There are great blog posts that are 150 words and terrible blog posts that are 2,000 words and visa versa. The biggie is that it is at least 300 words long, and that those words are easy enough for an 8th grader to understand. There is a scale that is used to test for this, called The Flesch–Kincaid Readability Scale. There are two easy ways to test your content using Microsoft Word or the Yoast SEO Plugin for WordPress. Rectify other readability issues by using bullet points, headline styles, and by not creating paragraphs that are more than 3-4 sentences long. This allows online readers to scan your content easily.

Now that you understand how to write great blog posts, get crackin’!

Be consistent (weekly)
Develop your brand voice and personality
Establish yourself as a trusted partner, not some salesman

Before you know it, your readers will become your brand evangelists.