1. Title.
Headlines are hugely important. Tell readers what they'll lean by reading your article. Use the keyword in the title, and don't try to be too clever. Vague, intriguing titles can fall flat on blog articles; save your creativity for when you're promoting your blog online.
'Five incredible simple ways to get more people to read your content' is a good blog title, but 'make it snappy' doesn't work. Make it snappy could well be one of the points you make in the course of the article, but it's not strong enough as a title, even though it's very, err, snappy.
Titles play an important role in search engine optimization, and your blog will add more to your online value if you tie it to the words your potential customers will be using to make their search.
2. First sentence.
You need a hook here. As a question; throw up something interesting or unusual. Grab attention. 'No one's reading a word you write' could be a good opener for the article, but 'Opinions are divided as to the best way for a writer to hold the attention of readers' wouldn't work; too long, too vague, not punchy enough.3. Next paragraph.
Get quickly to the point of your blog. Web readers skim rather than dig deeply, so no long preamble or sideways digressions. You've set out the question; start answering it straight away.4. Bulleted list.
Numbered or bulleted lists are great for blogs:- They add structure
- They allow you to pack in lots of valuable content without a lot of extra word padding.
- They feed web readers' hunger for answers now.
5. Image: Find a picture to illustrate your point: professional or quirky, stylish or funny. Whatever fits your brand. You want readers to stick around, and a well-designed page with a strong visual appeal is more likely to keep them than a wall of unbroken text.
- Be consistent when using images in blogs, keeping them the same size, for example, or in a similar style.
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