When you visit a blog, what keeps you on the page?
My dear friend & colleague, Michelle Shaeffer, presented a webinar about blogging yesterday. She offered “7 fast & fun strategies to bring your blog back to life.”
When she covered strategy #4 about the format of your blog, I was pleased to hear some of the same advice I give others. I follow these pointers when writing any marketing promotion from brochures and direct mail to e-mails and web content.
Here’s a recap of 6 pointers to help you with your writing efforts:
1. Write a compelling headline. Touch their emotions, fill a need or paint a picture and you’ll capture your readers’ attention. Which one of these headlines would capture your attention: “How to lose weight.” OR “Announcing 10 remarkable ways to stay in shape without exercising daily.”? You’ll find a dozen headline tips here.
2. Use an attention-grabbing opening. Your headline’s job is to get readers to read your first sentence. When they do, it should be something that continues to grab their attention. This could be a startling statistic or a thought-provoking question.
3. Deliver on the promise in your headline. Don’t make promises you can’t keep. Whatever it is you offered in your headline, be sure to address it in your piece. If you don’t deliver, beware. You may upset your readers and bad news travels faster than good.
4. Make your content inviting to readers’ eyes. This is a pet peeve of mine. When I see long paragraphs I cringe. Make it easy for your reader to read by using:
- Short paragraphs
- Short sentences
- Bullet points
- Sub-headlines
- Numbered lists
5. Use an image. Whether it’s a photo or a video clip, images capture people’s attention.
6. Don’t forget that call to action. If you’re blogging, your call to action can be as simple as “please share your thoughts in the comments section.” If it’s a web page where you’re selling a product, be sure to tell readers what you want them to do such as “click on the buy now button,” “e-mail us today,” etc. You’ll find 9 call-to-action tips here.
So thanks to blogging authority Michelle Shaeffer for sharing these tips with her listeners. They don’t only apply to blogs, but to all forms of marketing communications.
If you’re not already using them, no worries. Start doing so now. Then, share your results in the comments section below. I’d love to hear from you. Thanks!
