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Keep-It-Simple

Write Better Blog Posts

I was reading a blog post the other day that had a wealth of really, really, REALLY (did I say, “really”?! LOL) great information – many tips and tricks that I plan on implementing over time.  However, there was just too much there that it actually ‘wore me out’ just reading it – “Oh cool, I need to do that” “Oh yeah that too” “oh that’s good, I need to do that”… This brought me back to my “corporate America” days (glad they’re over.. :)) when I attended various seminars and conferences throughout my career.  We had the ones where we would spend ALL day (or days) going in-depth into a subject  They were exhausting! Yes, they were beneficial (and necessary especially when you’re dealing with things like regulatory changes) but guess what happened?  When we got back to the office, we had other competing priorities so the material got put on the shelf to “dig into” at a later time.   Just like I plan on implementing what I learned from that blog post I was reading. On the other hand, I also attended seminars/conferences that consisted of mini break-out sessions where we learned little “nuggets” on various subjects that we could easily implement immediately upon returning to the office. This got me thinking about blog posts.  Blog posts should be written like the second example.  Mini “break-out” sessions.  Time is critical so it’s important to keep your posts short and simple.  Little “nuggets” that can be easily and quickly implemented for immediate results. If your subject needs to be more in-depth, then break it down into a series, instead, in bite size chunks.  “Long winded” posts tend to get boring and people just don’t have enough time, no matter how well you write. So keep it short and simple so your readers can easily digest and apply what they learn immediately.  They will thank you for it. In addition to keeping your posts short and simple, here are a few other important tips to keep in mind:
  • Check for typos: (typos are a major turn off for me and I’m sure I’m not alone) Always proofread your post. A small typo here and there can be understood, but make sure you don’t make any magor errers (sorry, couldn’t help myself 🙂 (or even small typos consistently).
  • Clear Thoughts: Make sure you put your thoughts clearly before your readers so that it does not become tedious for them to read.
  • Interesting: Make sure that you hold your reader’s attention by making sure your posts aren’t drab. They must not be written in a tone that is tiring to read. Write short sentences and keep them crisp and precise. Always hit the point immediately in the course of your article.
  • Link: Keep linking the blogs you read to yours in order to build a network.  Those people will be, in turn, encouraged to link to you. Remember, linking increases rankings.
  • Keywords: Using the keywords of your posts frequently increases the search ability of that particular article of yours which in turn leads more people to visit your blog.
  • Keep it Conversational: Write in a friendly tone. Avoid using too many slang words, but otherwise, make sure your posts are conversational.
  • Post Title: A catchy post title or headline is half your business solved. It can glue a reader to your post almost immediately. However, do not put misleading post titles, or you will lose creditability.
  • Reader Friendly Content: At all costs keep your content – articles, poems, photographs, videos – reader friendly, that is to say, it should keep more and more readers interested. Your reader must be at the center of your post in a way that your reader must feel that he/she is gaining something out of reading your post. This is the basic rule in marketing.
  • Worthwhile: Never let the reader feel that he/she has been tricked into reading your post or clicking on your blog link. You are thwarting all your long term chances of that reader coming back to your blog.

So, what do you think?  I’d love to hear your feedback on this.  Do you struggle with any of these?  I know, I tend to get “wordy” so thinking “short and simple” will help me stay on track.  Share your thoughts by leaving a comment below.  Also, please pass this post on to your Facebook and Twitter friends.

P.S. Finding topics to blog about can sometimes be a challenge so if you struggle with coming up with topics for your next blog post, Amanda Marie McClellan wrote an excellent post (it’s a 2-part series) that I believe you’ll find very useful.  This post is sure to get your creative juices flowing so I highly recommend you check it out HERE

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Laura Paulson

Laura Paulson

Laura is a marketer building assets that spin off passive, residual income.
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17 Responses

  1. Learning how to blog successfully definitely requires diligency and understand how to convey the information so that it is useful, people keep reading, leave a comment and ultimately trust you to use your service or buy your product. It will translate into dollars in your pocket. I still have to learn a lot on this topic, you gave me very good points.

    1. @alicia@yboggle, Hi Alicia! Oh yes, I agree there is a lot to learn and it just comes with practice. I know everyone is different in terms of what they like but I know, for me, those “quick hit” nuggets are what I find most useful so I always attempt to get to the point as quickly as I can in my posts and hopefully provide something of value that people can use.

  2. Hi Laura,

    Yes, I often get bogged down in lengthy, pointless blog posts, but I LOVE reading clear and simple posts like what you’ve just posted here. I don’t like to do a lot of reading but when the information is set out in a clean and crisp way I’m all ears!

    I will take your tips on board (when I think about hitting publish on my next post) in an effort to keep my readers interested! It’s easy to get carried away when blogging because you’re not handing your efforts into a boss or teacher to be assessed, we need to be our own critic and think about what we post. Thanks for the reminder 🙂

    Cheers,

    Lynn

  4. Thanks for the valuable tips, Laura. Are many pointers here of practices that i have been guilty of, but am now forewarned!! Keeping the blog post conversational and to the point is an art form in itself, and often when the subject matter calls for more elaborate treatment i tend to err on the side of more and of completeness, which i know is not going to be popular reading for many..but hopefully makes it worthwhile reading for people interested in the subject matter,
    Thanks for the great tips,
    Johneal

  5. Laura,
    You have written so many important pointers about blogs. I agree that long blogs with too much information makes me just go away. Catchy titles are really important as are using keywords frequently (I often forget that). However, spelling errors and typos are really an eye sore – and I am certainly guilty of rushing, doing too much and carelessly having it printed before I notice the huge typos. Oh well, I still enjoy writing blogs and articles. It can be so freeing.

    1. @Dr. Erica Goodstone, Oh yes, I’m guilty too – those pesky little typos you find after the fact make me cringe but what can you do?! I loved your “Progress is evolutionary, not revolutionary” post. Have an awesome day. Thanks, Laura

  6. Ha! I have about 6 blog posts sitting on my browser right now that I’ve been “meaning” to implement on my own blog soon. Of course, they’ve been their for a couple of weeks now.

    You have lots of great reminders and tips in this post. Maybe I need to leave it open too… lol

    Keep up the great work. I look forward to reading future posts.

    Live with passion and purpose,
    Vanessa

    1. @Vanessa, Hi Vanessa,

      Good to see I’m not alone 🙂 And it’s not that those ‘more involved posts” aren’t of value and have their place too but I really like those quick hits — just not enough of those “round-to-it”s lying around my office LOL Thanks, Laura

  7. Quality blog post is really important. It is the backbone of the entire blog. It is also important to use keywords that have a high search volume per month. You said it, it is also important to keep it short and simple.

    This is a good post you have there.

    1. @Loic, Oh yes Loic – ‘backbone’ is entirely correct! Keywords, yes so important and something I, personally, need to make improvements on… Thanks for stopping by. Have a wonderful day! Laura

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  10. Hi Laura,
    I think all your tips are great.I would like to add the use of video in most all blog posts.It makes it even mote personal and helps to Brand you even more. I would love to talk with you about that sometime.

    1. @Beverly Monical, Hey Beverly! Oh yes videos are great. I don’t know about every post or even most but that’s just me. Videos are definitely something I plan on incorporating in the new future. Make it Great Day! Laura

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