In the online business world, people have switched on to the fact that where marketing is concerned, content is king. Blogs are one of the ways in which the 'content revolution' is playing out in front of us. They allow us to educate, persuade, and entertain; offering a doorway to a new customer base, while giving us the opportunity to bolster search engine optimisation (SEO) campaigns with keywords.
But if you are investing the time and resources into creating blog posts, you need to ensure that they are ticking all the boxes. In this article, we consider seven proven tips to bear in mind when writing blogs for the purpose of conversion. Read on!
1. The importance of a headline
It cannot be understated just how much an engaging and intriguing headline can be critical to your success. Building a blog readership starts with an effective 'hook', and this is represented by the headline. In essence, you want to persuade the reader to click on the blog and find out more.
It could be a headline which communicates the value of the content immediately (e.g. '10 Ways to Make Your Business More Appealing to Millennials'). It might be a headline which borders on the ridiculous (e.g. 'After A Lioness Killed A Baboon, This Baby Was Left All Alone. What Happened Next Is Unbelievable'), and appeals to the curiosity of the reader. Or it might be a headline which borders on the controversial (e.g. 'Why You Should Forget Facebook'). For more ideas on different types of blog titles, MilesWeb have published a useful article here.
There is also more help at hand, because IsItWP have a headline analyser tool which can provide you with tips on how to enhance your headlines. Access it here.
2. Choose a topic to interest your audience
One misconception which some companies can make when they first start to produce blog posts, is that every blog must be directly related to the core function of their business. This is not true; while the topic of your blog might be related in an indirect way - in a similar area to what your company does - there is no rule that it needs to be directly related to your product or service. So long as you are engaging your intended audience, and not diminishing your brand in any way, pretty much everything is fair game. One way of identifying topics which may be of interest to potential customers is to take a look at the places where they interact online - be it a certain forum, social media channel, or webinar.
3. Be a sucker for structure
Don't ignore the importance of structure. The right structure can add search engine visibility to your blog, but it is also a must for reading enjoyability. Break up your blog post with subheadings, and use shorter paragraphs. This makes the article easier on the eye, and allows the reader to quickly reference the part of the article which is of most interest to them. Keep it organised!
4. Cut out the distractions
You will certainly want a call to action as part of your blog article - this is part of the 'end game' which we will come on to later in this piece. But just because you want to encourage the reader to take a certain action - be it to submit their email address, head to a landing page, or look at some product details - that doesn't mean you should distract them from reading the blog. Cluttering the main part of the page with buttons and boxes can lead to confusion, and ultimately, negatively impact on your conversion rate.
5. Image is everything
Spend some time choosing the imagery which accompanies your blog posts carefully. Steer clear of the same old 'stocky' photos, and try and be as original as possible, while staying true to the theme of your article. Ensuring you have the best visual content can help to make your blog post more engaging, not just complementing the text, but helping to draw people to the article itself.
6. Get conversational
Remember, your blog is not a white paper or a technical report. As such, the language shouldn't be dry, heavy, or too complex. Trying to be conversational is the key. Try and imagine you are talking to a human being, rather than issuing a stream of consciousness from a lofty position. Be candid, honest, and never beat about the bush. But be prepared to back up any claims or assertions with stats and facts, should the article call for it. Your writing should become like talking - that way, you can get your points across to the reader, while still keeping the content light and as digestible as possible.
7. A killer call to action
Naturally, in order to convert, you need an effective call to action. You should know your end game, and make your expectations realistic. For example, asking a reader to follow you on social media, submit their email address, and give you a call is probably asking a bit much! You can choose your call to action according to the extent of previous interactions with a lead. So if the reader has never interacted with your posts, asking them to submit their email address to receive more content might be a good start. If they have already made several interactions, it might be time to encourage a follow on social media, or push towards some product details.
The key is to make your call to action clear, as visible as possible, and to communicate to the reader what you want them to do, and what they will get in return.
That's a wrap on our seven tips for giving your blog posts conversion power! The experts at Quantum are always here to offer advice on content, and devise a content strategy to meet your business objectives.
Give us a call on 1300 3888 11
