Blogs are a great way to boost your business. They solve a lot of problems and accomplish so much. With a blog you can:
Keep Google’s attention by adding relevant content to your website
Have something new to share on social media that will draw visitors to your site
Provide valuable and searchable content so more people can find you
Add keywords to your site to boost your SEO
But not all blogs are created equal. Having a blog on your site is great. But there are tweaks you can make to your blog that will boost the value even more.
1. A Good Headline
A good headline is critical. It’s estimated that 8 out of 10 people will read a headline. But only 20% of readers make it to the actual article.1 The headline is your shot to capture your potential reader’s attention..
What Makes a Compelling Headline?
Tell the reader what’s in it for them. Your reader’s time is valuable. And there is a lot of info out there vying for their attention. So show them your article is worth their time by highlighting its value in the headline.
Use numbers. You’ve seen lots of clickbait with numbers. “7 Ways to Tell if Your Partner is Cheating. You Won’t Believe #2!” Our brains love numbers and patterns. So a number in a headline grabs your attention. Of course, you don’t want to use a headline that sounds like clickbait. But there is nothing wrong with using a number in your headline to catch your reader’s attention.
Use active voice. Avoid “to be” verbs and use action whenever you can. Active voice inspires your readers to action. So avoid a sentence with passive voice like this one: “the car was lifted by the woman”. And replace it with “the woman lifted the car”.
Generate Curiosity. Ask your reader a question or include some mystery. This may just inspire them to keep reading.
The best copywriters will tell you to write a lot of headlines before you choose the right one. Next time you are ready to publish a blog article, challenge yourself to write 10 headlines for it before you choose the best one.
If you’re having trouble thinking of good headlines, use some headline formulas. There are a lot out there. You can google “headline formulas for blogs” and find many fill-in-the-blank ideas.
Once you have some headlines, run them through a headline analyzer. There are free ones out there. Coschedule and Aminstitute are good ones.
A headline analyzer can score your headline and give you tips to improve it. I try to shoot for a score of 75% or above.
2. Use formatting to your advantage
No one wants to read a big block of text anymore. You can write a revolutionary blog article, but if the reader gets overwhelmed when they see it, they won’t read it. Try these tips to break up your text:
Include headings
Keep your sentences and paragraphs short
Include pictures and infographics
Use bold print on select words or sentences to add emphasis and catch the reader’s eye
When I write a blog article for a client, one of my goals is to catch the eye of the skimmer. Some people don’t want to read every word. They want to get the gist. So I format articles in a way that a skimmer can spend just a minute or two and still get the basic idea.
3. Research and document
Research adds credibility to your blog. When I read health and wellness blog articles, the first thing I do is check to see if there is any research and documentation. I’m not particularly interested in someone’s opinion. I want to know that they are able to back up what they are saying.
So when I write, even if it’s something I know a lot about, I like to include research and documentation. This accomplishes a few things:
Adds credibility. Your readers will take your article more seriously if they see references to legit research.
Satisfies the digger. Easy-to-read formatting helps the skimmer. But I also want to reach the person who really wants to dig in and learn. By adding research and documentation, I am demonstrating that I’m trustworthy. But I’m also providing other places the digger can go to learn more. Pro tip: if you link out to your resources, make sure you put the links at the end of your article and have them open in a new tab so you don’t lose your reader to another website before they take action on yours.
Gets noticed by Google. Google will rank you higher in search results if you are linking out to legitimate and respected sources. Google is all about making sure that search results offer value to the searcher. Adding research and sources to your article demonstrates to Google that your article is worth reading.
4. Tell Stories
People love stories. Stories captivate our attention, especially if we can see ourselves in them. Don’t be afraid to share about your life and your story. The people who are finding you online want to get to know you. And if they resonate with your story, your readers are more likely to stay on your site and ultimately pay you for your services.
If you’re looking for a good resource on how to do this, I recommend the book Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen, by Donald Miller.
5. Include a Call-To-Action (CTA)
This is the main difference between content writing and copywriting. And I see so many health and wellness practitioners leave out this critical step. Providing content is great. And content marketing is one of the best ways to draw in new customers.
But at the end of your content, your reader needs direction on what to do next. It doesn’t need to be something big. They may not be ready to buy your program or start working 1:1 with you. But the end of a great blog article is the perfect place to get them to follow you on social media, sign up for your email list, or even book a discovery call.
Whatever action you decide you’d like your reader to take, make it clear and easy at the end of your article. You’ve got their attention. Take advantage of it!
Many practitioners include blogs on their websites. But many don’t utilize them efficiently. Give these tips a try and get the most out of your blogging.
1 https://moz.com/blog/5-data-insights-into-the-headlines-readers-click