Writing a business blog is easy. Anybody can write something and post it online. Successfully keeping an audience interested, however, is difficult. There’s an inordinate amount of guides and ‘how to’ posts on the Internet explaining all the different methods and techniques that the blogger should use to obtain more readers. We’ve gone through many of these posts and compiled the recurring themes we’ve seen in all successful blogs. If you include these next few components into your blog posts, you’re bound to increase your Internet presence. 

Three words. Content, Content, and Content. 

If you leave this page with only one piece of information, I hope that it is this: Content is your greatest priority. Sure, people are drawn to entertainment and media because of exciting movie trailers and snazzy book jackets. But, when they realize the attraction lacks content, they’ll quickly disperse. The same applies to blogging. The best titles and pictures are worth nothing if the author doesn’t delve into the meat and potatoes of the topic.

Here are key content rules to follow: 

Make sure your content is relevant to your title. It sounds like a no-brainer, but nothing upsets customers more than when they don’t receive the product being advertised.

Make your blog the right length. A long, overly wordy blog will disengage the reader as much as a short, generic piece will. Strike a balance between the two. Explore your topic to a comfortable depth. Remember, you’re writing an article for your blog, not Wikipedia. 

Remember your audience. Who are you writing for? If you are an english major writing to math majors, maybe you should restrain from more advanced vocablulary. The same applies to areas of interests. An introductory post about basic gardening tips should avoid terminology that only a seasoned farmer would recognize. Ultimately, this hypothetical blog would never get off the ground because the only people who would understand it wouldn't need to read it in the first place.

Make headlines.

When you open up your Sunday paper, what do you read first? If you guessed the headlines, you're right. If you guessed the comics, then I like you. But seriously, a good title is the most underestimated aspect of blogging. For every five people who click on your article, four won't make it past the title. The average internet user only spends mere seconds on any one page. Therefore, your headline should hook them in. It should be the thin line of gasoline that trails to the conveniently placed pile of explosives. (Your content) Its a small part, yes, but a vitally important one.  

Here are the kinds of headlines you want: 

"Five ways to revolutionize your [blank]."

"What you never knew about [topic.]"

"Never make a [relevant verb]ing mistake again."

Organize like your life depended on it.

Online readers like to scan through text. Your average Internet browsing Joe isn't going to appreciate it if your blog post is one big blob of text. To keep his concentration, your writing needs to be properly organized.

Here are easy methods to rein in your audience:

Use interesting sub-headers. These 'mini headlines' should act as little rest stops for your readers' eyes. Give them a unique size, color, or font to make sure they stand out. Say your reader doesn't like the first part of a blog. With an unorganized blog, he or she may just assume the rest of the article is equally 'blah.' But, a well formatted blog might catch the reader's attention further down with a different subtopic.

Break it up. If you've ever tried to read text with no line breaks, you know how frustrating that can be. Words melt together and everything feels cluttered. A few simple line breaks will do wonders for the aesthetic feel of your post. If you want, you can add a relevant picture with a silly caption in the text to give your article some variety. Images are also great for SEO!

Use lists! If your topic involves several different points, using bullets and numbering is a great way to format. The style of writing conveniently includes sub-headers and line breaks, so its a gives the article a very natural feel for the reader. 

Harness the power of social media. 

Social media is a frequently discussed topic on this blog. These sites allow a blogger to quickly snatch up some new readers by directly and indirectly interacting with people.

Here are the important social media guidelines:

Don't make the mistake of only promoting your own content. It looks selfish and isn't as effective as you might think. Instead, share others' content that you find interesting and relevant to your own. Add your own opinions on other blog posts. Interact with people. All of this will draw readers back to your own blog.

Get subscribers. In few simple steps you can set up a simple automated database that will automatically notify subscribers when you post a new article.

Write for others. Offer to write a blog post for your competitors or a website relevant to your own business. Not only will you entice readers to visit your site or blog, you'll also potentially forge new relationships with people. Working with other bloggers can be a mutually beneficial experience.

Sticking to these few, easy rules will catapult your blog into the business spotlight.