So you want to write a blog, but have no idea where to start. Welcome to the wonderful world of blogging, my friends. Sure, you could Google the best blog title ideas out there, or you could try to come up with something creative and witty, but chances are you will spend an hour watching kitten videos on Youtube before even composing your first sentence. Starting a blog post is the bane of existence for every good writer. Here a few things that you should NOT do when trying to strike gold with your latest blog post.
You Don't Have A Keyword Goal.
Come on people, this is SEO 101. In the world of Google today, if you don't incorporate keywords into your content then you are wasting your valuable time and energy. No matter how awesome your blog post may be, if you fail to write around a keyword goal, the you are simply running on a hamster wheel to nowhere. Who wants to write super awesome content that no one is reading? Not you, right!?
If you haven't been enlightened by the inbound marketing God Marcus Sheridan yet, then click here and prepare to be amazed. Sheridan, known as The Sale's Lion, preaches about connecting with your blogging audience. This means NOT writing blog posts centered around yourself or your business. Instead, provide the readers with valuable industry information that they will actually appreciate. If you post interesting and relevant blog posts, your readers will keep coming back.
Have you ever gone to a website and been inundated with SALE! SALE! SALE! BUY! BUY! BUY! flashing across the screen? Chances are, you did not BUY! BUY! BUY! whatever was on SALE! SALE! SALE! Yes, we understand that you want to generate leads, but we promise there is a better solution. Instead of trying to push your content and calls-to-action into your reader's faces, offer it to them as a gift. Readers are more likely to respond to a subtle (yet effective) free download or offer.
According to the Statistic Brain, the average attention span lasts 8 seconds and the average percent of page views that last less than 4 seconds is 17%. So, is your blog title going to grab your reader in 8 seconds? Would you be thrilled to read a blog simply titled "Kitchens"? Chances are you won't read a blog post if it doesn't catch your eye. Always try to give your blog titles a little pop, with action words and interesting adjectives. Consider changing your boring "Kitchens" to "Top 10 Country Kitchens of 2013" -- a little more interested in kitchens now?
No one wants to read a blog post that is behind the times. Check your facts and make sure you aren't writing about a topic that has since been updated or changed. Always check industry websites to keep on top of the current affairs of your industry. If you are referencing a pop culture piece (hello Gangham style!) make sure people are still actually talking about it. For the ImageWorks blog posts we love to visit Hubspot for the latest inbound marketing trends and tips.
Now you can go out into the blogging world and create mesmerizing blog posts that your readers wil love!
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