Ingredients

Coming up with blog content on a regular basis can drain even the most creative minds. Some bloggers have told me they never have writer’s block. Good for them.

For the rest of us, it is important we publish web content that is useful and not just a bunch of words strung together just for the sake of having a blog post.

I have also learned that most readers don’t care about your personal life, so don’t blog about it. Not the mundane stuff anyhow (that happens enough on Facebook). This technique may work well if only your mom and best friend are reading your blog, but if you want a wider audience, make it relevant. It’s the whole “WIIFM? (What’s in it for me?)” approach or “great info, so what?” that draws readers. Unless there is something readers can gain by that knowledge, don’t blog about your great weekend hiking with your dog.

It is important to always craft a blog post with the reader in mind. Take the time to create high quality posts that visitors will want to read. If you want to write content that connects your reader to your message, keep these five ingredients in mind:

1. Informative

Not every blog post has to be mind-blowing. But it should at least pique the mind for the few minutes it takes to read the post. There are many ways to do this: lists, tips, insights, and shared experiences. Readers want to read a post that answers their questions or concerns in a clear, informative and entertaining manner.

2. Easy To Read

Remember that most people skim-read web content. Your target readers are probably subscribed to dozens of websites and blogs, so you have to capture their attention. Use short paragraphs, bullet points, numbered lists and subheadings. Not only does this make the article easier to read, it also gives it some structure to make sure that you’re staying on point.

3. The Right Length

The general guideline is 400-800 words. This doesn’t have to be a fast rule, but think again about attention span. Put yourself in the shoes of the reader: are you rambling on? Can you shorten it up? Or is too short that there is not enough substance?  It also depends on the topic – some things just require more words. Don’t be afraid to have short blog posts though.

4. Your Voice

Be natural. You can do this by finding your writing voice. It helps readers connect with you on a more personal level. When they get to know you , they will be able to tell when it is you who is speaking. Once you start overstuffing keywords, it will become quite obvious. While this may attract search engines (not really), it certainly won’t attract readers. This doesn’t mean that you can’t include a few significant keywords, but this should be secondary to creating a blog post that’s informative and interesting.

5. Relevant. 

Sometimes a blogger will occasionally go off track a bit with a topic unrelated to their blog. We all have to vent sometimes, but I believe it is not productive if these side-bars come too often.  Find a way to bring it back to the subject. Stay on top of your industry and keep your readers informed.

Remember that creating successful, quality content takes some effort. However, it is worth the time if it will compel your reader to take action or return to your blog.

The next time you sit down and write a post, take the  ”so what?” test to see if you can come up with an answer.

Related articles

• What Blog Readers Want (pushingsocial.com)
• Proven Steps for Blog Posts That Convert Readers into Followers (boldstate.com)
• Content Rules: How to Create Killer Blogs, Podcasts, Videos, Ebooks, Webinars (and More) That Engage Customers and Ignite Your Business (New Rules Social Media Series) (twit101.com)
• Blog Smarter: Turn Your Blogging Skills into Successful Affiliate Promotions (problogger.net)

Linknami for Backlinks

I am going to assume that if you have a website, you want traffic. Even if you are not selling a single product or service, you still want people to read your blog posts.  Otherwise, you probably wouldn’t put it online for all the world to see.  Right?  Well, let’s just go with that assumption, since that will apply to most website owners.

Traffic comes either directly, a referral link from another site, or search engines.  A variety of SEO techniques can help your site get discovered in search engines.

Backlinks, Backlinks, Backlinks!

Backlinks are the hottest SEO topic and if you have a website, you most likely know what I am talking about.  If not, quick review – backlinks are HTML links back to your site.  They can come in a variety of flavors: contextual, website profiles, blog comments, forum signatures, directories, article marketing, and more.

They not only help you improve your site’s search engine ratings, but readers will click on your site if the link seems helpful. All if this equals more traffic.

Okay, sounds easy to get that!  Can’t you just pay someone to throw up a bunch of links back to your site?

No…

SEO has changed from several years ago when there were link farms (there still are – don’t do that) who put your URL on thousands of sites – for a free.  These sites were poor quality and had thousands of other people just like yourself with links back to their site.  This is NOT a good backlinking strategy.

More Complex Backlinking Strategies Today

Today, you have to be more creative with backlinks.  They are still important, but the quality of the link is more relevant than in the past.  There are many businesses that offer this premium backlinking service.  Some sites will have a monthly charge, some will charge only for premium services, and others are completely free.   For example, Linknami offers a wide range of link building tools including free tools and premium tools.  Their various services can help you find what technique works best for your budget needs.

Do your research! 

Before you sign up with ANY service be sure you understand what you are doing.  Of course, you don’t have to use any service and can provide your own natural backlinks, manually.  This can be time consuming, but still effective if done properly.  However, if you don’t have that kind of time, research some of the more reputable link building service providers and MAKE SURE they are not a link farm!

It may be tempting for you to cut corners and pay a premium for 10,000 backlinks.  I would not recommend this – the sites are often spammy or low quality. Google will pretty much ignore those kind of links.  If high quality, high PR site links back to your site – that offers more authority.  That is a good thing.  At least for now in the ever-changing world of SEO.

Related articles

• I Wish Google Would Crack Down on Irrelevant Backlinks (internetmarketinginspiration.com)

Online copywriting should be simple – shouldn’t it?

There’s a lot of talk about ‘user generated’ content – meaning just about anyone can have a go at it. I’m all for user generated content it – it helps me get into the minds of the people my clients are trying to sell to. If I have a brief which covers a subject I’m none to clear about – my first stop is any and all forums I can find on the subject.

This is where you find insight into what the ‘audience’ really think and want. However, from this point online copywriting is still a balancing act – perhaps more so than any other form of writing.

Getting and keeping attention, finding the right tone and style and finding the right language to use are all key elements. There are various arguments for and against using ‘professional’ language – or using a more informal tone. I’m not convinced there is a right or wrong approach to this – but understanding how internet users read and interact with web copy is important.

Learning to read – again

When writing for the internet you need to learn to read again. Only 16% of internet users really read text in full – and they are probably writers! Understanding how users ‘read’ on the internet is important.

There’s been some detailed research on the subject and most of it points to the fact that they don’t. Internet users ‘scan’ documents rather than read them in full. Highlighted keywords, short sentences and keeping one idea per paragraph are the tools a copywriter should employ to use this fact to their advantage.

Short and sweet is the important message here – one journalist argues that any story can be told in 800 words – for an online copywriter this should be old news.

Scan friendly copy

Keeping things short and easy for readers to scan be achieved in a number of ways.

• Summarise before you start: use your first paragraph to summarise your main points. This paragraph is the one that users will read more closely and it’s where you can engage their attention.
• Short regular headings – relevant ones – also make a document readable in a shorthand way.
• Bullet points work well to make a document easy to scan for information.
• Links give the text a ‘shorthand’ sense of authority offering the opportunity for readers to verify information.

Tone and style

Avoid “marketese” which, research suggests, is the single biggest turn off for most internet users. Like most copywriters, on or offline, I’m damnably hard to sell to. I rarely believe anything I read without checking out the facts for myself – even then I’m not often convinced.

Writers in general know that words are tricky old things and can be used to great effect to tell a bunch of lies – that’s what novels are when you think about it.

Soft sell to success

Internet users are consistently more sophisticated each year and can nearly always spot when they are being sold at. Even copy that isn’t using “marketese” to sell can be sniffed out by many people.

Blog writing seems to be on the up for online marketing these days – and the reason is almost certainly that blogs have a reputation for being informative, often opinionated but above all conversational. As yet, readers don’t associate them as strongly with marketing and this makes them a great place for some subtle soft sell.

Good business blogs and professional bloggers are aware of this and keep selling out of the equation. Good, interesting, informative or just plain funny writing keeps users coming back.

One day, perhaps, they’ll buy something while passing through!

Related articles

• Becoming an online copywriter (inspiredtowrite.com)
• Why Your Ego Could Be Damaging Your Copy (inspiredtowrite.com)
• Is your SEO copywriting any good? 3 tell-tale tests (seocopywriting.com)

Editor’s Note: Robert Bellarmine is the writer behind Visitask.com where he covers topics related to project management and other management topics as well.

More and more business are now using guest post to promote your business and it might be interesting that writers do the same. Indeed there are a lot of benefits that are associated with guest posting and this is what we will be looking at in this article.

Reputation Building

The first advantage of guest posting is that it will allow you to build your own reputation on the internet. Although having a blog can help develop your business online, guest posting can allow you to tap into some more developed markets. Indeed there are some people that will probably have not heard you if you stay in the confinement of your own blog. If you are really interested to build your reputation online then it might be useful that you start guest posting on some established sites.

Traffic

If readers are really pleased with your writing ability then it will be very likely that these persons will be interested to visit your own site. This is why guest posting can be a great way for you to get some useful traffic to your website. You will not have to rely on some questionable SEO tactics which can be quite expensive sometimes to implement.

Social Media initiative

Guest posting can also allow you to take advantage of the host site’s strength in social media. Indeed most established sites have a well-developed presence on Twitter or Facebook and guest posting on these sites can allow you to benefit from this. If you know how to use this strength correctly you can successfully develop your own social media presence.

SEO

Following the Panda update, links from article directories may have lose some of their strength. One alternative to this will be to get links from real blogs that have some real traffic. For this reason you might want to look for related blogs and that also possess some form of authority. To achieve this you will perhaps be interested in looking for blogs that have some PR or some Alexa rank.

New Contacts

Guest posting can also allow you make some new contacts for your business. Indeed you will be exposed to some other people and some different markets. Furthermore by showing other webmasters your writing qualities, this may allow you to display your own versatility when it comes to writing for different niches. This can thus allow you to make new acquaintances that may be helpful when it comes to growing your business.

Guest posting can be really useful when it comes to promoting your business and this is especially true for writers. If used properly this can bring some great benefits for your business and really help you bring your business to new heights.

If you are interested in learning how to find guest posts or offer articles as a blog owner, go to Linknami!

So, your stories go down well with friends and family and about a million people have remarked on your flare for story telling. Think that’s enough to hit it big in this competitive field? Well, it’s definitely a great place to start, but you’ll need more than that to be a success in the cut-throat writing field. Take a look at these ways to leverage your talent for writing and make yourself known:

1. Become a Grammar Nazi

Telling a story is way different from writing one. Run-on sentences, missing commas and a lack of descriptive terms can stop your writing career in its tracks. Before even giving this field a try, brush up on your grammar skills or maybe even take a refresher class. If you get really good at it, you might even go for a job as a book editor. This high-profile job keeps everyone else’s punctuation marks marching in a perfectly-straight line.

2. Get to the Point Already

When writing for others, it’s important to provide plenty of details, but know when to leave out the uninteresting parts. Instead of writing about what you find interesting, think about your audience’s needs. If you can’t grab their attention – and keep it – they’ll simply move on to other pieces they find more interesting.

3. Learn What Sells

Even if you could happily read a hundred stories about how little Johnny learned how to tie his shoes, it doesn’t mean anyone else wants to. If you’re simply writing to satisfy yourself, have at it, but if you’re trying to make a living with the written word, this won’t fly. Take time to learn what sells, incorporate it into your work, but never copy anyone else’s material.

4. Write What You Know – or Learn to Research Well

The best advice given by veteran writers is to write what you know. While this is the best policy, it isn’t possible to follow all the time. To cover yourself when you have to write about some obscure topic, hone your research skills to a razor-sharp edge. Once you feel like a pseudo-expert in the assigned topic, spend even more time fact-checking to ensure you’re not handing out erroneous information.

5. Be Different

If you sound like everyone else, you won’t stand a chance of rising to the top of the writer pool. Work on developing and finding a unique voice that will put you in high demand. While you’re at it, remember than no author worth their ink would ever plagiarize a fellow-writer’s work.

6. Practice, Practice, Practice

It goes without saying that a good writer writes something each and every day. When you catch the worst case of writer’s block known to man, put pen to paper or fingers to key until you find a cure. If you find the time, read a wide variety of literature to expand your mind and build your vocabulary.

Let your passion shine through, paint a picture with your words, be unpredictable, and have a little fun while you put in the many hours necessary to become a successful writer. What do you like to write about?

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by Angela Brown.  Angela has been working as a search engine optimizer in WebGuru Infosystems – a leading website design and development company, for the past 2 years. He has also written articles on different topics such as website design, SEO, logo design, graphic design etc.

Do you consider yourself as tech savvy and ‘In’ with the changing world? If ‘yes’, then you are probably aware of the blogging craze that has caught the fancy of people rapidly.

Opening new gateways of opportunity to express one’s views and opinion to lots of online users, blogging is no doubt the most successful thing that has made it BIG in today’s online market. Not only individuals, but companies are also trying to bank on the benefits of having a blog in their website design to attract more traffic volume.

• Write on a topic that you are comfortable with. The primary rule to writing a blog is to bank on topics that you are yourself comfortable in. If it’s your personal blog, deal with subjects that are close to your heart so that you can discuss the topic clearly and in depth with your readers, thus making the post more enticing, interactive and appealing to readers.

• Research your chosen topic to ensure authentic usage of information and data. As you decide to write on any topic, opting for thorough research helps. When you are knowledgeable about a topic, not only can you write well on this topic, but you will also respond to reader’s comments more spontaneously and confidently.

• Avoid dealing with sensitive topics that can result in personal attack.  When writing a blog, remember that you want your viewers to enjoy reading it; not indulge in personal attacks and counter attacks. Hence it is suggested that you avoid writing on topics that may turn out to be sensitive among people.

• Opt for a topic that you are ready to debate on. Blogs, as we all know, is the online space to express one’s view. Hence when writing a blog, remember that your readers may not agree with you always. Hence when choosing the topic, it is suggested that you stay ready to debate on it with other people.

Related articles

• 10 Common Blogging Mistakes (moreincomeblogging.com)

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by Charles Borromeo.  Please read more about Charles in the bio footer.

If you’ve created your own blog, chances are that you’d like it to be a little bit more than a personal diary. Most people want their hard work to pay off in one way or another.

To make sure that your words earn their place on the most-loved blog list, try a few of these tips to engage your readers and keep them coming back for more:

1. Post Valuable Content on a Regular Basis

No matter how many people visit your site, they won’t stay for more than a few seconds if you don’t engage their interest. Create content that is interesting, humorous, and tells them something that no one else can.

Even if it’s a subject that’s been discussed a million times before, you can always put a different spin on it to provide a unique perspective. Remember that content doesn’t always have to be text based. Include video and audio components for variety.

2. Start a Conversation

Don’t just leave a button for comments, seek them out. Always end your blog post with a request for feedback. As comments are left, respond and offer more information, answer questions, or just validate the reader’s position on the issue.

When you respond to the comments, it makes the reader feel important, and they become even more engaged in your blog. An ongoing dialog often takes on a life of its own and can become even more interesting to your audience, even the ones that don’t leave a comment.

To get the opinions of readers who prefer to remain anonymous. Use online survey software to offer them the chance to leave private feedback.

3. Participate on Other Blogs

By guest-blogging or even commenting on other people’s blogs within your niche, you can expand your network of contacts, develop your reputation as an expert, and promote your own blog. If your target audience hangs out on Facebook or Twitter, make sure that you develop a presence there, too. Use a consistent avatar for easy recognition and syndicate your blog through the RSS feed to lead your readers back to your home site.

4. Design Your Blog to be Attractive and Easy to Understand

Popular blogs have a few design features in common. They are easy to navigate, simple to understand, and visually appealing. They also stand-out from the millions of other blogs that may have been developed using the same tool and template.

5. Include a Call to Action

In most cases, bloggers want something from their readers. They may want the reader to click on a link, purchase a product, or complete a survey. Don’t assume that they’ll understand what you want or comply unless you motivate them to do so.

The simplest way is to just ask, but you may also want to give them another incentive to take action.

As you implement these five techniques, your traffic numbers are destined to soar to new heights!

After completing 31 Days to a Better Blog, it is about time I give a review (finally).  I can’t believe how much I have learned from ProBlogger!  I have not implemented everything he said (yet), but his tips were invaluable!  Well worth the small price I paid (currently, only $19.95)!  Although this book is geared towards beginner bloggers, there are a lot of tips that a veteran blogger may have yet to implement.

One of the things I really picked up on was to treat your blog like a business.  If you want to make money, or even have a larger readership, you have to transition from “hobby” to business. Darren talks about developing an editorial calender, keeping track of statistics, and developing a plan of action for your blog.  These are all key components that many bloggers neglect.

To look at your blog like a business, you will be more successful in receiving traffic.  Just like any business, relationships should be built and nurtured.

Another common thread through this book, it to pay attention to your readers!  You have to give your readers what they want to hear and there are many methods for doing it, including responding to comments, solve readers’ problems, and have a blogging buddy.  Participate in the community!  Don’t neglect your readers or other bloggers in your niche.

What I liked about 31 Days is the specific  action steps Darren recommends you take after each chapter.  He tells you exactly what to do and how to accomplish the steps.

For example, in a chapter on creating a list blog, he states explicitly,

“Today your task is to write a list post on your blog.”

He gives ideas on how to do this and the reasons he has success with this method.  This is true for all the chapters.

The last thing I want to mention is the resources he provides in this document are plentiful, so if you are stuck on a certain method, he provides ideas and links to resources to help you out.

Overall, this is a great resource to improve your blog for such a low price.

Note: For a limited time, I will still honor the 10% discount on his book if you order through my link. After you make the purchase, please email me your order number/receipt and I will send you 10% of your money back to your PayPal account!

Hope you enjoy his book, 31 Days to a Better Blog.