Research shows that an adults attention span is now as little as 9 seconds. So, it is important that you write engaging content! Whether you have your own personal blog, or you write content for a business, finding a subject to write about can be difficult.
If you are writing a personal blog start with something you love or something you are passionate about. Once you begin writing you may find some inspiration or direction in what you are writing. You can then expand on the topic to create a story or advice on a personal experience.
If you are creating content for a business, in a team, try and brainstorm ideas and elaborate on them. A factor you also need to take into consideration is your audience. Try to pick a topic like the products or services you sell or make it somewhat relevant. This will ensure that you have chosen a topic of interest.
There are some online generators that can help you generate blog post ideas. Hubspot has a useful blog post headline generator which is free to use – visit https://www.hubspot.com/blog-topic-generator. Another useful website is Answer the Public – https://answerthepublic.com. It uses autocomplete searches from Google and Bing to generate titles based on search.
Here are some ideas on how to captivate your reader:
Engage them with the first sentence
The first sentence should reel in the reader but also give them a sense of what the rest of the blog post is about. There are many techniques that you can use to do this. Some include:
• A rhetorical question
• Statistics
• A quote
• A story
Keep it precise
Nobody wants to read endless amounts of text. Keep your writing concise and straight to the point. To hold your reader’s attention, you must make sure that every word adds something to your piece. Sentences and paragraphs should be short and sweet. They’re easy for your audience to read and will prevent you writing too much text or repeating yourself.
Images
Including images can help tell a story. Many people are visual learners so including images will allow them to connect with the post. Make sure the images you use are relevant to the post, or else you will confuse the reader. All images used should be clear and of a high quality. Images can also be used to break up the text, which will give your blog post an easier read.
Another great tip is to optimise your images. This enables you to keep the quality of your image but the file size low. Resulting in a website that loads in good time.
Use SEO
Software such as WordPress will allow you to optimise your content. Adding a relevant keyword to your post makes your website more visible to anyone entering keywords appearing in your post. The goal is to rank highly in search engines such as Google and Bing.
Readability
WordPress also allows you to review the readability if you have Yoast installed. Using Yoast software will show you where you need to shorten your sentences, and if you are writing with a passive voice. WordPress(with Yoast) also calculates your Flesch Reading Ease score. This score indicates how easy your text is to understand. You can then edit the suggested changes. This can also improve your SEO.
Need help with your blog?
Blackberry can help with our blog writing service. We work with experienced copywriters to create articles that inform and entertain your audience. If you would like to know more get in touch today for a quote.
About Blackberry Design
Blackberry is a creative design agency. We work with businesses in Redditch, Worcester, Birmingham, the Midlands and nationally. We help our clients build strong brands that can create loyalty and add value.
At Blackberry we use our expertise in both digital and print marketing to help your business get the best results. We’ll help you engage your audience with digital and print marketing that work together.
If you have any questions or what to know what Blackberry Design can do for your business. Get in touch on 01527 517309 or fill in our contact form.