Discover the art of crafting standout blog posts in 2024 with our expert guide. Learn about blog structure, engaging content, and driving results
Writing blog posts can be hard. You spend a lot of time writing, but then it feels like no one reads your posts. It's frustrating. But don't worry, because in this guide, I'm going to show you how to write blog posts that people will actually want to read.
We'll talk about everything from coming up with attention-grabbing headlines to making your posts easy to read. I'll give you real examples and data to back it up. By the end, you'll know exactly what you need to do to create blog posts that get noticed, get read, and get results.
So let's get started! Here's a quick overview of what we'll cover:
Your headline is the first thing people see. It's like a movie trailer - if it looks boring, no one will bother reading the rest. So your headline needs to make people go "whoa, I need to click on that!"
How do you do that? Focus on making a promise. Tell people exactly what awesome thing they'll learn or how you'll help them solve a problem. Use power words like "secret", "proven", or "essential". And leave a bit of mystery so they're curious to click and find out more.
For example, instead of a headline like "10 Tips for Better Sleep", try something like:
See how those create curiosity and promise a solution? That's what you want. Most experts say to keep your headline around 60 characters so it doesn't get cut off in search results.[1]
Here are some tried-and-true "hooks" to make your headlines irresistible:
Don't overdo it, but adding some power words can give your headlines extra impact. Just use them sparingly and make sure they fit the tone of your blog.
Okay, so your awesome headline worked and people clicked to read your post. Now you need to hook them with your intro so they stick around. Your intro should do three key things:
Let's say your headline was "The Unexpected Reason You're Struggling to Lose Weight". Here's how you could start the intro:
"Have you been eating right and exercising for months, but still can't seem to shed those stubborn pounds? You're not alone. But what if I told you that your diet and fitness routine may not be to blame? Today, I'm going to reveal the surprising factor that could be sabotaging your weight loss efforts - and exactly what to do about it."
See how that builds on the headline, empathizes with a common struggle, and creates anticipation for the "big reveal" coming up? Aim for around 100-150 words for your intro, and always end with a clear transition into the main content.
One easy way to make your intros more engaging is to open with an interesting fact or statistic. For example:
Just make sure to cite your sources. Speaking of which, it's generally a good idea to link to related posts on your site in the intro when relevant. For instance:
"In a previous post, we discussed the basics of SEO for bloggers. Today we're going to dive deeper and reveal some advanced strategies to help you rank on the first page of Google."
That helps keep people engaged with your content. Okay, so now that you've hooked readers with your intro, let's talk about how to organize the rest of your post for maximum impact.
The structure of your post is like a road map guiding readers through your content. If it's unclear or all over the place, they'll get lost, confused, or bored and bounce. So it's super important to organize your post logically with a clear beginning, middle, and end.
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Think of your post like a story or a journey. It should have a distinct introduction, body content, and conclusion that all flow together smoothly. Having a clear structure:
Research shows that articles with a clear structure and hierarchy of ideas get over 5 times more traffic on average.[2] So it's well worth investing some time to outline your post before diving in.
Most successful blog posts follow a simple 3-part structure:
Within the body section, you'll have various subsections and paragraphs elaborating on your ideas. But the overall flow should follow this basic 3-part arc.
Headings and subheadings are essential for breaking up your content into logical sections. Think of them as signposts guiding readers through the post.
Each section should focus on one main idea or subtopic. And the headings should give a clear preview of what that section is about. For example, in this guide, my main sections are things like "Hook Readers with an Engaging Introduction" and "Structure Your Post Logically".
Then within each section, I have subheadings like "The Importance of Blog Structure" and "The 3-Part Structure" to break things down further. Descriptive headings help readers quickly skim and find the parts most relevant to them.
From an SEO perspective, it's best practice to include relevant keywords in your headings, and to use the proper heading tags (H1 for the main title, then H2, H3, etc.) to structure the content.
Okay, so you've outlined the high-level structure of your post. Now let's talk about how to make your content really engaging and persuasive.
Examples are crucial for bringing your ideas to life and helping readers understand how to apply your advice. I like to think of them as the "proof in the pudding". Without concrete examples, all the tips and strategies in the world will just seem like empty suggestions.
The best examples are specific and relatable. They should be things your target reader can imagine themselves doing or experiencing. For instance:
See how those paint a vivid picture and make the advice more actionable? Whenever possible, try to show instead of just telling.
Data, studies, and statistics are another great way to back up your points and boost your credibility. For example:
When citing data, always link to the original source so readers can see it's credible. And put the key stats in bold to make them pop.
You can find data to support your points from sources like:
Visuals and multimedia can be even more powerful than written examples. Whenever possible, try to infuse and illustrate your examples with things like:
For example, if you were writing about how to use Excel pivot tables, you could include a series of screenshots walking through the steps, or even a quick screen recording video. Or if you're sharing a case study about how a client boosted their conversion rate, you could include beforeand-after heatmaps showing how users engaged with the page.
Just make sure to optimize your images for the web (compress large files, include alt text, etc.) so they don't slow down your page speed. Slow load times are a big turnoff.
Alright, let's do a quick recap of the key points so far. Use specific, relatable examples to illustrate your ideas. Hard data and statistics add credibility and authority. And visual examples are even more engaging and memorable. Now let's talk about how to make your post readable and skimmable.
I hate to break it to you, but most people don't read online content word-for-word like they would a novel. Instead, they scan and skim, hunting for the key points that interest them.
In fact, research shows that 79% of people scan any new page they come across, and only 16% read word-by-word.[5] So if you want to keep people engaged, your content needs to be easy to read and skim. Here's how:
First, break your content into short paragraphs of 2-3 sentences max. Giant walls of text are intimidating and hard to follow, especially on mobile screens. Aim for around 20 lines max per page.
Use plenty of white space between paragraphs too. Let your content breathe. It's easier on the eyes and helps keep people focused.
In terms of font, stick to something simple and easy to read like Arial or Georgia, around 16px. Avoid cursive or gimmicky fonts. And break up the text with relevant images every 300 words or so.
See how I'm using short paragraphs here? Aim for 3-4 sentences per paragraph, max. If a paragraph is more than 5-6 lines long, try to break it up.
This is especially important for your introduction and conclusion, which is where many readers will focus their attention. Don't make them wade through a giant block of text right off the bat.
Get to the point quickly and concisely. Your writing should be tight and focused, not meandering or stuffed with fluff.
Bullet points and numbered lists are another great way to break up your text and highlight key information. For example, I could sum up the main points of this section like:
To make your posts readable and scannable:
See how much easier that is to skim compared to a big paragraph? Whenever you have a series of tips, examples, or data points, consider using bullets or numbers.
Finally, don't underestimate the importance of subheadings to guide your reader and break up the content into manageable chunks. Treat them like mini-headlines for each section.
Whenever you switch to a new main idea or subtopic, add a subheading to signal the change. And sprinkle in relevant keywords where it makes sense.
You can use different heading levels (H2, H3, etc.) to create a visual hierarchy, with your title being H1, your main sections being H2, subsections H3, and so on. This creates a logical structure that's easy for both readers and search engines to follow.
Between sections, add a brief transition sentence to connect the ideas and gently guide the reader to the next point. For instance, I might write something like:
"Now that you know how to write scannable content, let's talk about adding visuals to make it even more engaging."
That sums up the previous section and teases what's coming next, creating a smooth reading experience.
Okay, we covered a lot! To recap: Use short paragraphs, bullets and numbered lists, and plenty of subheadings to make your posts easy to read and skim. Now let's dive into my favorite way to spice up your content: visuals.
If a picture is worth 1000 words, then your blog posts should be chock full of images, videos, GIFs, and other visuals to engage your audience and communicate your ideas.
In fact, articles with images get 94% more views than those without.[6] And posts with videos attract 3 times as many inbound links.[7]
There are all sorts of visuals you can create (or curate) to enhance your blog posts. Some ideas:
Just make sure that any visuals you include are relevant, high-quality, and properly attributed. Avoid generic stock photos that add nothing to the content.
Infographics are one of my favorite types of visuals because they pack a ton of information into an engaging, shareable format. A good infographic:
You can use tools like Canva or Piktochart to create infographics, even if you're not a designer. Or curate ones from other trusted sources. Just be sure to fact-check the info before reposting.
Screenshots are indispensable for how-to and tutorial-style posts. They provide a visual aid to help readers follow along with each step.
If it's an app or software process, include screenshots of the core screens and buttons you need to click. If it's a real-world example, like a recipe or craft project, take photos of each key step.
Always use color blocking or callout text to highlight the most relevant part of each image. For example, you could circle a key button in red, or add a text box that says "click here".
Image annotations remove ambiguity and make the visuals more instructive. Macs have a built-in screenshot markup tool, or you can use a free app like Skitch.
When you have data or numbers to present, try to visualize them with a simple chart or graph. You can create common graphs (bar charts, pie charts, line graphs, etc.) in Excel or Google Sheets, but making them look good is a challenge.
To create attractive charts and graphs, consider a dedicated data viz tool like Infogram or Datawrapper. These let you import spreadsheet data and style it nicely. They also enable some fancier chart types like:
The goal is to make the data easy to parse at a glance. So keep it simple and don't try to cram too much into one visual. If you need to show a lot of data points, split them into multiple simple charts instead of one complex one.
Whew, we've covered the essentials of writing awesome, engaging blog posts! In the final section, we'll talk about ending with a bang and a powerful call-to-action.
The conclusion of your post is where you reinforce your key points and motivate the reader to put your advice into action. So don't just fade out or trail off at the end. Bring it home with a clear, specific call-to-action (CTA).
First, summarize your main points in a couple of concise sentences. Remind the reader of the problem or question you set out to address, and how your post has provided a solution or answer. For example:
"So, to recap: If you want to write blog posts that grab attention, build trust, and get results, focus on crafting strong headlines, hooking readers with your intro, providing valuable and persuasive content, and motivating action with a clear CTA."
After summarizing, you can zoom out to the bigger picture and reiterate the importance of the topic. For instance:
"Mastering these blog writing techniques will help you stand out in a sea of generic content, build a loyal audience, and ultimately drive more traffic and leads for your business."
To create a sense of closure, connect your conclusion back to your introduction. You can do this by:
For example, let's say your intro started with a surprising stat, like: "Did you know that the average person spends over 8 hours per day in a sitting position?" You could wrap up with something like:
"Remember that stat about people sitting for 8 hours a day? Well, now you have 10 simple exercises you can do at your desk to combat the negative effects of all that sitting. Put them into action and your body will thank you!"
That ties the whole post together nicely and reminds the reader why this matters to them.
Every post should end with a clear CTA telling the reader what to do next. Your CTA could encourage them to:
Make your CTA specific and actionable, with clear instructions. For example:
The strong CTAs give a concrete action and a reason to take it. They make the next step crystal clear and enticing.
Whew, you made it to the end of this epic guide! Give yourself a big pat on the back. Now you have a proven blueprint for writing blog posts that will captivate your audience and skyrocket your results.
But don't just let this knowledge rattle around in your head. Take what you've learned and put it into action! Brainstorm some headline ideas for your next post. Outline your key points and examples. Dig up some juicy data to back up your arguments.
And if you want more in-depth tips and tools to take your content to the next level, head over to Swiftbrief.com. We'll hook you up with proven templates, data-driven insights, and a whole library of resources to help you crush your content goals. See you there!
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