7 Ways to Write Better Blog Posts Right Now
We’ve talked a lot on this blog about the technical aspects of running a freelance writing business: how to create a portfolio, how to get clients, how to cold pitch, etc. So now you’re probably wondering how do you actually DO the work? How do you write better blog posts that will convince clients to pay you the big bucks? Keep reading, my friend. I’m about to spill all my secrets (at least the ones related to writing better blog posts).
WHY YOU NEED TO LEARN HOW TO WRITE BETTER BLOG POSTS
Why should anyone pay you to write their blog? A blog can be an amazing marketing tool for businesses. Blogs increase authority, build engagement, and attract new leads. In fact, companies with blogs produce 67% more leads per month than companies without blogs. Yee-haw! So if a potential client asks you, hit them with that factoid.
However, your client won’t get any of those nice benefits if nobody reads the blog. That’s why your client needs you, the alleged freelance writer, to create interesting content that appeals to both the reader and search engines.
Check out my YouTube video on this topic and subscribe to my channel for more freelance writing advice!
WHY NOBODY READS YOUR BLOG
It is a truth universally acknowledged: people be skimming. 43% of people don’t read entire blog posts – they skim, and the median time spent with an article is just 37 seconds. Skimmers aren’t lazy – they’re busy. Two million new blog posts are published every single day. Skimmers are just trying to keep up with the rapid pace of content production.
Thus, you want to optimize your posts so that readers can get the most value out of them in the shortest amount of time possible.
When I began my blog in 2009, I didn’t put any consideration into how I wrote my posts. I would get excited about something, slap together a couple of really long paragraphs, add whatever grainy images I could steal from Tumblr, and send it out to the internet (typos included). The result? My blog experienced explosive growth and I became a millionaire before the age of 25.
Just joking! Nobody read it (except my mom).
Working with clients on their business blogs has helped me to identify these formatting tactics for making sure your posts are super easy to skim.
People typically read captions more often than body text. Like you! Reading this caption now!
HOW TO WRITE BETTER BLOG POSTS:
All paragraphs should be as short as possible. Three to five sentences is a safe bet. Everyone once and awhile, a one sentence paragraph is great for emphasizing an important point. However, excessive use of one-sentence paragraphs is fatiguing to many readers. Personally, it reminds of that asthmatic kid in Malcolm in the Middle who took a deep breath in between each sentence.
Add subheadings every few paragraphs. Make some of them into questions to excite curiosity. Better yet, make your sub-headings tell the entire pitch so that skimmers will understand the gist without reading a word of body copy.
Break up monotony by setting key paragraphs or statements in italics or bold.
Use numbered lists or bullet points whenever possible (like this one, duh).
Add images. After all, articles with images get 94% more views. But don’t just add any images. Add beautiful, relevant photos. Grainy, lame, or cheesy images degrade the quality of your work. I like to use Unsplash for high-quality, free stock photography. iStock also has some decent options, if you’re willing to dig.
Include captions with all your photographs. People typically read captions more often than body text.
End each post with a question to encourage engagement.
Keep these tactics in mind as you’re writing your next blog post.
Don’t waste your old posts. Just edit them!
EDIT OLD POSTS FOR READABILITY
Here’s a hot tip: in addition to writing new content, offer to rewrite boring old blog posts for your clients at a reduced rate. There’s no need to let those old posts go to waste. Spend some time editing and republishing old posts. Not only will their readership improve, but their search engine rankings will improve as well. Holler!
Stuck on how to make your posts more palatable? Get in contact with me! We can have a little chat and figure out how YOU can write better blog posts.
Do you have any other tips for writing better blog posts? Let me know in the comment section below!