“The Anatomy of a Better Blog Post” plus 1 more |  |
| The Anatomy of a Better Blog Post Posted: 16 Feb 2012 12:01 PM PST The last couple of weeks have turned up some valuable blogging advice for those who are working to hone their craft and become better blog post writers. Not everyone falls into this category—some bloggers are happy with the way they write. Others publish videos or sound files instead of text. And that’s fine. But for the rest of us, I wanted to put together a little roundup of advice on each of the parts of a text-based blog post.
Have you seen a great article on crafting quality blog posts recently? Help us build this list by adding it in the comments below. Originally at: Blog Tips at ProBlogger The Anatomy of a Better Blog Post     |
| 7 Powerful Ways to End Your Next Blog Post Posted: 16 Feb 2012 06:06 AM PST This guest post is by Ali Luke of Aliventures. You know your title has to hook readers. You know your first line needs to keep them reading. The start of your blog post matters. But so does the end. In fact, without a powerful end to your post, all the work that you put into the title and paragraph one is wasted. Because the end of your post is what keeps your readers coming back for more. Here are seven powerful ways to end your post. 1. Sum up your key messageSometimes, you need to hammer a point home. The final few lines of your post are a great opportunity to make sure that your key message gets across. If you can, bring out a new point—or sum up in an engaging way. If you just rehash what you've already said, readers will wander off, bored. Example:
2. Encourage the reader to take actionMany blog posts are full of excellent advice, but how often does that advice actually get put into practice? Readers love posts that are practical, and if you can persuade them to do something (and see the benefits) then they'll be much more likely to return to your blog. Example:
3. Ask the reader to share your postIf you want more tweets or Facebook shares, ask for them. Readers won't always think of sharing your post, and they may not notice that you've got a "retweet" button waiting—unless you tell them. You might also want to encourage readers to forward a post to friends: unless you're writing for a predominantly techy audience, there's a good chance that a lot of your subscribers are getting your feed by email. Example:
4. Link to another useful resourceWhen readers finish one post, they'll often be ready to read another on a similar topic. If you've written an inspirational piece, for instance, it's a great idea to link to a practical guide that helps readers turn that inspiration into action. You don't need to link to blog posts, either. Pointing readers towards newspaper articles or books in your field isn't just useful—it also helps demonstrate that you're on top of what's happening in your niche. Example:
5. Ask a question to encourage commentsQuestions work well in titles and first lines—and they're also a good way to end a post. Asking a question for readers to respond to (e.g. "do you any tips to add?") is likely to increase the number of comments you get. Don't go over the top with questions, though: one or two are usually enough. You don't want your readers to feel bombarded with a whole string of questions. Example:
6. Tell readers what's coming nextIf you want people to subscribe to your blog, or to keep visiting the site for updates, you need to let them know that you've got good stuff coming up. At the end of your post, let readers know what's coming tomorrow (or next week). You might simply drop a hint like "I've got something big to announce next week…" or you might tell them to stay tuned for a more advanced post on a similar topic to the one they've just read. Example:
7. Promote your product or serviceEven though you might have information about your book/ebook/ecourse/etc. in your sidebar, some readers won't see that—they'll either be reading in an RSS reader or they simply won't notice. The final line of your post is a great place to let readers know about your product (or to remind them that it exists). This works especially well if your post has been on a similar topic—for instance, if you've written about procrastination and you've got an ecourse on getting things done, there's an obvious link between the two! Example:
Which of these tips would work well on your next post? Leave a comment below to tell us what you'll be trying out… Ali Luke is a writer and writing coach, and blogs for a number of large sites. If you're struggling to keep up the motivation to write for your blog, check out her post on Six Common Writing Excuses (And How to Overcome Them). Originally at: Blog Tips at ProBlogger 7 Powerful Ways to End Your Next Blog Post     |
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