With so many popular forms of content coming at us that are more visually stimulating than a blog, you might be tempted to give up posting on yours. The thing is, blogs do help websites keep their content current so that Google continues to crawl it. This will help your search engine rankings. And chances are you started your blog because the topic at hand is something that you are passionate about, so why give up so easily? Instead, spend some time working on the bells and whistles. Need some info? Read on for five ways to improve your blog.
Aim Straight for the Heart With the Content
A blog post is only as successful as the traffic it gets. Even just one viral post can help this. But how do you get something to go viral? You’ve got to get to the heart of what you are trying to say. People are more likely to forward something that hits them on an emotional level. Not all emotions are created equal, however. As this Moz article notes, “Content that inspires low-energy emotions like sadness is less likely to be shared, where content that inspires high-energy emotions like awe, anger, and anxiety is far more likely to be shared.” Angry posts are tricky, as they do get forwarded but you have to prepare for a possible ensuing battle in the comments section. If your blog is meant to get you customers, you might want to steer clear of this kind of controversy.
Make it More Visually Pleasing
If your blog looks unprofessional, readers will immediately bounce. There are far too many “pretty” blogs out there for people to waste their time on eyesores. You could be the best writer in the world but, if your site is aesthetically displeasing or even hard to navigate, it won’t matter. Unless you have graphically inclined yourself and know how to choose the best WordPress design, it’s best to spend the money on a designer. On top of making it visually appealing, you should ask a web developer to take a look at it to ensure a positive end user experience.
Add Video Content
Jokes abound about a lack of productivity due to cute cat videos but, let’s face it, where there’s smoke, there’s fire… and possibly a cat that started it. We are a visual society so it only makes sense that the demand for videos will only increase. Don’t just throw something at the proverbial wall, though, and see what sticks. You can and should use metrics to find out which videos were the most popular. You can even get more specific than that by monitoring at what point the user stopped watching. And if your blog is on a site that is ultimately trying to sell something, don’t make your videos obvious in this regard. Giving customers a behind-the-scenes glimpse of your company can be extremely popular. Support your stellar video content with engaging photos and infographics, too.
Use the Best Practices for Posting
We understand that you get busy. Blog posts are often the first thing to go when this happens. However, remember that part about blog posts keeping Google crawling your site? This is crucial to keeping your web visitor numbers up, so you need to follow the best practices for blog posting. On top of doing things like breaking up the post with headings and adjusting your tone for your audience, you need to make sure you’re posting with regularity. In business, you should post 1-2 times per week.
Drive Traffic Using Social Media
Again, your blog could be the most amazing blog ever but if no one sees it, what’s the point? If you expect to make money off of your blog, you need to become savvy about how to get your posts to your target demographic. These days, that’s all about using the right social media sites for the people you want to reach. Much like with your blog, you need to be consistent about posting on social media, as your faithful fans will come to expect your content on certain days.
You’re not reinventing the wheel here but blogging just for the sake of blogging isn’t going to work either. Try any or all of these tips and reap the rewards of a more successful blog.
