If you’ve been tasked with writing a blog for your firm, or you want to improve the readability and engagement of your future blogs, here we give you 6 blog writing tips.
1. Write with the target reader in mind
Before you put your ‘fingers to the keys’, think about your target audience. What will be of interest to them in terms of a topic? How can you help them? You need to put yourself in the shoes of the reader so that you can fully understand their thoughts, their feelings and what they would find most useful to read about. If you want some advice on how to write with your target audience in mind, see our blog ‘How to attract your perfect client’.
2. Grab attention with punchy headings and subheadings.
I’m a big believer in the ‘it does what it says on the tin’ philosophy. So think about the contents of your blog and how the main heading needs to reflect this. Quite often you may find that you change the heading as you write the blog, and some people leave the heading until last. Your main heading needs to be short and punchy and draw people in, hopefully as this blog has done for you today!!
Also, use plenty of subheadings. Not only does this help tell your story (a quick flick down the subheadings should tell the reader instantly what the blog covers), but it can help break up the text and make it easier for people to read until the end.
3. Don’t use internal jargon or too many acronyms
It’s very easy to use words, phrases or acronyms that are common to you and our colleagues, but they might be less so to the outside world. When you’ve written your blog it can be useful to get someone outside of the office to read it. If they don’t understand something, it may need rewriting or explaining. Also, take care not to overdo it with acronyms. Blogs which require the reader to stop and think what each acronym stands for lose their momentum and can cause the reader to switch off/click away.
4. Consider key search words and phrases
Your blogs are a great way to improve your rankings in search engines. In order to do this, you need to include your key search terms in your blog. This needs to be done seamlessly in your text and where appropriate should be used in headings and subheadings. However, take care not to over-mention your keywords, as that can be counter-productive in Google rankings.
5. Include a call to action
At the end of your blog, don’t leave your readers hanging. Give them details of how to contact you or the relevant people in your firm. Also, if they want to find out more, include links to other websites/professional bodies for more information.
6. Re-use the blog
You can spend a lot of time writing a blog, so don’t just write it, load it onto the website and walk away. Think of how you can get your blogs in front of as many people as possible. For example, could it be repurposed and used as a press release or perhaps in an email or printed newsletter? You should also link to the blog from your different social media channels. Where the blog is not time-sensitive, you could also repost it onto your social media in a few months’ time. Aim to get as much mileage out of one blog post as possible.
The above blog writing tips aim to give you practical advice on how to write interesting blogs that engage directly with your target audience. If you have any questions or would like some assistance in writing blogs, you can email me at vicki@momentumforprofessionals.co.uk or call me on 01822 833300.
