By Lauren Gall
Have you ever spent countless hours writing your next online article or blog post, only to get a few likes and not one single comment or share? What a bummer!
“Don’t be afraid to step outside the box— it’ll give you more interesting content to write about…”
We totally understand your challenge because we’ve all been there. However, with a few easy (yet effective) steps, you’ll be well on your way to writing captivating content, increasing engagement and receiving the feedback you need to get better with each post. Here are six tips:
1. Created numbered or bulleted lists to make online reaading painless and easier to scan. Since the look is different from typical paragraph-style text, it gives readers the visul break they need to move along—and stay on— the page. When presenting multiple points, it’s a great way to help people find the information they’re looking for quickly.
2. Feature one idea per paragraph and make it brief, in order to keep readers focused on the value without spending too much time trying to find it. Let’s be honest, most people are very busy, so their time spent among multiple responsibilities doesn’t quite allow them time to read a novel that could easily be a simple blog post. Creating paragraphs with two to six sentences is a good guideline for blog posts.
3. Use headers and sub-headers to separate long blog posts, keeping your content structured for easy scanning while convincing people to keep reading. They also serve as a promise to show your readers what the content will be about, so be sure to deliver your promise and not confuse the reader.
4. Write content that speaks to your audience and be sure it’s relevant. Sometimes we become committed to what we want people to know and forget to listen to our audience to discover what interests them. You may not have gotten a comment, share or like simply because the topic doesn’t relate to your audience.
5. Share across all social media channels and marketing distribution lists for greater reach. The more people who have access to your posts and resonate with your content, the more likely they’ll share it with others. It’s totally OK to encourage the reader to share with friends and colleagues, as strategic messaging has proven to get the job done.
6. Stay up-to-date with current events and trends in your industry by staying in the know. Articles, books and white papers boost engagement and increase the relevancy of your content because people want to read and discuss what’s happening NOW, not old news. Stay informed about what’s going on around you and research your target market so you always hit the mark with content that matters.
With time, patience and consistency, your audience will be sharing their opinions on your posts and get excited to be regularly involved with your brand. Find what works for you and go with it. Don’t be afraid to step outside the box—it will give you more interesting content to write about and people will love you for your audaciousness.
Happy writing!
Lauren Gall is co-owner of VaVa Virtual Assistants, offering administrative, creative and marketing services to busy entrepreneurs and small-business owners. Contact her at lauren@vavavirtual.com.