How do you keep readers coming back to your blog? These 10 tips for writing engaging blog posts will help.
We live in a world that is almost totally controlled by technology – the digital age.
It can be highly challenging to always be writing engaging blog posts that capture the attention of your readers.
It is estimated that there are about 600 million blogs in cyberspace, all vying for attention. So, how do you put yourself at the head of the crowd and get noticed?
One of the ways is to provide real value to your audience so that you can build loyalty. You can’t do this until you understand your audience and their needs.
You will need to be a good story-teller, be able to craft eye-catching headlines, great calls to action and use engaging visuals.
It matters not whether you are a beginner, with these tips you will be well-equipped for writing engaging blog posts that keep your readers coming back for more.
1. Get To Know The Profile Of Your Reader.
It’s so important that you get to know for whom you are writing. You can’t create engaging content if you don’t understand their interests and needs.
Write a profile of your perfect reader and always write for that person.
Use analytics to better understand your audience. Find out which blog posts are the most popular and generate similar topics.
Once you begin creating content in which your readers are interested, they will keep coming back for more.
2. Create An Eye-Catching Headline.
This is the first thing that piques the attention so make sure it is enticing.
Questions make great headlines. Also, numbers and statistics can catch the eye effectively.
This all reflects the age-old marketing acronym – AIDA.
- Attention
- Interest
- Desire
- Action.
Thus, you can grab their attention with the headline, then pique their interest with your introduction. Story-telling will create their desire and a call to action will tell them what you want them to do.
3. Reel Them In With An Irresistible Introduction.
Now that your eye-catching headline has caught their attention, your introduction must keep their interest.
Here you can ask questions, quote interesting statistics or write an intriguing anecdote to interest them and leave them wanting more.
You must be able to connect with your readers and also stick to the topic.
Make sure that whatever you introduce here is completely relevant to the topic of the blog post.
4. Can You Tell Stories?
You can really engage with your readers if you can share personal stories that reflect how you dealt with a particular situation.
It is possible, also, to use Case Studies for this, so long as they illustrate the point you are trying to make.
Telling stories can be a powerful way to connect with your readers and create the desire you need to move them to action.
5. Readability Is Important.
People who are reading online, often do not want to read everything in depth.
Skim-reading is a popular pastime.
Do try to keep your paragraphs short, no more than two or three lines. In addition, use headings and sub-headings for your content.
Avoid large blocks of text!
Do not use jargon and keep your language simple and easy to understand.
You want to engage with your readers, not confuse them.
6. Use Images And Videos.
Images and videos incorporated into your content will help to make it more visually appealing.
I’m sure you’ve heard the term “a picture is worth a thousand words”. Well it’s true.
You can create custom graphics (using a tool like Canva) or use stock photos, or even photos from your own camera.
Here is a short video tutorial on using Canva to liven up your blog posts.
And, when used wisely, images and videos can make your blog posts almost unforgettable to your readers.
7. Consider That You Are Having a Conversation With A Friend.
When you begin writing a blog post, consider that you are having a conversation with a friend.
Always try to keep your tone conversational throughout your writing.
This will be a great way of connecting with your readers.
As we mentioned above, personal stories are an ideal way to get your message across.
Use them well.
Don’t overdo it.
8. Can You Provide Value?
When visitors come to your website, they are often looking to solve a problem or learn something new.
Try to make sure that your writing offers advice and maybe insights to a particular problem.
Give them a resolution.
You should always do in-depth research about your topic so that your articles are informative and worthwhile.
In this way, you will be providing value to your readers and they will be persuaded to return.
9. Don’t Forget to Include A Call To Action.
Don’t leave your readers hanging, wondering what they should do next.
Make sure you include a call to action (CTA).
Your CTA should let them know what you want them to do.
Do you want them to leave you a comment, subscribe to your newsletter, share the post or purchase a product?
Give them a prompt and encourage them to take the next step.
10. Visitor Engagement Works.
Make sure that you always respond to comments that are left on your blog posts. If you want them to come back, then engage with them.
Show your visitors that you value their feedback and converse with them in a friendly way.
If you do this you’ll soon build a loyal community around your blog.
This will keep your readers coming back.
Final Thoughts On 10 Tips For Writing Engaging Blog Posts That Keep Readers Coming Back!
If you’re prepared to put in some time and effort towards writing engaging blog posts, you’ll soon reap the rewards.
Let’s just recap the 10 Tips:
- Get to know the profile of your reader.
- Create an eye-catching headline.
- Reel them in with an irresistible introduction.
- Can you tell stories?
- Readability is important.
- Consider that you are having a conversation with a friend.
- Use images and videos.
- Can you provide value?
- Don’t forget to include a call to action.
- Visitor engagement works.
If you follow these tips you will soon get visitors coming back.
And, finally, remember to always put your readers first.
If you can provide them with value, and engage with them you will build a loyal following that will support your blogging efforts for years to come.
I hope this has given you some insight into how to write engaging blog posts. And, if you’d like to learn how to monetize your blog, like I have done, you can check it all out here.
Some people have their way with writing fantastic, informative or even funny blog posts, and it honestly makes me jealous haha. I just feel that my blog posts are quite boring, to be honest. Although I try to write in a conversational way, as I am in the crafting niche, I still feel like I’m not good enough. Thank you for these tips, especially the adding of more pictures seems like a good way to make a whole bunch of text more readable.
Hello Lizzy, Thank you for stopping by and commenting on my article about writing engaging blog posts. I would certainly agree with you, especially as you’re in the crafting field, that you should definitely include good images to illustrate your crafts. I know it’s not easy to be conversational when giving tutorial advice, and I do think images would be incredibly helpful to your blog. Best wishes, Jenni.
This is a great course for new Bloggers and a refresher for experienced one. Specially the use of the marketing acronym AIDA. AIDA is generally used to create catchy Ad Campaigns. But, great to spot its use in writing headlines for your Blog.
Another one which I specially like and plan to implement is the ability of telling stories. I now see that it is a great way to engage the readers!
What is your take on length of the Blog for best Search Engine visibility?
A great guide to write effective Blogs.
Thanks for stopping by, Rohit, and for commenting on my blog post about writing engaging blog posts. I’m glad that you found it useful. I don’t think there is any set rule for the length of blog posts for search engine visibility. I would suggest that posts with a minimum of 800 to 1,000 words would put you in the right space. Best wishes, Jenni.
Hi Jenny, thank you for the valuable information. I appreciate the reminder about readability. I tend to write extensively long posts and quite often veer off into very abstract thoughts and ideas. Haha. It’s good to keep simplicity in mind and the art of storytelling can also be very engaging and captivating.
Hello MJ, Thank you for stopping by and commenting on my article about writing engaging blog posts. Yes, I can well understand how it is possible to veer off track when writing about something you’re passionate about. You should definitely try to stick to your outline so that you write engaging posts about a particular topic. Thanks again. Jenni.