Blogs are big for business. They can drive traffic to your website and increase your profits if done correctly. These tips from our Orlando marketing company will help you blog better.

A blog, short for weblog, is a conversational, informative article that can be rich with search engine optimization. It should be designed to drive traffic to your website and ultimately convert sales. To be successful, however, it needs to be thoughtfully created. In this blog about writing blogs (so meta!), our Orlando marketing company pulls back the curtain so you too can become a wizard of blogs.

Keywords Are Key

Before putting virtual pen to paper, you need a subject to write about. Here you want to think like your customer. What’s a topic they would be interested in? Or better yet, what’s a term, phrase, or question they would search for? 

This is your keyword and every blog post should have one. Using a keyword gives your writing direction and brings people to your post because you’re writing about what they’re searching for.

The bloggers at our Orlando marketing company use many methods to find high-quality keywords. Two factors to consider when researching a keyword are  its search volume and its competition. How many people are searching for this particular keyword and how many other blog writers are using it? The sweet spot is a keyword with high search volume and low competition. 

Once you’ve found your blog’s keyword, you can move on to the next step.

Become An Expert

Not really, but you need to do a fair amount of research on your blog’s topic before you start writing. If you’re writing a blog about a legal topic, you need to present yourself as an expert on the subject, even if all of your legal knowledge is from watching Legally Blonde.

You can learn more about your subject matter by searching for articles written by (other) experts. The more you write about a subject, the more of an expert you’ll become, and your readers will see your advice as trustworthy.

Offer Value To Your Reader

Speaking of being trustworthy, your readers will glean more from your blog if you offer them value. WIIFT? What’s in it for them? When you search for advice online, you want answers. A blog that supplies those answers will perform better than a blog that offers no value to its readers.

Put yourself in your readers’ shoes. Ask yourself, “Am I providing helpful information? Something they don’t already know? Would they refer this blog to a friend with the same question?” 

If your answers are yes, then you’re on the right track.

Format With Purpose

Did you know that you only have about 37 seconds to capture a reader’s attention? And 43% of readers only skim through your post instead of reading it fully. This is why using easy-to-navigate formatting is important. A few ways to make your post clear and easy to comprehend are:

• Use a catchy title – Something that will grab your reader’s attention in the fewest words. Find some great title tips with this freebie.
• Use short paragraphs – Two to four sentences is best.
• Use bullet point lists – Lists help readers scan down your blog quickly, absorbing more information in those precious seconds.
• Use subheadings– Helping your reader see the main points clearly allows them to skim through your blog more effectively.
• Don’t be afraid of white space – Giving your readers breaks lets them focus on your content for a longer period of time.
• Proofread your work – Typos and misspelled words put a giant dent in your credibility. We recommend a grammar-check program like Grammarly to catch any errors.

Give Readers Clear Next Steps

The ultimate goal of writing a blog is to get your readers to do something. Whatever that something is should be clearly outlined in your call-to-action or CTA. Something like, “Contact us for more information.” or “Sign up for our newsletter.” Having a strong CTA makes a huge difference in your conversion rate, so don’t forget it!

If all of this sounds like a lot to remember, you’re right! Writing blogs effectively takes time, focus, and practice. That’s why our team of bloggers at South Street & Co. take our jobs so seriously. We want to create the most captivating content we can for our clients. 

What Can South Street & Co. Do For You?

When you’re ready to let our professional Orlando marketing company take over your blog writing, we’re ready to get started. Contact us today to set up your free 30-minute consultation.

By the way, how many of these tips did you spot in this blog?