The 5 Step Plan to Killing It On Your Blog Post

Nov 25, 2016 | BLOGGING, BUSINESS | 39 comments

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Okay.

You finally started your blog, and you’re ready to use that to help you land some clients.

Or, maybe you just want to blog to grow your email list or traffic. Whatever the case is, creating a blog post is more than just your writing.

Just take a look at the popular sites out there and read their posts. What makes them different from your blog posts? Let’s look at five key elements to having a killer blog post.

1. Your Writing Must Solve a Problem

One of my side projects is my Twins Mommy blog. I created it around eight months ago with the idea of writing about working from home.

I know many work at home moms find it difficult to work and take care of their family.

Although my blog’s focus moved to helping moms become mompreneurs, my content is still trying to solve a problem.

Figure out your audience and see what their problems are. You can go on Facebook, type in your niche or keyword and see what issues crop up in various Facebook groups.

For example, here are some Pinterest questions on Facebook that you can use for inspiration on your next blog post.

solve-problem

See what the most common problem is – or a unique problem – and answer that in your blog post.

By fine-tuning your blog content, you can reach a targeted audience that will follow you, read your blog and eventually buy from you.

If you have no clue who your target audience is, check out my ridiculously easy way to find your readers.

2. Create a Click-Worthy Headline

Your headline is what will stop scrollers from scrolling, passer-bys from passing by and simmers to stop skimming.

It’s what will get people to click your Pin or post and want to know more about it. But, what headlines are the best to use?

While you can use headline templates, try using these tried and true headline ideas for your next post.

Secrets

Everyone loves to gossip and tell secrets, right? And for anyone online scrolling through the Pinterest feed, if they see a pin with the word secret in it, you bet they will stop.

I mean, wouldn’t you?

Look at this pin from Brilliant Business Moms:

secret-headline

After reading this, I WANT to find out what this 10-minute secret is for planning my perfect day.

Using secret in your headline compels people to find out the actual secret.

So, give it a try for your next blog post.

Mistakes or Fears

Another way to drive clicks to your post is to capitalize on people’s fears and mistakes.

I know.

It sounds kind of sleazy, but if you can phrase it in a way that will help your readers, then it can be a very powerful headline.

My blog post on blogging mistakes has over 200 shares and 52 comments.

blogging-mistakes-pin

Personalize Your Headline

As a freelance writer, I’ve learned that to write a post I shouldn’t use I or me. Readers don’t want to know about the writer; they want to learn about tips or learn from influencers.

But, you know what?

After starting Twins Mommy, I realized that people were coming to my blog to learn from me! This gave me the idea to create content around personal stories.

This resulted in my most popular blog post on my site with over 11k shares and 43 comments.

So, when you create a blog post, use I in your headline instead of You.

3. Format Your Blog Post for Easy Reading

Remember when I mentioned that your blog post is more than just words?

A big element to your blog writing is formatting. If you want more people to read your post and share your post, format it in a way that they can!

How?

One way is to use subheadings in your blog post. These are H1 tags and not only helps with breaking up your post and organizing it, but it also is great for SEO.

Another way is to create white space in your writing. This means making your paragraphs shorter and using images and lists to break up your text.

4. Use a CTA in Your Post

What is a CTA?

It’s a call-to-action. This means directing your audience to your post to do something.

What do you want them to do? Share your post? Subscribe? Answer a question?

Figure out your goals for your blog posts and at the end of your posts create a CTA.

For example, email marketing strategist Meera Kothand often uses a question for her CTA as a way to engage her readers.

cta

Another way to use a CTA is to ask your readers to subscribe to your email list. Creative designer Krista Rae offers a design course at the end of all her blog posts for her CTA.

krista-cta

5. Create Pinnable Images

For a lot of bloggers, Pinterest is the number one source of traffic for them. It is for me at least!

You can get started by using a free image editing tool like Canva to create your pins. Pick a template or create your own – my pin size is 800px by 1422px – and start thinking about your pin image.

If you don’t know where to look for stock photos, check out my post on 18+ places to find feminine stock images.

One way to make your pins stand out is to use bright, warm colors like reds, oranges, peaches, and pinks.

These seem to do well on Pinterest. Creating a border around your text box or image is another way to stand out in the Pinterest feed.

Finally, make sure to use your Pin image on your blog to encourage pinning!

Ready to Write Your Killer Blog Post?

The best blog posts incorporate most or all of these five key elements. From solving a problem a reader has to creating an irresistible headline to having the perfect Pin image, you can create killer posts too.

Over to you – what do you do to make a killer blog post?

 

Author Bio:

Elna Cain is a first-time mom to twins. Once she was able to get uninterrupted sleep, coffee and a few minutes to herself, she started freelance writing and never looked back. When she’s not writing for her clients or when her twins are sleeping, she’s helping other moms become mompreneurs at Twins Mommy. Follow her on Pinterest!

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