I was given the task of writing the first blog of 2014. So I thought… what a great opportunity to write about… running a successful blog! Our Happy blog has grown so much in the last few years. We have so many readers, so many people sharing what we write. We even have posts going viral… oh yeah!
So, here are my top tips for having a smashing blog that will attract lots of readers and help you share your content.
1. Find your niche
The saying ‘you can’t please everyone’ applies here. You simply can’t write for EVERYONE. You have to find a niche, a particular subject you or the group of people that keep your blog alive are passionate about. That way, you’ll write about what interests you, what makes you tick. For us here at Happy, quite obviously, this is marketing.
2. Think about what you are writing
Many people bang on about content, content, content. And they are not banging about it for no reason. This is, simply, what makes your blog a success. The other bits kind of just go around it, making sure all is ticking along. However, with no good content, your blog is an empty shell, has no flavour or sparks interest. To entice people with your posts, try and do one of these things (or all of them, if you can!): answer a question, solve a problem, make them laugh or make them cry (in a good way!).
3. Make it easy
This is going to sound very simple, but it’s important. Make sure you format your posts in a way that they are easy for your readers. Use subheads, bullets, captions, line breaks, bold fonts, etc. The easier they find to scan the text before they read it (and believe me, in these busy times, most people do that), the more are the chances that your readers are actually going to read the full thing.
4. The wonders of a good title
Think about movies. Don’t their titles sometimes make you want to see what they are all about? Well, it’s the same for blogs. Maker them punchy, interesting, intriguing, so people want to find out more. Just never ever mislead people with your titles and always make sure you deliver on what you are promising.
5. Learn from available sources
If you have a blog, chances are that you will have a following, however small that is. In 6 months’ time, go and analyse what your readers like about what you have been doing. Find out the topics your readers like, where your readers are from, which posts were more/less read or commented on. This will fine tune your writing for following posts, and it will help you make sure you always have a happy audience.
6. Be yourself
People can tell when you are just loading a lot of theory on them. It’s not interesting. When you write, be yourself. Remember the words you use in conversation and throw them in, make it real. Let your personality show, because readers like it and can relate to that.
That’s it! Well, it’s not just this, of course. There is a lot more. But I’ll keep it to just this for this post. There’s an entire year to carry on talking about the other bits that can make your blog extra special. Good luck… and happy writing!
Marilia Spindler is an Account Manager and creative thinker at Happy Creative, a strategic marketing and branding agency based in Blackpool, Lancashire. To learn more or contact us please go to www.happy-creative.co.uk
