Getting people to your blog is only half the battle.  What do you do then?  You need to hold their attention.  As the old adage goes, Content is King.  Here are 7 steps to keep your content focused.

1. Pick a specific topic

Your blog should already have a general topic.  Now you must narrow your topic and deliver a persuasive blog post.  Ways you can employ to be sure your post is by following these steps:

• Ensure your post adds value
• Make your post stand out in the crowd with a great hook and headline
• Ensure you go beyond the what and give the reader the how
• Use lists to deliver materials as they are easy to digest
• Tell you persuasive story as a problem with a solution and positive results

2. Pull them in with a great headline

Great headlines take time to write.  You should write your title first.  It is the lynchpin for your post.  Or, instead of writing your own, you can use swipe files (a common practice in journalism circles).  There are lots of great examples out there:

• Internet Marketing Tutor – Headline Swipe File
• Rent-A-List – Attention-Grabbing Headlines
• Rent-A-List – Sit Up and Take Notice
• CopyBlogger – 10 great headline formulas
• CopyBlogger – 7 more headline formulas

3. Write an opening that grabs them

The headline may be what draws in a reader, but it is the opening paragraphs that keep the user reading.  Great ways to open your blog are:

• With an intriguing question
• An anecdote or quote
• A mental image the reader can associate with
• An analogy, metaphor, or simile,
• An interesting statistic. 

4. Structure your post logically

Structural elements that will break up your posts into logical pieces will make them easier to read.  Clear subheadings are great ways to section off your posts into smaller ideas.  Bulleted lists or numbered lists are great ways to convey information that is easily understood.  People will scan your posts, so you must convey your idea quickly and keep their attention.

5. Transition smoothly

Keep your ideas in your blog posts running smoothly from beginning to end.  Use transitional words and phrases to connect one sentence to the next, and one paragraph to the next. 

6. Convey your message

You can convey your message many different ways.  Clear and concise copywriting is critical to get your message to your readers.  But you can use other techniques too.  Metaphors are like images; show just as much as they tell.  You, too, can leverage their strength.  And stories are a powerful way to show your point. 

7. Close with a purpose

When you close, you must tie up all your ideas together.  This is where you wanted to take the readers when you started your post, so make it worth their while.  Leave with a call to action.  Another good way is with a cliffhanger, which will keep your readers reading into the future. 

 

Follow these 7 easy steps and your blog post content will be more focused, more concise, read more frequently, and bookmarked more often. 

Thanks to copyblogger for a great set of articles, and for the 7 steps of blog posts.