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So, you’ve created a blog, you post regularly, you tweet and announce your posts on Facebook–and nobody comes. What could be wrong?
I’ve written several thousand blog posts. Some of those posts received thousands of page views while other posts were never read.
So, what’s the difference?
Posts that draw readers tend to have three things in common:
- They inform the reader–There’s a hunger out there for new information, and especially new information that works. If you can provide that in a format that’s easily scannable, then you’re meeting that need.
- They entertain the reader–It’s a stressful world. Laughter is one of the best ways to combat stress. If you can entertain your audience in some way, they’ll usually come back to read more.
- They validate the reader–Do you ever feel uncertain about your choices? Well, guess what? Your readers sometimes feel uncertain too. That’s why validation posts are so popular.
Posts that never get read tend to have some things in common too:
- They’re too self-focused–Readers don’t mind learning a little bit about you. However, if everything you write is always about you and you never take your reader’s needs into consideration that’s a big turn off.
- They resemble a marketing pitch–You can’t market to your readers if they don’t trust you. You can’t earn their trust if everything on your blog is a blatant sales pitch. Remember how uncomfortable that used car salesperson makes you feel?
- They respect the reader’s time–Let’s face it. Your readers are probably in a hurry. Mine are too. You need to draw them in quickly and capture their attention by making your posts scannable.
In your opinion, what makes a good post?
9 responses so far ↓
1 Tyler Reed // Aug 24, 2010 at
Great post, Laura! I would add that a blog should offer a new perspective. Even if the information has been posted somewhere else, it gives the reader a different way of looking at it or thinking about it.
2 Laura Spencer // Aug 25, 2010 at
Thanks Tyler!
I agree. Voice is important in blogging. You can add your own perspective to a common topic in many ways: by sharing your experience on that topic, by adding your opinion, or by looking at it from a different angle.
3 Jen // Aug 26, 2010 at
Laura – great tips!
I like your last tip…respect the reader’s time! You’re right, we’re all busy. I’d love to sit down and have time to read pages upon pages of posts, but reality is, we rarely have the time to do that. Short, sweet, and straight to the point is the way to go!
Thanks for sharing!
4 Joshua // Aug 27, 2010 at
Hi Laura Spencer, I like reading your blogs. They are great as they offer useful tips. They have changed my perspective of doing things. I agree with you that a blog should not be self focused as this turns readers away.
I would add that before writing, it’s better to do research of the topic first. Research helps to identify what readers want and not what the writer wants. The topic of the blog to write about should be the one that can be read today, tomorrow and any other day without it being irrelevant.
5 Laura Spencer // Aug 31, 2010 at
Hi Jen and Joshua!
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts on the post. I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Great point about research Joshua! If you are writing an informative post that’s definitely a key part. There’s nothing worse than an informative piece that doesn’t inform…
6 Master Dayton // Sep 6, 2010 at
Another thing that I’ve noticed helps, although isn’t always necessary, is if you can have a very catchy title that still somehow relates to your article topic, as well. This isn’t a blog post, but I once put up a travel article titled “Frozen Outhouses and Other Alaska Winter Adventures” and that got a lot of attention when I social bookmarked it. It’s not always a necessity, like I said, but it does help 🙂
7 Bruce // Sep 27, 2010 at
I just found you site (this one) today and have been looking it over. I am not a freelance writer at least not like you describe yourself.
I write my blog and that’s it. I am not the greatest writer either but I am writing on a topic that no one really is interested in or wants to admit they are. I also run into that my topic (Tax and Personal Finance mixed with a direct collation with QuickBooks. I regularly find it very difficult to follow your guide lines.
I feel my posts are there to inform the reader so I get that.
Entertaining, taxes, not really so much to the average person, but I try to poke fun/tease in an effort to do that.
I am pretty sure my post are secure enough to Validate readers.
All that said I feel I should have more readers or should somehow be attracting more readers. I read your post today about Marketing, and have already started the tools there, but It may be years before I find out if that’s helping.
So here is a question; I feel the topic is one that most people really don’t want to read about, so how might one entice a reader to read a blog or post that is not so much the everyday reader, Lengthy in an effort to get good enough information, and entertaining with a subject that isn’t so much to the average person?
8 Laura Spencer // Sep 28, 2010 at
Hi Bruce!
Excellent question.
I think your post would most likely fall into the category of “inform the reader.” If you can do that in an engaging or entertaining fashion, so much the better. If you can’t, at least make sure that your information is current and up to date.
I actually think that people do want to read about taxes and personal finance. (After all, there are tons of popular magazines on the topic.) However, they want to read about it in the way that most impacts them directly.
Try thinking of your blog as an online magazine about taxes and finance. Look at what works (and doesn’t work) in the online and offline magazines about the same topic.
Also, pay particular attention to your headlines. Do they grab the reader’s attention?
Email me if you need more specific advice.
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