Remember These 5 ‘R’ Words and You'll Learn How to Blog Effectively in No Time!
I had a high school English teacher who taught me that one of the keys to writing, is to write what you know. For some reason, that has always stuck with me. Maybe it’s because I’ve always loved writing, and recognize that good writing is done by an author who knows what they’re talking about. I didn’t know then that I would be writing as an internet marketing consultant who would have to learn how to blog effectively. Heck, blogging was barely a thought when I was in high school (and I’m not that old) but this mantra can be used just as much for blogging as it can for high school English papers. In fact, I’m using that mantra as we speak; it just so happens I’m writing what I know about blogging for this very blog. Oh the irony!
There are many components that help a writer blog effectively, but I think that if you remember the following 5 R’s you’ll be in good shape. Here they are:
- Relevant – are you educating your target audience?
- Remarkable – are you engaging your target audience?
- Requirements – are you meeting SEO standards?
- Real Examples – are you providing examples?
- Resolution - are you ending with a call to action?
1. Relevant - Are you educating your target audience?
One of the main purposes of blogging is to use it as a way to provide valuable information to people on topics relating to your industry. One of my favorite blogs is Copyblogger because it’s all about how to write killer content. As part of their target audience (writers) I literally learn something new after reading each blog (thus, feel educated!). In fact, I just learned some great tips for how to fall in love with blog writing again. My favorite? Schedule time away from online marketing to clear your end and get inspired. If you are writing good content, effective blogging will also help to establish you as a relevant thought leader among your peers.
2. Requirements – are you meeting SEO standards?
As important as it is to write to your target audience, you also want to follow the guidelines that will help get you found by the search engines. This means you want to use good keywords (the topics or phrases people are searching for) and make sure you use your keywords consistently and in a way that makes sense. It’s also important to the search engines that the exact keyword you are using is in the first 120 words of the blog and in the last paragraph. You also want to keep the length of your blog between 400-800 words, write a catchy title, and make it sound like a human wrote it – no keyword stuffing!
3. Real Examples – are you providing good examples?
These can come from questions you are constantly being asked by customers, case studies about your clients, or your own real-life experiences. Sometimes it can be helpful to use a metaphor, but if you do, make sure it’s a good one and makes sense! Another great way to use real examples is to write about a trend in your industry or state your opinion on something that is happening in the news that relates to your business. At the end of February Copyblogger wrote a blog titled “Copy this Oscar-Ready Approach to Boost Your Social Media Star Power” which was great timing because The Oscar’s had aired on TV just a few days before.
4. Remarkable – are you engaging your target audience?
The last thing you want is for your blog to be boring, or even worse yet, confusing. If people are bored they will leave the blog and rarely come back. If they are confused, they will leave the blog and probably never come back! You want to find the “thing” that connects with your audience. The best way to do this is to use steps 1-3 above. Use good examples that your customers can relate to, write using clear topics, stay clear of industry jargon, and make content welcoming and easy to digest.
5. Resolution – are you ending with a call to action?
Now that you have the reader’s attention, and they’ve been provided with valuable information, what do you want them to do next? Leave a comment? Download an offer? Sign up for your newsletter? It’s really up to you. Just make sure you have them do something, otherwise you’re wasting a great opportunity.
I hope this information was helpful in giving you a few tips and tricks on how to blog effectively. Remember that blogging is just one component of an internet marketing strategy, but an important one. Just follow these 5R’s, write what you know and you’re good to go!
What other tips do you have on how to blog effectively?
