Guest post by Chris Martin
You know the phrase, “you must learn to crawl before you can walk”? Well, ever since you started content marketing by blogging, you’ve developed a nice writing routine, produced some thoughtful content, and even roped in a decent number of readers. So, as a blogger, you’re crawling along just fine. But what if you want to start walking? Or running? Or even…blasting off into the stratosphere?
What do you need to do to take the next step from simply blogging to blogging well? Here are a dozen suggestions on how to get to the next level:
- Link, link, link. Not only is it good manners to link to sources on the Web that you cite, refer to, or comment on; but it also fleshes out your topic and gives readers another place to go if they want to learn more.
- Less is more. Get in the habit of reading over your blog entries before you post them. Then take out any unnecessary verbiage. The leaner your posts are, the more effective they will be.
- Vary the lengths of your posts. Specifically, mix short (or very short) posts in between more informative or feature-length entries. This will help prevent reader fatigue. Here’s a good example.
- Incorporate other media. Images, photos, diagrams, graphs, and even video will draw the reader in more than text-only posts will. Using this approach, this blog manages to make gutters and gutter guards look interesting.
- Never take titles for granted. Readers will often share posts simply because of the title – without even reading the entry itself! Blogs like this one get lots of mileage out of their titles.
- Read, read, read. It’s easy to get stuck in the echo chamber of the blogosphere. Reading different types of news and entertainment sources can kick-start your creativity regarding new blog topics.
- Actively brainstorm new topics. Also called mind-mapping, it involves writing down a blog topic and then brainstorming related ideas and jotting them down as well. This could result in a plethora of new content.
- Try different types of posts. If you’re stuck on lists, debates, and satirical content, why not try branching out into reviews, interviews, how-tos, profiles, and case studies?
- Update your previous posts. There’s nothing wrong with taking a topic you blogged about weeks or months ago and updating it with new information or a fresh perspective. Like this blog post does.
- Get on a schedule. Plan out your writing times and stick to your plan. Consider producing different blog entry types on different days (Monday is a rant, Tuesday is humor, etc.).
- Review your material. Every month or so, go back over your posts to make sure you’re not simply rehashing the same stuff over and over.
- Hire writers. It may cost you a few bucks, but it will almost definitely vary your content substantially!
Here’s another catchphrase: If you’re not moving forward, you’re going backward. So if you want to continue to be a blogger, you’ve got to keep striving to get better. Because if you can’t keep your readers engaged, they may just find someone else who can.
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Freelance writer Chris Martin has produced content about topics ranging from roofing contractors to blogging to reverse mortgages.
This post 12 Tips for Elevating Your Blog Posts to the Next Level was first published on the Big Ideas Blog.