A successful internet marketing strategy must include a steady flow of blog posts as a part of it’s marketing plan. This is one arena where a business can let their hair down and really connect with people who have happened on to their site.
The problem is, a lot of us forget the purpose of blog posts, and they eventually turn into just more pages on a site. To avoid this, and keep people coming back for more, you will have to improve blog posts by turning them into stories that are worth reading and sharing.
What a Gripping Tale Does to a Reader?
If you are like me, then at one point or another you have been so entranced by a book or short story that you could not wait until the end. And when you finally reached it, you were somewhat disappointed that you no longer had something to look forward to and you never forgot the tale told. That is good storytelling, and in a shortened version can improve blog posts.
Stories speak to the reader. They invoke feelings and passion. A gripping tale makes you fall in love with the characters and despise their enemies the way they do. You applaud their efforts and cry with their sorrows, or simply put, empathize with them. When you are feeling what the protagonist is feeling, then the author deserves a standing ovation.
Start Getting Personal
If you want to improve your blog posts and make them ignite engagement, you need to start getting personal. Readers want to read about real people who face challenges and struggle the same way they do. Your focus may be on trying to sell this great new app you designed, but there are only so many songs you can sing about its virtues, and they are probably being sung on the home page anyway.
What you can write about that is engaging in how you developed the idea, the hard search for financial backing and the time your dog ate the prototype. Real stories about you and your challenges in making this product will get the reader interested in you as a person, and ultimately your product.
Offer Advice to Improve Blog Posts
There is a lot to be said about a company website that uses its blog as an advice column for their products. Yet, even here lies an opportunity to tell a story, even if it is just a quick one. Offering advice should not only show the reader how to use something, it should make the reader realize that they have to use it.
This technique is fantastic for fashion blogs as there are hundreds of outfit tips to offer for each season, and even more examples of where and how they wore them. Readers love to know how a chic new dress went over on a first date, and will be back to read if there was ever a second one.
Give Them a Compelling Reason to Keep Reading
That second date is a perfect example of how a blog post should always entice the reader into wanting to know more. Not only will this encourage readers to check back, it offers the perfect opportunity for link backs to the site.
A travel blog can focus on visiting different parts of the world and what type of experiences the author had there. Telling the story of Mardi Gras in New Orleans, the writer makes quick reference to a trip to Paris – with a link. Now the reader becomes engrossed in all of the worldly tales that the blog is telling.
What if You are Using a Copywriter to Improve Blog Posts?
If given the right information, a kick-butt copywriter can wear a dozen different hats. On any given day, they might be a lawyer, a fashionista, that app designer or even a CEO. A dedicated copywriter has a knack for adding just the right amount of personal appeal that your blog needs to keep it engaging.
Spreading Your Stories Around
The thing about a good story is that people love to pass it on to their friends. Make sure that your blog posts are set up to easily share on Facebook, Google +, Twitter and every other social media site, so that readers can like and share. Think about the number of times you’ve stopped and read a post that a friend recommended. The same will happen to yours if the story is engaging enough.
To improve blog posts you need to keep in mind that here is not the forum for the hard sell. Leave that to your landing and home pages. Writing great blog posts is about making people laugh, think and inviting feedback. They are ways in which you can personalize your business, so that the prospects who stumble upon it like you and your products.
