As a copy writer, I help businesses with their blogs. Many businesses know they have to blog but they don’t have the time or the writing staff to do it. Blogs are important because they are about thought leadership. I point out to the client that thought leadership is the most powerful and underrated marketing strategy. People have to know, like and trust them before they do business with the,. Thought leadership is the fastest way to tick all of those boxes. When I can demonstrate superior thought leadership, by positioning the client as an authority, if you do it in a way that’s congruent with their brand, then I get the like factor built in because people connect with the client at an emotional level.
I have seven tips for copywriters on blogs.
First, I always use a good headline to grab the attention of readers and get them to click and read the post. I spent 45 years working in journalism, I know all about good headlines.
Second, I keep it short. A blog is one thought, one question, one idea. The more direct and succinct you are, the better. Watch the number of words, and edit ruthlessly.
Third, I make sure the post is ultra-specific to the target audience. The more specific the headline is, the better success the post has at resonating with the right people.
Fourth, I use the AIDA formula. AIDA stands for Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action. Having these four elements in my blog post will not only attract more readers, but I will get more engagement for the client,.
Here are some ways to I grab readers’ attention when you write your next blog post:
- I ask a ‘yes’ question – This is a little trick many copywriters use. I open your blog post with a question that has a ‘yes’ answer. This immediately makes the post more engaging and conversational.
- I tell a story – I have a gift for telling stories and always when I tell a story, the audience can relate to me. It makes them more likely to want to read the post.
- I state something unexpected – Sometimes, when I start with an unusual sentence or unexpected introduction I pique a reader’s interest and convince them to keep on reading. I spent years working on tabloids, it’s a trick I learned from there.
Number five is produce original content. Create content that anyone would want to click on, read and share — nothing less.
Number six is use photos. Research shows that a linked photo in a tweet results in a 120% increase in engagement and 350% increase in clicks. That means they are 350% more likely to draw interest than text alone.
And finally, always include a call to action. Your blog should motivate the reader to do one specific thing — click on a link, answer a question, submit a contact form, take advantage of an offer, sign up for updates, etc. Blogs without calls to action are like roads leading nowhere.
If you need help with writing blogs, phone me on 00411 745 193 or email at leon@leongettler.com.
