New to blogging? Read this post, which includes tips on how to write for your audience.
I live in the U.S. and on Labor Day my husband and I went for a bike ride.
Now, I hadn’t ridden my bike in a year so I wondered whether I would topple over as I took off.
I didn’t!
When we ride our bikes, we take the same 17-mile path every time. While the path may be the same, the environment changes, so it’s never boring.
Sometimes we see egrets and during the winter the creek can crest and spill over. Then there’s the pesky squirrel that loves to take a sprint in front of us.
So every time we ride, we notice something new.
Don’t you find blogging to be similar?
You can take a break from it and when you return, the steps are familiar. However, each time you write a new post you cover new territory, have new insights, and share new facts.
And each time you approach a new blog post, you need to explore topics that your audience wants to or needs to learn about.
Are you answering your audience’s questions or helping your audience learn something new or interesting? Or, are you simply writing an article that meets your needs, which can be as simple as “getting something out there” because someone said blogging is good for SEO.
You wouldn’t do that, would you?
In you are still new to blogging I recommend you read this post by HubSpot, which provides an useful formula to follow. Even if you’re not new to blogging, you may find their suggestions helpful.
Now let’s talk about your audience.
How to Write Blog Posts Your Audience Craves
Unlike HubSpot’s template, there isn’t a formula for knowing how to reach your audience with your blog. It takes work, patience, experimentation, and perseverance. However, I can suggest these tips:
- One way to find your audienceis to read blogs written by authorities in your niche. But don’t just read them; leave comments as well. As you build a relationship with these experts, pitch a guest post to them. The more often you write guest posts, the quicker your blog email list will grow and the faster you’ll expand your audience.
- Use Survey Monkeyto ask your readers what they most want to learn from you through your blog.
- Then there’s the issue oflength. Some say blog posts should be brief; others say they should be at least 1,200 – 1,800 words. Seth Godin, a master blogger and marketer, doesn’t abide by any of these rules. What I’ve learned is that there isn’t a correct answer. Write posts that most appeal to your readers in topic and length. You’ll know that you’re reaching your audience by the comments your readers leave, the social media shares you receive, and the blog subscriptions that grow.
- Use visuals. Our brains can process visuals much faster than text and images provide a break in the blocks of text, which is a welcome relief for our eyes.
- Think about expanding into podcasts and videos. People love to listen to podcasts while they travel to work. Then publish the text of your podcast as a blog post. For video interviews, you can embed the html code from YouTube to your blog and provide a summary of the interview’s content.
- Each time you write a post ask yourself, “Will this post serve or help my audience?” Think of just one member of your audience and write a post for that person. Imagine what that person tells you that he or she needs to learn and write a post as your response.
Consistent blogging isn’t easy. You need to commit to the task, stick to your posting schedule, and stretch the boundaries of your skills. Read posts on the blogosphere, continually further your education, and strive to learn as much as you can about your audience so you can better meet its needs.
Frances Caballo is an online marketing consultant and the author of six books on social media. Click here to schedule an appointment with her. Writing a book can serve as the best possible business card you can possibly have and establish your expertise in your field or niche. Once you publish your book, learn to market it by visiting my second website, SocialMediaJustforWriters.com.