One of the biggest, toughest challenges a blogger has is building a loyal audience. You may have your website set up the way you want it and have great things to share and discuss, but unfortunately, as wonderful as that is, it is probably not enough to hold your reader’s attention. It takes more than words to keep them interested and engaged enough to keep visiting your site.
There are many ways to catch a reader’s attention, and all are designed to create some kind of emotion and action so they want to stay on your site to learn more. Bear this in mind as you learn these seven clever ways to keep your readers’ attention in your business’s blog posts.
1. A Distinct Website Theme And Branding Will Enhance Your Blogging Strategy
When someone lands on your site, the first thing you want to do is catch their attention with the way your site looks, which is why the theme you choose (colors, font, layout and features) is so vital. Some themes are more popular than others, which means you will see the same style on many different sites. If you choose something uncommon and distinct, however, you will stand out much more easily.
Also, take the time to carefully craft your branding, which includes not only your logo, but also your website’s purpose, tone, flexibility to changing times and even the images you use. Make sure all of it is consistent with your company’s main message or you risk losing your audience’s loyalty.
2. Visually Appealing Blog Posts Perform Well
Include images in your business’s blog posts that will help tell your story.
There is an adage that says a picture is worth a thousand words. Nothing catches the attention of a reader like a good image. But not just any image will do. Choose ones that are relevant to the content of your blog post and help tell a story. And don’t limit yourself to just photos. Videos are proven to be highly effective in your business blogging strategy as well.
Aside from your feature image, you should use at least one other image in the body of the post, usually near the beginning. You can use more, but be careful not to overdo it. A good rule of thumb is that there should be one picture every 300-500 words throughout your articles. One great way to do this is to insert a link to a gallery on your site. There are many WordPress plugins that can help you with this depending on your skill level. If you are unfamiliar with creating galleries, take a look at Enviragallery. It is one of the most popular plugins out there and it is super simple to set up.
3. Consider The Four U’s Of Headlines In Your Business’s Blogging Strategy
Every good post needs a good headline. Aside from the look of your website, it is the first thing your reader will see, so it needs to be catchy. A common formula used in all professional writing is to include the Four U’s when crafting a headline.
- Useful: The headline should offer useful benefits so your reader will want to go deeper into your blog post. It should help them answer a question, offer a solution, relieve an issue, describe “how to,” etc. so that they want to keep reading. In other words, your headline should be helpful.
- Urgent: Your headline should also have a sense of urgency about it so your reader feels like they have to read it immediately. You can include a deadline, hint at relief from something stressful or convey that you have the answers your audience needs right now. However you phrase it, it is all about getting your reader’s attention right away.
- Unique: Your headline should stand out from the crowd. It should catch your reader’s attention by being shocking, unusual or distinctive without sounding like a ploy. It should always try to convey that your blog post is one of a kind and the reader will not find your information anywhere else.
- Ultra-Specific: Be specific in a headline. Provide a number, a specific detail or data, convey exclusiveness or a special offer so the reader has a better understanding of your post’s topic.
4. Pop-Ups Are An Effective Piece Of Your Blogging Strategy
Though many people find pop-ups annoying, they are proven to be a primary way to grab a reader’s attention and build a subscriber list on your website. Pop-ups do not have to be anything fancy. Simple designs can be enough if the right colors and text are employed. For example, red is proven to draw attention and get a reader to act.
The right timing of pop-ups is also important. There are many options, but the more common ones occur either when a reader first lands on your site, when they are about to leave, when they have stayed on a page for a certain length of time and when they have scrolled down to a particular point on the page. Each has proven to catch attention and draw the reader to go deeper into your site.
Exit pop-ups are one of the more popular options, as they enable you to capture subscribers before they leave your website. These 40 hacks by OptinMonster will teach you everything you need to know on how to use exit pop-ups to convert your visitors.
If your business has a WordPress website, the is an easy way to create and add pop-ups to your pages.
5. Make Your Business’s Blog Posts Evergreen
Just as when describing a tree that never loses its leaves, your company’s blog posts should also be consistently relevant and valuable to your audience. Your content should convey information that is classic in nature so it transcends time, culture and fashion.
Not every post you write has to be evergreen, but it is a good idea to regularly create them so you look like the go-to expert for the information your audience needs.
6. Catch Your Reader’s Attention With Compelling Copy
Content should be the most important part of your business’s blog posts.
Never forget that your content is always the most important part of your blog post. There are a few basics you should never overlook in your writing.
- Your opening paragraph needs to be strong and engaging so your reader can’t help but read more.
- The style of your writing should lean toward being novel and different from other writers. Make it uniquely yours, but avoid being too formal or stuffy. Use a conversational tone so your reader can relate to you better.
- Include questions if they are pertinent. Make your reader stop and think.
- Edit, edit, edit. Always go back and double-check for proper grammar, correct punctuation and spelling and concise, well-organized sentence structure. If you routinely skip editing, you will quickly lose credibility and seem unintelligent, which you’re not. Your reader will also be distracted and perhaps lose interest. If you can, ask a friend or peer to suggest edits for you too.
Remember that good content is king. Make it as compelling a read as you can.
7. Short Stories Build Interest In Your Business’s Blog Posts
If you blog about parenting, then you probably have a few stories guaranteed to catch your readers’ attention. It is the same even in business blogging because everyone is trying to figure things out.
Incorporating a short story in your blog posts makes your audience feel like you are “one of them” and you truly understand their needs. However, make sure it ties into the main idea of your post or you will sound like you only want to talk about yourself instead of providing helpful information. Remember the goal of your blogging strategy should always be about providing value to your reader.
Does Your Blogging Strategy Need Help?
Catching a reader’s attention is crucial to developing a loyal audience. If you’re struggling to create blog posts that resonate with your readers, for a complimentary 30-minute phone consultation with our CEO, Erika Taylor Montgomery. Our team of experienced writers is ready to help grow your business!
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