How to write innovative and eye catching blog posts

Most people that read blogs don’t sit down in front of their computer to simply read, like they might with a newspaper, magazine or book. In fact, many blog readers are actively doing other things like watching television or talking on the phone at the same time.

Most blog readers scan or peruse content, looking for something that will grab their attention, or to find the bit of information that they were looking for.

Blog readers want quick, relevant bits of information, and they aren’t going to devote more than a couple of minutes to a post unless they really find the content fascinating.

While great content can help you hold your readers’ attention for a longer period of time, there are some tactics you should employ when writing a blog that may be different than how you’re normally used to writing content.

Bold Headlines

When writing for a blog, it’s important to make sure your readers can scan your blog to quickly find the information that they’re looking for.

Breaking up your content into sections, giving each one a bold headline, will help readers find what they’re looking for faster.

Add Bullet Points and Lists

Bullet points and lists allow readers to quickly scan your content without having to read through big blocks of text.

• Facts
• Tips
• Figures
• And dates can easily be put in bullet or list form.

Step-by-step guides can also be put in numbered lists, which can help readers navigate a difficult task like building a piece of furniture or cleaning household goods.

Short and Sweet

The average paragraph is about 150 words. While that might work well for a high school essay or technical journal paper, it’s far too long for a typical blog paragraph.

Blog readers don’t want to look at a blog that looks like the content was written as a college dissertation.

That means that big blocks of text are something that you should absolutely avoid.

Break your paragraphs up every few sentences, and avoid being overly wordy with your writing. When it comes to writing for blogs, short and sweet is always best.

If you have content that’s dry, breaking it up into smaller sections can make readers feel like they don’t have to process and digest so much information at once to understand what you’re talking about.

Eye Popping Images

Images give a reader a break from your text. Even if a blog reader is interested in your content, they may not want to sit and read it for more than a few minutes at a time.

Breaking your text up with images is a great way to keep readers on your blog and perusing your content.

For many readers, an interesting image will basically “reset” their user experience – meaning that an interesting image every once in awhile may double or even triple the amount of time a reader spends on your blog.

Where you choose to put the images in your blog posts is really up to you. Some bloggers prefer to put pictures every few hundred words in order to break up the content.

Others choose to put a picture at the beginning and end of each blog post to entice the reader to continue looking at the text, and possibly move on to another blog post once they’re done with their initial reading.

If you’re writing instructional content, avoid breaking up important steps with pictures that don’t help in the instruction process. That can be distracting, and users may click off your blog after getting frustrated with having to navigate around too much unnecessary content.

Whatever images you choose to use, they need to grab your readers’ attention.  While your images don’t have to be controversial, they need to be on-topic and interesting. Funny pictures can work too – if they fit the subject matter.

While your images don’t have to be controversial, they need to be on-topic and interesting. Funny pictures can work too – if they fit the subject matter.

Inventive Content

Not everything on the internet has already been done.

You might not think that you can come up with anything new, but spending some time brainstorming for new ideas is going to be a lot more productive
generating the same content you see on everybody else’s blog.

Readers want new content – something for a fresh angle. You don’t have to be insanely creative to make inventive content; you just need to find a unique way to present your material.

That unique way can be a different voice, a different format, or even a unique opinion.

Putting a new spin on existing information can get you a lot more readers than simply presenting the same information in the same tired manner.

Rules Rules Rules

Writing for a blog doesn’t have to be complicated, and these tips aren’t hard and fast rules.

While they may help you generate the best possible content for your readers, there may be a time when breaking them is beneficial or even necessary.

The most important part of writing a successful blog is grabbing your readers’ attention and keeping it.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with different ideas to see what works best for you and your readers.

Author Bio:

Marcela De Vivo is a freelance writer in the Los Angeles area specializing in topics ranging from how to maximize your use of social media to designing safe spaces for children.