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By Jessica Swanson
In today’s small
business environment, it
almost goes without
saying that the small
business owner needs to
blog.
But, it’s not quite as
simple as it may seem.
If you feel that you are
up on stage blogging
your heart out to an
empty stadium, don’t
despair.
Here are 21 quick and
easy ways to blog like a
rockstar and fill your
blogging stadium with
die-hard fans.
1. Write
Compelling Headlines
Your headline is how
people decide if they’re
going to read your blog
post of not. So make
sure that it reaches out
and grabs hold of your
reader.
2. Capture Your
Reader’s Attention in
the First Paragraph
Your first paragraph
should draw in your
reader and entice them
to keep reading. Keep it
simple, snappy and
sassy.
3. Keep
Sentences Short
Short sentences stand
out, are simple to read
and balance out longer
sentences. Utilize short
sentences throughout
your blog for some added
pizzazz.
4. Omit the
Fluff
Omit all unnecessary
words, especially
fluffy, frilly
adjectives. Just the
facts, Jack.
5. Use Keywords
Phrases
To help the search
engines find your posts,
use your most important
keyword phrase in the
first three words of
your title. In addition,
sprinkle the keyword
phrase throughout the
body of your post. (The
rule of thumb is to
insert one keyword
phrase for each 100
words.)
6. Use White Space
Using plenty of white
space throughout your
post makes it easier to
read. When your readers
are faced with a page of
dense, black text,
they’ll literally give
up before they even
begin.
7. Make Use of
Lists
Bulleted or numbered
lists make your posts
simple to scan. And,
since so many of your
readers are “scan
readers” this strategy
ensures that they stick
with you ’til the bitter
end.
8. Use Bold Text
and Italics
When you want to
emphasis a certain point
or draw attention to an
important word, use bold
text or italics.
9. Link Like
Crazy
One characteristic of
bloggers is that they
link, link and then link
some more. They link
externally to other
relevant blogs and they
link internally to their
own past blog posts. In
addition, links help
Google determine what
your post is about.
10. Keep Your
Posts Short
We’re living in a world
packed with people who
have short attention
spans and overloaded
lives. Aim for posts
that are 300 – 500
words. Short, sweet and
to the point.
11. Talk
Directly to Your Reader
As you write your post,
imagine that you’re
talking to one person in
a face-to-face
conversation. Your goal
is to make the reader
feel as if you’re having
a conversation with them
and only them.
12. Solve Your
Readers’ Problem
One of the main purposes
of your blog is to help
your readers solve some
of their most pressing
problems. This is how
you position yourself as
an expert.
13. Don’t Preach
Blogs aren’t meant to be
a personal pulpit in
order to preach to your
congregation. They’re a
social platform meant
for connection,
interaction and creating
relationships.
14. Have Some
Fun
If you’re not having fun
writing your blog, your
readers aren’t going to
have fun reading your
blog. So kick back,
relax and have some fun!
15. Forget What
You Learned in High
School English Class
Forget the tight-laced
rules that you learned
in English class.
Blogging is more about
connecting with your
audience than worrying
about sentence
fragments, run-ons or
dangling participles.
16. Proofread
Even though your blog
posts can break some of
the strict rules of
grammar, you still need
to adhere to some of the
basics. Make sure that
you don’t have glaring
typos, misspellings or
jumbled sentences.
17. Read Your
Post Out Loud
Reading your posts out
loud helps capture your
authentic voice so that
you sound natural and
real.
18. Let Your
Personality Shine
Your personality should
be a part of every
single post that you
write. If you’re funny,
then be funny. If you’re
serious, then be
serious. Just make sure
that the “real you” is
shining through each and
every post.
19. Voice Your
Opinions
Don’t be afraid to have
opinions when you blog.
Let your readers know
what makes you happy,
what makes you sad and
what drives you crazy.
20. Interact
With Your Readers
Since blogging is a
social platform, it’s
natural to interact with
your audience. Use your
blog as a way to connect
with your prospects by
encouraging comments and
replying to comments.
21. Provide Closure
Never leave your readers
hanging. Wrap up your
blog posts with a short
conclusion that signals
to your reader that you
have finished.
So there you have it. As
you implement these 21
quick and easy tips,
you’ll soon discover
that you can be a
blogging rockstar.
Jessica Swanson is
the Founder and
President of
Shoestring Marketing
University and
Shoestring Marketing
Solutions. Jessica
has helped thousands of
small business owners,
all over the world,
implement low-cost,
high-impact marketing
campaigns. Armed with
years of teaching and a
M.S. in Written
Communications, Jessica
takes complicated
marketing concepts,
turns them upside-down,
and makes them
incredibly simple and
outrageously
straightforward. Known
for her energy, passion
and “get-it-done”
attitude, Jessica shares
her savvy marketing tips
through her
information-packed blog
at
www.ShoestringMarketingUniversity.com.
To download Jessica’s
FREE Shoestring
Marketing Kit go to:
www.ShoestringMarketingKit.com
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