Understanding how to create blog posts that go beyond ordinary is a Blogger’s dream come true. Unfortunately great blog posts are not that easy to achieve.
Blog posts that go beyond mediocre have to start with creating great content, but the real road to success means pushing the envelope a bit to include the elements that help you better connect with your readers and provide value. That's what we'll discuss here.
When I recently asked several bloggers for their feedback on how to create blog posts that go beyond ordinary the most common comments were that posts needs to be fresh, unique, interesting, useful, and easy to read.
Don't get me wrong, these are all important elements that you should employ even if it's your very first blog post. But if you want to go beyond mediocre you need to push the envelope and create blog posts that invite comments, likes and honorable mentions.
There's no one specific way to create great blog posts but there are things that successful bloggers do consistently that we can use to improve our own posts.
Here are 8 ways to create blog posts that go beyond ordinary
1. Develop Stellar Content
A great blog post always starts with quality content. Quality is defined as a degree of excellence or superiority. That can mean different things to different people but in my mind quality, when applied to content, can be expanded to mean the following.
Whatever content you write should be well developed and researched, but to expand on that I've found that exceptional blog posts go on to include a uniqueness that is achieved through adding your own personal experiences or expertise to a post as opposed to simply stating generalizations. In other words, successful bloggers don't simply state facts, their content is based on what they've done and they expand on that with personal tips, suggestions and recommendations. Ms. Ileane is an awesome example of that.
The key is not to offer ideas that can be found everywhere on the web, share your mistakes, your secrets and personal suggestions. Look for creative ways to gathering or curate information like this:
- Answer questions that come to you
- Teach your readers new things you've learned
- Curate content already out there into things like ‘My latest book reviews. The webs top 10 best ______. ‘My 10 least favorite______’.
- Interview experts
- Provide book reviews
2. Know your target Audience
There's no substitute for knowing who your target reader is. If you know your reader, their motivations, likes, dislikes, and needs, you'll know the kinds of content you can create that peaks their interest. Without that it's a lot harder to get their attention.
Ways to get to know your target audience would be to:
- Find forums in your niche and look for issues, questions and concerns your market has.
- Ask questions on Facebook or your favorite social media sites.
- Look at your best performing blog posts, which ones get the most comments and likes.
3. Create Content that is Scannable
Blog posts that are easily scannable with the eye attract more readers. Scannable copy allows your readers to absorb your information faster and readers appreciate that. Don't focus so much on blog post length, just be sure to break things up with headings and images too.
Easily scannable content is concise and succinct. It uses easy to understand ideas that are formatted with numbers or bullet points where appropriate. Paragraphs are short and concise with no longer than 2-4 sentences, and it avoids repeat ideas and incomplete thoughts.
4. Create a Catchy Title that is Irresistible
Your post title is the first thing a reader sees, so it has to say something that gets your reader's attention. We attract attention with unusual ideas, remedies and benefits. Start your blog post with a title that captures as much irresistible punch as you can, but make sure your title is relevant to your content and that it is not misleading.
Use these ideas to develop your next catchy headline.
Be specific. Amazing _______ turns your ______ into ________”.
Use a specific time frame. “Lose 5 pounds in 7 days”.
Add a powerful benefit. “Ways to ______ so you can ________”.
Raise curiosity. “You're about to discover which _______ gets the most _______”.
5. Create a First Paragraph that Keep Readers Reading
The first paragraph of your post is like your welcome mat. It has to be inviting but it also has get your reader to the next paragraph. A long winded first paragraph that doesn't add value or interest will lose your reader almost immediately.
Unlike other forms of content writing, blogs don't necessarily need long introduction paragraphs that set the stage for the reader. Many successful blog posts are simple and to the point. But simple or not a good introduction paragraph must invoke enough interest to keep your reader reading.
Here are a few first paragraph ideas that many successful blog posts have used.
- Make a bold, attention getting statement.
- Lead in with a story.
- Connect with a commonality.
- Lead in with why you are witting the post.
- Lead in with an attention getting quote or statistic.
6. Include Useful Links that Add Value
Your blog post should contain both internal and external links that add to the value of your post. Note I said adds value. The purpose of using links isn't to satisfy search engine requirements, certainly the search engines appreciate the use of links, but the links you use should closely relate to the topic of your post while adding value to the subject matter adding detailed information that goes beyond the scope of your post.
Use one link that connects to an internal post and at least one link that connects to an external post or page.
7. Use Good Keyword Placement
Keywords are significant to the success of any blog post. Know what your best keywords are and then place them correctly within these areas of your post.
- Post title
- Post URL (blogname.com/post title)
- First and last paragraph of your post
- In the post description tag
- In H1, H2 and H3 Headings tags
- Post Summary
- Post image alt tag
Here on Basic Blog Tips, Ms. Ileane uses the WordPress content management system and the SEOPressor Version 5 Plugin to ensure that these elements are included in everyone of the blog posts.
8. Be who you are with your own voice
Create an individualism that's all your own by developing your own personal voice.
As you create your blog posts don't try to be the person you wish you could be, or the person that's found success that you want to imitate. Be who you are and let that reflect in your writing.
Maybe you're someone that's humorous, encouraging, a little feisty or brutally honest. Whatever you're personality; make it a quality that shines through in your writing.
“Be yourself. Above all, let who you are, what you are, what you believe, shine through every sentence you write, every piece you finish.” John Jakes.
Embedding your YouTube videos to your posts is another way to express your blogging voice. Take a look at how Ms. Ileane does this in this video where she answers a question from one of her readers, Rahul Kantula from Learn Blog Tips, about content creation and How To Determine When To Publish a Blog Post
How To Decide When Is The Best Time To Publish a Blog Post by Ileane Smith
In Summary
Great blog posts don't come naturally at first, so don't be too hard on yourself by trying to create a perfect blog post every time, however the more you practice using the above tips the better your posts will become and over time your blog posts will reach beyond mediocre into the awesome.
A catchy title will go long way for you since that is obviuouly what your main visitors will see first.
Also an article that solves a problem in your niche is going to be more gladly accepted than an article that doesn’t help them.
Like you said, understand your audience and create content that will target their “interest.”
Content create needs to be more higher in quality than it has ever been.
Thanks for the write up Elizabeth!
Samuel from internetdreams.com
Hey Samuel,
Understanding your audience is harder than most folks think. That’s why I usually recommend that you be your own audience. If you have a niche that you take a part in as part of your daily life, it’s easier to understand your audience and what they want.
Blessings,
Elizabeth
Hi Elizabeth,
First post and Excellent points that you’ve explored very clearly, i am sure these are the exact ways that can become your blog into the authority’s site list.
Woww nice article Elizabeth, i get more experience about posting.
Hi Liz,
You have mentioned few great points to write great blog posts in a very simple manner. Thanks.
Hi Nandita,
Wonderful! I hope they are useful for you.
Elizabeth
No problem Puneet,
Knowing where to use your keywords is just as useful as having good keywords.
Elizabeth 🙂
You are right making First paragraph most informative is important as because it will bind the reader through out the article and it is also well saying that “First impression is last impression “.
Mohit, Well put, the first impression is often a lasting impression 🙂
Amazing! <== This is all I can say about your article. You have done an amazing job in crafting the whole thing. I do believe first impression, and your first paragraph is the only thing that attracts your visitors to read your content after a catchy / glossy title.
Elizabeth, I love answer questions that come about from other posts. That is a great way to keep your blog flowing too. Headlines are key in sharing via various social networks too. Something I’ve been working on. I have to think more on the first paragraph too. Thanks for the tips here.
Lisa,
The first paragraph has always been sort of a struggle for me, because I use to make it dull, and if it’s dull no one will read on, so I think it’s important to give it as much consideration as we can. After all the very first sentence is about getting a reader to read the next sentence, then the next and so on.
Hey Elizabeth,
I make every effort to follow these tips when I write my blog posts. As a result, I get a lot of comments, subscribers, leads, and have made some sales. All of these tips you share stuck out to me and if other bloggers, especially beginners would follow them, they will definitely see the results they really want!
Hey Sherman,
Well there you go. You use them and look what happens, you get comments, subscribers, leads and sales. So it’s proof that beginners will do well to follow them.
Thanks for the support 🙂
Catchy headings surely enhance the flow of visitors we should create catchy headings and force a visitor to click on it.
These are wonderful suggestions for the problem has always been finding out what is my audience I like the question you asked to figure it out. I have more thinking to do
Hey Marty,
Yes, they’re pretty good questions. There can be many more, but those will give you a good start 🙂
You did a great job! That’s what they call the killing/ attractive title. It made me read it even despite that 2 others posts for today that’ve already read were on the same topic/ thanks a lot. the tips are really worth applying1
Hi Martin,
Awesome, glad they are useful for you 🙂
Writing a blog is like a package. Have to focus on every point.At first someone have to target a class of reader,for whom he/she should write. Then quality content, attractive title s are also important.And mostly perfect keyword placement.
Hi Clair,
Kind of sounds like a lot doesn’t it? I always like people who are sometimes overwhelmed with all things they need to focus on that even though it’s a lot to learn in the beginning, once you get the hang of it, all those things do get easier.
What I understand from the article is that a good blog article is like a good short story. It should have something for everybody – the reader and the search engines (publishers).
You should be able to convey your bit in those six seven hundred words and be able to keep the reader hooked on till the very end.
And the real test is to be able to keep churning our articles after articles of such high quality every time you publish – because you are only as good as your article / story.
Well Sanjeev, there’s a tiny bit more to it than that. People need to trust and like you. Telling stories and relating to your readers is where it starts. From there it’s about getting social with your readers and followers. Connect with them as a real person that cares about who they are, what they think and do.
Elizabeth 🙂
Amazing points Ileane startin your blog with unique content is the best and farmost key to success. If you provide quality to your readers then there is nothing to worry about traffic , one day or the other surely you will succeed in your way.
Lot of search for do follow blog and at last success reached to me to find your blog. I Know comment is not approve easily without a good content but its OK for me. I knew some important things about blog and blogging tips. Thanx a lot for blogging tips.
Great tips, Elizabeth – I find including some relevant analogies, painting pictures with words if you like, can be very powerful – people like that. I think you need to find ways to make your articles entertaining, so that they’re fun to read – including videos is a great idea.
Thanks for all your helpful suggestions,
Sue
Hi Sue,
Great advice, painting pictures with words is powerful. Many folks have a great talent for that. And for sure, the more entertaining you can be the better. No matter who you are, videos work well for everyone. They give us a personal glance and that’s definitely more interesting. Ileane does a great job with that 🙂
I agree, knowing your audience is the most important factor. If you cannot engage with them then you’re lost.
So true John,
Engaging and discussing with our readers is the ideal way for them to know if you can relate to their situation or whether or not you can understand their concerns. When they get that warm ‘fuzzy’ feeling, that’s when you’ll become someone they trust, and that’s where we all want to be with our readers.
you should provide really good and effective information.. i am a huge fan of your blog and when i am free i must read your article..
thanx for sharing
Use personal experience and expertise, share your mistakes, your secrets, teach the new things you learned. All these means one thing: share your personal path.
People want real (a real person) and people want your personal path (as they don’t want to make the same mistakes).
About interview with experts: How to do an interview when you have no money? A lot of experts are asking money for an interview. What to do?
Know your audience: yes, you have to go to forums in your niche and explore issues etc. However, this is one of the most difficult things to do in the internet marketing world.
I simply wasn’t able to find something more difficult than this. It’s more difficult than keyword research, more difficult than driving traffic etc. The one who can really teach people how to identify a profitable niche and how to know their audience would be, probably, the best and most loved internet marketer in the world.
Hey Silviu,
“About interview with experts: How to do an interview when you have no money? A lot of experts are asking money for an interview. What to do?”
I guess that depends upon who you ask. There are lots of folks out there that are experts at what they do, have lots of great insight and have popular blogs as well, and they don’t charge for interviews.
I personally don’t like to post interviews with the ‘super’ well known experts. Why interview someone who’s probably been interviewed a thousand times already? I like to go for the smaller unknowns, they have lots of great ideas and success stories that, to me, are much more inspiring and are very interesting. They’re also people that your readers can possibly relate to better.
If you don’t think you’ll get readers for an interview of someone they don’t recognize, that’s where a good title comes in.
Great points mentioned!
I agree that cachty post title plays to major role in order to grab the readers attention. One more thing create unique and helpful content for your readers.
Knowing your audience is great point to understand what your readers want to read on your blog. For this I think Google Analytics tool is best to know more about your audience.
Thanks for great share!
Hi Bashir,
I really like Google analytics, I’ve gotten some really subtle tips from it. Things I wouldn’t know otherwise. Thanks for your feedback 🙂
I agree with the tips on this post. Creating blog posts that go beyond mediocre don’t come easy but with practice the blogger will near perfection in the creating those appealing post that would keep attracting comments, likes, and reactions!
More so, Elizabeth has done a good job in adding helpful explanations on each of the 8 tips suggested for bloggers to create compelling posts.
The best takeaway is for bloggers should be to understand that quality content and the infusion of unique styles readily help to make blog post stunning!
Interesting tips have been highlighted in this post and the quality of this post has been shared and “kingged” in Kingged.com, where the comment was equally left.
Sunday – kingged.com contributor
http:// www. kingged. com/8-ways-to-create-blog-posts-that-go-beyond-mediocre/
I think fine tune and revisions necessary to make great blog post. Like other forms of writing, a blog post is rarely completed in one draft. Many writers find it helpful to take a post through several revisions and fine-tune the post as you go along. Check grammar, spelling and punctuation, and make certain that all of our links are working.
So true Okto,
I use to write a post, then publish it too quickly. Fine tuning is an important step.
The next step is to get quicker at 😉
Hi Madam Lizzy,
I totally do support all those great points you raised.
I do believe in more of creating catchy titles and being controversial.
Going against what every thinks is fine is just fun.
Hi Emmanuel,
It can be fun to poke the snake a little and go against what people normally say or think. If nothing else it drums up interest 🙂
Title and content are the two prime pieces of a great blog post…I would like to add that trying to solve a problem is also a great way to catch readers attention….I have had a good success with it….
I find that the most interesting blog posts I tend to read are the ones that tell compelling stories. It keeps your audience engaged and they end up reading more of your content.
Hi Brad,
So true, any time you can get personal people take interest. If you like someone, the more you can find out about them and the things they do, the more they’ll enjoy your content. It’s a human nature thing 🙂
Quality content will always be the thing bloggers have to focus on. All the rest is trivial if you don’t offer value to your readers. If you get traffic from the search engines, your blog post should have the solution to this person’s problem.
I find “how-to” articles to attract people. Include pictures and always add heading tags
I just learned about the importance of Heading Tags being properly used. Had to go in an rearrange everything. Glad I did. Thanks for the article.
Hi Ryan,
Yes, and heading tags are such an easy thing to implement, yet so few people use them. Glad you are using that tip. I think you’ll see some benefit there.
Liz 🙂
Hi Elizabeth,
A great approach to creating quality content. I try to think about writing blog content as creating value in every sentence. Always speak to your target audience, always ask for engagement and always capture attention from the first word.
Beth 🙂
Hey Bobby, that was my problem as well. You can have lots of great information but if you don’t present it in an easy to read, easy to comprehend format you risk losing readers. So as writers we really have to do whatever we can to keep readers reading.
Thank you for the tips given. I personally like reading articles that has a great title, great introduction, and step by step flow in the body. I get so many emails in my spam folder, but you can be sure that if an article has a great title, then I am tempted to open it, even though you are warned by gmail against opening such links. A great title and a great introduction is like an assurance you give to your readers.
I also dont like articles with so many links leading to other sites, I am always tempted to visit them, and am left wishing, ‘if only you had written everything here for me’
Thank you for the tips though..
Hi Pitzer,
I have mixed emotions on outbound links myself. I don’t love the idea of having to go somewhere else to get additional information all the time. Sometimes it’s helpful but it’s easy to get lost in the links.
Links should expand on a point you’re trying to make, but if you were to try to include that in your post, you could be veering off topic which, from a Google standpoint, is what we want to avoid. Also the search engines like it when we weave our content into the world wide web. Will that always be important to our content, don’t know.
I think the links we include should be added only if you think there’s value for your reader, but I also agree with you, adding too many links isn’t useful, it can just be confusing.
Thanks for your feedback 🙂
I especially agree on #3. Scannable content is very helpful nowadays when everyone is flooded with information and eager to move from one article to another one.
I especially agree with the last point, that is, writing in your own voice. In my opinion, the best way to connect with your readers is to write in a conversational voice. Talk to them like a friend, ya know? When I read an article, I don’t want it to sound like I’m talking to a robot. I like to realize that there was a real human being who wrote that post that I’m reading. A conversational, friendly voice helps with that.
Hi James,
It’s certainly more personal to write conversationally but I find that it’s hard for a lot of people as we weren’t taught to write that way for publication. But once you can grasp the concept, it is easier to write that way. Thanks for you feedback.
Last point is really great; your every world must tell your reader who you are and what do you think on your niche; this has completely wiped out ghost writing after Panda and Penguine; now you cannot become online entrepreneur secretly you must be transparent and open to both praise and criticism
So true Mi,
You could probably still use a ghost writer if you struggle to write or if time is a problem, but it’s important to personalize the content. Otherwise you’re just posting facts and ideas, your reader won’t get a sense of who you are and your personality.
I would say that if you’re using a ghostwriter it would be important to mix that with some video to give your audience a glimpse of you.
Share the current will be great and effortless ways to create engaging content. Take a look at the calendar and check out what’s happening in the local or national news. You’ll find there’s no shortage of current events to share with your audience. Thanks For sharing.
Yes Saanvi, if you look hard enough there’s no shortage of news on any topic.
Probably the hardest part is taking that news and crafting it into a a blog post that is interesting and non-repetitive. But then again there’s plenty of ideas out there to help you do that 🙂
Awesome guide Elizabeth 🙂
Catchy headline + being yourself in your content + proper use of keywords + Useful links and info = content that goes beyond not just normal but awesome!
I am sure I increased my knowledge and theoretical skills by reading this post. Thanks 🙂
Thanks Mahaveer,
So glad I’ve helped you learn a few things. That’s always nice to hear.
Elizabeth, thanks for a great post and the tips. Being original in content production is really what helped us get off the ground and noticed in the crowd. Admittedly not an easy model to follow for many bloggers, but we found the use of cartoons to support our editorial blog posts really boosted our readership and site stickiness tremendously. In fact, it even helped get our blog picked up by the BBC.
Hi Wonkie,
Cartoons are a great idea. They are perfect for attracting viewers and it put a reader in a receptive frame of mind and gives you some originality. Good job.
Elizabeth
very informative post I really love it!
thanks for sharing such huge and informtative tips!
have a nice day 😀
My pleasure Anis 😉
Hey Elizabeth,
I am just surfing the internet and happen to see your pic on this blog and thought to myself, awesome Ms. Liz is now guest blogging at basic blog tips!
Great job and great post.
I really apprecaite that your wrote by example. This blog is a great example of all the tips you shared.
You have a catchy title. Check
You have a great first paragraph. Check
You blog is very scannable. Check
You understand basicblogtips audicenc. Check
You added valuable links. Check
You have good keyword placement. Check
You wrote in your unique voice. Check
Did Elizabeth deliver “Stellar Content”? Check plus with a golden star!
This was a great blog post and I am glad that I found it and was able to soak in this knowledge. The only question that is left is how will people start applying it after they wrote this stellar content and tips of how to write better blogs.
Thanks again for sharing,
Eric
Hey Eric,
Glad to see your smiling face!
Your question on how to apply these tips is an interesting one. There probably isn’t much in this post that most bloggers didn’t already know, but do we apply it? Knowledge without application is worthless. It takes effort and planning to apply what we learn. But if you took the time to learn it, why not apply it.
First of all you have to believe that what you are learning is worth applying. Secondly you have to recognize the benefit of applying what you learn and what you lose by not applying it. Thirdly, you need the discipline to just do it 🙂
Thanks great suggestions and interesting points found in this post,it is actually knowing a bit of everything when creating a blogpost,Where to place the keywords,exact keywords,type of post,catchy title and that bit of everything is what creates a great blogpost.
thanks again!
dan
So True Dan, there’s a lot that goes into creating a blog post.
A few years ago I helped a friend create his blog. I spent a whole day showing him what he needed to do. After about 3 months he gave up. He was a good example of someone that didn’t realize the work it actually takes.
The good news is that if you work hard at it, it does get easier 🙂
As a newbie blogger I work very hard on my posts- and sometimes I need hours just for one post, thanks for your suggestions, it’ll help a lot 🙂
Very nicely done, Elizabeth. I especially concur with #8. Being yourself, and coming across like you were having a conversation over a coffee with a friend. That’s what makes your writing unique. Of course, you have to see to all the other details, like using well-constructed English sentences. But I always try to impart a conversational style in all my writing. Cheers.
Hi Tim,
Most of us aren’t use to writing conversationally, it’s not what we’re taught in school, but for blogging I certainly think it’s a lot more welcoming and easier for visitors to read. The one thing you have to be careful with is to not get too wordy. That was something I’ve had to work at.
Elizabeth 🙂
Hi Chris,
I know what you mean, if you want a quality blog it will take time to do it right, but it does get easier the more we write. Of course whatever help we can get is a good thing 🙂
Elizabeth
Yep, and not only that you also need to update your blog and not only with fresh content but there is always new things to add such as different tools,you always have to split test and see which options convert the best for you.
dan
Good point Dan, That’s the other half of maintaining your blog. Finding great tools and then testing them is key 🙂
You can also link to other blog owners. Maybe about an article they wrote recently. They might visit your article and link to your article as well 🙂
True Louis, a useful strategy for extending your post’s reach.
Thanks for your feedback 🙂
Hi Elizabeth… thanks for a useful article. I’m a relatively new blogger and I think your last point resonated with me the most – I think it’s critical to be who you are when expressing yourself… it’s probably the only way someone’s blog will look, feel and read with authenticity!
Hi Nayna,
It IS important to be who you are, but you’d be surprised how many people find that hard to do. I think sometimes we don’t think we’re good enough and try to be ‘that guy or gal’ we admire.
Just be ‘you’. There’s more value in that than most of us realize 🙂
Thanks for your feedback Nayna.
Liz 🙂
Scoop it is sure a traffic puller. Got no personal account though, but my blog readers have been sharing my contents on it and the result in terms of backlinks and traffic is simply amazing.
Yes, Scoopit is a good one. I’d suggest getting an account for yourself. If it’s doing a good job for you with generating traffic, that can only benefit you.
Thanks for commenting!
Liz