Published:

08/09/2014 12:14am

Valuable Blog Content for Your Readers

Blogs are a powerful platform, and when placed into good use, you can gain a lot from your efforts, whether you are doing it for financial or personal reasons. By writing valuable blog content, you will be on the right path to success.

Unfortunately, when you Google search for the keyword "blog/blogging," you are bombarded with questions such as:

-How can I make money through my blog? (I get asked this a lot)

-How can I get thousands of visitors?

-How can I promote my services and products on my blog?

-How can I get rich through a blog?

Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with asking questions like this; no one wouldn't mind earning an extra dollar while doing something they love (I know I wouldn't). But, as much as these questions may make sense, they share a common flaw: they do not focus on the reader.

You need to concentrate on your audience's needs before anything else!

You will be astonished by the results you get by making sure you focus your attention on providing valuable information on your blog, something which will relate to your prospects and clients, rather than making money your main focus.

Blog content is like seeds to blogging (like seeds are to a garden). If you are sensitive to the needs of your reader, you will build a healthy working relationship with them. You will come off as being more caring, which in turn will lead to trust, loyalty and growth in your fan base.

Below are a few simple ways you can create valuable blog content in order to build rapport with your readers, which in turn will help make your blog successful:

Clickable Title

Having a clickable title is a necessary piece of your blog post. The title is the first thing a reader sees when they "find" your blog online.

If you saw the title, "Blog," would that entice you click on the title? You may do it because you're curious since it doesn't really tell you what the blog post is about, but most people would probably just move along because the title is so vague.

You need to make your title compelling so that readers will want to read more about what you have written. If you title is vague and/or boring, they may think the content of the blog post is the same way. You can get some tips on creating a clickable title in my blog post, "Click a Clickable Title That Gets Attention."

Be Honest

One of the ways through which you can gain trust from your readers is by being honest. An honest voice which shows the writer as being trustworthy leads to more popularity.

The success for any blog revolves around the community that develops around it. With honesty, your readers' loyalty will undoubtedly increase.

Informative, yet Personal

You want to give your audience the information they are looking for... solutions to their problems. They want to learn something when they read your content, so make sure you are informative and make sure your facts are creditable (can back it up).

Even though you want to provide your readers with informative content, make sure you talk in your own voice when writing. Get in the mindset that someone is there in person when you are creating your content and write as if you are explaining the topic of your blog post to them.

Writing this way will bring out your personality and in turn, build up the, "know, like and trust factor" with your audience.

Short Paragraphs

The visual effect of your blog is critical. You need to structure your content in neat, short paragraphs of around 3 to a maximum of 4 lines a paragraph.

Long paragraphs are bound to bore your readers, while small and neat ones are more likely going to captivate them and keep them reading

Visual Appeal

In addition to short paragraphs, there are other things you should do to make your blog post appealing to your readers. Some of the things you could include are:

-Lists

-Bullet points and/or numbers

-Headings

-Bolding, etc.

You also should add images to your blog post that are related to the content. At one time, I suggested only one image per post, but I have found that a blog post does look more appealing if you can throw 2-3 images throughout the content. Of course, if you have a short blog post (less than 300 words), you do not want to overload it with images. If that is the case, I would suggest just one image.

No matter how many images you use, just make sure that you have the rights to use them. The best thing to do is to create your own... use your own photographs, create images at a website like Canva.com or PicMonkey.com, etc. If you do use an image someone else has created, be cautious of copyright infringement.

Engaging Conclusion

When concluding your content, re-state what the main points were that you wrote about. Think about what you want your readers to remember and how you want them to feel when they are done reading.

Once you do that, include a CTA (call to action) to get your audience to comment on your blog post. Ask them how they feel about what you wrote... ask them if they have any other tips to add... anything to make them feel important. Interact with the ones that do comment and you will be sure to build up great relationships with your readers.

While coming up with your valuable blog content for your readers, you need to provide helpful solutions to their problems and make the format of your content appealing. Avoid coming out as being focused on making money. By appeasing to your audience's needs, you are sure to get great results to all of your own needs.

Missy Tincher, Blog Content Marketing Manager, is the owner of My Miss Assist. Missy is passionate about helping clients with their content marketing strategies in order to drive more traffic to their websites. She is like a "high-octane" Hummingbird... efficient and vigorously energetic about dynamic blog content marketing plans! For blogging and content marketing tips, visit My Miss Assist's blog athttp://mymissassist.com/blog