You know that a blog can be a valuable addition to your company’s website, because it presents opportunities to consistently post new content and start discussions about the topics that matter to your business. If, however, you find that readership is down for your blog or that readers don’t tend to stick around long after clicking on a link to a new post, your blog may not be doing its job as a marketing tool or a source of helpful information for your clients and fans. To turn this trend around and make readers excited for your upcoming posts, follow these guidelines for adding intrigue to your blog and retaining a more dedicated readership.

Create an Identity for Your Blog

People want to read blogs that are engaging, funny, helpful, or in some other way memorable. What they don’t want to see is boilerplate content that feels forced or generic. That’s why it is important to find a voice for your blog that will draw readers in and represent your brand well. Whether you write the blog yourself or outsource to a content team, you should have a consistent identity in mind that will be reflected in every new post.

  • Establish a tone and voice. To find the voice for your blog, you’ll want to think about how people view your company and your brand. Are you quirky and weird or more on the serious side? Using customer surveys and employee feedback can help you shape the image of your business, but you should also think about how you want your company to be viewed so that you can make the right impression with your blog.
  • Set readers up with clear expectations. With the right voice for your blog, readers will feel like they are joining a conversation rather than simply reading news from your business. Though your blog may evolve as your business changes over time, it is beneficial to have a clear identity for your blog that lets customers know what they can expect.
Write Great Headlines

Every word on your blog should be intentional and thought out, but it’s especially important to think about what your headlines say. Headlines are what draw in readers and inform them about the article they’re about to read. If the headline is bland and uninteresting, no one will want to continue reading the post for more information. Not every headline needs to be flashy, but each should have a promise to the reader that a question will be answered, useful information will be provided, or that the article will be entertaining. Before posting any new piece of content to your blog, consider these questions about the title to ensure you’re on the right track:

  • Does the headline make you want to read more?
  • Is the topic interesting and relevant?
  • Will people want to talk about this headline later?
  • Does the headline accurately reflect what’s in the article?
  • Will the reader’s curiosity be piqued?
  • Is the headline too long?
  • Does the headline contain action verbs?
  • Will this headline stand out on social media?

Unfortunately, you cannot guarantee that every reader will carefully consider all of your words on the page, but a great headline will at least get you some attention as well as a start to a new conversation with your customers and leads.

Always Proofread Posts

Reader-friendly content is a must-have for any blog, regardless of subject matter. In order to make sure that readers are engaged in what you have to say—rather than how you have said it—make a habit of proofreading every post. Minor spelling and grammatical errors are distracting and unprofessional, but they are also an easy fix. If readers have to look past these blemishes to read your message, they may not remember what point you were trying to make in the first place.

Add Visual Content to Your Blog

Even the best writers may have trouble keeping the attention of readers in the visually-driven digital environment. Therefore, you might benefit from pairing your blogs with pictures, graphics, and videos. You may not have the resources or know-how to create these yourself, but stock images and YouTube videos can still go a long way. As long as you offer something extra with your own words and creative touches, you can make existing content work for you to draw the eyes of your readers. You should also make sure that written content is laid out in an easily readable format with a clean, legible font that displays large enough on the page.

At Pennington Creative, we know the importance of a great blog, which is why we have spent years creating killer content for our clients. To see how we can make your blog something that readers will want to come back to again and again, contact us to schedule a discovery call.

About the Author

Marissa - Digital Marketing Manager, Account Services
Marissa Storrs

Digital Marketing Manager, Client Engagement