So you’ve written your headline and now you’re thinking okay what’s next?

Flashback to year 10 English, the plan – start, middle and end. So you start planning it out.

But not long after comes the long winded pause, the blank look you give your screen – just waiting for something to happen, anything.

Writing might come naturally for some, but creative, compelling writing which instantly draws your reader in – well, that’s a bit different.

No matter what the topic, essentially a blog post has the same purpose – to provide insights, information and provide some sort of value to the reader. A great blog post is easy to digest, engaging and gives the reader what they really came for.

A few basic tips will have you blogging like a pro.

TIP ONE: Who are you writing for?

Firstly, you want to know who your audience is and exactly what they are looking for, you want to be as specific as possible.

If you are offering some insights into a particular topic, you need to make sure it’s a subject of importance to them, something that will give them value.

Every blog should aim to engage with their audience, direct the words to them and make it as personalised as possible. Even though technically you are writing for more than one reader, your wider audience will have the same thing in common – they’ve come to see what you have to say.

Ask yourself the specifics:

• How old is my audience?
• What do they do for work?
• What are their interests?
• Male, female, a mix?
• How educated are they?
• Where do they live?
• Where do they work?

Once you narrow down your demographic, you will have a better understanding of how to approach your blog.

Your audience will soon come to expect relevant information associated to them and keep them coming back for more.

TIP TWO: The hook

The most essential aspect of blogging is the grab.

Your headline could very well be the difference between your reader sticking around or moving onto the next. Unfortunately, like some judge a book by its cover, some will most likely just a blog by its title.

Run your headline through https://www.isitwp.com/headline-analyzer/ It will analyse your headline and suggest edits to drive traffic, shared and rank better in Google search results.

But it doesn’t stop there. Once you have your reader, they’ve clicked into your blog and there’s a flicker of intrigue, you want them to stick around for the whole ride. Those first few sentences will make or break that whole blog you’ve spent hours working on – it has to be punchy, direct and lure the reader in for more.

TIP THREE: Break it down now

Easy to digest content is what we are all about, and you should be too. Giving your blog structure with the use of subheadings will help keep your reader interested and focused.

Subheads will give your blog clarity around your topic, they allow the reader to find the info they are looking for (we would love them to read the whole thing, but that isn’t always the case) Subheads also act as mini title, so it’s just like grabbing their attention all over again – every few paragraphs. They also work to break up blocks of words and make the page look a little more attractive and easy on the eye.

You will also notice with this blog, we break up every few sentences or paragraph with a few line spacers in between, just to keep it simple and again easy to digest.

TIP FOUR: Cool story, but it needs more dragons?

More dragons? What we mean by that is your blog needs more excitement. Sometimes even the most creative of stories need a bit of colour or visuals to break it up and keep it interesting.

Our brains process visual content a lot faster than text-based content. Images, info-graphics, quotes, even videos can be inserted between paragraphs to beak up blocks of text and help boost engagement.

Take your own photos, shoot your own videos or craft your own info-graphics with the use of Canva.com. If you don’t have an eye for design, or a steady hand; there are a number of resources online to find or create visual content to embed in your blog. Try Shutterstock or Pixabay