If you aren’t writing great headlines, why write?

Perhaps the most important part of any blog post is the headline. Your headline should do more than reiterate word for word the mundane content of your post. If you want me to read your article, you have to have to tell me why and you have to do it in a sentence. While that may sound like a tall order, consider the fact that no one will read your content if your headline isn’t interesting. In a sense, if you let your headline fall by the wayside, you might as well not write your post at all. Unique headlines are what stand out to readers in search engine results, and relevant headlines are what get readers to click.

Killer content doesn’t have an expiration date.

The key to a great blog post is content that doesn’t get old. It takes time to rack up a good ranking on Google and it takes time for your content to go viral. If you’re writing about a topic that is only relevant for a day or two, by the time I actually find it, I likely no longer have any interest in it. Rather than writing strictly about news or to-the-minute updates, write something that has a message, something that I’ll want to share, and something that I’ll want to come back to and read again down the road.

What do readers really want?

Give your readers what they want. And what your readers want is something they can relate to. If you can solve my problems and give me peace of mind, there is no reason why I won’t read what you have to say. Know what I’m passionate about, and show me that you share that passion with me. After all, your blog isn’t about you. It’s about your readers. If you can relate to me on any level, I’m that much more likely to buy not only what you have to say, but also whatever products or services you are trying to sell me.

Boss your readers around.

If you are putting a significant amount of time, money, and effort into a blog, you are probably looking to get something out of it. Well, if you aren’t telling me what you want from me, how should you expect me to know? If you want me to buy what you are selling, tell me! If you want me to share what you have to say, let me know! Do you want feedback from me? Do you want me to sign up for something? If you have any hope of getting what you want, don’t be afraid to be bossy.