Creating more appealing posts in 4 simple steps

In exchange for writing posts on your blog, wouldn’t you want for someone to read those posts? Do you think it defeats the purpose of writing on your blog if no one reads it? Some people answer “No” to that question because they blog just for the fun of it. But there are others (who I believe to be the majority of bloggers) nowadays who want to write if someone will read it. Is that so hard to ask for?

I am happy when I have even a few people reading my posts, so I’d say if those posts help one of two people out then it was worth the 30-60 minutes I put into writing the post. For those bloggers who write posts so people read them, I have a short list of 4 simple tips to help get those posts read.

1. The use of eye catching titles

An eye catching title can be written in many ways. Including adjectives like “easy”, “fun” and even some synonyms of those words will really help. What sounds better to you? “Learn Web Design” or “Web Design in 5 Easy Steps”. I’d definitely want to read the second article, it sounds pretty easy.

Crafting your awesome title

Sometimes creating a catchy title is hard. I know it takes some time for me to come up with half decent titles, and still they aren’t always the best in the world. It takes a few steps to making that title you are happy with.

Creating that perfect title checklist

1. You should always write your post BEFORE you write the title. The title can be the most overlooked thing in the post, and if you start out by writing your title before your content then it can start to raise eyebrows. You may have changed a few things up in the content, and you may have a title that doesn’t reflect the new idea. Since you are so wrapped up in finishing that post, it is very likely to not revise the title.

2. Using a Thesaurus will help you a lot. If you have a common, overused word in your title, then it can make it look pretty boring. By plugging that word into an online Thesaurus, it will give you a list of synonyms for that word. Sometimes the words sound better, so it’s better to include them in your title.

2. Design plays a large role in post readability

Not only is having a good design on the outer area of your post major, but the design that displays your content is even more important. If you do stupid stuff like putting dark text on a dark background, how many people do you think will want to read it?

When a user has hard time reading, you have a design problem

On my old blog, I had green text on a light green background. Not the smartest design choice at all, and when people came to read my posts I always had a “I can’t read the text very well” comment. I was not a very friendly person when it came to those comments, so I just ignored it because I could see the text fine. Can you believe I was like that?

Always listen to your readers, even if only one person has a problem reading it. It may be a weird thing to do on a rather larger blog, but I think it’s something that shouldn’t be overlooked.

Clogging up your posts with ads

Now, it’s not necessarily a bad thing to have ads in posts. Plenty of larger blogs do it, and it’s a great way to monetize. However, when the ads are formatted obtrusively into the post, or it breaks the post, you can have a problem. Always make it a priority to make sure the ads are inserted into your posts carefully. Just think about it, if the ad makes your posts look bad then who would want to buy an ad in a post that won’t even get read!?

3. Judging the length of a post

Everyone loves a long post. And everyone loves a short post. But how do you know how to balance it out?

When you should write a long post

If you have A LOT to say. If you have links, quotes, the inside scoops, etc. then include it of course. Those are the kind of information people want, and those are the pieces of information that use up the most space.

Shorter posts can be just as informative

You should write short when you have only a few things to say about a certain topic. I’m not talking about just writing “BuySellAds is awesome you should use it”. That is short, but it has no opinions, facts, or any useful information at all. Writing summaries/short reviews of a product or website, or spreading link love make excellent short posts.

While we’re on the subject, you can check out a former post I wrote on the Pros and Cons of short posts.

4. Back your words up with some nice images

I try to include a nice little image in every post here. It makes the post look more creative, and backs up what I am saying.

Things to keep in mind when using an image in a post

• Keep the images related to what you’re saying. Don’t put a football in a post about soccer. It’s that easy.
• Try to be creative; think outside the box. What I mean by that is find an image that has more than what the text suggests. For example, in one of Freelance Switch’s latest articles “Planning for Next Year: Client Acquisition” (creative title by the way :p) they have an image that doesn’t directly relate to the title of the article. It shows army men fighting each other for a client, and that is thinking outside the box.

Where can I get these fancy images?

My two favorite references are:

• Amanda Fazani wrote an article at Blogging Tips with a killer list of free, high quality images for your blog.
• Get some photos from Flickr. Always remember to read the license on the images before using it on your blog!