Five Steps To Writing Successful Blogs
A catchy headline just isn't enough in the case of the busy person in front of the computer screen. If you want your readers to stick around long enough to read your entire blog, you will need to master the art of the lead. Here are a few thought-starters for you:
1. Don't tell, ask. A question creates curiosity and usually invokes some kind of response, albeit a silent one in the case of the written word. Your reader will be engaged by the time you move on to the next sentence.
2. Share a relatable story or anecdote. Don't use too many of your precious word count, but telling a short story goes a long way in bringing your reader into your blog. People relate to other people,
3. Create images in the mind of your reader. Don't tell how hard it is to cut the grass during a heat wave, show it by using descriptive words. Write that your face was dripping so much that you felt as if every pore was a tear duct at the funeral of a puppy. Now that's hot!
4. Let math do part of the work; specifically statistics. You could say that many people prefer orange juice over carrot juice. Or, you could point out that 4 million oranges give their lives every year to make juice versus 100,000 carrots. Math is hard to ignore.
Unlike magazine feature writing or other forms of journalism, the blog is usually relatively to the point. Don't spend a lot of time wrapping up your blog in a tidy, little summary. Make your point and let your reader do what he does best - surf.
Julie Clark Robinson is an experienced writer whose published articles have been on subjects including online college degree programs, financial aid, online colleges offering graduate degrees, and online PhD programs.