I am going to make a case here. A blog is not just a web page where you throw your ideas to anybody reads it. It might have been true a long time ago, but nowadays things are very different.
The number of blogs is enormous, and, if you do not make a point of offering great content, you will be talking to nobody.
Meaning that you must present your ideas in the best way possible. Moreover, it is only possible if you take care of your content as if it were a brute diamond. You will need to tweak each part of it, from top to bottom so that it will sparkle and shine.
How do you do it? By following these tips below. Simple like this.
# 1 – Listen to your visitors
Your target audience is the most important part of your blog. They are the people that will read and interact with your content and buy your products or services (hopefully).
So, it is clear that, if you want to achieve your goals, you will have to listen to them. By doing it, you will know everything about what they are looking for, so you can provide them with the content that they want.
In order to do it, you can rely on three sources of inspiration and information: your comments box, surveys, and your social media networks.
- Your comments box
It is in your comments box that your visitors will let you know how they feel about what you have offered to them. They might ask you for further clarification, add their own point of view, or make requests. Some of them will be very honest and straightforward about what you need to improve.
Take these comments very seriously. Even the silly ones might have something to offer you. Make corrections and amends to your content marketing plan when it makes sense, and always thank them for their feedback.
And don’t ignore the bad comments. They might be pointing out something that will make all difference to you.
- Do surveys
If you are unsure about something, you should be prepared to do surveys. Make it simple, so your visitors will not be annoyed by it, but don’t be afraid of using this resource if you find it necessary.
Surveys can be especially useful if you are preparing some significant change to your blogs, such as design or user experience improvements. However, you can also consult them about what they would like to read or whom they want to see interviewed by you.
You can use SurveyMonkey, or another similar online service, to create a simple form, and you are good to go.
- Check your social media networks
Your social media networks are a fantastic source of information to your blog. It not only provides you with more comments to dig in, but it will also let you know a bit more about who your target audience is and which kind of content they prefer.
Yes, it sounds some work to have a look at which posts they are more likely to share and post themselves, but you will gather some very interesting data there, and without annoying your audience with it.
# 2 – Make the most of content creation tools and services
Trying to make your content sparkle can also mean trying to save as much time as possible so you can use it to analyze your metrics and be creative.
It is also possible that you realize that you are not cut to take your writing to the next level, and it is OK. You probably are a much better developer, designer, or else, anything but a writer. In this case, you just need some help from a specialist. Alternatively, it might be that you need some particular information or guidance on which you can base your decisions.
In any case, here are some tools and services that can help you on it.
If what you need to know are the best keywords related to your content, then you should start using KeywordTool.io. It is a free service that will provide you with the most relevant long-tail keywords so you can add them to your content and improve your chances to be read.
And bear in mind that it is not only about SEO here. Their results are an excellent source of information about which topics you should be covering in your blog so that you can improve your editorial calendar based on them.
What about hiring a freelance writer to help you out? If you got too much on your plate, it could save you some time as you can ask a professional to get some of your work done for you.
And don’t worry, it will not destroy your reputation as a blogger. You can have a freelancer doing research and a first draft for you, and then you can edit the article and imprint your style on it. Or you can hire them only to edit and proofread the work for you.
Both ways it is like having an assistant without all the taxes and paperwork.
To ensure that your blog content sparkles, you need to make sure that there will be no grammar or spelling mistakes left behind. And to achieve it, you should use Grammarly to check your work for you.
It can be found in a free version on the web, but you can also buy the app and get even more than that – you will get vocabulary enhancement suggestions, and it will also evaluate your style and check your writing for plagiarism.
Grammarly is also a great way to avoid commonly misused words, as it will come up with better word pairs and synonyms for you. And it can be used as an add-on directly in Microsoft Word, Outlook, and on Firefox and Chrome browser.
However, if you would rather count on an agency to outsource your work, then you should consider EvoEssay to help you with it. This online agency can get your writing done much faster, even within only 6 hours, and for a very affordable price.
Despite its name, they are ready to help you with any copywriting service, from writing to editing and proofreading. And you can get your quote online. Meaning that you can get it all done while doing something else.
# 3 – Check Google Trends
Google Trends is an excellent tool which passes a bit unnoticed by many bloggers. It will let you know which subjects are trending on Google Search – in other words, what you should be writing about even before your visitors hear about it. It provides information in real time, so you will always be up-to-date.
And if you care to segment the data even further, you will get reliable information including about past behaviors – let’s say that you want to compare what people used to wear 20 years ago and nowadays: Google Trends can help you on it.
The filtering options are a region, time frame, categories (terms and search volume), and engines (News, Web Video, and Shopping). Engines are actually great if you want to make a distinction about what goes on the media and on sales.
# 4 – Say something funny
Many bloggers think that only serious content is respected on the web. That the only way to be seen as an authority is by providing content that sounds like a lecture. But they could not be more wrong.
It is making people laugh that is the best way to captivate them. And it is because it will imprint a pleasant memory about you in their minds.
How often do you remember a joke after hearing it? Or better, how often you tell the same joke away? In other words, something funny will not only be read or watched but also memorized and shared – two things that you look forward as a blogger.
And, honestly, if your target audience were looking for a lecture, they would be at the nearest university, not browsing online.
# 5 – Dig on Reddit
Ask any question you want on Reddit and be sure to find the answers there later on. We are talking about a very active social media network, where you will find communities about any topic you can imagine.
So if you are stuck with no topic to write about, or if you need some data or insight about anything (anything, really), then you should have a look at what is being currently posted on Reddit. You will start by digging in their own content, so you can know what people are talking about your topics of interest.
Then you can feel more confident and ready to ask your own questions – just make sure that you spend some time reading the rules of the community if there are any. Most of them are famous for removing very quickly anyone who fails to follow them.
# 6 – Check the most popular hashtags
You should also spend some time browsing on Twitter and on Instagram to check the most popular hashtags among your target audience.
The same way that your comments box, social media networks, and Reddit research will let you know more about what is trending, hashtags will help you to find out several ideas for new posts, contests, and more.
And the best thing about hashtags is that some of them seem to last forever. So if you are also trying to go back in time (at least, as far as the Twitter and Instagram’s first days), you will have plenty of information there.
# 7 – Tell a real story
Another thing that can get your content to make its way to your visitors’ heart is by telling them a real story. You can either say something about yourself and show a bit of your personality, so then you can build a connection with them.
However, don’t worry if you are an introvert or a private person. You can achieve the same by interviewing someone else and talking about their journey in life. What matter is to say something that will touch them emotionally and that you will also add your opinion and viewpoint to it.
The bottom line
So here are 7 ways to make your blog content sparkle. You can use some online tools or services, research some on Google Trends, or look for valuable information on social media and Reddit, for instance.
You can also tell a joke or a real story to your target audience. In any case, what you want is offer them some kind of added value, so that they can see your blog as unique. As a consequence, you can be sure that they will stay on your blog for longer and come back for more over and over.
