You’re sitting at your desk again… staring at the blank screen… feeling frustrated… and inspiration isn’t coming.
You gaze out the window and think about whether you should just surf back over to Facebook and cheer yourself up with funny wedding dance videos… or head to Pinterest and find a great recipe for dinner….
Why bother writing another post that you won’t get comments on? You wonder, “Is anyone reading what I write? Why am I doing this?”
Do you ever feel that way? Wondering how you can catch the attention of more readers and get them interested in reading your blog posts?
What makes the difference between a blog post that just gets skimmed or even ignored, and one that grabs the reader and pulls them in as they read?
It can be easy to focus on our words and information we’re sharing and forget that more than just words and facts or instructions or resources go into a great blog post that gets read, shared, commented and acted on.
Write on topics with twists your readers are interested in.
One of the smartest shifts I made as a blogger was to realize that it’s not what I am writing about but who I am writing for.
Start a list of the top dreams and fears of your ideal reader. What is she struggling with? What problems or challenges does she need solutions to? What are her biggest dreams and goals in life (or in business)?
From that list, what can you share about? Can you share solutions, resources, or steps towards their goals?
Create your posts based on how you can be of service to your ideal reader and you’ll find it’s easier to catch your readers’ attention and connect with your them because you’re sharing exactly what they want to know or achieve.
They might even feel like you’re inside their heads and have super mind-reading powers!
Always include interesting images in your posts.
It’s easy to find or create images you can use in your blog posts. So take that extra few minutes to include them!
Here are 20 of my favorite free sources for images:
https://michelleshaeffer.com/20-totally-free-image-sources/2011/11/05/
And here’s how to add an image to a blog post if you’re in WordPress:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ij_9cClMm0ss
Images catch our attention and help us connect with the words on the screen.
Plus, when your blog posts are shared on Facebook and Pinterest, those images are what really get your potential readers to stop, look, and click!
Consciously paint visual and emotional pictures with your words.
Are you using stories in your blog posts? Narratives that connect to more than “how to” or “what to”?
Painting visual pictures give your readers more than just words, but evokes scent, sight, touch, and emotion and will make your posts more intriguing and memorable.
“Good writing is supposed to evoke sensation in the reader–not the fact that it is raining, but the feeling of being rained upon.” E. L. Doctorow
Be intentional about these three elements in every post you write and watch the difference in makes!
So, reader, what catches YOUR eye and draws your attention in blog posts? Share in the comments!
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Thank you for another informative post. I appreciate this and you and that you created the Ultimate Blog Challenge!
:-)
Kathy
Thanks Kathy. Always great to “see” you here. :)
Excellent, Michelle…
One thing I stress upon too, is the visual part of any post. No matter what you write, if there isn’t an eye-candy, eye-grabbing picture close top the beginning, to spice up the context… people might bounce quickly.
Another thing, of course, is the title (headline) that needs to be very, very well thought.
A visitor’s attention span is very limited and the instant they get the ‘feeling’ (no matter right or wrong) that the website is boring, they jump to the back button.
A well crafted post title would attract their attention long enough to change their mood (from surfing to reading) and make them dive in…
Steve ? Master eMailSmith ? Lorenzo
Chief Editor, eMail Tips Daily Newsletter
Totally agree Steve, images where they catch the eye right away are great.
Headlines make a big difference as well. Thanks for sharing your tips!
Those visual images that are associated with the words you use- that is a key point. The use of onomatopoeia insures that you can draw them in!
Writing for your readers in your own authentic voice helps you snag traffic quickly. Love these tips Michelle!
By listening, you can quickly see what your readers want you to write about. Note popular posts, titles, etc, then honor the pattern by creating similar posts.
Thanks for sharing!
Ryan
Great tips, Michelle! The first one is the one that I struggle with, I think. I tend to write just exactly what I want, but of course slanting the focus to the interests of your READER is ana excellent suggestion.
Often when I’m working with recipes in my blog I forget to add the personal stories of my years in the kitchen, but when I do take the time, the blog post gets a much better response time with visitors staying on the blog an extra minute or so. Pictures with recipes are always a must. At the very least a picture of the finished product. All three are Excellent suggestions.
As a new blogger I’m still trying to find my “niche” so I tend to write about any and everything which may not be a good thing. These are some really great tips and I will definitely have to implementing them.
Very timely for me, Michelle, as I am working on getting more focused on the needs and desires of my dear women bloggers. Thank you for this post!
Hi Michelle,
It’s so important to write with our readers in mind by getting to the heart of how they feel and what they need. We hear that a lot, but it’s easy to forget that I think. BTW, you did an awesome job of that in your first 3 paragraphs of this post :-)
If our readers can see that we know how they feel and that we can relate to what they’re feeling and thinking, we jump up a notch when it comes to their trust and loyalty.
Thanks for a great post.
Liz
Hi Michelle,
Really great tips. I think title and image make a lot of difference in catching readers eyes. Those two are the most visible aspect when readers hit our page. Then, there’s a matter of second for them to decide to stay around and reveal the value or moving away for another site.
An eye-catching image together with well-written and well-described post makes up a great blog that no reader could resist from reading more and more. Thanks for this very helpful post.
Hi Michelle,
I agree 110% that knowing your audience enables you to go from plainly writing to writing for a specific group or core audience which makes up your audience. Once this group can be identified it makes it much easier to choose topics based upon their likes, dislikes, interest, and similarities. Obviously everyone can appreciate a thoughtful or funny picture but now more than ever people are relying more upon visual aids to distinguish between a post they want to read or one they will simply skip over and never read. Great post and solid ideas!
Stories and photos draw me in everytime. It was your photo with your title that got me over here from FB. :)
I have a hard time sharing ‘me’. It is much easier to share facts but it is also very dull. I will definitely practice writing for my reader and what she gets out of the post.
I
Practice helps – just being aware of it helps, too. :)
I’m the same way, Sara. It’s images that catch my attention on Facebook (or obviously on Pinterest!) and get me to click.
Thanks so much Michelle! I struggle with this so much because I have no idea who my audience is!!! It’s something I have thought about tons but still can’t quite figure out. *sigh* But thank you for all your insightful info and I am going to do my very best to meet the blog challenge this month!
Soraya
As usual a great post from you, Michelle, but especially wanted to thank you for the 20! free places to find images. I usually rely on 2 or 3 so that info was really helpful to me. Thanks!
Michelle,
When I post pictures on my WordPress blog, the post (or what I typed) seems to start below the picture. I place my curser where I want the picture and yet my written word starts at the bottom next to it.
Is there a way to bump up my words to the top to be even with the photo as in your video?
Thanks for the links for free photos.
Thanks for the suggestion. I am always trying to figure out how to make things a little more interesting! I write about travel and food, and pictures tell a great story, but sometimes it\’s hard to put it into words.I never really thought about writing a description of my blog audience. It\’s a great way to write targeted posts. I\’ll have a go at this for my next post!
Thanks Michelle, I like the painting visual pictures. I think that is an incredible way to connect with your readers.