by Rahimah Sultan

Advertising Disclosure: Marketing Success Review may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links posted on this website. There is no expense to you.

Copywriting requires you to be skillful at crafting headlines. If you have a great headline there’s a better chance of getting what you’ve written read by more busy consumers. But, keeping your audiences engaged is easier said than done.

Below are 15 copywriting tips to capture the interest of busy consumers.


1. Important Information Is Bold Or Bulleted

People don’t really read. They just skim, reading only the headline and bolded or bulleted information.


2. Make Your Copy Professional And Persuasive

Don’t be too basic or mainstream. Be original and fun and give your reader a reason to engage.


3. Help Consumers Connect With Their Emotions

Make your audience feel something about themselves, not you. Their own emotions will induce them to take action.


4. Use A Short Introduction

Get straight to the point, because your readers want to learn something new that’s relevant to them.


5. Use Simplicity

Take a simple approach. Skip the banter and get to the point. Busy consumers want solutions to their problems, so give it to them and quickly offer a CTA.


6. Cover Your Point(s) Quickly

Grab people’s attention and quickly get to the point. Your audience is busy, so get your message to stand out and get to the point then deliver your CTA.


7. Delay Details

Start with the main topic and deliver details later. Busy people are not going to read a boring introduction. If the juicy part of your information is intriguing, they will read more.


8. Skip The Clever Buildup

Don’t waste a lot of time on a clever buildup. If you do, your reader may just move on before getting to the most important takeaway.


9. Know Your Audience

You must know your audience so that you can craft a message, that is immediately relevant.


10. State Exactly What You Want The Reader To Know

Start at the end and then build to support your value proposition by unpacking details a few seconds at a time, thus earning the attention of your audience.


11. Use Multiple Headlines Throughout Your Content

This makes your content skimmable and indicates what’s coming next. Limit detailed information by using links to detailed articles on the subject.


12. Ask Questions

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Asking questions, taking strong notes, and recording responses will help yield the best results in the shortest amount of time. Don’t try to be perfect. Get a draft out quickly and write with confidence.


13. Keep Your Message Short

You only have a few seconds to convince people to read what you have to say. So, keep your message as concise as possible.


14. Refine Your Core Message

For copywriting, start by using paragraph form, then cut that down to a statement of one or two sentences. Then whittle your core message down to a phrase.


15. Strike A Happy Medium

When dealing with busy consumers, you need to capture your audience’s attention while keeping the message straight and to the point.

By using these 15 copywriting tips to capture the interest of busy consumers, you can stay focused on your intent and better deliver your message to your audiences.

Source: Forbes.com



Your Autoresponder and More

by Rahimah Sultan

Content is your sales pitch, billboard, brochure, and portfolio all combined into one.

To have success at Internet marketing, you must have planned content.

As a blogger, social media strategist, or professional marketer you need well-organized content.

You have to master the engineering and architectural sides of good content development.

Your content needs to be well written, shareable, educational, and it should confirm your reputation as an authority.

You can read more here.

Get Your Business System With Autoresponder Here

by Rahimah Sultan

Advertising Disclosure: Marketing Success Review may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links posted on this website. There is no expense to you.

In part 1 of Beginner Blogger Mistakes to Avoid, we discussed 6 mistakes.

Following are the remaining mistakes to avoid:


7. Not tying specific posts into the larger picture.

Specific posts should relate to the broader picture and to your readers’ concerns.


Solution: Identify the problems and concerns they’re facing.

What will be the benefit for readers taking action?

What do they think are the consequences of not taking action?


8. Using stream-of-consciousness writing style.

You don’t want your writing to be a brain dump. People usually scan a blog post. So, it needs to be well organized.


Solution: Use a template, outline, and section headers.

Write an outline before you begin your post.

Make a list of the top things you want readers to get from your post. Then, pare those into larger section headers. Putting in a section header every few paragraphs. This makes your blog post more enjoyable and easier to read.


9. Relying on the conceptual rather than concrete.

Don’t rely on conceptional and vague ideas. Include actual, actionable steps to be taken for success.


Solution: Include actionable steps to achieve success.

Content creation should be useful. Your audience should be given something. It could be a “how-to” recommendation for a particular strategy or simply a suggestion for a tool or tactic to make a process easier.


10. Not using data as evidence.

When you make claims in your post, use data and research to back them up.


Solution: Use data to support your statements.

If you say that people prefer one social media platform over another, you need to show proof of your argument.

Some places to find great data include:

Hubspot Research

Pew Research Center

Marketing Sherpa

HubSpot’s State of Inbound Report


11. Not adding enough context.

Not using examples to back up that what you say is important.


Solution: Use visual aids and additional content to illustrate your ideas.

Saying that one product is a better bargain than another is fine. Don’t just make the statement and move on. Add more content to show why by actually comparing the two and showing the additional benefits of the one over the other. Write for the person who’s just learning about your topic.

For more specificity, you can hyperlink to other posts that relate to your current topic.


12. Borderline Plagiarizing

Don’t copy and paste content to your blog. Your post must be in your own words and in your style of writing.


Solution: Give proper credit.

If you quote someone’s content, you must cite the source.


13. Not Editing.

You’re not done when you finish writing the post.


Solution: You must take time to edit your writing.

Proofread your post. Check for typos, sentence structure, there/their type mistakes, format, and flow.


14. Trying to be perfect.

Don’t try to be perfect. It won’t work. You’ll always find one more thing to correct.


Solution: Publish. You can update later.

After you’ve put in about thirty minutes editing, just publish the post. You can always update it at a later time.


15. Not being consistent.

It’s important to be consistent for your sake and so your subscribers learn to know what to expect.


Solution: Use a calendar.

Before you start blogging, set up a planning strategy that includes how often to post, dates to post, when to do related duties to prepare for each post such as research, the actual writing, etc.

You can use Google Calendar, excel spreadsheets, other sources or just make your own when first starting to blog.


16. Concentrating on fast traffic.

Your focus should be on long-term traffic.


Solution: The ROI of your blog is the accumulation of organic traffic over time.

Publish content that has durable relevance on a consistent basis, to help drive traffic. This is known as “evergreen” content. It’s great quality and is relevant year after year with minimal attention required.


17. Not growing your subscription list.

To get traffic, leads, and eventual customers you need to get subscribers. You can add a call to action (CTA) to your blog to grow subscribers.


Solution: Set up a subscription CTA and email newsletter.

Use your email marketing tool to set up a welcome email for new subscribers and place a simple sign-up form at the top of your blog. You can also use PPC advertising, email, and dedicated landing pages for subscribers that direct people through channels like social media and other pages on your website.

Some other things you can do include offering incentives for signups, promoting on your “About Us” page, adding footers that act like CTAs to blog articles, and using SEO (search engine optimization) for each article you post.

These are beginner blogger mistakes to avoid.

Not making these mistakes and using the suggested solutions to avoid them should set you well on your way to productive blogging.


Your Autoresponder and More

by Rahimah Sultan

Advertising Disclosure: Marketing Success Review may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links posted on this website. There is no expense to you.

When you tell people that you blog for a living, they think it’s easy, that you just sit at home all day on the internet writing. They say anyone can do that!

But, when they actually try it, they realize it’s much harder than they thought. At first, they make many mistakes like any beginner.

The challenges are pretty easy to avoid if you know they’re coming.

Below are some common mistakes most beginners make and some tips for avoiding them.


What is a blog?

A blog is short for weblog, a discussion or informational website published on the World Wide Web consisting of discrete, often informal diary-style text entries (posts). Posts are typically displayed in reverse chronological order, so that the most recent post appears first, at the top of the web page. — Wikipedia

Blogs can help you establish authority in your industry, drive traffic to your website, convert traffic into leads, and grow your business.


What are the most common blog post mistakes?

1. You think of ideas that only interest you.

No matter how great you think your post is, you’re writing for other people.


Solution: Blog posts should reflect your company’s or your site’s larger goals.

You’re blogging to offer solutions to your audience’s problems and to grow your business. All of your blog posts should be written with these goals in mind and have a natural tie-in to issues in your industry while addressing specific questions and concerns of your prospects.


2. You forget about your persona.

If you want your blog content to generate traffic, leads, and sales, it must resonate with your audience and make them take action. You have to have an idea of the person you’re trying to reach – age group, interests, male, female, income range, etc.


Solution: Understand your persona’s problems and frustrations and solve them.

You can bridge the gap with your content by defining your buyer persona and the things that are important to them.


3. Your writing is too rigid.


You should write like you talk, in a style that is effortless to read.


Solution: Write blogs that are personable.

So, relax your style of writing and be more conversational. Use contractions. Throw in a pun or two.


4. You think people care about you as a writer.

People care more about what you can teach them than they do about you and your experiences.


Solution: Show your personality without obscuring the subject.

You can introduce parts of your personality in your writing to make people feel at ease. Some people crack jokes, some reference pop culture, and others use vivid descriptions in their writing.

The choice is yours. Make your tone personal and engaging, as if you’re in a face-to-face conversation.


5. You digress

Although you’re encouraged to let your personality shine through when you’re writing, don’t abuse the privilege. Don’t bring up too many personal experiences that bury the point you’re trying to make.

Don’t digress into these personal anecdotes and analogies too much — your readers aren’t sitting in front of you, which means you can’t guarantee that you have their undivided attention. They may lose patience and bounce from your article.


Solution: Assert your argument repeatedly.

Restate your point in every section of the article, to prevent your writing from losing its audience. Commit to an overarching message and deliver it gradually, repeating it several times throughout the post.

State your main point upfront. Don’t spend several paragraphs telling a story of how you came to do a certain thing before getting to the main focus of your post.


6. Not narrowing your topic.

Don’t use topics like:

“Internet Marketing”

“How to do Social Media Marketing”

“Digital Marketing”

These topics are too broad. To get the most short-term and long-term benefits of your blogging, you need to be very specific.


Solution: Start with a clear, concise idea.

A working title isn’t final — it’s just a solid perspective to keep your writing on track. Once you get this stage right it’s much easier to write your posts.

This is a link to some sources to get ideas. (I get no commission)

https://coursemethod.com/blog-topic-generator-tool.html



Your Autoresponder and More

by Rahimah Sultan

Advertising Disclosure: Marketing Success Review may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links posted on this website. There is no expense to you.

What is digital marketing?

Digital marketing is the act of selling products and services utilizing the internet through social media, SEO, email, and mobile apps. It’s basically any form of marketing involving electronic devices. It can be done online and offline.

For a well-rounded digital marketing strategy, both online and offline are important.


Why does digital marketing matter?

Digital marketing matters because that’s where the attention is. Google and Facebook control more eyeballs than any traditional media company.


There are four main categories of digital marketing:

1. Enhanced offline marketing

This type of marketing is entirely offline but is enhanced with electronic devices.

An example is restaurants using iPads for customers to create orders.

When you walk into an Apple Store these days you see people leaning over iPads, Macbooks, and iPhones.


2. Radio marketing

Radio marketing was introduced to the world by Guglielmo Marconi who transmitted the first wireless signals. While it took a few years for radio to reach the general public, people realized they could use it for selling.

This was the birth of digital marketing.

In recent years, radio moved to having hosts read a script you or they have written that promotes your product.

To set up a sponsorship find your local radio stations with a Google search. The stations should be able to provide data to help you select the right audience whose reflects your company’s target demographic.

For example, if you’re promoting infant car seats, you want to find a radio program whose average listener is female between the ages of 24 and 40.


3. Television marketing

Television marketing is the industry where the most money is spent each year. The average American 18 and older spend more than four hours a day watching TV. This includes shows that are streamed.

TV in the form we knew is dying out. If you plan on doing offline digital marketing, It’s best to “spend your time and money focusing on a marketing platform or channel of the future.”


4. Phone marketing

More Americans are using their phones to access the internet than desktop PC or laptop.

Every phone has two apps – calling and texting.

You can do cold calling (trying to sell people a product with no prior contact), although you can’t scale as on social media or with email.


Marketing via texting works better.

If you’re a restaurant, you can offer special deals, coupons, and discounts to get more customers and turn walk-ins into regulars.


Pharmacies use text reminders, as customer service, to alert customers when their prescription is ready to be picked up.


You can use QR codes for customers to access your webpage. There’s no special app needed, since all you need to do is scan the code with your smartphone to open the page.


The internet is not the only place for marketers to have success today, although every marketer will, eventually, have to master online marketing.


The offline and online marketing worlds are running into each other. Devices such as refrigerators, ovens, and even billboards are all being modernized to leverage digital media.


Using a few of these offline marketing tactics can help you avoid putting all your eggs into one basket and help diversify your lead generation beyond social media, content marketing, and such.



Your Autoresponder and More

by Rahimah Sultan



Advertising Disclosure: Marketing Success Review may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links posted on this website. There is no expense to you.

What Is Copywriting?


Copywriting is the skill of convincing your readers to take a particular action. That could be making a purchase, subscribing to your email list, or calling you for more information.


The most important copywriting skill in your content marketing is crafting headlines. If you have a great headline, the better the chance of getting what you’ve written read by a larger percentage of individuals.


Writing a great headline alone doesn’t guarantee success of your copy. What you offer in the headline still needs to be appropriately satisfied with your content or your offer.



If you have great body content with a bad or even marginal headline it’s probably not going to be read.


The late copywriter Clayton Makepeace said you should ask yourself the following six questions before you start to write your headline:

1. Does your headline offer the reader a reward for reading?

2. What specifics could you add to make your headline more intriguing and believable?

3. Does your headline trigger a strong, actionable emotion the reader already has about the subject at hand?

4. Does your headline present a proposition that will instantly get your prospect nodding his or her head?

5. Could your headline benefit from the inclusion of a proposed transaction?

6. Could you add an element of intrigue to drive the prospect into your opening copy?


These six questions, combined with the framework of the following four “U”s, provide an excellent foundation for writing outstanding headlines:

Your headlines, sub-headlines, and bullets should be USEFUL to the reader,
provide a sense of URGENCY,
convey the idea the main benefit is somehow UNIQUE, and
perform all the above in an ULTRA- SPECIFIC way.


Use your own voice in copywriting. You can be absolutely professional while being warm and likable.


Always check your writing for common grammar mistakes that damage your credibility.



What Else Do You Need To Consider In Your Content Marketing Copy?



Among the things you should consider in your copywriting are the types of copy:


1.  Plain copy

It’s a straight forward clear-cut presentation of the facts and benefits of your offer. It’s the most basic approach and introduces your product without gimmick or flair.

You’ll give a prospect the needed information to make an informed decision about the product.

2.  Storytelling copy

People love a good story.

We like hearing about interesting people who have overcome challenges that we can relate to.

You can use this storytelling technique in an email series, on a landing page, or in a short video. Whatever the format you’ll include four basic traits:

Opening – Show how the character of the story had a normal life until something happened to destroy that.

Conflict – Show how his/her life was threatened if they didn’t respond to the problem. What did the journey look like as they undertook the challenge?

Dialogue – Introduce a conversation about the journey.

3.  Conversational copy – In this style of copy you write as if you’re having a conversation with a prospect.

The language is like that of a salesman sitting down with a customer for lunch. Something that begins with I know how you feel or I can relate to a, b and c.

4.  Imaginative copy — You can ask your target audience to imagine life a certain way, what it would feel like to be a successful travel writer, or to pretend what it would be like to live the life of their dream.

Then you present them with a picture of themselves achieving that ideal life by way of a certain product.

5.  Long copy – The premise behind long copy is “The more you tell, the more you sell.” These ads convert well.

Since you’re not in front of the person, you have one chance to convert the reader. You should use bullet points to help ensure your most important details stand out.

When you’re following the basic rules of content marketing, remember that you don’t have to present all of the facts and benefits upfront.

You can use your email autoresponder to turn long copy into short easily-digestible snippets and reveal the presentation over a period of weeks.

6.  Killer-Poet copy – Your objective is not to convince your audience how smart you are. The goal is to educate and sell with your copy, and to do it with style.

Killer-poet copy sees writing as a means to an end (making a sale), and the ad as an end in itself (beautiful design and moving story). The killer poet combines style with selling. Creativity with marketing. Story with a solution.

7. Third-party endorsement copy

Third-party endorsements can help you sell your products.

It’s really effective to position your sales argument as direct communication between the company founder and his or her customer.

With this down-to-earth approach, the playing field is leveled. It signals to the customer that the CEO is not just some remote figurehead who’s only interested in profit, but is someone who cares.

8.  Frank copy – Sometimes copy will point out the negatives of a product and lets you know some work will be required before the benefits show.

This builds trust. When your readers trust you, they will be much more likely to believe you when you point out the good qualities of your product.

9.  Superlative copy – Sometimes you can make unusual claims like a revolutionary material making investors rich.

You must be able to provide evidence of what you say. Your proof can be in the form of statistics, testimonials, or research. It’s best to use all three.

Usually, it’s best to avoid all hype.

10. Rejection copy — tries to stop people from being interested in your product.

This copy challenges the reader with the idea that only a select set of people are invited to use the product which could be a particular credit card or a particular group of people.

This is startling to readers as they don’t expect to be turned down.

This approach taps into our sense of wanting to belong. It touches our sense of pride and produces curiosity. We think, “They don’t dare… Watch me.”



Often several of these techniques are combined into one ad.



Whether you’re a company CEO, a copywriter, or a tailor, there’s a copy form for you.



For effective copywriting for your content marketing, consider using some of these tips in your next ad.



Hosting and more

by Rahimah Sultan

Advertising Disclosure: Marketing Success Review may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links posted on this website. There is no expense to you.

Your moneymaker is content.



Why is this?

You must have a plan because your content is also your sales pitch, billboard, brochure, and portfolio all combined into one.


Successful Internet marketing requires planned content.


Therefore, you must lay out a plan for implementing your moneymaker – content.


Your content must be structured and organized to reach your audience.


Whether you’re a blogger, a professional marketer, or a social media strategist, you need good well-organized content.


When laying out your plan consider the following for content development:


How to reach a larger audience through organic promotion
How to design content for different readers
How to produce new quality content
How to create trust
How to convert visitors into repeat (paying) customers


It needs to be well-written, shareable, and educational, and it should confirm your reputation as an authority.



What is content development?


Content development has two sides.

1. Engineering

The engineering is strategic planning of how and when to distribute content.


2.  Architecture

The architecture is side two, content creation – the actual writing.


You have to master both. Put as much effort, or more, into planning as you do producing content.



Content development is very important.

It’s the plan you use to envision the structure of your goals and the strategies to achieve them.


Content development prevents you from missing deadlines and eliminates procrastination and other distractions. There are steps to take when developing content.



What are the steps or stages in content development?


1. Define Content Goals

The first thing you need to do is define your content goals.

Does your content add value such as education and problem solving?
Who is your audience?
Where will you post your content?
What is your schedule for getting out your content?
What is your strategy for having your audience find and interact with content?
What makes your content unique and innovative?



2. Learn About Your Audience

Research your customers’ buying habits and behaviors. Pay attention to their comments and suggestions. Use Google Analytics tools.



3. Create a Content Development Calendar

This calendar shown contain what to post, how often, and dates of postings. The calendar helps avoid duplication and gaps in content. They also help you plan for milestones, so you make the most of important events and holidays.



4. Use a System

Use a system for your writing process for efficiency and performance. Utilize templates for blogs, white papers, infographics, video scripts, charts, and graphs. Set up writing guidelines to ensure consistency in branding and quality.

Test out content variations and different tones for different audiences. Collect performance data and which content generates the best results?



5. Study Your Competition

Analyze your top competitors and stay relevant using their best practices. Find out what they’re lacking and fill that gap.

Don’t give visitors any reason to bounce to your competitors. Ask your audience what they want and start giving it to them.



6. Use Social Media

Use a variety of social media channels and post regularly but not too often, and make it easy to share your content.



7. SEO

You need search engine optimization for effective digital marketing.

Know and use the fundamentals of good SEO writing:

Make sure all your web content is indexed.
Be sure to use proper formatting tags (H1, H2, etc.)
Keep individual page URLs short and use dashes to separate words.

Learn to rank for Google.  Produce authoritative content and Google will prioritize your content.

Regularly perform keyword research.  That means using tools like SEMrush to find the best and most relevant keywords for your content.

Keep up with changing trends.  SEO marketing changes all the time. It pays to stay abreast with industry experts.



8. Free Content

Give away free content to your visitors. Educate them with free downloads filled with actionable tips and helpful tools they can use. Teach them a skill, so they feel empowered and grateful.

If visitors don’t stay on your page, they can revisit your portable download later.

The downloads establish you as an expert, expand your network, and are easy to share, spreading word-of-mouth interest.


Your free content can be:

Blog articles
Newsletters
Infographics and memes
Emails with coupons
Videos
Tutorials and courses
Templates
E-Books


Freebies are proven lead magnets that make visitors happy and draw them closer to buying your products or services.



9. Know What Constitutes Top-Performing Content

Capture the attention of visitors with a platform rich in quality content so they convert into paying customers.

The best content promotes interest, solves a problem, and leaves customers wanting more.

It establishes your reputation as an industry expert.

Generating consistently top-performing (and high-ranking) content is easier than you might imagine:

Stay focused and concise.
Be engaging.
Answer your readers’ questions.
Quote industry experts.
Be adaptable and agile.
Write for your audience.
Link to High Domain Authority (DA) Sources
Learn to Write for “Scanners,” those who only scan and glance.



10. Educate While Entertaining

The best content creators use compelling storytelling to captivate readers and sell their message; to explain problems and solutions through relatable narratives using analogies, humor, and emotion to make their stories memorable. So, tell some stories, and don’t get lost in the narrative. You’re not writing a novel. You still have to get to the point.


Now, develop your winning strategy that includes your calendar with short -and long-term goals for success. Remember that successful Internet marketing requires planned content. Write your content with this information in mind.


Hosting and More

by Rahimah Sultan

In my last article I covered writing great blog post headlines. If you missed it Click here to read Part 2



You got your readers to click the headline, enticed them down the page with your introduction, and now it’s time to give them what you promised.



Now the rules for delivering valuable and easy-to-consume content.


CONTENT RULE #1. Add Stopping Points

Use subheadings as stopping points.

Readers are scanners, because there is so much content to be had.

Subheadings are a way to prove your content is valuable. To keep enticing them back into your post when they want to leave.



Four Tips for Writing Your Subheadings:


1. Add a Subheading Every few Paragraphs

Add a few subheadings throughout your post to lead readers down the path your post is heading, making their experience feel clear, easy and enjoyable.

Remember, your blog posts are all about the readers’ experience.

When readers are scanning and see too much text, they feel overwhelmed.

Example:

A short post with subheadings.


2. Avoid Subheading Mistakes That Make Readers Disappear

Subheadings serve the same purpose as headlines; to make readers curious so they keep reading.

Avoid the following mistakes:

The Plain Label Subheading
Again, don’t bore your readers. Treat your subheadings like mini-headlines and be sure they arouse curiosity.

The Spoiler Subheading
Hold back information in your subheading so readers feel compelled to continue reading.

The Cryptic Subheading
Readers don’t like to play guessing games, so don’t try to be witty. Adding curiosity shouldn’t come at the expense of clarity.

Example:

If you’re talking about the effects of diet for good health, your subheadings might be:

The Importance of a Good Diet
Eating the Right Food Will Improve Your Overall Health
Skip the Junk and Feel Better

The first subheading is rather generic, the second doesn’t encourage you to keep reading, and the third doesn’t say much of anything.

The following subheadings will do a better job of getting readers’ attention:

Diet is Important for Good Health
Eating Right for Your Overall Health
Foods to Avoid to Maintain Good Health


3. Compare Each Subheading to Your Main Headline

Each subheading must be related to the overall headline of your post.

Your subheadings must all lead to what you promised in your main headline.

If the subheadings get off track and don’t deliver on the overall headline, readers will feel lost and confused.

If that happens, you’ll have to change your subheadings or your main headline.

Example:

If you’re writing a post titled “Benefits of Meditation in Daily Life” and you include the following subheadings:

1. Using Meditation in Everyday Life
2. Reducing Stress and Anxiety with Meditation
3. Using Meditation to Maintain Focus in Spite of Distractions
4. How to Gain Mental Strength, Resilience and Emotional Intelligence Through Meditation

The fourth subheading is a little long and disrupts the flow. It’s also differently structured by beginning with “How.” The first three subheadings are fine and relatively short.

This inconsistency is distracting to readers.


4. Follow a Format

When you’re listing different “tips,” “steps,” “ways,” “methods,” “signs,” etc., to attain what the headline of the post promises, keep the format consistent.

Let’s say your post is “13 Ways to Invest in Yourself,” and you have a subheading for each of the ways.

If you take your subheadings from the post and list them, you can see if any stray from the pattern.

Example:

So, your first few subheadings are:

Try to Meditate
Make a Gratitude List
Eat a Well-Balanced Diet
Get Plenty Sleep
There is Nothing Like a Morning Walk to Clear Your Mind

Something in the last one seems a little off.

The first four are about the same in length and start with a verb.

The fifth subheading suddenly changes the format and interrupts the flow. It doesn’t start with a verb and it’s much longer than the others.

This may seem like a small detail, but it distracts readers.



CONTENT RULE #2. Add a Little Surprise

Your post needs to be unique, bold and eye-opening; not the same old boring advice.

You can list your main points and add a unique perspective or something unexpected to them.

Do you know something that most people don’t? Is there some system that you challenge? Do you use methods that others won’t know about?

Example:

Seth Godin puts a unique spin on serious topics.

Don’t overdo it just for the sake of shock value. Your information needs to be genuine and useful. You want to challenge yourself as a writer and educate your readers.



CONTENT RULE #3. Follow a Format

This post has a very consistent format.

Each section is quite similar in length. All the subheadings follow a pattern. Each section ends with an example.

Consistency in your posts makes for a better experience for readers.

So you write a list post about seven steps to accomplish something. If the first step is 300 words, the second and third steps are 500 words, the fourth step is 200 words, the fifth and sixth steps are 400 words, and the seventh step is 100 words, it doesn’t look very neat.

You want your readers to have a great experience. Be attentive to small details.

To look even more professional, you can look at the beginning, middle, and end of each section and create a guiding format. You can start each section with a story or a daring statement. Use the middle section for your advice. You might want to add a graphic. Then end each section with a call to action.

Adding formats to your posts makes for easier writing, and they look more polished.

Example:

Here’s a bare-bones example of a blog post format that can be used as a starting template.



CONTENT RULE #4. Be Outrageously Giving

Don’t worry about giving away too much in your posts. After all, your goal is to have people sign up for your paid products or services.

If you’re not giving with your readers in your posts, they’ll have a negative impression of your paid products.

Carefully go through the problem with your readers. Give them thorough solutions and compelling advice. Be outrageously giving and they will become loyal readers and customers.

Example:

This 3,000-word plus post by R. L. Adams is extremely generous. I’ve read longer ones, up to 10,000 words.

Never fear. You can wow your readers with your generosity and thoughtfulness, just the same, with a 1,000-word post.



CONTENT RULE #5. Begin and End Strong

Not only should your introduction and conclusion grab your readers, but you want the main body of your post to also begin and end strong.

Every section should have great content, but if you’re presenting seven ways to achieve something, save your very best tips for the first and seventh. The first will get your readers’ attention while the seventh will leave them totally pleased.

Example:

Nathan Thompson gives you 7 Proven Tips to Create Blog Posts That Convert Like Crazy.

Make an outline containing your main points before writing the main sections of your post.

Make it clear and simple so your post will have clarity and conviction.

Now, it’s conclusion time.


Rules for your inspiring conclusion:


CONCLUSION RULE #1. Motivate Your Readers

Give them a pep talk. Show them what they’re capable of, how far they’ve come, and how things will look once they’ve applied your instructions.

Motivate your readers by showing you expect more of them. Encourage them to immediately take action.

Make them see that no matter what they’ve struggled with in the past, they should believe in themselves. They can achieve the goal you promised in your headline.  They can do this.

Example:

Read the encouraging conclusion in this post.



CONCLUSION RULE #2. Include Nothing New

A common blogging mistake.

Don’t all of a sudden include new information or tips in your conclusions.

It really throws your readers off and leaves them befuddled as to why you didn’t just include it in the body of the post.

Example:

In this post Alex Nerney lists nine blog ideas and topics.

His conclusion begins with, “Okay, that’s it…”

It would be jarring if he added another idea or topic after that.

When writing the conclusion, imagine how your readers are feeling or what they are thinking. How will things change for them if they use your advice?

Put more thought into your closings.

Most readers just skim. Reward those who trust you enough to read to the end. Take the opportunity to tell them the next step to take.

Now that you’ve written your post, carefully edit it. One way to do this is to read it out loud to check the flow, unnecessary wording, and sentence structure.

There are so many things to learn. Blogging platforms. Social media. Content marketing techniques.

So, before you start down the blogging trail, you need to know how to write professional blog posts above all else. The rest doesn’t matter if you don’t.

Good news!

Writing good blog posts is a skill you can and must learn.

Inside you are compelling words and ideas waiting to be released. To transform readers’ lives.

When you’re ready, use this information as a guide.

Your audience is waiting.


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In my last article I covered writing great blog post headlines. If you missed it Click here to read Part 1



Now that you’ve intrigued your readers and drawn them in with a great headline, you have to keep their attention. As a blogger and copywriter you have to write in a way that keeps readers from taking a quick glance and moving on.



Following are rules for creating an introduction that draws in your readers.



1. Don’t try to sound overly academic

Up to 90% of people that lose weight end up gaining most or all of it back within…


Research is valuable, but not in this context unless you’re a healthcare professional. As a blogger you don’t want to bore your readers with statistics.


You want to put yourself in their shoes by showing empathy. Let them know you understand what they’re going through.


You’re sharing the tools you used to overcome a problem.



Example:

Do you hear that?

That little voice speaking to you?

That little voice whispering to you that there’s something else you really want to do. Telling you to go ahead and make the change.

But you’re afraid.

You’re afraid to quit your job and do what your heart is pulling you to do.

You’re afraid of not having what you need to survive; a place to live, food on the table, a car and on and on.

But, mostly you’re afraid of making a mistake. You doubt yourself. You’re afraid of being wrong.



You don’t need to start every post with the empathy aspect. You can choose something else, maybe a story.



2. Get Into the Role

Trigger your readers’ emotions. Think about the range of emotions you want them to feel then get into that role as you write. Is there fear, doubt, anger, sadness, happiness, love, hope, and so on.


As you feel the emotions yourself they will come through in your writing and will be authentic.


So, decide on the emotional journey you want your readers to experience and put that in your writing and your audience will feel that.


Although this rule applies throughout your post, it is of utmost importance for your introduction.
When we write our words reveal our feelings.



3. Entice Readers down the Page


A) Open with Question a Short Sentence

This is a proven technique to draw in your audience.

If you start your post with a long paragraph readers will feel overwhelmed just looking at it.


B) Use Fewer Words

Use as few words as possible.

Write efficiently to give your words power. Whatever the number of words you use in your first draft, cut that in half.

The more you apply this technique the more proficient your blog writing becomes.


C) Set the Tempo

All writing has a pace and rhythm.

The pace of your introduction should be a little fast. Later, you can slow things down by:

Using short sentences or even sentence fragments
Keeping paragraphs to a maximum of three sentences long
Using delayed transitions to weave sentences together
Making each sentence a paragraph that leads into the next one
Reading the post out loud to be sure it flows properly and is moving forward smoothly


You want your readers’ journey to be fast and slow. To ebb and flow. To keep their attention.


That gives your words pace and rhythm.


Example:

“You’re not stupid.

You know what writing is truly about.

It’s a never-ending battle for your readers’ attention.

Every sentence is a link in a taut chain that connects your headline to your conclusion.

And you are just one weak sentence away from losing your reader forever.” — Shane Arthur


He then slows things down in the section that follows with longer sentences.



4. Make Them Beg

Have readers begging for your solutions by adding some fear to your opening.

What are readers’ concerns? What will happen if they don’t solve the problem you’re addressing?

When you expose those fears readers feel your empathy and are more eager for your solution.

Let them know we all have fears and don’t need to hide them.


Example:

Maybe the skeptics are right. Maybe you’re foolish to think you could earn an income doing something you love, instead of tolerating what you’re doing. Who knows?


The fear of failure is painful. Giving a voice to that fear is validating and makes your audience excited for the solutions that will set that fear free.


The fear of failure is painful, yes. But giving voice to it is validating and makes readers eager for the solutions that will set that fear free.




5. Hint at the Solution to Come

As you wrap up your introduction, hint at the solution to come.

The promised purpose of your post. What readers will gain when they follow your methods.

Don’t give it all away. Just a hint to keep readers engaged, because they bore easily.

An introduction is for setting the stage for all the sincere advice your post will provide, not to give answers.

Example:

You’re thinking about setting up a blog to advertise your side gig. You know nothing about blogging. Where do you begin?

A post for beginning bloggers, 4 Blogging Tips

I didn’t know much about blogging, but started anyway.

I used it for an affiliate program I signed up for online.

The program owner offered…



Of course you’ll keep reading.


When devising an introduction, try writing two entirely different versions approached from different angles and sparking different emotions. Doing so will highlight the techniques and emotions that work best for both your audience and the content of your post.


Your introduction must satisfy search intent or readers will click the “back” button and you lose them forever.


Search Intent is the reason for the Google search.


It is a large part of SEO (search engine optimization) which would be another article by itself.


If someone searches for “5 Tips for Business Success,” and the post begins with an anecdote people will click away without ever reading the rest of the wisdom-filled post.


Figuring out a keyword’s intent is one of the first things to do. It forms your headline, meta description, introduction, word count, and more.


Take time to analyze results in Google so you know why people enter the particular query your blog post will be targeting.


Figure out the intent, and then make sure your introduction matches it.



Part Three will be covered in my next article.



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Advertising Disclosure: Marketing Success Review may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links posted on this website.

by Rahimah Sultan

Although there are many tutorials that can teach you the mechanics of blogging, there is more to writing fantastic blog posts.

Here are some rules to follow when creating your headlines.


1.You Need a Great Topic

Decide on your post headline (title) prior to beginning to write the article. This is your map to follow in order to stay on topic and not confuse readers. You want your readers to reach the intended objective as easily and efficiently as possible.


If you want your blog post to get opened your headline must promise readers the answer to their concerns, what they’re looking for.


To find out what your readers want research:

Review comments on your posts and on posts of other sites in your niche.

Send your subscribers surveys asking them what their greatest struggles are.

Use tools like BuzzSumo to find out what the most popular posts in your niche are (which gives insight into your target readers’ needs).

Read the reviews of books in your niche on Amazon (you’ll find a gold mine of feedback to explore.)

Now you’ve decided on a topic.


Example:

You make jewelry at home. Your headline reads:


How to Make Jewelry


This title is so broad it’s unlikely to draw in many readers.


Tools and Materials Needed to Get Started in Jewelry Making


This is a narrow specific headline that makes your readers feel you have the answers they’re looking for.



2. Take Your Cue from the Pros

“How to” headlines and list post headlines are the easiest templates with which to start. They are classics and proven to work.


“How to” headlines:

 How to start a blog in 2020
 How to make money blogging
 How to make money writing


List Post Headlines:

5 Blogging Ideas
25 Tips for Content Marketing
5 Tips for Business Success
15 One-Sentence Chunks of Online Marketing Advice You Can Use Today



3. Engage Your Senses:

Add sensory details to your headlines. Place yourself in your readers’ shoes. Imagine what they see, feel, taste, smell or hear.


Example:

How to Start a Baking Blog


This is a good headline.


How to Start a Baking Blog on Breads and Delicious French Pastries


This is a better headline. It makes an enticing statement that encourages people to want to know more.


Questions are also a great way to construct headlines that get clicked.

For example:

Are You Making Any of These 7 Common Blogging Mistakes?



4. Give a Tease not the Answer

You want to draw people in to see what you have to offer. Don’t give a solution.


Example:

How to Build a List of Subscribers Using an Autoresponder


You’ve given the answer to a problem; use an autoresponder to build a list.


How to Build a List Faster and Easier


This headline is more interesting and piques curiosity and interest.



5. Don’t be Deceptive

For instance…


5 Steps to a Healthy Life Style


is fine until the 5^th step ends up with no advice and leads to a sales page.



6. Streamline Text

Don’t fill your headline with unnecessary words that add no real value:


If You Want to Stay Slim and Trim Here are 5 Things You Must Avoid


Instead use:


5 Things You Must Avoid to Prevent Weight Gain



7. Don’t Use the “I’m intelligent” Aspect

The purpose is not to appear clever or educated.


Your headline should make sense to all readers. They shouldn’t have to guess what the benefit is.


When writing your headline, don’t use metaphors, jargon, rhymes, made-up terms, or anything that tries to be too clever or complicated.


How to be Happy on Life’s Highway


People want specifics related to their needs, not a metaphor.


And this:


How to Maintain Your Beauty as Life is a Fading Flower


What beneficial information can anyone gather from that to make them want to read more? You need to deliver clear benefits in your headlines.


You may be able to make a connection in your post and use it as an analogy, but readers are scanning headlines for things that apply to their particular circumstance. They have no clue as to why they should stop to read further so they probably won’t.



8. Stick to Your Style

Your audience already knows and trusts you, so don’t make any drastic changes.


As you continue to write your style will emerge. Once you decide your style stick with it, although you can gradually change it. Don’t make any drastic changes so your audience will still know, like and trust it’s you.


Create several (5-10) versions of the same headline. The more you practice the better you will become at writing clear, concise and curiosity-invoking headlines that readers can’t resist.


Keep your headlines to 60 characters or less so they don’t get truncated in the SERPs (search engine results pages).


Readers usually don’t click these links.

Choose the best blogging platform and avoid the common blogging mistakes made by newbies.

Part two will be covered in my next article.

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