How to write and maintain an effective blog

Blogging is all about expressing one’s personal ideas and views in his own way of writing. A person develops this style by himself. But to be successful in it, one needs to produce compelling and engaging content consistently. Writing a powerful and effective blog isn't easy and requires analyzing before penning your thoughts down. These few tips might come in handy for you to write an effective blog post.

Decide on a Topic

This is the first and foremost thing that you need to decide, the most crucial component of a blog. What are you writing about? Decide who you are writing for. Your target audience would decide on how effective your blog is. Once you have a target group in mind, start deciding on the topic. Your topic should be engaging enough for the readers to carry on reading, and that too, with interest. Think of a topic that has not been discussed about too often. You do not want your readers to roll their eyes at your topic. So, zero in on something that is unique.

Content is King

This is quite a cliché by now, don’t you think? But this tradition has its roots dug quite deep already and is very true. Your content should be appealing and powerful. You already know that your content cannot obviously be a copy and paste from the internet. It needs to be original. The most you can attempt is to take some reference from the internet and its vast resources, but never a duplicate. Choose a distinct topic, and you already win half the battle. Your content will be a detailed reflection of the topic. If you still wish to write about something that has been virtually talked about often, then think of a unique content. You could try a different aspect or a fresh and original perspective to go with your topic. Your content should not be redundant. Try facts that are recent. This would automatically make your content up to date. So summing it up, your content should be:

• Original
• Not repetitive at all
• Directly addressed to the reader. This makes the post interactive and, therefore, more engaging.
• Thoroughly researched and mistake-proof (I mean, correct, mostly)
• Clear and concise

Remember ‘less is more’. So, refrain from exaggerating.

Use Examples

Bring in a little life to your blog. Try examples. Real life examples are instrumental in breaking down complicated concepts and simplifying them for your readers. Give examples that the common people generally encounter frequently. Maneuver those to talk to them, surface that interest in them, or, if that is not applicable, build that interest. This is in your hands. Include case studies, surveys, and statistics. These appeal a lot to the readers. Relate all the difficult concepts that you have put forward with these examples. This would help to make your blog compelling.

Think of a Great Heading

A catchy heading would make your blog stand out among the rest. Think up a heading that would grab the reader’s attention while he is scrolling down and rejecting the blogs by just going through the title. Your title should be able to make him linger on it, so that he clicks it open. Now, if he opens it, half your battle is conquered. Your content will do the rest.

Another thing that you should keep in mind is that you can include sub-headings to separate your paragraphs. I’ll tell you why. It’s a busy world we live in. People are running around all the time and so are their eyes while going over your blog. Your readers might skip a few paragraphs if they find it too lengthy, but in doing that, they might miss out on a few points that you have covered right there. A sub-heading would help the reader understand your intention for every paragraph clearly. So, misinterpretation would not be a risk.

Try Using Bullet Points

Using bullet points or numbering your data systematically makes your content more engaging and pleasing to the eye. Thick paragraphs make it monotonous. Break them into smaller ones. Remember it’s all about making your blog more captivating.

Read and Re-read for Mistakes

A few stupid mistakes in a delightful blog post is a disappointing let down and you do not want that. Therefore, read what you write. Check for mistakes. But there is a shortcoming in this suggestion. If you read your content after writing, you are likely to miss out on a few mistakes. But you might not always find a proof-reader or an editor to go over your work. Try this. Keep your content down and finish your other works. Come back when you are done and go over the blog again. You are bound to find the mistakes this time. Trust me when I suggest this since it is a well tested procedure.

Keep the above guidelines in mind and follow your instincts. You are bound to get a whopping number of visits for your blog post. Remember to be dynamic and consistent all the way.