The Crucial Elements of Blog Articles
Writing content for the internet has taken on some characteristics that in the “politically correct” journalism world, may cause quite a stir. The good news is, you get to let your hair down a bit. Your focus for writing virtual content is flow, much like a conversation has.
- Flow
- 1st Person
- Visual Appeal
Flow
What is Flow? Flow describes how well your content moves from one idea or thought, to the next. Is it logical? Is it easy to follow? Or do you lead your audience down a rabbit hole and turn off the lights?
This particular element may, for some, may be the most difficult one to achieve. Organizing your thoughts into an outline, will help give your copy flow. For a quick review on composing an outline see “Content is King” If some of your topics lead up to a larger main point, then those should be arranged in the beginning and middle, in an effort to pull the reader along to the “big bang”. This is a great technique for keeping your readers captive, which can be a difficult task on the internet landscape. Dropping hints of what’s to come, along the way, is another great technique for keeping your readers awake and alert. 🙂
Talk to your Readers
You may feel as though you’re talking to yourself and you just might be. It’s okay, I won’t tell anyone. If you manage a blog then writing personalized content is a must. Conversation style, casual copy is preferred. Since the web provides a fairly prominent wall between you and your audience, your job is to break down that wall, and pretend you have just stepped into their living room. Personalize your posts, by speaking directly to your readers. Offer them rewards for their loyal readership, and keep the content coming. Give them a first hand look inside your business by being as transparent as possible.
Pack as much rich information as you can into one article and one sentence. But try to keep your sentences short. Long sentences will tire your readers. It’s important not to exhaust them before they make it all the way through. An easy way to remember this tip: Short sentences for short attention spans. :). If all else fails, and none of the above are possible, at least try to provide something useful to your reader. Make the time they spend reading it, worthwhile.
Lastly, don’t be afraid to go “off-topic”. Sometimes a break from the norm is good. Write about something you do in your free time, or whatever you feel like that day. You can even make it a regularly scheduled “off topic post day”.
The Winning Visual Presentation
Unlike a book or other tangible media, the internet provides a challenging landscape for content writers. There are many distractions that can draw the readers attention away from your article or web site. By following a few simple visual tips, you can tame even the most wild of easily distracted readers.
Leave enough white space between paragraphs. This is soothing to the eye and makes your content easier to tackle. One long clump of words on a page looks painful to a reader and could be the cause of considerable emotional distress. Or worse…they’ll leave. Split your content up into paragraphs with headings that describe what’s to come. Most people scan web content before deciding to read it in more detail. This is your chance to snag their interest, so make your headings clear, concise, and helpful to someone seeking information on the fly.
