![\"Your](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/problogger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Your-Ultimate-Guide-to-Creating-Amazing-Content-that-Draws-Readers-Into-Your-Blog.png?resize=1430%2C800&ssl=1\")
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This is a guest contribution from Ali Luke.<\/em><\/p>\n Does your blog lack something?<\/p>\n Maybe you post regularly, but your posts aren\u2019t getting many comments or shares. It feels like no-one\u2019s reading.<\/p>\n What you need is<\/strong> pillar content<\/strong>. (Also known as \u201ccornerstone content\u201d and \u201cevergreen content\u201d.) These posts get links, shares, and comments. They\u2019re posts that you\u2019re proud to have written; ones that readers can return to again and again.<\/p>\n They\u2019ll often be longer than your usual posts.<\/p>\n They may well be more carefully structured, and more carefully edited.<\/p>\n And you might well be thinking…<\/p>\n Image copyright Renee Jansoa – Fotolia.com<\/p><\/div>\n There\u2019s a very, very simple way to make enough time to create really<\/em> good posts:<\/p>\n Cut down on the number of posts you currently write.<\/strong><\/p>\n You don\u2019t have to publish every day. In fact, you probably shouldn\u2019t<\/a>.<\/p>\n (And just in case you\u2019re not convinced … Michael Hyatt<\/a> agrees, and even Daily Blog Tips<\/a> no longer publishes content daily.)<\/p>\n Think about it. Have you <\/em>ever unsubscribed from a blog that provided amazingly valuable content … just because they didn\u2019t post every day?<\/strong><\/p>\n I haven\u2019t. But I have <\/em>unsubscribed from blogs that kept putting out content day after day after day \u2013 even if it was good stuff. I just couldn\u2019t keep up.<\/p>\n (If you\u2019re writing in a fast-moving newsy niche, it might be harder to cut back. You could narrow your focus a little, or you could pick a particular day of the week to focus on longer-lasting content.)<\/em><\/p>\n Before you write any pillar post, think hard about what you want to accomplish with it. Don\u2019t just write a post for the sake of it.<\/strong><\/p>\n Depending on your broader blogging objective, the aim of your post could be one or more of these:<\/p>\n By having a clear aim in mind before you start writing, you can tailor your post toward it.<\/strong><\/p>\n For instance, let\u2019s say you blog about parenting, and your goal is to encourage readers to buy your ebook Help Your Teen Pass Any Exam.<\/em><\/p>\n You could simply tack on a paragraph about your ebook at the end of a post on any topic \u2013 but ideally, you want the post to get the reader into the right frame of mind to buy it.<\/p>\n In this case, posts like these will probably work well for you:<\/p>\n Posts on other aspects of parenting won\u2019t bring in the right readers, or get readers thinking about the right things. You might want to rethink topics like:<\/p>\n Those might well be great, valuable posts \u2013 but they\u2019re not ones that will help you sell your ebook.<\/p>\n It\u2019s often useful to come up with a whole bunch of ideas at once.<\/strong> If you can, set aside at least 20 minutes to brainstorm \u2013 often, once you get past the first 10 or so ideas, you get into some really interesting and valuable ones.<\/p>\n Keep your ideas somewhere safe, and turn to your list whenever you start a new post. Think about what goal you\u2019d like to meet \u2013 and choose a topic that fits well with that.<\/p>\n Although many bloggers write their title after<\/em> writing their post, it\u2019s a good idea to come up with a \u201cnearly-there\u201d title before starting on your post. If you just have a topic in mind, it can be tough to figure out how best to structure your post, or what to include it in.<\/p>\n Your title should:<\/p>\n For more tips \u2013 including advice on personalising titles, using keywords, using power words, and much more \u2013 see How to Craft Post Titles that Draw Read<\/a>ers Into Your Blog<\/a>.<\/p>\n Jon Morrow\u2019s Headline Hacks<\/a> is a great resource, if you want some ready-made ones for inspiration. You could also look at any popular blog or magazine and borrow from them \u2013 take a title you like and switch around a few words so that it works for your blog.<\/p>\n One key aspect of writing that many bloggers struggle with (or don\u2019t understand the importance of) is structure<\/em>.<\/p>\n If your posts are poorly structured, they\u2019ll not only be hard to write, they\u2019ll be hard to read<\/strong>. You\u2019ll spend too much time staring at the screen, wondering what to write next … and your readers will often click away after a few paragraphs because they\u2019re struggling to find the value in your post.<\/p>\n One basic structure that you\u2019re almost certainly familiar with is the list post<\/a>. Even if you think these are overdone, get to grips with this structure, because it can be used as a basis for many others.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s how a basic list post might look:<\/p>\n Introduction<\/em><\/p>\n #1: Subheading<\/em><\/p>\n Paragraph<\/em><\/p>\n #2: Subheading<\/em><\/p>\n Paragraph.<\/em><\/p>\n … and so on until …<\/em><\/p>\n Conclusion \/ call to action<\/em><\/p>\n A how-to post looks almost identical in structure.<\/strong> In fact, the only real difference between list posts and how-to posts is this:<\/p>\n It\u2019s a really good idea to number your points, because it helps readers orientate themselves \u2013 they know how far they\u2019ve got through the post and how far they still have to go.<\/p>\n One of the best ways to structure your post, whether or not it\u2019s a list, is to use subheadings. <\/strong>This is especially crucial in longer posts, where readers might be dipping in and out, or skimming for information. (You can see plenty of them at work in this post!)<\/p>\n Some bloggers simply use bold text for their subheadings, but it\u2019s better to use the Heading formats built into your blogging software. This makes the text larger so it stands out more \u2013 and you can also use different levels of subheading to split long sections into several parts.<\/p>\n If you want to try something a little different from a standard list post or how-to post, use one of the fool-proof forumlas below.<\/p>\n Start with one of these formats, and you\u2019ll find it easy to come up with a great post. These ideas will all produce a post that\u2019s great for linking to in your guest post bios, highlighting on your About page, including in your sidebar, and sharing on your social media accounts.<\/p>\n Example: <\/strong>26 Essentials for Blogging Success: What You Need to Know<\/a>, Social Media Examiner<\/p>\n These types of post are fun to write, they suit almost any topic, and they have a ready-made structure. They\u2019re also a really good way to tackle a big topic that might normally be too much for a single blog post.<\/a><\/p>\n Creating an A-Z post is simple. Just come up with a topic (like \u201cthe A-Z of vegan cooking\u201d or \u201cthe A-Z of board games). List the letters A to Z on a sheet of paper, and think of a word or phrase that goes with each. Then all you need to do is write a sentence or paragraph for each item.<\/p>\n Example: <\/strong>Why You Need to Create and Sell A Product Now (And How To Do It)<\/a><\/p>\n Going beyond a simple \u201chow to\u201d, these posts work brilliantly because they help readers understand why<\/em> something is important. It won\u2019t necessarily be obvious to readers why they\u2019d want to do something unless you spell this out.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll structure your post like this \u2013 make the subheadings specific to your topic:<\/p>\n Example: <\/strong>The Experts\u2019 Views on Content Marketing<\/a><\/p>\n Even if you don\u2019t have a lot of experience in your topic area, you can produce a great, in-depth post that readers will want to share and link to … by using experts in your niche.<\/p>\n The key to doing this is to choose one<\/em> question that you want lots of people to answer.<\/strong> Most experts are really busy, and they\u2019re much more likely to get back to you if you ask one question instead of ten. (This is sometimes called a \u201cone-question interview\u201d.)<\/p>\n You don\u2019t even have to approach experts directly. Instead, you could write a post that collates lots of ideas on a particular topic, quoting from and linking to posts that these experts have published.<\/p>\n These three ideas aren\u2019t the only possibilities, of course: there are dozens of other post formulas<\/a> that you can use too. (Whenever you come across a great post, see if you can break it down and figure out how it\u2019s structured.)<\/p>\n Some bloggers will say \u201chow long is a piece of string?\u201d \u2013 but I\u2019ll give you a proper answer.<\/p>\n Aim to make your posts between 600 and 1,500 words.<\/strong><\/p>\n If they\u2019re under 600 words, it\u2019ll be tough for you to deliver something really valuable.<\/p>\n If they\u2019re over 1,500 words, you\u2019ll struggle to keep the post structured and coherent.<\/p>\n Of course you can write shorter posts and longer ones \u2013 but stick to a standard post length until you\u2019re comfortable there.<\/p>\n Some bloggers love coming up with ideas and planning posts \u2013 but they struggle when it comes to getting words onto the page.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s how to get your first draft written:<\/p>\n Your introduction has to do a lot of work \u2013 almost as much as the title. It needs to hook the reader, making them want to read on. It also needs to pave the way for what\u2019s to come \u2013 you could write an amazing, attention-grabbing introduction that falls flat if it doesn\u2019t really have anything to do with the rest of your post.<\/p>\n Some easy but powerful ways to begin your post are:<\/p>\n For lots more ideas for your post introduction, check out Darren\u2019s in-depth post 11 Ways to Open a Post and Get Reader Engagement<\/a>.<\/p>\n Although it\u2019s clear that introductions are important, endings might seem less so. However, they have a crucial role to play. In fact, if you end too abruptly, you\u2019re missing out on a great opportunity.<\/p>\n As Darren writes in Calls to Action \u2013 12 Tips To SNAP Readers Out of Passivity<\/a>:<\/p>\n The vast majority of visitors to your blog are paralyzed by passivity. They never comment, they don\u2019t vote in polls, they won\u2019t subscribe to your feed or newsletters, they won\u2019t buy the affiliate products that you recommend, they won\u2019t email a friend about your blog, they won\u2019t vote for you in social bookmarking sites and most of them will never come back.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s say you\u2019ve written a ten-point list post. Don\u2019t just stop at the end of item ten \u2013 add a couple of sentences beneath the list to round off the post. A list post is a great one to use to get comments, because you can ask something like:<\/p>\n Do you have a tip to add to this list? Share it in the comments below (or let us know which of the existing tips you liked best).<\/em><\/p>\n A \u201ccall to action<\/a>\u201d simply means asking (or telling) the reader to do<\/em> something. It might look like one of these:<\/p>\n Some bloggers worry that calls to action sound pushy or even desperate. The truth is, readers are used to them \u2013 and will often welcome them. After all, if you visited a new blog for the first time and read a great post, wouldn\u2019t you appreciate a link to another relevant post?<\/strong><\/p>\n It might seem a little silly to ask directly for comments \u2013 surely readers know the comment box is there! \u2013 but some readers, especially shyer ones, will be much more likely to comment if you specifically invite them to do so.<\/p>\n It\u2019s often a relief to get to the end of your post … but don\u2019t hit publish just yet.<\/p>\n Your first draft probably needs a bit of tidying up before it\u2019s ready for the world. In fact, you\u2019ll probably want to run through two separate edits \u2013 a \u201cbig picture\u201d overview and a \u201czoomed in\u201d look at the details.<\/p>\n Before you get too caught up in changing words or checking your use of commas, focus on the bigger picture. Read through your post and look for:<\/p>\n You might also want to show your draft post to a friend or trusted reader \u2013 ask them if there are any major changes they think you should make.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019re happy that your post contains the right information in the right order, it\u2019s time to make every sentence pull its weight.<\/p>\n At this level of editing, you\u2019re looking out for:<\/p>\n Most writers find it really hard to edit their own work \u2013 so even if other people\u2019s typos jump right out at you, go slowly and carefully when editing your own work, or ask a friend to help you.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t get too anxious or caught-up here, though. Yes, spelling and grammar matter \u2013 but readers will forgive the occasional slip. If you do spot an error after hitting publish (or if a reader points one out to you), it\u2019s easy to update your post.<\/p>\n Looks are important<\/a>. You could write a brilliant, useful, entertaining post that doesn\u2019t get readers simply because it looks hard to read.<\/em><\/p>\n If you have long paragraphs in a small font, readers may well not bother making the effort to read your post at all.<\/strong> In case you\u2019re not convinced, take a look at these screenshots. They show an identical post, formatted in two different ways:<\/p>\n Post formatting example 1<\/p><\/div>\n The second version instantly looks more interesting and attractive.<\/p>\n It\u2019s easy and straightforward to add formatting in your blog editor. Some great ones to use are:<\/p>\n Some bloggers add formatting as they\u2019re writing, others add it at the end. Whichever you choose to do, always have a quick look at your post in \u201cpreview\u201d mode and check that everything looks OK. (For instance, make sure all your subheadings are the right size \u2013 it\u2019s easy to muddle up H2s and H3s.)<\/p>\n Although it\u2019s not a hard-and-fast rule, you\u2019ll find that most major blogs include a large image at the top of their posts … and there\u2019s a good reason why.<\/p>\n Images grab our attention. They draw our eyes, and ease us into the post. Usually, they help create a professional, polished feel on your blog. In some blog themes, they also get picked up as thumbnails on the front page, alongside the excerpt \u2013 and they appear on Facebook if you link to your blog post.<\/p>\n There\u2019s really no reason not<\/em> to enhance your post with an image. You have plenty of sources, like:<\/p>\n Even if you use other people\u2019s images rather than your own, you might want to come up with some simple guidelines for choosing them perhaps you always use black and white shots, or always use colourful, fairly abstract ones, or use illustrations rather than photos.<\/p>\n An important \u201cdon\u2019t\u201d: <\/strong>it\u2019s not OK to use images that you\u2019ve found from a simple Google search. Unless they\u2019re licensed under Creative Commons, you need to get permission from their creator.<\/p>\n You can easily strengthen your blog posts if you get feedback and use it<\/a>. A good way to do this is to ask someone to read your draft post, and get them to tell you how they think you could improve it. You might not be able to do this for every single post \u2013 but doing it even occasionally can help give you a new perspective on your blogging.<\/p>\n The best people to ask are:<\/p>\n Don\u2019t approach top bloggers in your niche and ask for feedback on your draft posts.<\/strong> Yes, they might well have great advice to share \u2013 but they\u2019re unlikely to have the time to do so, and attempting to begin a relationship by asking for a favour isn\u2019t a great idea.<\/p>\n You don\u2019t have to use all the suggestions you get, but pay particular attention to anything that didn\u2019t come across clearly, or that your reader misunderstood. Even if it seems obvious to you<\/em>, rewrite it.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re not sure about a particular suggestion, get a second opinion. It\u2019s also a good idea to wait overnight before implementing (or rejecting) feedback \u2013 you may find that a break from your post helps you see it in a more objective light.<\/p>\n Your post is out there for the world \u2013 but your job isn\u2019t done.<\/p>\n Unless you have a huge audience, hitting \u201cpublish\u201d almost certainly isn\u2019t enough to draw lots of readers to your post.<\/strong> Although some bloggers like to believe that truly great content will <\/em>be found and shared, the truth is that you\u2019ll almost certainly need to give it a helping hand.<\/p>\n (Of course, it\u2019s crucial to write great content in the first place: aim to find a balance between creating content and promoting it<\/a>.)<\/p>\n There are plenty of ways to promote your post. These are some basics that you can do for every post:<\/p>\n For really good pillar posts, you might go further, and:<\/p>\n Once your post is live, set aside time to answer comments. Lots of readers who don\u2019t<\/em> leave a comment will still scroll down and take a look at the comments section, so this counts as an important part of your post.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll ideally want to:<\/p>\n If you\u2019re struggling to get comments, you might email a blogger friend (or a loyal reader) and ask them to start the ball rolling. There are plenty of other great tips on getting more comments in Want More Comments? Let ProBlogger Help!<\/a><\/p>\n I\u2019m aware there\u2019s a fair bit of reading here!<\/p>\n What matters is that you have a go at creating pillar content for your blog \u2013 and here\u2019s a simple action plan to help you do that this week, in just 30 minutes per day.<\/p>\n During those 30 minutes, turn off distractions and set a timer. Tell yourself you\u2019ll concentrate until the time is up \u2013 so if you get the sudden urge to check Facebook, ignore it!<\/p>\n Day 1: Come up with several ideas and choose the strongest one.<\/strong> Plan out your post (you might want to scroll up a bit and check the advice on structuring).<\/p>\n Days 2, 3 and 4: Write your post.<\/strong> Get as far as you can in 30 minutes each day. If you get stuck at any point, imagine you\u2019re replying to a comment or sending an email to one of your readers \u2013 write as though you\u2019re talking directly to them.<\/p>\n Day 5: Edit your post, focusing on the big picture.<\/strong> Cut any tangents, rearrange paragraphs and add in new sections if necessary.<\/p>\n Day 6: Edit your post again, this time focusing on the details.<\/strong> Watch out for typos, grammatical mistakes, and other slips.<\/p>\n Day 7: Add formatting, including an image, check your post in preview mode, and hit publish.<\/strong><\/p>\n Of course, some pillar posts will need a bit more time for some of these stages. An A-Z post, for instance, might well take an hour or two to plan, and a post that rounds up lots of expert views could involve a lot of emailing and waiting for responses. But this plan should get you up and running with a great post quickly \u2013 and hopefully you\u2019ll find the results well worth the time you spent.<\/p>\n I\u2019d love to hear how you get on with writing pillar posts: share your experiences and tips in the comments below.<\/strong> If you have any questions, I\u2019ll be glad to answer them too.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Photo by\u00a0Damien TUPINIER<\/a>\u00a0on\u00a0Unsplash<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Where Do I Find the Time?!<\/h2>\n
![\"Frustrated](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/problogger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/Fotolia_8674820_Subscription_XL.jpg?ssl=1\" "\\"Frustrated")
<\/a>Your Objectives and Your Post Ideas<\/h2>\n
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Crafting Your Title<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nStructuring the Main Body of Your Post<\/h2>\n
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Using Subheadings<\/h3>\n
Three Fool-Proof Post Formulas (Plus Examples)<\/em><\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nIdea #1: An A-Z Guide<\/h3>\n
Idea #2: A \u201cWhy and How\u201d Post<\/h3>\n
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Idea #3: Top Experts Answer…<\/h3>\n
How Long Should Your Post Be?<\/h2>\n
Writing Your First Draft<\/h2>\n
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Great Beginnings…<\/h2>\n
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…And Great Endings<\/h2>\n
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Editing Your Post<\/h2>\n
Editing the Big Picture<\/h3>\n
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Editing the Details<\/h3>\n
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Formatting Your Post<\/h2>\n
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Adding Images
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Getting and Using Feedback<\/h1>\n
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After You Hit Publish…<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nPromoting Your Pillar Post<\/h3>\n
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Answering Comments<\/h3>\n
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Your Action Plan<\/h1>\n