What Makes A Great Blog Post?

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Blogging is fun, and is even more fun when you have readers who return and interact with you. Writing great blog posts can engage readers, keep them on your site longer, and motivate them to return in the future. If you read other blogs, you know what makes a bad blog post (you probably bounce right away and may not return), but do you know what makes a great post?

You can write long posts about your family or general chit chat, especially if friends and family read your blog, but if you are trying to attract new readers, there should also be posts that appeal to them so that they stay, and eventually read the personal posts as well. Here are some tips on how to write a good blog post:

1. Keep the post short. A post of about 500 words is usually able to cover a topic well without being an eyesore. Over 1,000 words will turn off anyone but the most devoted readers, and a post that is too short may not offer enough information or satisfy.

2. Write a post that is clear and well-organized. Make it easy for readers to find what they are looking for if they speed read or scan a post. Using headers or bold text gives them a quick idea of what the post is about so they know they’ll want to read the whole thing. Don’t run off on tangents or add trivial details.

3. Offer something to the reader, whether it be tips, useful information, ideas, or a laugh. The reader should feel they got something from visiting your site and reading your post.

4. Keep readers wanting more. Don’t write a long post with every last detail and piece of information that exists on a topic. Instead, break it up into multiple posts so that readers come back to read more in the future, a sort of “hook” to keep them coming back.

5. Ask readers to interact. Encourage comments, and respond to them, to engage readers and continue the conversations.

I have my own blog at Penelope’s Oasis, where I write about family, healthy living, happy marriage tips, and beauty ideas. I’m happy to be sharing these tips on my good friend’s site, and hope you enjoy them and find them useful.