Thanks to the Internet, people have access to more content than ever—there is a blog out there for nearly any topic you can think of. But writing for the Internet differs to writing for print publications. People’s attention spans on the Internet are short and fickle. You need to catch their attention effectively and deliver value when they click.
Here are some tips to help you rise to the top:
Eye-catching title
The title is read more than any other part of the post, and so it deserves your attention. Your headline should make readers curious enough that they click to find out more. They should understand from the title the benefit they will receive if they read it. “How to Write an Exceptional Book in 30 Day” tells your reader exactly what they will learn if they click. Use numbers in your titles: “7 Spanish Recipes that Will Warm You up this Winter.” Resist the temptation to make the title too long. Longer is not better. Instead of including too much information, concentrate your energy on crafting a headline that is fresh and magnetic.
Strong content that disarms from the very beginning
You have something unique to say. You’ve got your own angle and spin. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be blogging. Many inexperienced writers don’t realize, however, that there are many writing techniques that can help you strengthen your writing and get your ideas across more clearly. The best editing apps will help you identify the areas that need improvement, such as excessive dependence on adverbs, use of passive voice, awkward sentence constructions, and much more. Strong, clutter-free writing will help you make the maximum impact.
Perfect grammar
Perfect grammar is a key ingredient in your writing toolkit. Errors make your writing look sloppy and unprofessional; they makes the reader lose confidence in you as the writer. Even worse, they distract the reader from your ideas. There are several ways to check for issues. Read your writing out loud. Ask a friend to proof read it for you. Or run it through a grammar checker. This neat web-based tool spots the grammatical mistakes that Microsoft Word doesn’t even notice. Its artificial intelligence can identify grammar and style issues ranging from big to small so that you can correct them before you push “publish.”
Vivid images
You know the saying: A picture says a thousand words. A very complex idea can be conveyed with just an image. When it comes to writing online, using images is paramount. What images do is enhance the content and help the readers. Not only will people like your article, but also they will share it on their social media profiles. To create an emotional connection with the readers, use bright and visually appealing images. If you do not use high-quality images, people will automatically think that you can’t be bothered to produce great content. Don’t include poor images. They aren’t the best ones to convey your message.
