Every Blog Post Should Have These:

When it comes to blogging there are various ways to set up a post: it could be a funny story, an informative review about the newest eye-shadow palette, or sharing an opinion about a popular topic.

Of course, you want the post to be the best possible, so that not only you are going to like it but it is going to appeal to readers as well. People should click on it and hopefully they are going to be drawn into your blog and become regular readers.

This raises the question what is it that makes blog posts appealing to people? What does every post need to get a reader hooked? The following points are things that I look for as a reader, and so are  most readers:

The Blog Post Should Give Something

Content is very important when it comes to blogging. Nobody is going to read 500 words when they are not going to get anything from it.

Naturally, this can vary. It does not matter if it is review of the latest Lee Child book, or explaining why you enjoyed the television show from  1994 more than 13 Reasons Why. There is also a misconception that blogging has to be about something material. This is wrong. You can also write a blog post that contains an uplifting message, or share a funny story which is intended to make the reader laugh.

All of those things give the reader something: information, inspiration, or a good laugh.

The next time when you get an idea for a blog post wait a minute and think "what is my reader going to gain from it?"

A Catchy Title 

I am the first to admit that tiles are the devil's work. How are you going to sum up your entire post in just a few words? Should it be a funny title? A quote? Or just a simple statement?

There are many guides on the internet that can help you to shape the best and perfect title possible. I found that the best way to start is with your working title, as it already sums up most of the post you had in mind. Then you can take it from there.

While a  matter of fact title could sound more boring than a fancy and enthusiastic quote, it is far more informative and hence recommended. Instead you can use the punchy quote as a subtitle for the blog post.

For example if you're going to write a review about Maybelline's eyeshadow palette people are more likely to click on the review if it says "Rock Nudes by Maybelline: Kicking Arse While Staying Pretty" than just a review with the title "Sparky And Cool" because it isn't going to tell your reader what it is about. Hence they won't click on it.

A punky title is probably more popular but it also needs to contain what the post is about. Otherwise, a "boring" and dry one, for example "Every Blog Post Should Have These" is also going to do the job.

Photos, Photos, Photos

Appealing images are an important part of a blog post. Show them the best image of the pencils and stationary that you are writing about. Show them the places you have been to instead of just talking about. It does not distract from the text one bit, instead it makes the blog post more livelier and dynamic.

It doesn't take much to make an image live up to its potential. You can use props which you almost always have lying around in your room - such as nail varnish bottles. Furthermore, there is cheep and also free editing software with which you can crop your images and adjust light and contrast levels - GIMP springs into mind. There are also free apps so you can edit images directly on your phone - PicsArt comes into mind this time.

Furthermore, a good cover-image is almost indispensable for any blog post nowadays. It is the first thing your readers are going to see when they browse your blog. It is the image your twitter and facebook card is going to show when you share the link.

Are you trying to write everyday doing #NaNoWriMo? Here are some tips! 📝#amwriting #writingtips @cbeechat https://t.co/WBYckH6hPd

— Susanne (@floralcars1) 4 de noviembre de 2017

The first image is without any doubt the most important image of the whole blog post. It is always important to keep in mind that if you share any image on the blog that it should be a good and decent image as well - unless it is part of a joke.

Follow For More Widget

Nowadays a blog can't live without social media. While you may now wonder what this has to do with the structure of your blog post hear me out. After all, your post should give you more readers and hopefully convince someone to become a regular reader. How are they supposed to do this, if social media links and icons are hard to find?

Many people solve this by putting all their social media links right underneath the blog post. So when someone is done reading their post thinking "Yeah, I liked that" they can follow on their preferred social media site.

The same goes for the e-mail/newsletter sign up if you have one. It should be visible on the same site as the post to tempt readers.

This is a fake, mine is either underneath the post (mobile) or top right (on PC) #hint

Related Posts

Another thing you want your reader to do is have them wander around on your blog for as long as possible. If the post they landed on is a dead end, chances are very slim, that they're going to go through the effort themselves to find anything along the same topic.

Instead, you should make it as easy as possible to find more content to read. This means, offering similar posts right underneath the post they have just read. Almost every theme automatically has a "related posts" section built in. Then all you have to do is tag your posts adequately.

In addition, you can add a "popular posts" widget. This does not only show your best work - chosen by the public - but offers an additional look at what your blog as to offer. However, don't go over the top with widgets! Nobody is going to enjoy the text if the sidebar is too distracting.

With those small tips and elements your blog post is going to live up to its full potential now!