Writing Blogger

Have you ever read a blog post or an article online that started out strong — meaning, you guessed from the beginning that you were going to learn something that could benefit you or your business in a concrete way — only to be disappointed once you reached the end?

It’s a common trap writers get themselves into. We work so hard to make an impression with the lede and opening paragraphs that we allow the middle and especially the ending of articles or posts to simply trail off and die, figuring that few readers reach the end anyway.

Just because it’s common, however, doesn’t mean that it’s okay. To keep your readers/online viewers focused — and to give them a quality experience at your site that will keep them coming back — you have to anticipate and meet their needs. To do that, follow these two simple rules:

Avoid making vague & unspecific claims, predictions or assertions

For an example of what I mean, take a look at this post on SiteProNews. The author of the piece discusses an important topic in the world of search engine marketing and optimization — the impact of personalization — but allows her article to drift by the end into vague pronouncements about how personalization may impact SEO in the future.

Now, don’t get me wrong; it’s interesting. But only in an academic sense. It contains little to no useful, actionable information on how I, as a site owner, might interpret the writer’s message and change how I optimize my website for search engine traffic as a result of the rise of personalized searches.

Offer concrete steps or actions users can implement

Instead of offering vague assertions about what may come in the future, provide steps or actions users can take to influence their own futures, with respect to your topic. Offering users concrete, actionable steps makes your writing more credible because it leaves the impression that what you’re writing is well thought through; it’s not simply a rant that some blogger rattled off in fifteen minutes after his morning coffee.

Making your content useful, purpose-ful and actionable also implies a sense of caring about your users’ fortunes. Simply warning them of the dangers of some future trend isn’t enough; providing signposts on how to handle trends is what provides value to your users, and will bring them back for more.