How to Make Your Blog Readers Love You

March 20^th 2014 Sally Ormond blog, blogging, enagement through blogging, how to blog

This blog originally featured on our sister blog, Freelance Copywriter’s Blog.

Blogging is a great tool for marketing your business.

It gives you a platform from which to show your expertise and drive traffic to your website. But that only works if your writing engages with your audience. After all, if you want them to keep coming back for more, you have to create a connection with them.

The way you write will have a big effect on your audience.

1. Conversation

There are a lot of bloggers out there who struggle with the concept that writing in a conversational tone is the most effective way to communicate.

People don’t want to be faced with something cold, corporate and formal – they get enough of that already. They want something that is easy to read.

Writing conversationally is easy – just imagine you’re sitting with a friend and chatting about the subject you want to write about, use every day language and avoid ‘corporatisms’ like ‘innovative, market-leading etc.’

Using short sentences also boosts readability as does using ‘you’ (i.e. writing in the second person), asking questions (builds engagement) and avoiding adjectives and adverbs.

Above all, your personality must shine through.

2. Metaphorically speaking

Metaphors help you get your point across in a way that’s easy for others to understand. If you can liken your product or service to an everyday event, people are more likely to ‘get it’.

They really bring your writing to life.

3. Empathise and inspire

Start your post by empathising with your readers and showing you understand the problem they have. Then go on to share some tips that are easy to implement.

So where does the inspiration come in? Well, at the end of your post make sure you give them an uplifting paragraph that fires them up to follow your example.

4. Be real

No one is perfect (nope, not even you), so although you want to be seen as the market leader, no one is going to believe you got there without making any mistakes along the way.

As you share your information, show your human side by telling your readers the mistakes you made and how you put them right.

5. Show your interest

Last, but not least, it’s important you show your readers you’re interested in them.

Ask for their opinions and comments and when you get them respond to them and start building those all-important relationships.

Above all have fun with your blog, be natural and be conversational. Be wild and start a few sentences with ‘and’, or ‘because’. Be open and honest and share great information – people will flock to you.

Have you tried anything different to boost engagement through your blog?

What has worked for you in the past and what wasn’t so great?

Leave a comment below and lets chat.

About the author:

Sally Ormond is a copywriter and MD at Briar Copywriting Ltd. She also loves to blog and cycle – but not at the same time.