Within a week of starting in the Comms Department at Action Hampshire I was told that a great blog is like gold dust and every team member should be encouraged to write one.
In the last year, I’ve pulled a few out the hat but I love words, so it comes naturally to me. For others, creating a blog might be daunting task. In this article, I’ve conjured up some helpful tips to help lift your first blog off its feet…
No need to bare your soul
Blogs don’t have to be personal if you don’t want them to be. An effective blog could be a checklist, an infographic, a review, an inspirational story or an interview. The list is infinite.
Don’t force it
Write about what intrigues, inspires or concerns you but make sure your content is relevant to gain the trust of your audience. Linking a blog to an appropriate awareness day or service you offer is an effective way to make sure you stay ‘on message’. Try not to make the blog too contrived though.
Make your headline sparkle
A sparkling headline is a perfect way to captivate your audience and lead your reader to the next paragraph. Entice them with an indication of what your blog is about, then add the fizz. Use words that stand out or appeal to the emotions.
Bite-size chunks
According to Time magazine, the average reader spends 15 seconds on a web page. Keep your content easy to digest. Get straight to the point. Avoid long sentences and keep paragraphs short. Embrace the subhead, it’s a useful tool for bringing attention to your key messages and makes your content visually appealing.
Open hearts and minds
Sounds melodramatic but that’s the power of engaging content. According to experts, Express Writers, a successful blog can be ‘informative, newsworthy and/or entertaining if it enriches readers’ lives’.
Once upon a blog…
Humans remember stories far better than data and facts so turn a frog into a prince and knit a narrative into your post. It will help engage your audience and strengthen your relationship with them.
Ask yourself this question
‘When people have read my blog, what do I want them to do?’ A clear call to action is essential for establishing further connections with your audience.
Picture this…
According to web analysts QuickSprout, ‘articles containing an image generate twice as much traffic’. Make sure your images are high-resolution. A pixelated or poorly cropped image is not great look for your organisation. Use original images or create your own infographics or diagrams. Get familiar with Canva or Unsplash, it’s a user-friendly (and free) way to create an eye-catching graphic or edit a photo.
SEO*, yes or no?
Google is now smart enough to identify your content and automatically index articles for searches. Don’t get hung up about keywords but use images and subheads. Include links to other pages on your website to boost your SEO.
Create a community of bloggers
Encouraging your community to share blogs can be valuable too. A blog written by someone with lived experience could potentially be a powerful way to support others and helps build and strengthen your network.
Ready to work your magic? A blog will drive traffic to your website and is an effective channel for distilling information and advice. Blogs help establish a genuine connection with your audience and can be shared amongst communities to help heal or inform. So why not give it a go?
Want to know more about blogs?
I could blog all day about blogs but I encourage you to do your own research too. Blogging advice is subjective so don’t take my word for it. Happy blogging! And, do share your blogs with me, email caroline.addy@actionhampshire.org
Follow this link to read blogs from our team members
Follow this link for Charity Digital’s top blogs Charity Digital
*Search Engine Optimisation. For more information follow this link
