Whenever people ask me what they should do to write a blog that will get maximum shares on social media, I always say one thing “Write what users want to read in a conversational way.” It’s as simple as drinking beer while watching your favorite movie, but still people don’t understand. The main reason why they often fail is because they write in an advertising tone with very little appeal or informative content.
That’s why today I’m going to highlight some easy tips that you can work into your blog writing routine to get the most shares possible. Remember that epic content is not only about the information, but also a collaborative result of your research and promotion efforts too. Once you complete reading the content below, you’ll be ready to write blog posts like a pro.
- Create a Compelling Title
Titles are the most vital parts of any blog post because they give users a craving to read more and tempt them to click. The more compelling your title is, then the more chance you’ll have of getting clicks. And, the more people who read your blog post, the higher the likelihood that it will get shared across the Internet. Compelling titles will play to the human mind and determine whether it’s shareable on social media. Neutral sentiments tend to work well.
For WordPress, you can actually do A/B testing with titles to track which of your blog titles are performing well. Do this to figure out which titles are generating more clicks and then make that title final for your post. In general, titles with numbers get more clicks and are shared more. Are you going to click first on a post titled “Reduce Your Weight in Easy Steps” or “13 Actionable Ways to Reduce Your Weight in 3 Weeks”? I hope you now know the answer.
- Include Eye-Catching Images
Visual content is always more successful at attracting a captive audience than textual content. I suggest adding some eye-catching images to your blog posts to make the reader feel engaged. Attractive images improve time spend on websites and help spark conversation among readers in the comments section. The more people who are drawn to the images and read the text, the more the post will be spread socially.
- Use a Conversational, Skimmable Writing Style
Another reason why people aren’t sharing your content could be because they aren’t even reading it. Yes, you heard that right! Nobody enjoys reading lengthy walls of text that don’t draw the eye with catchy headings or bullet points. In their busy day, users want important text to be served immediately rather than at the end of the fifth paragraph.
Always try to write skimmable content, which includes headings or sub-headings and bullet points or numbered lists with clear structured style. Make sure your writing is conversational like you’re talking to a dear friend. Don’t be afraid to throw in some bold and italic words to highlight key phrases or ideas too. Having a fresh new writing style will engage readers and make them addicted to reading your newest entries.
- Keep Adding Value to Content
Would you like to read and share blog posts that are outdated or have not been updated for a long time? For sure, your answer is a big NO. Then, why would you think it will work for your posts? If you’re publishing content that is already present, you’re not adding anything new to it. This makes working hard on writing your blog content a complete waste of time. Add some value to your blog by taking the effort to continually update posts with new information that makes it different.
- Encourage Readers
Sometimes readers will need a little push in the right direction to “like” your blog post on Facebook or share it on Twitter. Encouragement is any act that tries to stimulate the development of any activity. This is essential in the cutthroat world of blogging and content marketing. Unless you come out and ask people to share your blog posts, only a few will likely do so. Encourage readers to participate in the story by leaving comments below and starting a discussion on social media to spread your post like wildfire.
- Add Expert Opinions and Advice
Not only do readers want to know what you have to say, but they also want to hear what experts are saying about the topic too. Mentioning the name of experts in your field and adding in some of their quotes will make your post very shareable. Also, connect with the big influencers in your industry and ask them for a small tip or short interview to include in your posts. You can then highlight their responses and ask the experts to share the content in return. This way you’ll have a greater reach for your posts and readers will happily digest expert advice.
- Time Your Posts Carefully
While it’s right to think that you can publish blog content anytime you want, the chance for getting shares will not be the same every time of day. Studies have shown that the best time for posting is mid-morning or mid-afternoon. However, this time of day can vary depending on your targeted audience. For instance, if your blog is focused on teenage girls’ fashion, then posting content in late evening would be great because then they’re free from school to surf the Internet. Analyze your audience and find the best time for your posts to be shared for the maximum exposure.
- Make Posts Easy to Share
Users eat whatever is served on their plate. If you want the user to share your content on their social media pages, then you need to make it effortless. No one will go out of their way to share a story unless it’s easy or a really superb article. Therefore, I suggest that you put a hyperlink to tweet any text of your post like a quotation. Add sharing buttons to every post and image to enhance the chance that readers will click to share too.
- Pick a Good Length
Of course, no Internet users are looking to divulge information in the form of a thesis paper. But, if you’re only publishing articles with 400 to 600 words, then you’re not sharing much valuable information to captivate your audience. Articles that have 1,000 to 3,000 words typically have a lot more uniqueness and communicate more useful information. Studies have confirmed that a long content ranks well in SERP and is more likely to get shares.
In addition, make sure that your blog is ranking well in Google by using long-tail keywords and key phrases. Quicksprout recently noted that 91% of its web traffic comes from long-tail key phrases. Content marketing with long-tail keywords will help you draw in more traffic, and then you’ll get the chance to build your social shares more.
Sometimes people ask how long should it take to write an EPIC post which can become socially viral. I would reply that this will depend on how knowledgeable you are in that field and how fast you’re able to compose original content. If you’re a pro and have ideas jotted down everywhere, then you’ll definitely take less time than others. Generally, a normal blog writer will take three to four revisions before getting the post just right.
- Put in Social Sharing Buttons and Social Meta Tags
Alright, enough about the writing! It’s essential that I mention the critical importance of having social sharing buttons and social meta tags for each of your blog posts. This is advice worth mentioning here because rarely one person out of 100 users will share a post by using the URL and doing it manually. So, make certain that each of your posts is outfitted with social sharing icons, especially at the end or floating center left on the page.
Overall, content is the best way to gain exposure on the Internet for yourself or your business. Writing epic content is not an art, but instead a product of dedication. Follow the above tips to become a pro at cranking out shareable and informative content. Once you start improving your blog writing style, then your post will start blowing up with loads of social shares.