I’ve written a lot of posts with blogging tips in the past, but creating a blog that people enjoy can be summed up in even less words than those past articles. Today I’m sharing my absolute #1 tip for writing better blog posts. And seriously? It’s stupid simple.
I occasionally get emails from hopeful bloggers who aren’t receiving the results they crave from their blog. They’re putting in the effort — marketing themselves on social media, publishing posts everyday — but their blog still isn’t growing how they’d like it to. This is what I tell them, and this is what I’ll tell you. Before I ever start writing a post, I ask myself this question:
Will this be useful for my readers?
That sentence is important for two reasons: First, it asks if the post is useful. What value does the article provide to your readers? Sometimes it’s more subtle, like style inspiration, and other times it’s obvious, like business advice. But the key is that it provides value and usefulness to the people who visit your site. The other important piece of that sentence refers to your readers. Who reads your blog? Where do they live? What kinds of jobs do they have? What are their interests? Usually, you can figure this out through a combination of Google Analytics and knowing which posts tend to get more attention on your site. If I know something doesn’t align with my core audience, I won’t post it.
If you’re a blogger who posts mainly about your day-to-day, but wants to grow your audience, I encourage you to find the pieces of your day that will add value to your readers’ lives. Maybe you discovered a neat eatery that locals would enjoy, or you had a mini-epiphany while taking your dog for a walk. Sharing value with your readers doesn’t need to be difficult, but for people to frequent your site, day after day, it needs to be present.
What kinds of things would be useful for your readers?
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This is truly great advice, even if it is “stupid simple.” 🙂 People are self-centered by nature. If what they read does not pertain to them, they won’t have any drive to check out what you write next time. I think your advice could be used not just for blog posts but for responding to people in interviews or general conversations too!
Ashley
dreamliveandrepeat.blogspot.com
Thanks Ashley! And you are SO right about this pertaining to other life situations, too. I think people are naturally self-centered too (not in a “bad” way, but it’s just in our nature, right?!), so appealing to who they are as individuals is so important! Glad you get it 🙂
It’s funny how the “stupid simple” advice is usually the best advice you can get. I’ll definitely think about this as I publish my posts… 🙂 it’s crazy that I never thought of it like that before.
I’m glad this gave you something to think about, Madi! 🙂
I definitely agree! If I’m not offering useful tips in a blog post idea, I trash it. There are plenty of things that I’d love to write about, but that’s not the way I’m going with my blog, so I don’t.
Amen to that, Chloe! 🙂
Yes! This is awesome advice! I try to think about how my blog posts can make a difference in readers’ lives and how potential readers would respond to certain posts! Thanks for sharing your thoughts today!
Glad you’re already working this tip, Gina! Have a great day 🙂
This is simple but awesome advice. I totally agree with you as well. Pure entertainment only last for so long.
http://www.delabellesbeautyblog.com
Thank you! 🙂
This! Such an easy piece of advice but I feel like so many people don’t get it. Not that I’m perfect at it, but when bloggers complain about not getting any views, it’s usually because they blog about the teeny details of their days that mean nothing to strangers.
I’m glad you get it, Allie! 🙂
This is great advice but so much easier said than done. It can be a real challenge to come up with tutorials or ‘value’ posts that haven’t already been done before a million times.
I should really take your advice more often but I really enjoy writing about and posting photos of the things in life that I enjoy. Useful or not. It just makes me happy.
I will definitely take your advice and challenge myself to find pieces of those things that might actually be useful to others.
Thanks!
V
I totally agree! Sometimes I feel discouraged because I know that someone else has written the tutorials or “value” posts that I want to write. I think I wrote a post once about feeling discouraged (hah!) and people left comments reminding me that no one has written it from my perspective before, so I should share my voice and experience, even if other people have already shared theirs. I felt like that gave me a little boost when I needed it. 🙂
And I definitely don’t think there’s anything wrong with sharing writing and photos of your life — not at all! If it makes you happy, that’s great. 🙂 This advice is mostly for people who are just looking to reach broader audiences and readers.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Have a great day. 🙂
This is really important, you are right!!
I am looking forward for the next tips!!
Thanks J G! 🙂
Hi Mel:
Once again thanks for all the advices. I’ve already read some of your past blogging tips and they helped me a lot 🙂
I feel like a beginner in this ‘blogging world’ but I’m trying my best; learning and implementing all those new things. I’m trying to create my readership so I’m still figuring out what kind of post will be best for my blog and readers ♥
Greetings.
That’s great Cori! It took me awhile to figure out what works — it’s all a process. 🙂 Have a great day!
I just read an article yesterday that said more bloggers should focus on becoming a learning center for their readers. That’s when they will start to pour in! Great question, Mel!
Ohh I love the way they phrased that! I think it’s so true!
Thank you for this tip! Keeping it simple is such an easy concept, yet hard to do when you get wrapped up in your own process!
I totally know what you mean, Sarah!
Great tip! I try to follow the same guidelines by posting stuff I would find interesting if it were me reading it on another blog. I recently unfollowed quite a few blogs that focused on the bloggers every move, because that’s just not very interesting to me, except for one particular blogger that lives near me so I can keep tabs on the good places to eat around the city.
I totally agree, Ashley! I do the same thing. And I think your last point is interesting, since sometimes writing about something really specific (like restaurants in a particular city) can drawn in a niche crowd. Great observation!
Very true! Your blog title alone had me very interested so it just goes to show that readers will always read something that appeals to them, something that they’ll find useful and of value.
I totally agree, Cheryn! 🙂
i love all the tips that you have given out hte past few weeks. I think writing about what you want and it being useful. Why am I posting this?
That’s a great question to ask yourself, Jessa! I need to add that to my list, too 🙂
Awesome Tips! It’s so obvious but I think sometimes we overlook it. Even if it’s a mundane post, sparkle it up a little for the readers in some way they can relate too. Yep! Thanks!
Ginny
http://www.buttergirldiaries.com
Thanks Ginny! I totally agree 🙂
One of my favorite pieces of of advice came from The Copy Cure and it was to share a story. Ask yourself these questions: How does this piece of information connect to me and how will it connect to my readers. It gets tough to share a story when I’m just recommending products, but that’s the beauty of it. I ask myself, WHY AM INSHARING THESE PRODUCTS? Why are they special to me and those with so-and-so skin, etc. thanks Melyssa!
That is a wonderful way to look at it, Jessika! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
great advice
Thanks Zaby!
You always have great blog advice, Melyssa! I’m pretty sure you mentioned this somewhere in the past, or at least I’m giving you credit for it =)
I completely agree with you! Once I put this practice to the test it really helped. Sometimes I still occasionally post articles that aren’t a top hit but those posts are also nephew posts and are documentations for them to see later. I call that ‘future audience’. ha!
Thank you Beka! 🙂 And I giggled at “future audience.” So cute! 🙂
So you always have great blogging advice. And I don’t know why I haven’t been more reader-focused in my blogging routine. There are have been so many posts coming up all over lately that have made me start to re-think what I want to blog about and how I go about blogging. Thank you so much for this tip. It’s like a light bulb went off in my head.
Well shucks, how sweet are you, Ashley? I’m really glad this could be helpful for you! Light bulb moments are the best!
This is the question I’ve been asking myself a ton recently. It can be hard to always think with this filter, but it is SO much more rewarding for both you and your reader. Great advice!
I totally agree with all of the above! And thank you! 🙂
I’ve also found that they can create the shortest and most-read posts. Good way to cut to the chase on your best tip.
Great post, I’ve recently started to think that way 🙂
Indiellie | Bloglovin’
Thanks Ellie! And that’s so awesome. 🙂
Hi – I got your Link from Jen’s blog, and what a perfectly put, simple statement – this is what I need to read, and reread and remind myself in a quest for my new blog. I blogged years ago, for different reasons… This is the mantra I need to make my new blog – what I want it to be for me! Thanks
I love that you were able to take something away from this, Holly! Thanks for stopping by! Sounds like you know what you’re doing. 🙂
Very useful tip, thank you for sharing, it’s definitely very easy to get caught up with everything surrounding blogging and to forget to go back to basics! Thank you 🙂
Hannah x
Hanniemc.co.uk
Glad to help, Hannah! And thank you for your sweet comment! 🙂
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Thank yoh for remind me to write a valuable post. 🙂
So happy I could help, Vindy 🙂
I love this tip, it’s so simple yet it’s so easy to overlook. I think I might tape that quote to the top of my laptop so it’s staring at me every time I write.
That’s a great idea, Rosie! 🙂 So happy to hear this tip helped you!
Love this tip! Very useful.
http://www.upyourvlog.com
Awesome, Natalie! Thank you 🙂