How to Spice Up Your Blog Content
Nowadays we have videos, infographics, social media posts, and more. And this leads many to wonder...Has blog content died in the midst of all this other content?
Not at all.
Blogs still provide valuable content. In a blog, we can delve into insights, share powerful stories, and connect with our audiences.
While there are audiences who prefer to watch a video or scan an infographic, there are still people who prefer the written word. Written content is beneficial for those who do not have the space to watch a video or who want to go a little deeper into the subject than a simple infographic can deliver.
Plus, blogs remain a top tactic for SEO, the strategy that companies use to land their brand search engine results pages like Google. Google and other search engines scan through web page content to determine a company’s authority on a given subject. The more optimized content to scan, the higher the potential that a brand will land higher on a search engine results page.
But this does not mean that blogs can continue as they did 10 years ago.
Blog strategies do have to evolve to keep up with the demands of the modern audience. Not all written content is going to deliver the results your brand wants.
Let’s look at how you can adapt your blog content to meet the needs of the modern reader.
6 Ways to Update Your Blog Content for Modern Readers
1.Use Images
Visuals have the power to infuse your content with life. As readers go through your blog, visuals help to make the application of the content more real and relatable.
And science proves that images help the human brain to retain information. Research shows that our brains process images 60,000 times faster than text. Plus, they improve learning by up to 400%!
So how can you incorporate images into your blog content?
There are a few different types of images that you can use in your blog post. Graphs and charts are a great way to give a “real feel” for data that you discuss within your post. Related, animation-style images can provide a refreshing pause to especially deep and technical content.
And if you write how-to content, especially if it’s how to do something online, use screenshots to walk your audience through every step.
2. Provide a Video Option
While I don’t believe video should completely replace blogs, I do think video is a powerful asset in your content strategy -- and one that can be utilized right alongside written content.
Consider for a moment that blogs that include video content attract 3X more inbound links than those that do not. And 86% of people reported that they would like to see more videos from brands.
Including a video in your blog post is an excellent way to engage a larger segment of your audience.
And creating an overview video is way easier than you might think. I’ve used Lumen5 for clients in the past, and literally, all you need to do is enter your blog URL -- it uploads your content for you right along with stock video content. You might need to do some light editing, but you’ll have a ready-to-go video that is all set for any website or social media network.
Once it’s done, upload it to your blog and simply write something like, “Prefer a video instead? Watch a review of this post here.”
3. Leverage Whitespace
Like most of us, you’ve probably walked into a website and been confronted with huge blocks of text -- literally paragraphs that fill the screen! And you immediately cringe and perhaps even click that back button.
Why?
Because it overwhelms us.
On the other hand, that exact same information, when presented in short, 1-2 sentence paragraphs, becomes a whole lot easier to read and digest.
We call this using white space since you can see more white space around the paragraphs.
And it works. Check out any popular or trending blog and you will see this in practice. It’s part of the reason why they are as popular as they are.
And you can -- and should -- adapt your blog to follow suit.
4. Break It Up with Catchy Headings
Headings help to break up your content into progressive ideas. Think of these as breaking up your blog into chapters and subsections of content.
Whether you are addressing one, important topic or presenting a top-10 article, headings break up the monotony and make it easier to digest.
With one glance, your readers know exactly where your content is going and what to expect as they read. It can even help them to find the exact points they need -- and helpful content is inherently more valuable.
Not only that, but headings are a crucial part of SEO -- that’s right, Google will penalize you if you have no headings at all. In fact, SEO experts generally recommend using a heading every 300 words or so.
5. Show the Expected Reading Time
This is a practice that is becoming more and more popular with blogs.
At the very beginning of your blog, perhaps under the title, display the estimated time it will take someone to read your post.
In today’s hectic world, it helps your audience to decide whether they have time to read your blog right then or should save it for later.
It’s not earth-shattering, but it’s one more thing you can do to serve the interests of your audience -- and small details like this can win brand loyalty.
6. Skip the Overly Formal Tone
Your blog is not a research paper or official document. It is meant for everyday people who are looking for answers to their questions.
Even if you are in the B2B arena, you want your content to be accessible to everyone. And a formal tone just doesn’t cut it.
Blogs should use a conversational, relatable tone that sets their readers at ease. Avoid flowery language and 20-dollar words that people will need a dictionary to understand.
In fact, research even suggests that blogs should be written at an 8th-grade reading level. This is not a commentary on the intelligence level of your audience -- keep in mind that great-American author Ernest Hemingway wrote at a 4th-grade level, so you’re in good company.
And, on a related note, avoid industry jargon.
Use everyday words that even someone off the street will understand. You want your blog to be an inviting space for everyone to enjoy and learn.
Your blog is a powerful asset for your brand -- make the most of each piece of blog content by making it accessible and engaging for your audience!
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