How to Write Blogs People Will Want to Read

What is the most important thing to get right when you start blogging?

Your blog site?

Sure, it needs to be attractive and engaging and easy to use, but that’s not it.

How about your niche?

Yes, that’s pretty important to make sure you attract the right kind of reader, but it’s not what I’m thinking about here.

OK, how about the way you layout your posts?

Again, a very important issue because if your posts aren’t reader friendly, no one’s going to read them. But, no that’s not what I was thinking about.

Give up?

OK, I was thinking about voice.

A lot of people get in touch with me to ask about that. They want to know how to write in an engaging way, what terms they should use and how they should phrase things.

My advice?

Stop trying to over think things.

The best way to write and engage with your readers is to write from the heart. No, I don’t mean Mills and Boon-esque, more like writing as though you were talking to friends.

Say what you want to say in your head and type it (that’s what I’m doing right now) then it will come across as though you’re having a conversation with someone.

And because it’s a conversation your vocabulary will be fairly simple, avoiding all that awful jargon you sometimes seen scattered liberally in blog posts. I mean, come on, do you really think the average reader understand it? It just leaves your post unreadable and, quite frankly, sounding pretentious.

Don’t forget that just because jargon is commonplace in your work life, it doesn’t mean it is in everyone else’s. Keeping it simple won’t dumb in down, it will make it accessible to all and that’s what you want, right?

After all, if someone is researching web design, SEO or ecommerce or some other such techie subject because they are in the market for it, they’re more likely to get in touch with someone who can clearly explain the benefits in plain English rather than one that goes into geek-techie-jargon overdrive.

That’s all I wanted to say really. When writing your next post remember:

• Write as though you were having a conversation
• Steer well clear of any jargon
• If you have to use a technical term, explain it clearly
• Lay your post out in short paragraphs and sentences so it’s easy to read

Sally Ormond – blogger and professional copywriter