Today let’s discuss blog topography. Yes, if you want to write a blog with the hopes that people will actually read it, you need to get your content in the right format. Here, I’ll give you all the tips and tricks on how to format a blog post.
So what is a good blog format? Let me explain.
About 95% of people who find this post will not read it if it has a complex format. Block paragraphs and large packs of even helpful information are hardly ever read.
So, how do you format a blog post and keep your visitors engrossed in reading your content?
It’s simple.
You must break down everything and make it dead simple. 50-60% of visitors will only skim through your blog. It takes some level of artistry to ensure they don’t bounce before reading your content.
Take it from me; when it comes to content marketing and blogging, appearance really matters.
→Download Now: Free Blog Post Format Template
Is Blog Formatting Necessary?
Think about it.
Your first 15 seconds on our website were enough for you to know whether you want to continue reading or ‘bounce.’ Similarly, these 15 seconds may not be enough for you to decide if you wish to sign up for my email list.
So here is the deal
A winning blog format makes it effortless for readers to consume your content. In return, they stick around for longer, hear you out, and ultimately get converted if they are adequately convinced of getting great value.
In other words,
Whether you want to make sales or get email subscribers, a perfect headline alone cannot help. Your visitors may still jump ship if your formatting is chaotic. This is what makes blog formatting just as crucial as valuable content creation.
7 Insider Tips for Formatting Your Blog Posts
Do you want your visitors to read your blog posts or at least skim through them?
Stay with me and I will take you through that.
I’ll help you master how to guide them from the beginning to the very crucial call to action within a post. You can be sure that the right format will increase conversions of visitors into loyal fans.
So, how exactly should your format your blog post? Here are my top tips on how to do that.
- Shorten Everything
- Write like A Pro
- Break It down Using Subheadings
- Spruce Up Your Blog Design
- Use Bullet Points
- Put Emphasis on the Call-To-Action (CTA)
- Edit Your Articles and Test Them
Shorten Everything
Blogs are not formal documents. Block paragraphs are often a turn off for most visitors, and they tend to make the overall article topography appear complex.
Always use short paragraphs and increase the whitespaces in your posts. This will ensure the content does not appear cramped. It will also make it easier for visitors to skim through the information and possibly go down to your call to action.
As a general rule, each paragraph should have 1-3 sentences. Anything longer can mess with the balance of content to whitespaces.
Write like A Pro
Even the best writers of all times have written blogs that sound stupid.
We have all been there.
Writing is complicated, and writers don’t get enough credit for their artistry. Sometimes, it is vital to do some serious heavy lifting and not only research, but also plan and outline your thoughts.
The idea is to keep your visitors reading and coming back for more. Typically, the longer you have their attention, the higher the likelihood of converting them.
So how do you get your audience hooked?
I will not claim it’s simple, because it’s not. However, studies show that you can maintain your audience if you give them what they want to read.
You need to understand them to get it right. Do they like conversational pieces? Does a twist of humor tickle their fancy, or do they like blogs with a formal and serious tone?
When readers love your style of writing, they will stick around for more than just the first 15 seconds.
Break It down Using Subheadings
Breaking up your text helps to increase your whitespaces. As I mentioned earlier, this makes it easier for readers to absorb crucial information and even skim through your blog.
Killer subheadings always give away information that captures the attention of the reader. For example, I could have used a subheading like “Break it up” in this section.
But I Did not do that for only one simple reason
You should mention subtitles for the sake of the skimmer who wants to scan the blog and master something actionable.
Similarly,
Search engines love headings and subheadings. In fact, they hold more weight than paragraph texts and can help ensure you rank higher. If you also need more online visibility, try using some keywords in a few of your headers.
Spruce Up Your Blog Design
The first impression readers get once they visit your blog means a lot. Here are a few design aspects that can enhance the readability of your blog posts.
- Color palette- use more than whitespace whenever possible
- Font- choose a font that has excellent contrast with your website’s background
- Text size – make it easy for the visually impaired and colorblind to read your blog
Use Bullet Points
It’s all about breaking heavy information into bite-sized content. Again, bullets make it effortless to scan through a blog in a snap.
In terms of blog design, the contrast between bullet points and paragraph texts gives your work a better format. It will appear less complex and more digestible.
Put Emphasis on the Call-To-Action (CTA)
So you have kept your audience reading crucial information on your blog.
What next?
The core role of the CTA is to guide your visitors to the next big step. Do you want them to leave their contacts so you can get in touch? Should they just sign up for the email list? Can they go ahead and add exciting products to their cart?
Arguably, nothing is as important as finding the best CTA. Make sure it is clear and concise. It should also pop up using contrasting colors to ensure that even skimmers don’t miss it.
Edit Your Articles and Test Them
There is one essential thing to do before you hit the publish button. It would be best if you edited your work for errors. A stellar blog post format will not mean much if your content is full of typos.
There are excellent tools such as Grammarly that can help you catch mistakes in your articles. You also need to pass your content through a readability test to flag out run-on sentences and block paragraphs.
Using editing tools is great. However, a real set of eyes ought to still go over your work before it is published.
You can also ask a friend to scan through your article. What can they gather within the first 15 seconds? Does the overall format grab their attention? Do they like your writing style? If yes, then your blog is ready for publishing.
Conclusion
There you have it, proven ways to format a blog post to keep visitors reading and glued to your content for longer. These tips will better the odds of your audience consuming your content, and converting into your loyal fans!
If you still have trouble formatting your blog post, you hire our professional writers to help you with that.
How do you write a blog post for beginners?
The first thing to do is pick a blog name then get your blog online, customize your blog, write and publish your blog and then market your blog post
How do you write a good blog post?
To write a good blog, you must choose your topic and audience wisely, write compelling headlines, ad subheadings, use bullets, add images and do SEO optimization.
What is a good blog length?
An Ideal blog should be 7 minutes which equates to about 1600 words.