Writing a blog post can be daunting and quite intimidating. With all the little formatting decisions to make, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the entire process.
Fortunately, this guide contains all the key techniques you need to know to format your blog posts effectively to engage readers and keep them coming back for more.
We’ll cover everything from understanding basic HTML codes and adding images or videos to your blog posts to tips on writing titles that grab attention. Let’s get started.
Start with a strong title
A great title is the best way to capture a reader’s attention and ensure your blog post gets read. A good title should be concise, descriptive, and catchy. It should also include keywords that you want to rank for in search engine results pages (SERP).
When crafting a powerful headline, make sure it accurately reflects what the article is about. It should be interesting and informative as well as attention-grabbing and concise.
Also, ensure that your title is between six to twelve words in length; anything longer increases the risk of being truncated in SERPs or social media posts.
When including keywords, ensure they are relevant to your post’s content and used sparingly. The last thing you want is to make your title keyword-stuffed and difficult to read. Instead, opt for natural-sounding wording that flows well with the subject matter.
If you’re having trouble coming up with a great title, take some time to brainstorm ideas or look at other popular blog posts in your niche for inspiration.
Finally, use descriptive adjectives and action verbs to create powerful titles to draw readers in. By following these tips, you can ensure your blog posts are off to a great start with strong titles.
Ultimately, the goal for your title is to have it read quickly and easily while being informative enough to give the readers an idea of what’s inside. The title should provide a sense of anticipation and entice them to click through to your blog post.
Investing time and thought into crafting the perfect title for each article can draw readers in and create buzz around your blog posts.
Make your blog post skimmable
When writing blog posts, it is important to make them skimmable. Skimmability refers to how easy it is for readers to scan a piece of content and understand what it’s about.
Since many people read blogs on their phones or skim through articles quickly, making your blog post skimmable can help you reach more readers.
One of the best ways to make your blog post skimmable is through formatting. Headings, subheadings, bullet points, and bold words or phrases can help readers quickly understand the content.
This also helps break up large chunks of text into easier-to-digest pieces. Additionally, visuals such as images and graphics can add context and break up long text sections.
Using shorter sentences is also an effective way to make blog posts skimmable. When crafting your blog post, aim for sentences under 20 words. Including one-sentence paragraphs also helps give readers a better visual understanding of the content
. Keeping your paragraphs short—no more than three or four sentences—also helps readers quickly understand what you are saying.
Finally, it’s important to keep your blog post concise. While long-form content can be effective, try to limit the length of your blog posts as much as possible and focus on getting your point across in an efficient way.
If additional information needs to be included, consider linking to external sources so readers can find out more.
Include a table of contents
Table of Contents blog posts are a great way to organize and structure your content. They allow readers to quickly jump to the section they’re most interested in without needing to sift through paragraphs of text. Plus, search engines love them.
Creating a Table of Contents isn’t difficult but requires some planning. To start, identify the key topics of your post and create a bulleted list of them. Then, give each topic its section in the post and provide an anchor link (aka a hyperlink) to that section in the Table of Contents.
When adding headings and other formatting elements to your blog post, use HTML tags such as H1, H2, and H3. This will help search engines better understand the structure and hierarchy of your content.
Including an introductory paragraph before the Table of Contents is also advisable so readers know what they will learn (and why it matters).
When formatting your actual Table of Contents, use short titles that accurately convey the topic of each section. Also, add anchor links to each item so readers can easily scroll to that section (or click on the link and be taken directly there).
Additionally, consider including a brief description for each item in your Table of Contents to help orient and excite readers about what they’re about to learn.
Add strong visuals
Strong visuals can be a great way to add interest and draw readers to a blog post. Visual elements, such as photographs, illustrations, videos, infographics, and other forms of media, can capture the reader’s attention better than plain text. They can help bring ideas alive for readers, illustrate concepts more easily than words alone, and break up long blocks of text.
When choosing visuals for your blog post, finding relevant and high-quality images is important. Look for clear, visually appealing images that can help convey a message or illustrate your post’s point. Always be sure to use visuals that are legally sourced, as well as follow copyright regulations.
When you’ve selected the visuals, carefully place them throughout your post. Ensure that the images provide a nice break from blocks of text and visually guide readers through your blog post. In addition, be mindful of how large a file size the image is to ensure that it will maintain the loading time for readers.
Stick to readable fonts
When it comes to blog post formatting, one of the most important things to keep in mind is the font you choose. The right font can make your content easier to read, no matter how great the content may be.
Stick with fonts that are considered readable and clean, such as Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri. Fonts like Verdana and Georgia are also considered readable and often used in blog posts.
When choosing a font, make sure it is large enough to be legible. Smaller fonts can be difficult to read on some screens and can cause your audience to struggle when reading your content. Use a font size of at least 16 points for body text and 14 points for headlines.
FAQs
What is the structure of the blog format?
The structure of a blog post typically includes an introduction, the main body, and a conclusion. The introduction should give readers a brief overview of what they can expect to read in your blog post. The main body should contain the content you are trying to convey, such as facts, arguments, stories, or anecdotes.
What are the best font sizes to use in blog posts?
When choosing a font size for your blog post, it is important to ensure that it is large enough to be easily readable but manageable enough for the reader. A good rule of thumb is to use font sizes between 12-14 points. This allows for a comfortable reading experience without overwhelming the reader with too much text.
What visuals are best to use in blog posts?
Visuals are an important part of any blog post and can greatly enhance its readability. Images, videos, diagrams, graphs, and other illustrations can convey information in an engaging and visually appealing way.
What is a call-to-action (CTA)?
A call-to-action (CTA) is an instruction or suggestion that encourages the reader to take some action. In blog posts, CTAs are typically used to direct the reader to a link, download, or purchase. An effective CTA should be clear and easy to understand so readers can take action quickly and easily.
What techniques are used in a blog?
Blog post techniques vary depending on the type of blog and its purpose, but some basic techniques can be used to create a well-formatted and engaging blog post. These include using a strong title, making the post skimmable with subheadings, adding visuals, choosing readable fonts, including relevant links, and highlighting your CTA.
Conclusion
To summarize, a well-written blog post is an invaluable tool to share knowledge and engage with your audience. It is essential to create strong titles that draw attention and evoke immersion when reading the content, which needs to be structured in a skimmable way.
Finally, include relevant links throughout the content and highlight the call to action at the end of every blog post you publish. With this in mind, you will create high-quality content professionally formatted and pleasing to your viewers.
