How to Write Blog Posts that Convert by @slideberry

by Ling Wong

If you are using blogging as part of your content marketing strategy, you need to make sure that it is more than a weekly writing exercise.

Coming up with a long list of ideas to write about is a good start, but certainly not enough.

How can we create a filter and a framework so these various ideas can be weaved together in a meaningful way, so they can help us boost our expert status and generate high-quality leads?

We need to find the topics that matter.

Matter to whom?

There are three parts to this equation: YOU, Your Audience (aka, ideal clients or niche) and Your Business.

1. What Matters to YOU

If you feel like punching the clock when you sit down to write, your readers can sense the lack of excitement and enthusiasm.

On the other hand, if you infuse your value, passion, conviction, and superpowers into your writing, the energy is contagious – it’s the good stuff that makes connection and drives conversion.

So what matters to YOU? What riles you up? What can’t you stop talking about? What is important for you within the broader realm that your business belongs in?

(E.g. weight loss is a broad topic… but YOUR idea of healthy weight loss is probably very different from the company selling fad diet pills. You would want to take a stand in this matter and share YOUR point of view.)

The service or products you sell is the “what”, and what is your WHY?

Why the heck did you go into business in the first place? What do you stand for? What is the one thing you want to be known for?

When you are able to find what excites you, you will be able to tie everything you write together into ONE cohesive message that is true to who you want to BE in your business.

2. What Matters to Your Audience (aka Your Niche)

Since we are talking about using blogging to support your marketing effort and grow your business, we have to look at those you serve (and will pay for your stuff.)

You can be writing the most epic content on the planet, but if it’s not relevant to your ideal clients, they won’t care. Ouch, I know.

To be relevant, your content needs to address a problem for which they are actively seeking solution. You need to know what they want, and how they talk about it.

What is the “first impression” you make? When they see your article title, are they going to click through and read the post?

There are many courses out there on writing “headlines that sell” so I am not going to belabor it here.

But writing “headlines that sell” to get your ideal clients to click through is only the first step.

You want not only traffic, but also CONVERSION.

Many can write good headlines, but what makes your readers buy YOUR stuff?

Secret lies in nailing the words that sell. The words that create…

Resonance. Emotional Connection.

These are the magic sauce that makes YOU unique in the eyes of your ideal clients.

When they establish the connection with you, when they are inspired by and believe in your WHY, they won’t be making decision solely based on “price” and “features” of your products and services, so you are making “competition” a non-issue.

Resonance and emotional connection rarely happen in a day, on through one post.

You have to show up consistently – if you can’t show up for your peeps, how can you expect them to show up for you?

You need to be honest, vulnerable and transparent (in areas that are relevant… we are not going about throwing tantrums or doing whine-fests) – which requires that we overcome our own fears so we can be ourselves, fully and unapologetic.

And you need to use the words that connect you with your readers while letting your personality and excitement come through.

It’s not just the facts, it’s not just want you say, but how you say it, that makes a difference.

3. What Matters to Your Business

There is nothing self-gratuitous when we use blogging as part of a content marketing strategy.

You need to get clear on your business goals and objectives, so you can design your content around what’s happening in your business.

If you are launching a product or program, how are you going to design and schedule content to support the marketing effort and put you in the path of the potential buyers?

If you are trying to increase your exposure through guest blogging, which sites do you pitch, and how are you going to position your content so it’s relevant to their audience?

If you have plan to write a book and need a list to support the launch, how can you use blogging as a way to build your list of subscribers and how are you going to nurture the leads through on-going effort?

When you get clear on your objectives, you can design a plan so you can stop chasing the bright shiny objects and do what matters – including choosing the blog topics that will help grow your business.

Over to you – what is the most challenging thing for you to find the topics that convert? What can you do to make it easier? Share in the comment below.

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Ling is an Intuitive Brainiac. Through her unique blend of Business + Marketing coaching with a Mindset + Psychic Twist, she helps the highly creative, intuitive, multi-talented and multi-passionate maverick solo-entrepreneurs distill ALL their big ideas into ONE cohesive Message, nail the WORDS that sell and design a Plan to cut the busywork and do what matters, through her intuitive yet rigorous iterative process born out of her Harvard Design School training and 10 years of experience in the online marketing industry.

Find Ling and grab her free “How to Find YOUR Winning Formula” Training Series at http://business-soulwork.com/ywf-free/

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