If you want your blog to attract new readers, maintain people’s attention until the end, and rank well on search engines … you need to make your blog easy to read.
Maybe that’s hard for you. If so, you’re in good company, my friend.
By the time I graduated college, I was pretty good at writing academic prose professors loved. I followed all the grammar rules, cited my sources meticulously, and explained my arguments and methods in excruciating detail.
But when I got hired at a Christian magazine, I quickly realized online readers didn’t want to read my thesis—or anything that resembled it.
They wanted to get to the good stuff. And they wanted it quickly.
If you struggle with clunky writing, here are a few tips I’ve learned along the way. These have greatly helped me in learning how to write in a way that makes people want to keep reading.
1. Write your blog like you talk.
“In conclusion, the writing method to which many of the most reputable online authors and content developers ascribe requires that one research how consumers of online publications verbalize their thoughts and emotions and subsequently write in a like manner.”
Stop it. You don’t talk like that.
Instead, try: “Many of the best bloggers write the way people talk.”
Write your blog like you’re talking to a friend. Granted, your writing should be a little cleaner since we tend to get pretty lazy with our grammar when we’re speaking.
But still. Make your blog easy to read by letting it feel like a genuine conversation.
2. Use headings often.
Headings (like the ones I’m using throughout this article) make the structure of your blog super easy to follow.
People don’t have to expend as much energy trying to figure out where your article is going when you have huge signposts (headings) to guide them.
They’re also helpful because people often skim an article before they actually read it word for word. If they like what they see in your headings, they are more likely to actually read your blog in its entirety.
And lastly, headings break up the monotony of gray in your blog. They add much-needed white space, giving your readers a chance to process what they read.
Here’s a great article about the importance of white space on your blog.
3. Write in short sentences and short paragraphs.
Speaking of white space, another way to get more of it is by keeping your sentences and paragraphs short. Sometimes that means your paragraphs are only one or two sentences long. Sometimes just a couple words.
The horror.
No, seriously. It was really hard for me to write short paragraphs at first because the grammar freak in me knew it broke the rules.
But that’s OK. Do it anyway.
4. Make it practical.
One of the major reasons people read blogs or look up articles online is because they want a solution to their problem.
Naturally, they’re looking for articles that can solve those problems with practical advice.
An easy way to make your writing more practical is to write with the readers’ pain point in mind. Then offer your solution.
Use examples while you’re teaching your solution. Help your readers visualize the step you’re telling them to take. Tell stories of people who did (or didn’t do) what you’re teaching.
5. End with a call to action.
You readers want to walk away from your blog with at least one thing they can do to improve their condition.
Make that one thing super clear.
You can also end with telling your reader to do something that will take them deeper into your brand. For instance, sometimes I end my blogs by asking readers to share the article. Or I direct them to my Facebook page and ask them to connect with me.
Blogs are an excellent way to nurture your relationship with your readers. Use it!
OK, now that you have five new steps to make your blogs easier to read, I want you to do something.
Go back to one of your blogs and check to make sure it follows the five steps I’ve outlined in this article. If it doesn’t, then revise it and read it out loud.
I guarantee it will be a great improvement.
Until next time!
P.S. Here are a few other articles I’ve written that will help you craft a blog that people will love to read:
Top 17 Grammar Errors Christian Writers Make
How Long Should My Blog Post Be?
3 Terrible Ways to Intro Your Blog
Jenny Rose is a freelance copywriter and content marketer specializing in B2B marketing, real estate, and accounting. She's written for clients like AAA, Edward Jones, Flyhomes, Guild Education, and more. Her writing has also appeared in publications like Business Insider and GOBankingRates.
