The Self-Care Mom

Taking your blog to the next level means improving the content on your website.

You hear the word, “killer” a lot in the content marketing world, but what exactly does it mean? According to Michael Hyatt, blogger at MichaelHyatt.com and author of Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World, a killer blog post is a post that performs well based on views, comments and shares. In a recent webcast, Hyatt shares his tips to creating a killer blog post. 

To help illustrate the importance of creating a killer blog post, Hyatt discussed seven steps. Below is a summary of all seven, along with tips on how to execute each one:

Focus on the readers. Most of the time, your readers are thinking “this is a great post, but what is in it for me?” And honestly, this is how they should be thinking. After all, your readers are at the center of your universe — in this case, your blog.

Hyatt suggested conducting a survey among your readers to help better understand your audience. “Once you have collected the data, write a blog post highlighting the data you learned from your survey,” he added.

Be authentic. Being who you are is enough, according to Hyatt. I strongly agree. No one wants to see the exact replica of something else. Plus, you are fabulous! Why would you try to hide your awesomeness?

Craft an irresistible headline. Before someone clicks to read a post, their eyes are drawn to the headline. Hyatt used the analogy of catching a fish: “The headline is the bait.” You can use templates for your headlines, such as the number headline (The Top 14 Posts of 2014), a provocative question headline (Why Killer Content Matters), or the how-to headline (How To Create A Killer Blog Post). 

Include a relevant photo. For some people, it is all about the image. And most times, the image is what draws readers to want to look at the headline. “Some people are more visual by nature,” noted Hyatt. “If you do not have the money to spend on stock images, head over to Flickr. Just make sure to attribute the source.”

When using images on blogs, Hyatt advises bloggers shy away from using cliche images. Cliche images, according to Hyatt, are those you see everywhere, such as two hands shaking or the drop of water.

Lead with a personal story. Whenever you are trying to get a point across, it is best to share a personal encounter. Telling a personal story is authentic, and it helps readers not only better understand your point, but it also becomes memorable.

“Be vulnerable,” said Hyatt. “Tell the things you would rather not tell. This creates an unbelievable connection [with readers].”

He added: “Often the thing you are trying to hide is the thing that would give you the biggest breakthrough — if you would share it.”

To help bloggers share life-changing events in their lives, Hyatt suggests they make a list of all the stories they can remember, even the painful ones, and keep a journal of new experiences.

Write scannable copy. Having paragraph after paragraph of great content will only make your audience think twice about taking the time out of their busy lives to read it. It is no secret that readers are scanning posts, and they need to find something that gauges their interest.

Hyatt advises bloggers do this: “Break the content into bite-sized chunks, but whatever you do, be brief!” He added: “Use subheads, bullets and/or numbers.”

Make your posts easy to share. If you add social share buttons to your post, there is a high chance your readers will share it with their peers on social channels. Displaying the comment and share counts helps create social authority and makes others want to share you content, according to Hyatt.

Do you have your own recipe to creating killer blog posts? Share it below!