If I call them secrets, people seem to pay more attention. However, there really are no secrets. Everything you need to know is right in front of you. It’s just a matter of sorting it out and putting it in a format you can easily process. With that said – I’ll be providing you with a series of three posts that piece it all together in simple, easy to process, steps.

The Beginning:

1. Choose a catchy title. Titles go a long way. Think of your title as the bait that gets people to the blog. Posts with numbers seem to work well too. Especially weird or odd numbers.
2. A picture per blog post. Pictures draw your eye, whether or not you want it to. People are simply wired like that. I use a variety of free resources if I can’t provide my own images. Flickr and Stock Exchange are great places to get images. (Make sure you give them credit)
3. Start by asking a question. When you do that, readers stop and think about the question. But more importantly, it shifts their mind to the “what’s in it for me” mode. Everyone loves a solution.
4. Break it Up! Use of an H3 tag (html speak) title repeating the top title is a method that gives the eye natural breaks.
5. Write something useful for your readers. Readers want information they can use to improve themselves or their business.
6. Keep it short! People just don’t read long posts. While there are exceptions – the general rule of thumb is short and simple wins.
7. Write “unfinished” posts. Providing a means that others can add to invites participation. This could be as simple as asking for ideas or getting feedback of reader experiences are.
8. Use an editorial calendar. Write down the TYPE of blog posts you’ve written and those you intend to write. This helps prevent recurring posts, and gives some variety to what you’re writing that readers will enjoy. It’s no fun when a topic grows stale.

In the next post, I’ll visit a few technical tips to help you improve your blog community.