By Hector Cisneros
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| Photo Credit: keepbouncing.com |
Would you like to know writing secrets of three successful
writers? Would it be useful if you know their tricks of the trade, the elements
they use to capture a reader’s attention, captivating them to read on and to be
engrossed to the very end of your article? If that’s what you’re looking for, this second
segment of Blogging 101 will deliver that in spades. It will provide the real tips
and tricks of the trade provided by Carl Weiss, Robert Kaye and myself,
successfully published writers and authors all. So get comfy and dig in to read Working the
Web to Win’s “Learning the Tricks of the Trade - Part 2 of Blogging 101.”
For this article, I went to my colleagues at Working the Web to Win to gather their
best tips and tricks. All of us write unique content every week and also ghost
write for clients on a regular basis. I’ll
start with Carl’s tips as this is where my search began. When I asked Carl his
best Tricks of the Trade, he provided these:
Carl’s Top Tips & Tricks
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| Photo Credit: marketingtechblog.com |
Carl’s #1 Trick of the Trade is create a "Killer Title." “Without a great title, most
people won't read any further,” he says. There is no question that if you can’t
gain the reader’s attention, they won’t even scan your article at all (unless
they already like you as an author). For example, a clever title on one of Carl's articles reads: "Has Google Given Everyone the Bird with its Pigeon Update?"
Carl’s #2 Trick of the Trade is "Make them an offer they can't
refuse in the opening paragraph.” If the title gets them interested, the opening
paragraph must follow suit. The importance of the opening cannot be
understated. Here you make a compelling
promise to your audience. Or you can “tease them” to read on and by actually
inviting them to continue their journey of discovery with you.
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| Photo Credit: goodmorningcenter.com |
Carl’s 3rd Trick of the Trade is to provide a "Quirky
Conclusion.” If you have read any of Carl’s articles, you know he likes
to get back to his opening premise and come full circle with a quirky punchline
at the end. A great example would be his
article “How to Survive a Big Mac Attack.”
His play on words between Apple (i.e., Mac computers) being hacked and
McDonald’s trade name is clever. He ends the article with the following “quirky
conclusion”: “There is still one tough question that begs to be answered.
As with any Big Mac Attack ... ‘Do you want fries with that?’”
Carl’s last tip is “Always include a video that directly ties
into your story.” Carl loves videos and for good reason. Most people would rather watch a video than
read all the details. With this in mind,
adding a video with a direct tie in to your blog instantly adds more “stickiness.”
He further states that if the video features unique content produced by you or
is about your product or service, it enhances your credibility. However, make
sure that it has a direct tie to your subject.
Who Controls Your Web Traffic?
Here are Robert Kaye’s Primary Trick of the Trade
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| Photo Credit: tnooz.com |
Robert’s #1 Trick of the Trade is "Do
your research, make sure your facts are correct, and that you're
providing quality information." You always want to ensure your information
is accurate and useful. People like opinions,
but they love the facts more. Also,
always give other writers and authors credit when quoting their material. Providing direct hyperlinks is a good habit,
too.
Robert’s Trick of the Trade #2 is "Make
sure the article is visually appealing, good images are very
important." He will scour the web looking for the right picture and/or
image that completes and complements his verbiage in the article. Photographs, images, painting, cartoons, etc.,
are “eye-candy” for the written word. They’re
the frosting on the cake, an element that begs you to take another bite. Robert
also emphasizes that, just like using someone else’s quotation and properly
attributing it, you should also list photo credits for any images you post in
your blog.
Roberts’ 3rd Trick of the Trade is “Make sure you provide ample
subheads and compelling, pithy pull quotes throughout the article.”
Bolded Subheads and Pull Quotes add eye-catching elements that compel readers
to dig into the following paragraphs. They also help break up the text, giving
it some “breathing room.” By spreading
these elements throughout your articles, you lead the reader from idea to idea,
all the way to the end, while at the same time adding to the overall visual
appeal to article and providing additional “white space.”
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| Photo Credit: www.thecreativealliance.com |
Robert also likes to add humor when it’s appropriate.
By adding a little humor here and there with a compelling quote, pun, limerick,
joke, or anecdotal story, you relax the readers and allow them to continue on
with their literary journey. Robert also likes to use alliterations,
onomatopoeias, as well as rhymes.
Hector’s Tricks… if You Want to Call Them That
Now it’s my turn. First,
I agree with Carl’s and Robert’s tips. They’re all very important and should
not be left out of your blog. These first eight elements are so very important
that if you left them out, my four elements would be reduced in value significantly,
cutting your audience size by probably two thirds.
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| Photo Credit: wbridge.hubpages.com |
My #1 Trick of the Trade is do not to trick people. Provide focused, high-quality content and
deliver it to your targeted audience. Don’t
sway far from the focus of your core subject/s, it tends to confuse the
audience. Don’t forget to include relevant keywords throughout the article. Make sure you have others proof and edit your
articles not only for grammar and spelling issues, but also to ensure your
content is consistent, flows well and is on-track. Blogging buddies can be a
big help here. Also make certain you use
the best writing tools you can afford and always strive to improve the quality
of your work.
My 2nd Trick is to include multimedia elements such
as videos, podcasts, animated GIF, pictures, etc. Carl likes videos and
Robert likes great graphics, but they only make up two of the available
elements you can add. Podcasts have
great appeal today, plus you can also add animated gif files, animated videos,
and slides shares. Make sure you provide
credit to the people and places you found the multimedia elements. If the
elements you add are of your own creation, you’ll get bonus points from your
audience.
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| Photo Credit: www.reciprocatellc.com |
My 3rd Trick of the trade is to make
sure you include a call to action at the end of your article. Ask the reader to search your blog for similar
articles, ask them to share this article on social media. Ask them to leave a comment or sign up for
your free eBook, or whatever kind of offer that would be compelling to your
audience.
My 4th Trick is to always include links to your previous
articles. Of course you have to
make sure that you're doing so in a non-deceptive way. Your links must be relevant, topic-appropriate,
and fit into the context and flow of your article. Trying to trick the search
engines ― or worse, your readers ― by adding inappropriate links is like
slapping your audience in the face. It will hurt your credibility.
My last-but-not-least Trick is to always thank your audience and
invite them back. It never ceases
to amaze me how many authors don’t provide this simple courtesy. Be grateful and gracious to your audience.
They are the most important factor for your article. Without your audience, you have nothing, “a
billboard in the deserts of cyberspace” or worse, fire-starting material for someone’s
next cook out. Saying “thank you” fulfils an important psychological need in us
all. Make sure you give thanks… I
guarantee you’ll thank me for telling you to do so.
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| Photo Credit: rdparker.empowernetwork.com |
In this article, I provided a dozen tips and tricks
of the trade that increase a blogs ability to compel and captivate your
audience, to read and share your articles. This is the second installment of an
educational series designed to help novice bloggers and those writers looking
to improve their writing and success online. It contains 12 tips and tricks of
the trade that will propel your writing to the next level. This article will be
followed by an article which covers, “how to market your blog and grow your
audience." Be on the lookout for “Marketing Your Blog in the 21st Century.”
It's the next article in this series.
If you’d like to find more articles like this, read, “Blogging Secrets of the Pros," “The Secrets of Blogging For Dollars”
and “The Magic Formula for Blogging Success: a
Training Series for Bloggers; Part 1: We Start With Commitment – It Succeeds
When Talent Falters”, or enter the words “Blogging” or “Story
Telling” in the search box at the top of this blog to find even
more.
If you found this article useful, please share it with
friends, family, coworkers and associates. If you have something to add related
to this article or have a different opinion, place them in the comments section
below. It’s been my pleasure sharing this information with you. Thanks for
sharing your time with us, it’s been my pleasure sharing this information with
you.
That's my opinion; I look forward to hearing yours.
If you'd like a free copy of our eBook, "Internet Marketing Tips for the 21st Century," please fill in the form below and we'll email it to you. Your information is always kept private and is never sold.
Hector
Cisneros is a partner, COO and Social Media Director for the
award-winning, Internet-based marketing firm, Working the Web to Win, in
Jacksonville, FL. You can connect with him on Twitter, Facebook, Google+,
LinkedIn,
and YouTube.
He’s also the co-host of BlogTalkRadio’s “Working the Web to Win,”
where he and Working the Web to Win’s co-founder, Carl Weiss, make working
the web to win simple for every business. Additionally, Hector is a
syndicated writer on EzineOnline and
is an active blogger (including ghost writing). He's a published author
of two books, "60
Seconds to Success"(available at Amazon and B&N),
and "Internet Marketing for the
21st Century," which you can get by filling out the form above.
He’s also the co-author of the book, “Working
The Web to Win,” which is now available on Amazon.com.
Great Tips! Some of them can even be used in one's day to day life- not just with writing! I love the idea of adding videos, or pictures, to capture the audience's attention!
ReplyDeleteWow! Pow! Blam! Ponk! Zaaaap! Zoom! Swoosh! Ka-pow! Great info in this blog.
ReplyDelete