Your company blogs are one of the best ways to increase website traffic, build awareness, generate leads, and establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry. A successful article requires far more than just quality writing. Your blog needs to deliver value, so you draw in your readers and keep them coming back for each new article you publish. Here we look at five characteristics of a successfully written blog article.

Focus On Providing Value

Each article you write should be focused on educating and entertaining your prospects. Develop detailed buyer personas and ensure each article focuses solely on one of them. Focus on their major pain points and offer up solutions within your articles. Showcase how your products can help them, but keep the focus on providing value. Each blog should be crafted around one or two long-tailed keywords that are likely to be searched by your target audience.

Use Eye-Catching Images

If you really want to get the attention of your prospects, you'll want to use unique and eye-catching images. This is especially important when you are posting your articles on social media. While stock images serve their purpose, using your own will help you stand out. Original graphics that detail your products' uses and benefits help communicate complex ideas that are difficult to explain using only text. In many cases, the visual aspects of your article are just as important as what you write.

Use Relevant Links To Back Up Your Findings

Whenever you make a statement as fact, make sure you have the data to back it up. Whether it is a statistic or a direct quote from an expert, backing up your findings is essential in building credibility. Be sure to cite sources your audience is familiar with and those that are seen as an authority on the subject matter. Include a link to the website you obtained the information from, as this will help SEO and encourage the source to share your article. Doing your research and citing studies or surveys you've conducted can be equally effective. You want to make sure that any links within your article open to a new tab so your readers do not leave your blog to view the content you are linking to.

Tell Your Story

You don't want to slam your readers with lists of facts and statistics. Turn your article into a story. Personalize it with your own experiences. Find ways to capture the reader's imagination and tap into some of their interests outside of work. When you share a bit of yourself and frame your story in a way that speaks to your reader, your work will come across as more personal and conversational. This builds a level of trust needed throughout the marketing and sales process.

Distribute Your Content

Distribution is perhaps the most overlooked aspect of creating successful blog content. You could write the greatest article in history, but it will matter very little if you can't get it in front of your target audience. Each article should be posted to your website and social media pages and shared through relevant discussion groups. They should be used in email campaigns and even leveraged through pay-per-click advertising. Don't be afraid to share your articles multiple times across each platform and keep them updated.

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