Well-written blogs are still 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 blog article requires far more than quality writing to drive leads and increase revenue. Here we have outlined five easy-to-nail components of a successfully written blog.

Focus On Your Target Audience

Each article you write should be aimed at educating and entertaining your prospects and target audience. You need to develop detailed buyer personas based on your ideal customer and ensure each article you write is solely focused on an interest that one of them would have. Focus on their major pain points and offer up solutions within your articles. Showcase how your products can help them, but keep in mind the focus needs to be on providing value to your audience.

Cite Your Sources

Whenever you make a statement as fact instead of opinion, make sure you have some kind of data to back it up. Whether a statistic or a direct quote from an expert, citing your findings is essential in building credibility. Be sure to cite sources that your audience is familiar with and that are seen as an authority on the subject matter. Include a hyperlink 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.

Use Original Graphics And Images

If you really want to get the attention of your prospects, you'll want to use your own original graphics and images. You do not want to saturate your page with stock photos or images they may have seen before. This could make your brand seem ingenuine and untrustworthy. 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.

Tell A Story

You don't want to inundate your readers with lists of facts and statistics all the time. While sometimes the facts and figures are enticing and informative, many customers want to do business with a brand they can connect with, and an easy way to make a connection is by telling a story they can relate to. Personalize your blog 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 that is needed throughout the marketing and sales process.

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