3 Crucial Elements of Well-Written Blog Posts

Posted: 14 Sep 2010 09:17 PM PDT

This is a guest post by Bamboo Forest. If you want to guest post on this blog, check out the guidelines here.

The feeling of finishing a great post is without compare. Just before clicking the publish button you're filled with the ecstasy of newlyweds, anticipating comments will roll in and your trackback list will circle the globe many times.

Your ecstasy vanishes, however, when you notice the low number of click-throughs and tweets your post has received because you didn't fulfill one of the three requirements that skilled and successful bloggers implement every time.

Let's take a look at them…

1. Is my headline great?

Those few words at the beginning of your blog post can be the difference between the post being read and spread like a virus through the web like a wild fire and it languishing in your archives, barely noticed. ~Darren Rowse

Never publish before you're convinced your headline is effective. If you say to yourself, "I think it will do," then delay publishing your hard work until you come up with one you're certain is effective.

Here are my three Jedi tricks to help you craft great headlines:

A. Every time you read a post from a blog known for writing great headlines, read the headline aloud. Ask yourself why it's magnetic and compels you to click it. If you ask this question with enough headlines, the answers will start to pour into your mind and your headlines will soon begin to reflect the tactics that those headlines use.

B. Open your reader and visualize your headline being immersed in all the others. Does it compel you to click it?

Another thing you can do is make a list of effective headlines from blogs and paste them into a word document. Now, sandwich your headline among the proven headlines. If you were scanning these headlines, would yours stand out or at least compete? If not, devise a better one.

C. When I'm having difficulty coming up with a good headline for an important guest post, I sometimes ask a skilled writer for advice on the ones I've crafted. He or she will give me an honest critique and then offer some suggestions as well. This strategy is worlds better than relying solely on yourself if that means settling on a mediocre headline.

Now that you've checked off having a great headline, let's move onto…

2. Does my opening draw the reader deeper into my post?

Where the headline is the most important part of your post, the opening is the second most important.

You can have the most awe-inspiring copy in the middle of your post while having an opening that makes the idea of studying the dictionary more appealing. If you want people to continue reading after they've finished the first few lines, don't mess this part up.

A great headline mixed with a lame opening is like inviting someone into your house, only to slam the door in their face as they approach ~Brian Clark

I've recently learned that it's not imperative to write the introduction prior to beginning your post. In fact, being adamant about doing so can compromise your productivity. If you're having trouble coming up with a killer opening, skip it! First write the rest of your post and then as Carl Natale says, "go back and write the introduction that fits into the whole writing."

It's never worth having an amazing post that's tainted by a lackluster opening. Make your entire post exude greatness.

Now you've got the reader by the throat, awesome! But what about the ending…?

3. Does my ending leave pleasant residue?

While the headline and the opening are vital to your post's success, don't underestimate the importance of the close. If your whole piece is a work of art and ends with a lame final sentence, you've just tarnished what could've really wowed your readers.

The positive reason for ending well is that a good last sentence–or last paragraph–is a joy in itself. It gives the reader a lift, and it lingers when the article is over. ~William Zinsser

A good ending leaves residue. Whether that's writing something unexpected, posing a question, or leaving with a compelling last thought, you know when it's done right.

About the Author: Bamboo Forest co-founded Wealthy Walrus, a site that begs the question–what would you do for a million dollars? He also created Tick Tock Timer, an online timer that helps make bloggers ridiculously productive.

Original Post: 3 Crucial Elements of Well-Written Blog Posts

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