This article is written by Ali Luke, subject matter expert at ProBlogger.
Over the past few years, I have conducted numerous blog reviews for other writers. It’s always a lot of fun reading other people’s posts… especially when they cover topics that are totally new to me!
But along the way, I’ve noticed that there are five essential elements that far too many bloggers forget in their articles.
Could your posts be missing some of these elements as well?
They are:
1. Crochet
2. Subtitles
3. Transitions
4. Links
5. The conclusion
#1: The hook
I’ve never seen a blog post without an introduction. However, I have seen many articles with introductions that are too long and without a hook: a compelling reason for the reader to continue.
Here’s an example of a good hook, from Laney Galligan’s post 5 Ways to Use Facebook Groups to Profit from Your Blog:
That’s right, over a billion people use Facebook groups. This is where conversation and community happens and is something you can easily create for your blog.
Laney clearly lays out the benefits (Facebook is where “conversation and community happens”) and also implicitly promises that this article will teach the reader how to “create easily” [that] for your blog.
The first few sentences of your message should also convince the reader that your message is worthwhile.
#2: Subtitles
Very short blog posts (say less than 400 words) don’t need subheadings. However, anything longer can normally benefit from being divided into sections.
If your post lacks subtitles, it’s easy for the reader to get lost halfway through. When this happens, there’s a good chance they’ll stop reading. Subtitles are useful because they act as signposts: they tell the reader where they are and what is coming next.
For more help with subtitles, check out my podcast for ProBlogger, How to Use Subheadings to Add Structure to Your Blog Posts.
#3: Transitions
A transition is like a small bridge from one thought to another. Sometimes you don’t need a transition at all (a subtitle can essentially serve the same purpose). If your message seems disjointed or abrupt in places, you may need to add a quick transition.
Often a transition is useful before any major new section of your message. They can also be used to enter lists.
Here are some examples from Nicole Avery’s post How to Reduce Your Time on Social Media to Increase Your Blog Productivity – you may want to read the entire article to see how this works in context:
In my opinion, social media negatively impacts blogger productivity in two different ways.
How does this behavior on social media impact their productivity? This impacts it in three main ways:
This doesn’t mean you can’t have a presence on social media, it just means you need to take a more planned and proactive approach to how you go about it. Here are two actions you can take to help:
#4: Links
Even if it is not absolutely essential To ensure your post contains links, it’s almost always a good idea to include at least one. Internal links (to your own blog) and external links (to other websites) are important.
- Links to past posts on your blog help readers dig in…and stick around.
- Linking to articles on other people’s blogs positions you as a helpful and knowledgeable person.
- Links to your products or services help you make more sales.
- Linking to books on Amazon can generate affiliate income – and also make you seem helpful and knowledgeable.
It is often appropriate to include links throughout your post, usually to provide more information on a particular point. If you quote someone or give an example, you must also provide a link.
Sometimes you may not have many opportunities to build links in an article (or you may not want to distract readers – for example in a how-to article): if this is the case, you can include “further reading” or “where next?” » suggestions at the end.
#5: The conclusion
Of all the missing items, this is probably the one that seems the most forgotten! However, if you end your message too abruptly, not only does it seem strangely abrupt to readers… but it robs you of a great chance to direct their next actions.
There are several ways to approach the conclusion: personally, I think it is good to summarize briefly (even if only in one sentence), and to make a “call to action”. You can learn more about these in the ProBlogger podcast episode How to write an article with a call to action.
Here’s an example conclusion that encourages the reader to take action based on the content – taken from Colin Gray’s post How to get your first podcast sponsorship:
If you’re looking to get started, but sponsoring your blog is a step too far, give your podcast a try. Build a relationship there and who knows, it might lead to your blog, your video channel, your social media.
If it gives you the time and space to devote time to the content you love, providing more and more value to your readers, then it’s worth an ad spot or two. Try it!
When you’re busy writing a blog post, it can be difficult to think of everything you need to include…you’re probably in a hurry to write down all your ideas.
However, as you edit, use these five essentials as a checklist: Make sure you’ve included them – or have a really good reason not to!
Which of these five elements are you inadvertently missing? How could you include it in your next post? Share your thoughts or tips with us in the comments!