If you have ever looked up marketing tips online, chances are you have come across at least a dozen people telling you to start a blog. What they do not tell you, however, is how to actually write one. Because while anyone can write a blog, not everyone will want to read it, and the whole purpose of driving traffic to your web page will come to nothing.

So how do we write a compelling blog post?

Be Useful

First and foremost, be useful. The key to writing blog posts that users want to read is to cover something that is relevant to people, something that adds value. And when people benefit from what you have written, they are likely to come back for more.

This is the reason why you should only blog on topics you are personally experienced in, as only then can you give real advice that you know works. For other topics, consider hiring writers (or asking your friends to pitch in) with the relevant knowledge.

Be Honest

Second, be honest. A blog post should not read like an advertisement. While it’s okay to highlight the strengths of your product, do not go overboard, and don’t shirk from mentioning some of the competition as well. Reader’s appreciate honesty, and that builds a more long-lasting audience then possible with mere clickbait.

This also means that you should refrain from sugarcoating your own performance, acknowledge your faults, and better yet, inform readers of the steps being taken to overcome them.

Know Your Audience

Third, and this ties in with the previous two, know who you are writing for. You cannot produce relevant content if you are writing for the wrong audience. Understand the target demographic.

Are the typical users of your products trendy millennials, or middle-aged executives? The answer to this question should decide everything about your blog, from the style, theme, to the actual topics covered themselves.

Be Yourself

And lastly, don’t forget to write your own opinions as well. Just because you are writing for your business does not mean that you have to spout common wisdom; people value opinions and good advice, so be yourself.

If you take a look at some of the better performing blogs out there, you would see a common theme running through all of them; each oozes personality of the author. Readers are not out there for generic information, but rather originality.

Addendum: Get Your Own Domain

This may seem trivial, but hosting your blog on your own domain is very important. A domain like ‘abc.wordpress.com’ does not inspire confidence. It denotes that you did not (or could not) spend your resources on the blog, but only threw it together somehow for the sole purpose of attracting some views.

Do not skimp on this front. Your blog should seem professional, and a big part of that is the design and semantics of the page in question. Cut down on spending on other fronts if you have to, heck, use your car to get hold of some quick finance if you have to, but acquire a domain name of your own. Believe me, you will see a noticeable effect in no time at all.