by Barbara McNichol

Are you looking at blogging to drive leads to your business? If so, how can you write your blog posts to achieve that?

Let me offer you three tips that won’t guarantee new clients knocking at your door, but they will help you put your ideas out there persuasively.

1. Write remarkable headlines that zero in on your prospects’ problem.

Often, the only thing a potential reader sees is that headline, so it must have its own magnet to attract readers. Styles of headlines can take the form of:

• A question or puzzle (How Well Do You Sleep at Night?)

• An active command (Make the Most of the Season Now)

• An urgent need to avoid something (Don’t Live with Pain Another Day)

Remember, when you share your post with others or through social media, your headline gets seen first. If it’s not compelling, your post won’t get opened.

2. Use bulleted lists to get your points across.

Why include bullet points in your post? Because they:

• make the information easy to scan quickly

• allow readers to quickly find a reference when they go back

• can be lightning-fast easy to understand when they’re simply written

Here are two suggestions for writing your bullets clearly and concisely:

• Use bold or italics to accentuate key words in your bulleted sentences.

• Start each bullet point with the same part of speech (always a verb or a noun, not mixed) or you risk setting up confusion.

3. End with a strong, clear call to action.

Everything you write in your post points to its purpose—what you want your readers to do, think, believe, or remember as a result of reading it. So after you’ve made your case, be sure to summarize it briefly at the end in a call to action.

I suggest crafting it by stating it as a command—e.g., Attend this meeting—and be sure to include a benefit—or you’ll miss out on airing your opinions about this critical issue.

One more thing: Make it your standard to request readers share the post with others and/or leave a comment. Engaging them by asking for their opinions makes reading fun—and meaningful—for all.

Please share your tips to writing client-attracting blog posts.