Written by Kipp Bodnar

Some of the most common blogging advice is to write great posts. The problem is that few experts (if any) actually go into detail about how to actually write compelling and interesting blog posts. That ends today. Today, we are going to review the elements of great blog posts so you can use these traits to write the best blog post ever.

Part of writing amazing content is being willing to ignore previous assumptions of blogging best practices. Here are common blogging assumptions to ignore on your quest for the perfect blog post.

1. Length Matters – The number of words in your blog post doesn’t matter and is not a predictive indicator of the success of a piece of content. The truth is that people have been successful with all variations of blog post lengths. Brian Solis tends to write long, in-depth blog posts while Seth Godin usually sticks to very short posts. Both have been very successful, which helps demonstrate that length simply doesn’t matter.

2. Comments Matter – Maximizing the number of comments for a blog post should not be your goal. The goal of your business blog is to drive visits, leads, and customers. As Dan Zarrella recently pointed out, comments do not contribute to these important metrics on which a blog should be measured. Comments don’t matter.

3. Perfection Matters – Yes, grammar is important in a blog post. Yes, the idea must be conveyed clearly. However, perfection is the enemy of great business blogging. Being timely tops being perfect. Publishing content on time even if it is only very good and not perfect is critical to great blogging. Blogging is an iterative process. The more you blog, the better you understand your content and your audience. Perfection stops blogging progress and ultimately doesn’t matter.

Now that we have outlined what doesn’t matter, let’s instead focus on the key characteristics that, when combined, make the best business blog post ever written.

7 Traits of Great Blog Posts

1. Actionable – Whether they found the blog post through a search engine, an email, or a social network share, the core reason people click through to an article is to solve a problem. What makes people share a post with others is the actionable insight it provides to solve a problem. Provide clear takeaways and actionable steps in blog posts to ensure your idea resonates with readers.

2. Combined Relevance – Metaphors are a timeless storytelling element. Don’t leave metaphors to novelists. They should be an active part of blog posts. Comparing two seemingly different things and drawing connections between them is a valuable way to combine relevance and generate more intense interest in a subject.

3. Urgent – Journalists write articles based on who, what, when, why, and how. As a blogger, answering the “why” isn’t enough. Instead, it is critical to answer “why now?” The web is flooded with content. Content that is urgent and timely wins in the race for attention.

4. Visual – Making a blog post visual doesn’t mean filling it with images and videos (not that video and images aren’t important in blog posts). However, they aren’t the only ways to make a blog post visual. Use section headers, numbers, bullets, and other text elements to make it easy for readers to understand your idea quickly.

5. Solution-Based – As we said earlier in this post, on the web, people are looking for solutions. Products aren’t solutions. They are part of a solution. Don’t cram a blog post full of product content. Instead, provide educational content that runs parallel to your product offering.

6. Entertaining – Informative doesn’t mean boring. Just because you sell sheet metal, doesn’t mean your business blog can’t also be entertaining. Have your shop crew make some fun and timely creations out of sheet metal and post an image or video of each new creation. Have someone outside your company review your blog post to check for entertainment.

7. Definitive – Great blog posts aren’t meek or subtle. They are clear, direct, and definitive. Take a stand, make strong word choices, and don’t waver on your advice. Be the expert on your topic.

How do you write great blog posts?

Photo Credit: cliff1066™

Bonus: took my niece to a safari today… nailed it

Written by jamiDLcruz

 

Signs and signals to watch out for when marital bliss is near.

You’ve been together for awhile now, and things are starting to feel serious. If you’re thinking he’s marriage material, it’s possible that he’s thinking along the same lines. Look for 7 signs that he’s about the pop the question, and find out how to respond so you can get the ring you really want.

1. The Future

If he’s suddenly bringing up the future and asking you about long-term plans and goals, the thought of marriage has probably entered his mind. It’s a good sign that he’s looking forward and asking you questions, because that means his plans include the two of you.

2. Getting to Know You

Is he suddenly quizzing you about how many kids you might want to have, what you think of private school, your thoughts on women who stay at home with the kids? If he’s showing an increased interest in your moral values and family plans, you can take it as a sign that he’s thinking about long-term commitment.

3. Finances

When he starts to show an unprecedented interest in your finances, it’s a sure sign that something’s going on. Money matters are very important, and he may be fishing for information that will help him make a more informed ring-buying decision. Hold nothing back and give him a clear picture when he asks you aboutfinances…but try not to give the game away.

4. Missing Ring

Has one of your rings mysteriously disappeared? Don’t fill out the police report just yet. A missing ring is a strong sign that he’s thinking about making a life-altering purchase sometime soon. He may go looking through your jewelry to find a correct ring size, so your newest ring will fit when he pops the question.

5. Mr. Perfect Syndrome

Lots of almost-grooms begin behaving strangely just before they pop the question. If he suddenly takes an interest in cooking, cleaning and taking out the trash, he may be trying to show you what a great husband he’d be. He might also start to bring up his career prospects and finances, a self-confidence-building mechanism that many men use subconsciously. He wants you to know that he’s a good catch, so you’ll say yes when he asks the big question.

6. Mr. Romantic Arrives

If he’s suddenly offering foot rubs free of charge and bringing you little gifts “just because,” he may be trying to set a romantic, pre-proposal mood. He might be trying to put you in a receptive, happy state of mind, so you’ll be that much more likely to say yes when he finally proposes.

7. Random Questions Game

Is he asking you weird questions all of a sudden about your favorite flower, favorite place, favorite moment? There’s a lot of pressure on men to create an unforgettable “will you marry me” moment, and he may be searching for material so he can do just that for you.

Get Your Style

Once you start to get that special, he’s-about-to-ask feeling, it’s time to start dropping a few hints of your own. If you have any girlfriends who have a ring similar to the one you want, tell them to slip it on and come on over — while your potential fiance is around, of course. Exclaim over your friend’s ring within his hearing, commenting on the specific features of the ring you like. It’s okay to be a little over-the-top with this; some men need really, really strong hints.

Look up celebrity engagement rings online and find the ones you like. Casually show these off to your guy, pointing out the details you like about the rings you’ve selected. Always say the name of the celebrity! Men may not remember phrases like “emerald cut” or “princess setting,” but they’ll remember the likes of Kate Hudson and Carmen Electra.

If you’re pretty sure your guy can’t be trusted to make the ring-buying decision alone, launch a campaign for the assistant ring-shopper of your choice. Whether it’s a best friend or a relative, start a conversation about how So-and-So has such wonderful taste and always gets you the best presents. Praise her shopping skills and mention how strong your trust in her is. Make sure you talk to your friend about your secret campaign, because she may provide your guy with ring-buying tips and suggestions even if she doesn’t make the trip with him to the jewelry store.

Keep searching for the 7 signs that he’s about to pop the question, and make sure some of them have actually happened before you start randomly talking rings. Bringing up the subject of engagement rings from Robbins Brothers, or otherwise, before he’s ready could lead to the opposite of a marriage proposal.

Bonus: Girlfriend asked me to make a list of things I want to do with her this summer. I don’t think she found it as awesome as I did.