How to Write Blog Posts That Actually Convert Readers into Customers

You’re following all the “best practice” criteria to improve web visibility and sales. You’re blogging, doing outreach to earn authority links, and promoting your content on social media.

Your traffic is slowly increasing, but now there’s one dismal fact that needs to be addressed – even with an increase in traffic, your sales may not be rapidly increasing. Your might be getting clicks and comments, but none of your readers seem to be buying anything.

Clearly something is wrong. You’re putting in the work, adding consistent content that is relevant to your brand and your readers – so what gives? If the ROI on your blog isn’t matching up with what you expected, it’s time to take a hard look at the type of content you are creating.

It might be good- but is it great?

Most of us have heard of Content Shock. So much content is being created that it’s hard to get your visitors full attention and harder still to get them to perform a call to action. It’s imperative that, when you finally get them to your, you do everything in your power to connect with their need or pain point so you can move them along the buying funnel.

Here are 5 steps to maximize the value of every single visitor:

1. Choose a MEMORABLE and Catchy Headline

When you chose to read this post, it was only after the headline intrigued you, right?

Almost 3 million blog posts are uploaded a day. Your readers have a lot of choices. Give them a reason to choose you instead of scrolling down their Facebook feed for a blog with a catchier headline that grabs their interest.

So how do you make a superior headline? Dedicate as much time creating it as you do the actual content of the post – a 50/50 split.

Remember – Readers want to know what value they’d be getting out of reading your content. So make your headline clear and useful to them.

Also keep it short, under 70 characters. This doesn’t mean you leave out anything that is going to be relevant to the reader, but it does mean removing extra words that are simply clutter;

2. Hook the Reader

If your reader made it past the headline, you’ve already won a battle – 80% won’t. But now that they’ve clicked on your post, your first sentence needs to hook them. In fact, William Zinsser claims “The most important sentence in any article is the first one.”

A few ways to do this are with probing questions, interesting facts or statistics, a reference to something topical or an end to a story you’re about to reveal. It all depends on what the rest of your content entails.

3. Create A Story

Buffer did a test with two version of a blog. One was all about the facts, and the other segued into the content by way of storytelling. The story version got 300% more readers. Don’t just pitch something to your readers and expect them to buy.

Entertain your consumer and take them on a journey. Stories instill emotion, and if a reader is feeling emotionally connected to your content, it makes sense they’ll be more invested in what you have to say.

4. Provide Proof

You want your reader to trust you. Saying “Research shows 25% more people like pink than orange” is going to sound more believable than “More people like pink than orange.” Back up your claims.

Be careful which statistics you feature. If you see a trusted government website post a fact, you’re probably going to believe it over a claim from a small blog you’ve never heard of right?

Stick to reputable websites for fact finding and bookmark useful ones for future use.

5. Create A Call to Action

So you’ve got the viewer to actually read past your headline, hooked them in with your story-telling stories, and provided facts. Great! What now?

Great calls to action in emails get 371% more clicks. Don’t let your reader click away and forget about your company. Give them an action that is easy to do and related to what you’ve just told them about.

It doesn’t have to be as direct as buying your product, although you could opt for that too. Common calls to action include signing up for an email list, taking a survey, sharing a link, or downloading additional content.

Things to Remember

Throughout your writing process, think about why a customer makes a purchase. There are some fundamental questions they need answered: Why do I need/want this product? Why should I buy it now? And why should I buy it from YOU?

At the same time, balance these answers with content that is genuinely useful and interesting. Your reader will know if they’re just reading a sales pitch. Provide them with something entertaining and informative that will make them take the next step.

Your reader may not convert the first time they read. That’s why every single post you make has to be great, not just good. Be patient, follow these steps, and watch those readers convert.