Blogs: We all read them. Some of us write them.  You see them shared on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest.  The topics can be personal (parenting tales or stories of job strife) or instructional (how to decorate your kitchen or whip up a soufflé). But whatever the content or reason, blogs are a popular way to share information, communicate with a particular audience or just entertain.

So how do you write – or publish – a blog that reaches out, educates and gets shared? How do you write a blog that gets results?  One of the main goals for writing blogs should be to get it shared on social media, found in search engines and commented on, right?  That’s why your blogs need to be written with one thing in mind: Would I share this or talk about it with my own friends and family? If the answer is yes, then you know you’ve hit on a hot topic that will benefit and enhance your profiles, image and Web site.

Sounds easy, right? But getting words, ideas and messaging written in a clear, concise manner is no easy task.

Here are five ways to make your blog posts better and more popular

1.  Be authentic: Talk to your target audience. If you can, BE a member of your target audience. Audiences can sniff out phony writing or sloppy editing. One of the best ways to get the creative juices flowing is to brainstorm: Start coming up with ideas that get YOU excited and enthusiastic. After all, you are seeking to connect and engage with your customers, clients and patients by writing on topics that are meaningful, timely, informative and enjoyable. The best litmus test is to ask: Am I interested? Do I want to talk about this with a friend over coffee? Would I share this over the dinner table with my spouse or partner?

2. Rigorously filter: You have to keep your finger on the pulse at all times. When writing a solid, interesting blog, you need to be relentlessly objective so topics don’t sound stale, boring or old. Your blog posts should “live” on your Web site for a while, to optimize search engine capabilities, and not become stale and irrelevant.

3. Be human: It’s OK – recommended even – to appeal to your audience’s emotional side. Tell a story. You want to engage your audience, encourage them to share their own stories and touch their lives. Remember, these blogs should make your clients, patients and customers FEEL something. Personal anecdotes, results/stories from other clients or customers (with permission of course) and relatable ideas and experiences are a must.

4. Blogs aren’t just written: In addition to writing blogs, consider doing videos – posted on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube – to give a visual instruction and personal touch. Videos are important because people enjoy searching for how-tos and also because it puts a face – a real, smiling face – to your brand or company.

5. Think like a journalist: You read the news, right? Watch TV? What kinds of stories grab you or make you really do a deep dive when you are reading or watching? When researching topics, you need to ask: What is the national conversation? What is popular? What are people talking about? What would I read and then share or reTweet on my personal pages?

Each blog should be tailored to a specific purpose, while working to engage with YOUR unique audience. You really need to do your homework: Reacquaint yourself with your location, mission and audience to ensure that you are reaching the folks who are best served by the content.

Writing high-quality, timely blogs is the best way to connect – and reconnect – with your clients, patients and audience. Our social media experts are trained to write compelling, visually interesting blogs that get attention and raise the profile of your brand.

We’d love to hear from you: Tell us your favorite blogs or bloggers or just share what topics YOU’D love to read about! For more information on how to hire our team to help spread the word about your company or product, contact Hay There Social Media.

Blog post written by Hay There Social Media Team Member, Korie Wilkins.