How can you write a blog post that is widely shared?

Understanding your audience extends beyond demographics to their psychographics, behaviors, and content preferences. Analyze their motivations, preferred communication channels, and feedback. Adapt your content strategy iteratively to align with their evolving needs. By tailoring your blog posts to resonate deeply with your audience, you'll inspire them to share, engage, and take action.

For content to be widely shared, it needs to offer something the target audiences thinks their connections will appreciate. So you need to understand what your target audience cares about (which gets them to read) and values (which gets them to share).

I have found that there are three key ways to write a blog that will be widely shared: 1. Write a blog that is timely and focused on a critical topic of interest or importance (i.e. AI). 2. Write something unique for your audience. For example, I have written an annual blog post on accounting Halloween costumes that does very well, it gets eyeballs from our intended audience, doesn't dilute our brand voice, and keeps us top of mind for needs. 3. Addresses a common challenge or issue faced by your intended audience. Focusing on one of these three things adds diversity to your blog, but targets your intended user.

1. Craft valuable and engaging content tailored to your audience. 2. Use attention-grabbing headlines and opening paragraphs. 3. Incorporate visuals like images or videos for shareability. 4. Keep content digestible with bullet points and subheadings. 5. Optimize for SEO to improve visibility on search engines. 6. Promote actively on social media and relevant online communities.

Choosing a topic and title for your blog post entails more than just relevance and clarity. It's an opportunity to inject creativity and innovation. Consider offering a fresh perspective or unique angle on a familiar topic. By presenting a novel viewpoint, you can intrigue your audience, stimulate conversation, and differentiate your content from others in the field. This approach not only captures attention but also establishes your authority and thought leadership within your niche.

You can often see find topics your audience base already cares about with a little media monitoring! What are they saying in your comments, reviews, and surveys? In what contexts is your brand mentioned online? What are some common questions or misconceptions you see related to your product or service? And once you get more established with the publishing process, how can you expand on the knowledge you're providing to establish yourself as an industry expert/leader?

Three simple things that NEVER failed me, when it comes to widely shared content: 1. Check the trends to find the topic people are already widely discussing or just starting the conversation: use a social listening tool, or a trend platform like TrendHunter, Google Trends, etc. 2. Involve opinion leaders with a big social audience, get their comments, or ask them to write a guest article for your blog. Mention them in your social media post with the link to the article. 3. Create a list of products/companies/influencers and also mention them on social media, when sharing your article. But target medium-size influencers, not 1M+ followers.

Crafting an engaging introduction goes beyond mere hooking; it's about forging an immediate connection with your readers. Consider integrating an element of interactive storytelling. Rather than just presenting information, immerse your audience in a narrative that resonates with their experiences or aspirations. By weaving a compelling story into your introduction, you not only captivate their attention but also create an emotional bond that compels them to continue reading. This approach not only sets the tone for your blog post but also fosters a deeper engagement with your audience from the outset.

Start with a compelling hook that grabs the reader's attention. This could be a thought-provoking question, a surprising fact, or a relatable anecdote. Next, provide a brief overview of what the blog post will cover, highlighting the value it will offer to the reader. Finally, consider ending the intro with a teaser or a cliffhanger to entice the reader to continue reading.

1. Utilize Visual Aids: Incorporate subheadings, bullet points, lists, images, charts, and graphs. These elements break up large blocks of text, making your post visually appealing and easier to digest. 2. Incorporate Engaging Elements: Use transitions smoothly to connect ideas, and enrich your content with examples, quotes, or anecdotes. These elements not only bolster your arguments but also keep readers engaged and more likely to share your content. 3. Ensure Clarity and Brevity: Aim for simplicity and clarity in your writing. Avoid jargon and complex language that could alienate readers. A clear and concise approach makes your content accessible to a wider audience and increases its shareability.

Clarity is kindness. Answer "what's in it for me?" for the reader up front. This means, don't save your conclusion for the end. In the military, we used BLUF -- bottom line up front -- to indicate a particular stance or position before we dove into the details surrounding we got there. BLUF doesn't provide a summary, but the actual conclusion of your information upfront. It can work in any setting, though, from internal memos, recommendations to executives, PR pitches, content marketing, and more.

On Linkedin, share the blog post with a picture of you looking thoughtful and explain why you first were doomed to fail but then miraculously succeeded. On X, say that you have felt oppressed by a left-wing tyranny and now have the courage to speak out. On Instagram, make a reel with the two cats. Okay, this might help increase the reach of your blog post, but in order to make people stay and come back to your blog, you really need know your audience, provide good content and tailor your social media strategy to your respective audience.

Be relatable, be authentic, be yourself. I believe these are the key points that make a blog post a winner. Nowadays, people are consuming content more than ever before, and the only way to make your content unique is to let your personality shine. I know it’s tempting to consider AI tools for content development (it’s faster!), but people are starting to tell the difference between AI-generated content and human-drafted content. There is no harm in using these tools for support, such as proofreading - it’s actually encouraged, but always let the core of your piece shine with originality.