There are two types of bloggers – those who blog because they think they’re supposed to and those who blog with intent. If you’re blogging because you think you’re supposed to, you’re likely not getting the response you desire. If you’re blogging with intent, then great! Both types of bloggers can benefit by embracing a few tips to improve their blog posts and the bottom line.

#1 Identify a Clear and Concise Goal for Each Blog Post

Every piece of content that you create – whether it’s a video, email, report, or a blog post – should have a goal. That goal may be something to make people laugh. It may be to drive traffic to a sales page. Or a goal might be to provide value and boost your credibility. Identify the goal for the blog post before you write. Then write the post so that it supports your end goal.

#2 Create a Plan of Action before You Write Your Blog Post

Many people often blog from the hip. They sit down and write whatever comes into their imagination. This is a perfectly fine way to write a rough draft. However, it’s also a time-consuming way to create a blog post. A more efficient and potentially productive way is to plan.

You need two things to begin planning a post. You need a goal and a topic. Once you have those, the next step is easy. List the subtopics or points you want to make in your post.

For example, if your topic is “ten things to do with beets,” then list all ten things and a few quick keywords to include in your list. One way to make it easy to write from a blog plan or outline is to write your subtopics in the form of questions. For example, “how can I use beets to dye my clothes?” When you get ready to write the blog post, all you have to do is answer the question.

#3 Add Interest and Value with Personal Examples

As you’re creating your blog post plan, you may also want to brainstorm how you might share personal examples or stories within the blog. Personalizing the content helps your readers connect with you.

#4 Add Credibility with Examples and Data

Add interest and credibility by citing facts and information. You can reference statistics or quote an expert in your industry. Whenever you do use data, always be sure to reference the source and give credit to the appropriate people.

#5 Start the Blog Post with a Quote

Quotes often pull your reader right into the material because they can appreciate and relate to the quote. However, you may not want to use this tactic all the time