Blogs have become mainstream on the Internet. Stats show that more than 2 million blogs get published on the web every day, and that is quite a lot actually. With content marketers leaving no stone unturned to promote their businesses, it is time you tinkered around with your blog to make it more fascinating. Before moving on to the 8 formatting tips that could take your conversion game up a few notches, here are some stats about blogs and reader engagement to leave you in awe.
- Websites that have blogs record 434% more indexed pages (so blog away!)
- Statista predicts the number of bloggers in the USA to reach more than 31.7 million in 2020 (that’s a lot of blogging!)
- 43% of readers skim through blog posts (so it is imperative that you stand out)
- Around 36% of users prefer list-type blog posts and headlines (just like this one)
- Blogs with images are 94% more likely to be viewed by readers (well, we all love visual content)
8 blog formatting tips to make your day
If you intend on using plain typeface or a drab background for your blog, not many people will want to read it, irrespective of how awesome the content is. Formatting goes hand-in-hand with great content, and here are 8 tricks to make your blogs more interesting and engaging for users. Implement these tips and you will see a marked rise in engagement metrics for your blog, making conversion rates shoot through the roof.
1. Blogs and the background
Choosing a fascinating background for your blog is imperative, if you want your content to stand out. Solid coloured or a combination of images and icons, select a background that is in harmony with what you wish to convey. A suitable background helps your posts become more readable, and have loads of appeal when it comes to your target audience.
We come across thousands of pages on the Internet every day, yet we only read a few. If you have a great background for your posts, the chances are that readers will be curious to actually read your post instead of moving on to others. Creating a perfect background depends on choosing the right concoction of colours, CSS or images. Download the following background creator tools, and get cracking on perfecting what presents the best backdrop for your blog.
Tools: Canva, Paletton, Adobe Photoshop
2. Images and icons to liven it up
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and we cannot agree more. Visual content ranks the highest among all forms of content in 2018, and if you want to make the most of it, you better look for high-quality and relevant images to add to your blogs.
Adding icons to your blogs (accompanying pointers, for example) also helps in providing a fresh look to it. Readers love visual content and are more likely to read through your entire post as opposed to text-only posts. The following tools will help you with finding the best and most suitable images and icons for your blogs that add life to your posts. Spruce up your blogs with icons and images, and see your readers make a beeline to read all that you have to say!
Tools: Pixabay, Noun Project, PicMonkey
3. Fonts and typefaces matter (more than you know)
Choosing the right typeface for your blog is imperative if you want to increase your conversion rates. Readers will scroll on or click out of your website if you present your content with a hard-to-read or irrelevant font. Font type, size and colour – all of these matter when you are selecting a font for your blog, so make sure you choose well.
The wrong font or colour can put off people faster than you think. If you choose to disagree, change the font colour to neon green and font size to 8px, and you’ll know what I am talking about. The same goes for typeface. You wouldn’t want your readers passing on a brilliantly written blog on greenhouse effect because you chose Monotype Corsiva for the post, right? Save your readers the pain of having to scroll through blogs with annoying font size, colour or type. Make use of the tools mentioned here to ensure higher conversion rates with more readers visiting and staying on your site longer.
Tools: FFFFALLBACK, DaFont, WhatTheFont
4. On colours and using them wisely
Be it for the background or the text, colours matter when it comes to making your blog popular among your readers. Pick colours that look good together and add a unique twist to your blog. Make sure that they are different and experiment with colour schemes to keep things interesting. You can use them for a variety of purposes like adding contrast to the background, differentiating between sections, or setting your CTAs apart. However, the things you should keep in mind when choosing the colour scheme for your blog are the theme colours of your brand, the content of the post and complementing hues. Take help from the following tools to add a vibrant note to your blog today!
Tools: Coolors, Khroma, COLOURlovers
5. Infographics all the way (‘cause they are the real deal nowadays)
Our brains simply cannot have enough of visual content. With 70% of visual receptors in our eyes, we take just 150 milliseconds to recognise a symbol and 100 milliseconds to assign a meaning to it. Hence, we can process visual information 60,000 times faster. Our brains are designed to retain 80% of the visuals that we see as compared to 20% of what we read. So, the best way to get a firm hold of your readers’ mind is to offer them some interesting visuals in your blogs. Turning your blogs into an infographic is a super-cool idea. You can get the following tools to help you make one in a jiffy!
Tools: Venngage, PiktoChart, Visme
6. Expert comments and highlights
We get it. Your blog is, after all, your blog. While there is no denying that you should serve original and resourceful content that your readers can benefit from, including an expert take every now and then won’t hurt either. Readers swear by “expert advice”, so make sure that you have a few of them tucked away neatly among your blogs. However, the trick is in making your readers sit up and notice when you do include an expert comment on your blog.
Use special formatting techniques such as highlights of a different background colour, or maybe even a slightly different/ larger font or typeface, whichever works for you. Whatever you do, make sure that the expert excerpts stand out in your blog so that readers can find it when scrolling through the content.
7. Creative CTAs to engage readers
Simply asking the readers to place an order for your e-book or subscribing to your email list does not cut it these days. We live in the age of the Internet, and when it is swamped with all-too-familiar content every day, we choose to give the uninteresting ones a pass. Around 2 million blogs are posted on the Internet each day, and you can stand out from the rest with creative CTAs (call to action). While clicking on CTAs will ultimately have your readers subscribing to your newsletter, try framing them in with more creativity. Placements and colours matter when it comes to CTAs, so make sure you are paying attention to these factors.
8. Readable and engaging content
All hail formatting, but those tricks won’t work if you do not make your content readable. With readers having to deal with a continuous onslaught of blogs on the Internet every day, make sure you spend time to create awesome content. Among other factors, readability depends on typeface and white space, and you should be going that extra mile to ensure that you dish up great content that your readers can never have enough of. The primary areas of readability that matter for bloggers in 2018 are as follows.
- Plagiarism issues
- Impeccable grammar
- Readability score
Thanks to the all-powerful Internet, you can have a quick fix to those issues as well. Use the digital tools mentioned below to improve the readability of your blogs. Also, do not forget to include loads of white space so that your blog does not give your readers a headache with lengthy paragraphs.
Tools: MyAssignmenthelp.com, Toggl, Hemingway
Parting words
Brilliant backgrounds and impressive fonts can turn the tables for your blog, starting today! That is precisely why you must stick to the 8 formatting tips shared above, and ensure that your blog never has to go down the oh-so-boring lane. Pick up your pace with engaging content and fascinating visual elements to create the perfect mix that helps in bringing in those visitors. Watch as conversion rates grow by leaps and bounds, all thanks to your glorious efforts at making your blog even more interesting for your readers. Good luck with all the tinkering around!
