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This post is by ProBlogger subject matter expert Ali Luke<\/em><\/p>\n Over the past few years, I\u2019ve conducted a lot of blog reviews for fellow writers. It\u2019s always great fun to read other people\u2019s posts \u2026 especially when they\u2019re on topics that are totally new to me!<\/p>\n Along the way, though, I\u2019ve noticed that there are five critical elements that far too many bloggers miss out of their posts.<\/span><\/p>\n Could your posts be missing any of these too?<\/p>\n They are:<\/p>\n 1.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0The Hook<\/p>\n 2.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Subheadings<\/p>\n 3.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Transitions<\/p>\n 4.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Links<\/p>\n 5.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0The Conclusion<\/p>\n I\u2019ve never seen a blog post that didn\u2019t have an introduction. I\u2019ve seen plenty of posts, though, that had over-long introductions without a hook: a compelling reason for the reader to keep going.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s an example of a good hook, from Laney Galligan\u2019s post 5 Ways You Can Use Facebook Groups to Benefit Your Blog<\/a><\/span>:<\/p>\n That\u2019s right, more than 1 billion people are using Facebook groups. That\u2019s where the conversation and community is happening and it\u2019s something you can easily create for your blog.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Laney makes the benefits clear (Facebook is where \u201cthe conversation and community is happening\u201d) and also makes an implicit promise that this post will teach the reader how to \u201ceasily create [that] for your blog\u201d.<\/p>\n The first few sentences of your post, too, need to convince the reader that your post is worth their time.<\/p>\n Very<\/span>\u00a0short blog posts (say, under 400 words) don\u2019t need subheadings. Anything longer, though, can normally benefit from being broken into sections.<\/p>\n If your post is missing subheadings, it\u2019s easy for the reader to get lost midway. \u00a0When that happens, chances are, they\u2019ll stop reading. Subheadings help because they act like signposts: they tell the reader where they are and what\u2019s coming next.<\/p>\n For more help with subheadings, check out my podcast for ProBlogger,\u00a0<\/a>How to Use Subheadings to Add Structure to Your Blog Posts<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n A transition is like a little bridge from one thought to another. Sometimes, you don\u2019t need a transition at all (a subheading can essentially serve the same purpose). If your post feels disjointed or abrupt in places, though, you may need to add in a quick transition.<\/p>\n Often, a transition is helpful before any major new section of your post. They can also be used to introduce lists.<\/p>\n Here are some examples, from Nicole Avery\u2019s post\u00a0<\/a>How to Reduce Your Time on Social Media to Increase Your Blogging Productivity<\/a><\/span>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0you might want to read the whole post to see how these work in context:<\/p>\n There are two different ways that I see social media impact bloggers\u2019 productivity negatively.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n How does this behaviour on social media impact their productivity? It impacts it in three key ways:<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n It doesn\u2019t mean that you can\u2019t be on social media, it just means you need to take a more planned and proactive approach to how you go about it. Here are two actions you can take to help you:<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n While it\u2019s not absolutely essential<\/span>\u00a0for your post to contain links, it\u2019s almost always a good idea to include at least one. Both internal links (to your own blog) and external links (to other websites) matter.<\/p>\n It\u2019s often appropriate to include links throughout your post, usually to give more information about a particular point. If you quote someone or give an example, you should provide a link too.<\/p>\n Sometimes, you might not have many opportunities to link within a post (or you may not want to distract readers \u2013 e.g. in a how-to post): if that\u2019s the case, you could include some \u201cfurther reading\u201d or \u201cwhere next?\u201d suggestions at the end.<\/p>\n Of all the missing elements, this is probably the one that seems to get left off the most! If you finish your post too suddenly, though, it not only seems weirdly abrupt to readers \u2026 it robs you of a great chance to direct their next actions.<\/p>\n There are several ways to tackle the conclusion: personally, I think it\u2019s good to sum up briefly (if only in a sentence), and to give a \u201ccall to action\u201d. You can find out more about those in the ProBlogger podcast episode\u00a0<\/a>How to Write a Post That Contains a Call to Action<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s an example of a conclusion that encourages the reader to take action based on the content \u2013 this is from Colin Gray\u2019s post\u00a0<\/a>How to Get Your First Podcast Sponsorship<\/a><\/span>:<\/p>\n If you\u2019re looking to dip your toe in the waters, but sponsoring your blog is a step too far, then try your podcast. Build a relationship there and who knows, it might lead to your blog, your video channel, your social media.<\/p>\n If that gives you the time and the space to spend time on the content you love, offering more and more value to your readers, then it\u2019s worth an ad spot or two. Give it a shot!<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n When you\u2019re busy writing a blog post, it can be difficult to think about everything you need to include \u2026 you\u2019re probably hurrying just to get all your ideas down.<\/p>\n As you edit, though, use these five critical elements as a checklist: make sure you\u2019ve included each one \u2013 or that you\u2019ve got a very good reason not to!<\/span><\/p>\n Which of these five elements do you find yourself inadvertently missing out? How could you include it in your next post? Share your thoughts or tips with us in the comments!<\/p>\n \t\t\t<\/div>\n#1: The Hook<\/span><\/h2>\n
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#2: Subheadings<\/span><\/h2>\n
#3: Transitions<\/span><\/h2>\n
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#4: Links<\/span><\/h2>\n
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#5: The Conclusion<\/span><\/h2>\n
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