If you blog – whether for pleasure, profit, or a mix of both – then you've probably got a decent handle on blog post structure. You have an introduction to your posts that engages readers, then you get into the main body of what you want to
say.
One crucial part of your structure, though, is really easy to miss. In fact, when I've reviewed blog posts, this has consistently been the most common mistake I see.
You don't have any sort of conclusion.
Here's what that looks like in practice. Let's say your post is titled "Ten Ways to Fit More Writing Into Your Day". You start off with a few lines introducing the problem that most of
your readers face – being busy yet wanting to have more time to write. Then you launch into your list, going from #1 – #10.
And then you stop, straight after you've finished #10. Because you're done ... right?
I know it often feels that way as the writer: you've said everything you want to say! But to the reader, this can feel like an oddly abrupt ending. It also doesn't give them much idea of what to do
next.
This also means you're missing a huge opportunity to nudge your readers towards what you want them to do. Even if you're not blogging in a "pro" way, you'd probably like more comments or feedback. So ask!
A great way to end most posts is with a sentence along these lines:
Which of these will you try this week? Or do you have another great way to squeeze in more writing time? Let us know in the
comments.
Some bloggers feel this comes across as a bit needy – like you're begging people to leave a comment. But from your reader's perspective, you're helping them focus and you're giving them an invitation to share their thoughts (which many people need – they won't necessarily think to comment, otherwise).
Quick terminology aside: this type of conclusion is often described as a "call to action"
(particularly in copywriting circles) as you're asking the reader to take a specific action.
Of course, inviting comments is far from the only way to end a blog post. You could, instead:
- Offer further reading suggestions – on your blog or on other people's blogs. Yes, this could end up sending people away from your blog, but it can generate a ton of goodwill from grateful bloggers who you've linked to, and it's genuinely useful for
readres.
- Sum up what you've said – particularly for a long post. Some bloggers even subtitle this section "Conclusion" or "Summing Up" or even a jokey "TL;DR" ("too long, didn't read").
- Point readers towards one of your books (or services or other products) that's relevant to the post they've just read. This can be a great way to boost sales or get new customers, and it's helpful to readers who may not realise those resources exist.
Or you can do something
entirely different! What matters is that you have a conclusion, and that you at least think about what you'd like the reader to do after reading your post.
Next time you read a blog post, check to see whether it has a conclusion. If it does, do you find the conclusion helpful? If it doesn't, how would you have ended it?
I'll be writing about blog post structuring on the Aliventures blog on Monday, so keep an eye out for that
post. If you don't already get posts direct to your email inbox and you'd like to, just go to
www.aliventures.com and enter your email address in the "Get Blog Updates Straight to Your Inbox" box in the sidebar.
