1. Create Smart and Attractive Headlines

Use relevant keywords to your topic, but don’t try to write just for SEO reasons with big amount of popular keywords. Smart headline must have one or two powerful words like Awesome, Incredible or Free. You can find a lot of useful headline formulas here 102 Proven Social Media Headline Formulas by Chris Garrett. These compiled headlines you can use for blog posts, email marketing and tweets.

5 Secrets To Writing Explosive Headlines (The Experts Won’t Tell You) – Very smart and crazy tips.

8 Secrets To Writing Killer Post Titles – Useful tips to help you create killer post titles.

2. Write Interesting First Sentences

Write attractive and interesting first sentences. It’s very important because reader will find useful information and will continue reading. You can start by asking your readers exciting question or you can start by your opinion to concrete topic. If first sentences will be interesting reader will be engaged and don’t leave your post.

3. Get to the Point

Just get to the point, don’t try to write essay or poetry. Blogging isn’t philosophy. Use the K.I.S.S. rule (Keep it simple, short). Readers scan information so don’t try to impress them with big paragraphs or they will go away. Stay away from circle writing.

4. Know What Your Readers Want

When you are posting an article think like reader, that means answer the interesting questions, share your opinion, ideas. Try to write about your interests, for example if can’t understand new trends try to explore them.

5. Use Lists

This easy tip will make your post:

1) Easy to scan

2) Easy to read

3) Easy to understand

4) Easy to remember

6. Write From Your Own Experience

Don’t try to write about other niches or about things that you haven’t met ever. If you are interested in web design don’t write about freelance web designers if you don’t have experience about that. If you are writing from your experience your post will be unique, more attractive and more interesting to read.

7. Use images in posts

If you want to attract more attention to post you must use interesting and related to post topic illustrations. Images in post  helps to reader to imagine and understand  what you’re talking about.

8. Ask the community

Start a discussion with your readers,  stay sociable, friendly and you will make new friends, followers and loyal readers. It’s not difficult to start an interesting discussion, just stay creative and think good topic to discuss. For example Mike as probably all of you knows that content is king so he decided to start a discussion about design connection with design. You can read this interesting article here: If Content is Really King, Then What is Design?

9. Check for Spelling, Grammar Mistakes

This is important action to avoid stupid mistakes and keep your content in highest level. For the spell checking I use SpellJax.

10. Review It

This action is very important, you must review your post 2-3 times to make sure that you have done all the best that you can.

Article illustration by Sancho Papa.

By the starting discussion I would like to share my tips for finding inspiration for blog post topic like this. I’d like to hear your ways for finding inspiration for post topics. Share your experince in comments.

Forget your blog

It sounds crazy because everyone who own a blog thinking about it. Don’t check your blog stats for day or more, don’t visit your blog and try to forget it. It’s great way to clean your mind and see that world exists and without your blog. Watch TV, read a book, play game or do anything out of your blog.

Read other blogs

This is one of the best way to find inspiration for a new post topic. I like to read design blogs because my niche is design related but sometimes I read about sport, technologies and other interesting topics that aren’t related with my niche. It’s useful because you fill your minds with new information and you extend your writing range.

Get out from home

Stay away from your computer for a while. You can take a walk in a park or take a trip for example to meet your old friend. Just get out from home to breathe fresh air and feel natural forces. You’ll feel refreshed and relaxed. I promise.

Check archives and find old topic that you can renew

Check your blog archives and find topics that you can renew and write fresh content. If you haven’t big archive check other blog’s archives and you’ll find a new topic to write. Also you can check social networks like digg, designbump, designmoo archives, there are tons of undiscovered and interesting topics to write about.

Listen to your favorite music

I love to listen to my favorite music when I’m surfing Internet or reading blogs but it’s not the same to listen music by doing nothing. Just sitting, listening and dreaming that is what about I’m talking. In my case trance music is the best for thing like this.

Read meaningful quotes

It’s easy and effective. When I read meaningful quote I feel that I learnt something new, discovered the other side of ordinary things and of course feel inspired.

Jad Limcaco from Design Informer has some beautiful typography works with inspirational quotes on Design Daily 365. For more design related quotes check Quotes on Design, 80+ Inspiring Quotes about Design, Design Quotes.

Your opinion

What do you think about listed tips? Where do you find inspiration for blog post topics? I would like to hear your thoughts. Join the discussion and help others sharing your tips.

1. Snowy RSS Icon

Winter style RSS icon will help you to attract more subscribers to your blog. And the best thing is elegant icon will add Christmas mood. Here is the list of Christmas icons.

25 Icon Sets to cheer Christmas Celebrations!

Christmas Special – Free Social Networking Icons – 1

Christmas Special Social Networking Icons – 2

35 Beautiful Set of Christmas Icons for This Holiday Season

2. Christmas Twitter Icon

Beautiful and decorated twitter icon is a great way to gain more followers. You can find Twitter icons for Christmas here: Merry Tweetmas Twitter Icons, PSDFAN Exclusive Christmas Icon Set.

3. Christmas Hat on Your Logo

This trick is very old but it works. As you can see WebDesignFan’s logo is decorated with small Christmas hat. Very clean, simple and beautiful.For Christmas hat icons check this collection: 250 Christmas Icons to Decorate Your Blog.

4. Nice Snow Plugin

This is a great way to add winter effect to your blog. You can add amazing snow effect to your blog by following this tutorial – WordPress essentials: animated snowy Christmas header.

5. Host a Giveaway

Before Christmas all of us are waiting for presents. Host a giveaway or contest for your readers. Lam Nguyen informing about giveaways around the design community you can check this useful collection here: Collection Of Awesome Christmas Giveaways Around The Web Design Community.

Don’t forget to enter our billing software subscriptions giveaway: Invoicera Partners with WebDesignFan for an Exciting Giveaway!

If you don’t have prizes it can be an ad space on your blog or free review. Be creative.

6. Christmas Background

Christmas background on your blog is probably the easiest way to effectively decorate your blog. You can a lot of background decorating techniques here: Backgounds in WordPress, Tips and Examples.

7. Create Something for Free

If you are a designer create something for free for your readers. For example you can design a web layout and release it to download for free. Don’t you think it would be great Cristmas gift for your readers?

Your Opinion

Do you have any tricks, tips on decorating blog for Cristmas? Share your thoughts in comments.

*Article illustration by Ionut Zamfir from Romania.

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