blogs - Express Writers

How to Add a Blog Feed to Create Meaningful Relationships with Your Readers

January 5, 2021October 7, 2015 by Adam Oakley

This post was updated in December 2019. Do you want to learn how to add a blog feed to your site? Maybe you have the best blog on the web. Your ideas are genius. With your writing, you compel readers to read to the very end of every post. You are relevant and interesting. Unique, even. But it isn’t enough to have the best blog on the web. Because what if visitors read a post, love it, and then never come back to your blog? With social media, instant messaging, and tons of other blogs vying for their attention, it’s even possible they’ll forget your blog. So how do you ensure they read the next thing you post? The answer is by adding a blog feed to your blog. In this post, I’ll show you how to add a blog feed to successfully boost your readership. How to Add a Blog Feed to Create Meaningful Relationships with Your Readers How Adding a Blog Feed Works to Boost Readership 1. Advantages for Blog Readers 2. Advantages for Bloggers How to Add a Blog Feed to Your Site 1. How to Add a Blog Feed to WordPress 2. How to Add a Blog Feed to Blogger [bctt tweet=”If you’ve been publishing for quite some time, you could have already gained fans. ‍♂️How do you keep them close? Add a blog feed to your site to keep them updated with the freshest. @JuliaEMcCoy shows how.” username=”ExpWriters”] How Adding a Blog Feed Works to Boost Readership Before we go into how to add a blog feed, let’s understand how blog feeds work. Blog feeds work using RSS (Rich Site Summary or Really Simple Syndication) technology. Therefore, a blog feed can also be called an RSS feed. RSS feeds were invented to give people ease and convenience when browsing the web. For example, imagine yourself browsing the web. You have a list of your favorite sites. These are blogs and news sites which have content relevant to you. But maybe you love more than 20 sites. How do you find enough time in a day to visit all 20 to check for new updates? The answer is RSS. With RSS, you can get the content of your favorite blogs and websites to come to you. All you need is to find the right RSS reader. When you create an account, you can subscribe to blogs and websites you like. Every time these blogs and websites post something new, it will come straight to your reader. RSS is as simple as that. 1. Advantages for Blog Readers For blog readers, RSS feeds save a lot of time. For instance, maybe you make it your habit to keep up with business trends. You also want a guide on investing and finances. If so, all you need to do is go to your RSS reader and subscribe to sites like Entrepreneur and Forbes. If you choose Feedly for your reader, your feed will look something like this. On the left side, you can view the sites you subscribed to. On the right, you can see all Entrepreneur’s and Forbes’ new posts. You can also search for something specific in your RSS reader. For instance, you can type the keyword ‘real estate’ into the search field provided on the left. Your reader will bring up all real estate-related articles from both Entrepreneur and Forbes. With blog feeds, you can stay updated without wasting time. 2. Advantages for Bloggers As the owner of a website or blog, adding a blog feed will keep your readers from forgetting about you. Once they click the subscribe button on your blog, they get your updates each time you post. Also, if they have their own blogs, they can share your content there. This gives you the chance to get exposure and even more subscribers. Finally, you can benefit from RSS as a blogger because it helps you avoid the email spam folder. While successful email content marketing is a good strategy, some of your emails may be filtered as spam. Having an RSS blog ensures that your content reaches the users who are interested in it. As can be seen, adding a blog feed is the answer to how you can make a mark in today’s vast sea of online content. So now you might be wondering “How to create an RSS feed for my blog?” Here’s your comprehensive guide to doing it yourself. How to Add a Blog Feed to Your Site The good news is you don’t need to be a techy person to add a blog feed to your site. Here’s how to add RSS to your blog on WordPress and Blogger. Need to learn how to craft great SEO content? Download our free guide to SEO content writing secrets here. How to Add a Blog Feed to WordPress The advantage of using WordPress for your blog is that it’s easy to add an RSS feed to it. Since WordPress already does contain RSS for both content and comments, all you need to do is to set things up so readers can easily click subscribe. Here’s how to do it. 1. Find the Location of Your RSS Feed First of all, you need to find where your RSS feed is located. To do this, you can use software like Feedburner. Since it’s owned by Google, you can access it with your Google account. Once you log in, this is what you’ll see. Type the URL of your blog into the given field. Feedburner will then locate your RSS feeds. Select one and click Next. This is what you’ll see. You’re now ready to burn your feed! Select Next on the bottom left of the box. What comes up next is this. In the red box marked above, you can find your feed URL. Copy this URL. 2. Add Your Feed to WordPress On the WordPress platform, select Customize from the left-side toolbar. From there, select Widgets. This will allow … Read more

Repurposing Content: Is It Still Working Today?

June 19, 2024September 9, 2015 by Josh McCoy

Annie is the Content Manager here at Express Writers, has managed multiple teams in the past, and has been a journalist and expert copywriter for years. You want to create great content for your readers but you’re short on time, right? If you haven’t considered repurposing content, it may be time to give recycling your old work a second thought. Be advised, though, that repurposing work doesn’t simply mean copying and pasting or rewriting an old article word by word. In addition to being a waste of time, repurposing content in this fashion will end up being ineffective and frustrating. As the wonderful Mary puts it: Responsible and effective repurposing entails careful reformatting, updating and repackaging in order to reach new audiences or simply revive great content. In addition to stretching your hard-won content further than ever before, carefully repurposing content has the potential to give your site an SEO boost among other things. Here is everything you need to know about repurposing content: Why Repurpose Content? Repurposing content can be a great way to drive more traffic to your site and produce increased reader engagement. Unless a piece of old content has been adequately back-linked by high-traffic sites, there is a definite chance that it isn’t getting as much traffic as it deserves. Repurposing that piece of content can fill it with new life and serve the purpose of simply getting it out in front of your readers again. Additionally, repurposing content in order to develop several pieces of high-quality material around a certain topic can produce an SEO boost. By targeting a specific keyword and producing a high level of quality backlinks from other reputable sites, repurposed content can easily prolong the lifespan of your original post. Additionally, repurposing content can help you extend your site’s reach in order to connect with new audiences who either didn’t see your original work or don’t frequent the media formats in which your original work was published. For example, if you typically write blogs but you take one of your blogs and turn it into a carefully crafted podcast, you have the potential to reach an entire audience of podcast listeners who don’t read blogs but may be very interested in what you have to say. By making sure you are utilizing a multi-channel marketing approach, you stand a better chance of engaging various types of audiences from around the web. Finally, skillfully repurposing old content can help you underline and reinforce your message. Marketing experts have known for decades that, in order for a customer to convert, click or make a purchase, the customer needs to know you and your message well enough to feel as if he or she has a solid sense of what is being promoted through your work. Repurposing content can help reformat and underline your message in order to facilitate better customer understanding and increased conversion rates. How to Determine Which Pieces of Content Should be Repurposed Generally, the content that deserves to rise from the ashes of your collection is evergreen content. Evergreen content is content that is perpetually relevant, regardless of when or where it was published. Repurposing an old post about the then-current happenings of the Clinton administration, for example, will not do much good, unless you are committed to seriously re-working the piece in order to make it relevant to today’s population. Evergreen content, on the other hand, will require little or no heavy-duty re-working in order to be relevant to current audiences. After you’ve determined which content is evergreen, spend some time looking at your analytics software in order to determine which of your evergreen posts have been the most popular. More likely than not, each of these posts will share a common trait that has increased its popularity and made it more readable among your followers. Do your best to identify this this common thread so that you can incorporate it into future blogs. Finally, determine which, if any, materials within these posts need updating. Regardless of how evergreen or popular a post was, chances are it will still be somewhat outdated and will require a bit of work to update the post. The Repurposing Process There are many ways to repurpose content. Contrary to popular belief, however, repurposing content absolutely does not mean that you get to simply copy and paste an old post into a new platform. One of the best ways to repurpose your high-quality content and ensure it stays popular in the future is to transform previously published content by plugging it into a new format. For example, a webinar can become a video tutorial and a blog can be reformatted and dissected in order to become a podcast. By repurposing popular content into new formats, you can ensure that you reach new audiences, drive more traffic and extend your best content to all of your readers through multi-channel marketing. Here are some of the most popular ways to repurpose old content in new formats: Blog Post to How-To Guide If you’ve written a blog post that got a great reader response, consider transforming that blog post into a how-to guide. For example, if your topic of choice is cloud-based marketing tools and you’ve written extensively on the subject of cloud computing, you could create a short how-to guide for companies just getting started with the cloud. Keep in mind that an effective how-to guide should include more pictures and step-by-step information than most blog posts. For maximum visibility, consider uploading your repackaged content to Pinterest or a niche-focused forum for increased reach and more reader engagement. Podcast to Quora Content Quora is a popular online platform for Q & A’s, and it serves as an ideal place to repurpose old Podcast content. Simply take the transcript from the podcast and use pieces of it to ask or answer Quora questions. Doing so can help drive new readers to your site and further establish you as an authority in your area of expertise. PowerPoint … Read more

Blog Content Writing Doesn’t Have to Reinvent the Wheel

January 5, 2021October 10, 2013 by Adam Oakley

Any blog content writing expert will tell you that sometimes, it can feel as though every piece that you write is your first. What’s most baffling about this is that any writer can experience this phenomenon, whether they’ve written the same type of content 10 or 1,000 times. And while we can’t explain why this happens, we can tell you that blog content writing doesn’t have to begin from that unknown place, or make you feel like an amateur. But simplifying this process may mean trying more than a few things before you find one that works for you. How to Simplify Your Content Writing Techniques 1. Calls to Action Aren’t Just for Sales Letters Believe it or not, that seemingly short and tiny blog post has more parts to it than you may think. In addition to the title, which it goes without saying, should do enough to inspire the reader to keep reading, a blog post also needs a call to action, which usually appears at the bottom of the post. What’s interesting about the call to action on a blog post is that you have far fewer chances to get the reader to perform the desired action than you would with the call to action in a sales letter. A long-form sales letter may have 5, 6, or even 7 calls to action, each more insistent in their urgency than the last. But with a blog post, you may only be able to reiterate a call to action twice. A common type of call to action used on blog posts is to ask a question that’s relevant to the content the blog post discusses. So for example, if your blog posts talks about the benefits of Internet access for businesses, you might end your blog post with something like: “How has internet access benefited your business? Are there any advantages you’d like to add besides the ones listed above? I’d love to hear your thoughts, so please post your comment below!” Your call to action can also take a different form, such as with a banner or sidebar. 2. A Photo Speaks a Thousand Words If you want to make sure that as many people as possible not only see, but also read and retain your blog content, consider including an image in your post. Images can cause a number of things to occur in the mind of your reader. Not only can they help clarify the points you make in your post, but they are also a convenient way to visually sum up of the ‘mood’ of your post. 3. Headings Matter Just when you thought that headings were only for sales letters comes the news that they are just as important in your blog content writing. This is due to the fact that headings add to page structure, which is vital for successful search engine optimization. Headings serve to illustrate your content’s most important parts, as well as illustrating how one part connects to another. Not only that, but there are rules to follow as far as headings in blog posts go. First, there is only room for one H1 heading on any page. But which part of your post should contain this heading? The part that carries the most importance, say the experts. Second, any subheading should be an H2, a subheading under that an H3, and so forth. In addition to being the proper size and indicative of the importance of your content, headings should also include those keywords that you consider to be valuable. By not including keywords in your headings, you are wasting many SEO opportunities. Finally, keep in mind that headings also offer convenience to your readers, as they can use your headings to skim through your blog post to find the information they want. 4. Use More SEO As well as entering keywords into your headings, it’s important that search engine optimization tactics be incorporated into the your blog content writing. Google is the biggie here, and getting found by the heavy search engine hitter requires knowing a few things about how it works. Those who can be considered experts can score big with Google. Ensure you have at least a few guest post articles published so they can link your name with your post. Formatting is another thing that Google looks upon favorably — so headings and structure are king. And although a photo is a good thing, try not to overdo it with the images. The freshness of your content is also important, so keeping it as current and relevant as possible will only help you. Accessibility is another way to please Google. This means doing all the things that make your site understandable by those with seeing, hearing or developmental challenges. Telling Google where you are located is a great way to get noticed. Where possible, also include outbound hyperlinks, as well as links on your blog page to the other pages on your site. 5. Add Design Elements The beautiful blog is one with design that not only pleases the eye, but serves both the reader and the search engines. And there are certain design elements that will help your blog to realize success. Among them, buttons to allow reader to instantly share your posts on social media, the encouragement of comments on your posts and “flat site architecture.” The latter means to reduce the number of clicks it takes for readers to get to your blog content. Other elements that can greatly influence your blog’s page views, bounce rate and conversions include ensuring that the best content is located ‘above the fold’, or at a point on your page before the reader has to begin scrolling. 6. Get in the Zone Finally, it’s important that you are in the right mindset for blog post content writing. Whether inspiration hits you while you’re driving, walking or even sleeping, ensure that you have the tools you need to get your ideas down before you forget … Read more

5 Ways to Find New Website Content Ideas For Your Blogs and Websites

January 1, 2021September 5, 2013 by Adam Oakley

Google LIKES fresh website content. In the way a cookie monster likes his cookies. So much so that Google Blog has said that the Web is experiencing growth at the rate of a few billion pages daily. That’s a lot of pages to index every single day—but Google is doing it. That’s one big cookie monster.

Why Your Business Needs Blog Writing Services

January 1, 2021July 13, 2013 by Adam Oakley

Having a blog is essential in today’s business world. More and more companies are realizing that a business blog is one of the most effective ways of promotion. If your company’s not one of them, you’re going to fall behind – fast.

But creating and maintaining a blog is a lot of work. It might be logistically impossible for you to do it yourself, and you might not yet have the capital to hire a full-time copywriter. If that’s the case, you might want to consider hiring a blog writing service to jump in whenever you need them.

Blog Writing: How to Maximize User Experience

December 31, 2020July 4, 2013 by Adam Oakley

There are many things to consider in blog writing before you even open your Word document to begin. You need to consider SEO, meta tags, and keywords. Yet, keeping all these things in mind still isn’t enough; there is one more task to consider before starting your post: you need to think about how viewers are going to read it. It is a well-documented fact that you need to create outstanding online content in order to hold the attention of the reader for the entire article. While it is true that most readers skim online articles, they actually read more content than most blog writers would believe. It is just that readers scanned the article a certain way in order to determine if the post is worth their time. So, how do you create a post that ensures that the most important information will be scanned? Then, how do you entice the reader to go back and digest the entire article? Formatting Articles for Blog Writing In order to make sure that readers notice the important facets of your article, you need to format the article in a way that attracts the reader’s eye. Next, you have to live up to the reader’s expectations by creating fantastic content. Two-Thirds of a Post is Read According to a study completed by Chartbeat, readers will actually look at 60% of an online article or blog post. This means that more of your blog writing is actually read then you may believe. In addition, 65% of engagement by readers occurs in what is considered below the fold. You have a good chance of having someone read your entire article if you can capture their attention during this initial scanning. Eye Tracking Study Chartbeat and other specialists like Crazy Egg have found that online articles are read in an F pattern. This means that a person’s eyes will travel horizontally first and then vertically as they continue down through the rest of the post. If you keep this in mind during blog writing, you can format your article to take advantage of this pattern. Be Bold You need to be able to attract a person’s attention when they are reading your blog post. One way to do this is by using bold in your post. If you place titles, subtitles, and important phrases in bold or italics then you will draw a person’s eye to that section of the article. This will call their attention to the key factors you are reviewing in your post and it will help them to decide whether they will find the rest of the post informative. Another important aspect of formatting during blog writing is to create multiple subtitles in the post. This helps to break up the content and also call specific subtopics of the document to the reader’s attention. Be Visual Guidelines for efficient online articles include at least one image. Blog writing calls for creativity, and your imagination should not be limited when it comes to discovering images for your post. Don’t just scan through the free images that are available online. You can apply to subscription service such as iStockphoto, or you can create your own images. Pictures are not the only type of images you can use here. Studies have shown that info graphics help to enhance the share ability and views of online content. Learning how to create info graphics doesn’t have to be complicated. There are some basic templates that you can use to create effective photogenic images that described your text for you. Video is another great way to explain the information in your blog post and to hold a reader’s interest. Videos can be as simple as an animated slideshow. Basic software to create videos is often found in laptops and can be downloaded for free on the Internet. Be Unique It is also important with blog writing to make sure that you are taking a unique point of view on your topic. Nobody wants to read a rehash of the same information over and over again. Put a unique spin on an article to keep readers informed and to show them that you are a thought leader in your field. After all, anyone can rewrite content. It takes someone that has a thorough understanding of the subject matter to be able to put their own perspective on the topic. Tell Readers What to Do Do not assume that readers will know what you want them to do next. You need to include a call to action in all of your online content. In terms of blog writing, this often means asking them to do something as simple as leave a comment, share your post, or subscribe to your RSS feed. Statistics show that when writers ask people to do things the readers are more inclined to follow the directive. While blog posts should not be advertisements for your business offerings, this does not mean that you cannot create calls to action for downloadable content. In order to establish your online reputation and brand, it is important to create case studies, white papers, and e-books. After this content has been created, you can craft a blog post about the topic of this content and create a call to action that will encourage readers to download the information to learn more about the subject. Live Up to Expectations Once you have caught the reader’s attention by using visual aids, subtitles, and bolding key phrases you need to live up to the expectations you have created in the reader’s mind. Too often, blog writers will craft a terrific summary but then the content fails to deliver. In the initial phases of your blog writing, make sure that you have outlined the topic of your post and that you have at least three main ideas and three subtopics to support those ideas for 500 pages of content. This way you make sure that you thoroughly explain the subject matter to your reader … Read more

How to Create a Personal Connection Through Blog Writing

January 1, 2021May 20, 2013 by Adam Oakley

Bonding with your blog readers—is that really possible? Blog writing and forming a personal connection at the same time might seem like a daunting task. How do you connect to real people in the form of black-and-white text on a screen? Creating a connection with your reader requires understanding their wants and needs. In order to truly bond with your blog readers, your content will need to answer questions, create inspiration, and build trust. The following list will help you establish a personal connection with your readers, and keep them coming back to your blog time and time again. 1. Be Helpful With Your Blog Writing Grow your audience by being helpful and giving them something they can take away. You should advertise this in your header. For example: let’s say you have a foodie blog on how to eat gluten-free. One way to appeal to your readers and bond personally in a blog is to feature an original recipe inside, offer something new and useful about gluten-free eating in a picture or a tip, maybe feature on a morning breakfast with home-made gluten-free pancakes. It doesn’t have to be 10,000 words: 100 words of something “new” that your specific blog readers find useful can endear you to them. 2. Inspire Your Readers Don’t just give them a useful tip: turn it into inspiration to go do something. OK, now that you’ve read my blog, you can go do THIS! They’ll be grateful and feel you changed their life in some way. Even if it’s inspiration to go make those gluten-free pancakes you talked about. If your blog is selling something, this can even be a call to action. 3. Bond Over a Common Nuisance Here’s an interesting way you can bond through blog writing: share a common nuisance or enemy. What irks you as a cuisine expert? Is it those people who toot their own horn but really know nothing about their choice of ingredients when it comes down to it? Share some frustration of yours and appeal to your readers by asking them directly if they feel the same. This is a common direction that viral blogs take. Everyone can relate; everyone feels sympathetic; they share it, their friends share it. Note: The three tips above are the meat of the matter. Other directions for bonding personally with your reader can include making use of metaphors, personal experiences, inside advice and tips, writing well, keeping it informative, and all those other tidbits that make a blog good. And if you’re not sure on how to write a blog, or can’t string a sentence together for the life of you, we’ve got you covered with blog writing services, or you can explore our Content Shop for more great copywriting services.