1. The beginner’s guide to monitoring the right metrics on Google Analytics

Google Analytics doesn’t look like it’s going anywhere anytime soon – it’s far too useful- so you can be sure that knowing the basics will equip you with the tools you need to figure out future updates and changes.

2. Growth hacking: How to use Twitter to drive traffic to your site

If you need to improve your twitter appeal then this is the perfect post for you. Find out just what you need to do in order to go from zero to hero and really get the most out of your Twitter account.

3. 10 simple growth hacks for your business’ Instagram feed

Instagram can be a great way to interact with your audience – especially if your audience is a slightly younger one. Get people hyped up and inspired with smart and creative posts which will boost your brand’s appeal and drive traffic to your site.

4. FAQ Special – Is your site ready for Google’s biggest update in years?

If you haven’t heard about Google’s Mobilegeddon then perhaps you’ve been living under a rock. We’ll forgive you. Here’s your chance to update yourself on what’s going on in the world of Google and how it’s going to affect you.

5. How to be heard above the noise

From our Office Bloggers series this blog post will give you the boost of inspiration you need to make sure you’re heard above the noise. Find out what it is you need to do to make sure that what you’re saying is useful and impressive.

6. Introduction to Online Advertising – Part 1

This one’s pure gold! We’ve given you a break down of what goes into online advertising, showing you the ins and outs and what different terms mean. Definitely one to be bookmarked for future reference! Check it out.

7. Be Trustworthy: why heart-centred marketing could be your game-changer

With digital marketing becoming more personal and person-focussed it’s important to instil a sense of trust within your brand. If your customers trust you then you’ve got it all. Find out how to be trustworthy and up your game.

8. Independence Day: Why a future-proof WordPress site is the way to go

We build sites to last. We use WordPress for a variety of reasons, but the main one is that it’s future-proof. This makes things simpler for us and the clients. Find out why it’s so important to have a future-proof website and how this could benefit your business.

9. 10 GrowthHacking tips for your next email marketing campaign

E-mail marketing can make or break your campaign. This post provides valuable insight into what you should do to ensure that you’re always on top. Check it out!

10. Simplicity: or how you interact with humans and machines for a winning website

Websites are built to be used by humans, that means that machine and man must interact. This post looks into how to have a website that’s functional but aesthetically pleasing and that will give users the best experience possible.

If these don’t provide you with the information you need to navigate through the digital marketing landscape then why not pop in for a chat? 

The post The recap – Our top ten blog posts you should have read appeared first on Switch - Digital & Brand.

1) Evoke interest with your title

Your title is the first thing that gets read on your blog post, so you have to make sure that it’s clear and delivers a glimpse of what your blog post is about (see 100 great ideas here). It has to immediately set the mind of the reader so they’ll decide if they should read the article or not. That’s why your title serves one goal; grab attention so people feel compelled to read your opening.

2) Grab attention in the first 3 to 4 sentences

If you get people to read you first 3 to 4 sentences, they’re more likely to read your entire article. Delivering a sense of urgency is  crucial at this point so promising some benefits is always a great start. That said, the point of your opening is to get people to read the rest of the blog post… and that’s it. Whatever approach you take, just ensure that your first 3 to 4 sentences have to be compelling and evoke interest.

3) Visual appearance

How can I make my readers keep coming back for more? The visual appearance is crucial, so these are some tips to attract your readers’ attention:
– Fewer characters per line, so that it won’t take too long to read and the readers will feel that they are reading it very fast. A half width image shortens the line length of the opening and will make it easier to read.
– Always try to include at least one image; it will surely increase your readership.
– Choose a font that is clear enough to read.

4) Emotional connection

If you can understand and implement the psychology of connecting emotionally with your readers, then your website can keep driving traffic. Write unique content which readers will think about after reading it. That way they will come back for more and be more likely to click on a link to your blog the next time on of their friends shares it. When people get emotional, they pay attention. They’re also more likely to take action after being put into an emotional state.

5) Give readers practical advice that is easy to implement

One of the main goals of writing an article is to get people to take action, and that should be done religiously. Readers will look for step-by-step methods and how-to sections. Make sure you explain clearly and give practical, easy to implement advice. Get people results, and they’ll remember you forever. As an added bonus, practically useful content is more viral than other types of content.

6) Optimise your blog post for search engines

What’s the point of writing blog posts that no one reads? Optimising your articles for search engines will help the article rank higher on search engine results and be visible to people searching about the related subject. Also, make sure that you have someone who can proofread your article and check for spelling and grammar.
It’s important to utilise keywords throughout your post:
– Title, page name and URL
– Headings and subheadings
– Title tags and meta descriptions
– General content
– Anchor text (links to other related pages on your site)
Make sure that you have a mobile friendly website, so that every reader using a mobile device will have it well displayed and clear to read.

7) Check your word count

There’s basically no rule on how much words one should write in a blog post. However, after doing some research I found that the ideal length of an article is between 1000 and 1500 words, and if your goal is search engine traffic, longer is better. Neil Patel’s blog posts can go up to 40,000 words… But it depends, focusing on blog word count might not be as important as you think. Some topics take 100 words to explain, others take 1000.

8) Inspirational conclusions

Your conclusion is as significant as your opening – here’s where you close out your article with another call to action. Buy, subscribe, call, email and share are some examples of calls to action you can include. The image below is a great example of different ways to close an article with a small simple form to subscribe, sharing buttons, other article recommendations and a commenting system.

To write a great blog post you need to know about the subject and polish your writing skills. And most of all, you need to sneak into the heads of your readers and potential clients. But magic will happen when you truly care about the subject you’re writing and your readers. Understand what they’re trying to achieve and know what they’re struggling with so that you can help them with the right advice.
You can’t expect to have a lot of traffic immediately after writing your first blog post. It takes time, be patient and your traffic will multiply over time.
If you keep up the good work, your social shares and comments will skyrocket. Other bloggers will start linking to your content. And most importantly, an endless stream of quality leads will flow to you.

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