What Makes a Blog Engaging?

Welcome to Gettin’ Meta, a series of blogs about…writing blogs! Each week we’ll break down what you need to know about writing blogs that drive traffic, engagement, and clicks, all redirected back to your business. 

Ah, blogs. The one-size-fits-all approach to stuffing SEO pushes into your website and promptly leaving them to die. For some small businesses, a blog section can be a wasteland of copy-paste content.

For too long, blogs have been considered a tactic more than an intentional way of delivering information and boosting your web presence. This is often a result of writers who don’t quite understand what makes a blog engaging. While the concept may seem abstract, crafting blogs that drive engagement is really more of a scientific method. There are do’s and don’t that will help your blogs find success.

Informative Information

The truth is that many blog writers can be aimless. They’ve heard that blogs are something you’re supposed to do, so they sit down and start writing without genuine rhyme or reason. The intention is there, but it’s not backed up by a vision for what a blog should accomplish.

Let’s think about the purpose a blog itself serves: to convey information that a reader will hopefully find interesting. You want to be the answer someone goes searching for online. This starts by creating blogs that are not just stuffed with information, but informative information.

At its core, the difference between these two philosophies is a difference of adding something new to the conversation. You want to be able to offer insights that make a reader say, huh, I hadn’t thought of it like that. The hallmark of a good blog is that they’re an extension of what makes your own brand interesting, and in-turn drives attention back towards your business.

That Dreaded Beast, Formatting

Spare your readers’ eyes. Seriously, formatting is more important than you can know. Reader retention is the make-or-break signature of good blogs and good writing in any format. A 20-second glance versus a 3-minute read is a serious business in the realm of SEO. Few things will send a reader heading for the hills as fast as staring at a wall of vast, unbroken text.

Seeing this unfortunate formatting mishap will always remind of me of Jack Torrance’s endlessly repeating, unbroken repetitions of “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” in The Shining. Poor text formatting in blogs inspires a similar feeling of horror as this scene.

Condense your sentences when possible. Keep paragraphs to the point and give them space to breathe on the page. Break up text with images, videos, and other decorative elements to help pages grab attention. Speaking of which…

Media Matters

An engaging blog is more than a space for you to layout your thoughts, tips, etc. Like food, we consume webpages with our eyes first. For this reason, visual elements should help reinforce the information on your blog, not draw away from it. One of the common mistakes we see being made is blogs being put with either no media content or media content that is unappealing.

Original images are always preferred, however, it is important to note that not all stock is created equally. Stock photos have come a long way, so make sure you the stock you use looks modern. Few things are gonna make readers groan more than obvious and corny stock.

You know, things like this:

Just no. Don’t do it. Stock resources are plentiful across a variety of platforms, make sure you do your research on each to see which fits your company’s needs the best. What makes a blog engaging can often be its use of strong media to draw you in.

The Cornerstone of Good SEO

Blogs are the cornerstone of good SEO for many small businesses, so often the question of what makes a blog engaging is also the question of what makes for good SEO. More than that, if you’re writing blogs with information that pertains to your business, you should show readers that you actually put the effort in and are interested in what you’re talking about, because if you’re not interested readers won’t be either.

If you want to get your blog writing game up to snuff but don’t know where to start, send a message to the team here at Urban Ignite. As a web marketing agency, we understand how to craft great content with proven results.

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Anna

As a Design Specialist for Urban Ignite, Anna Hughes works to create stronger visual aesthetics for client brands via web design and development, social media template design, print collateral, and a variety of other design-centric projects. Her goal is to craft successful, direct, and on-brand design materials to help companies better communicate their mission and purpose. Anna brings thorough experience in print-based projects, giving her a tangible understanding of typography and layout design. Anna works to clearly and creatively communicate a client’s message. 

 

Anna earned a BFA in Graphic Design from Messiah University. She is a huge fan of hiking, running, kayaking, and anything that involves plants and the autumn season.

Brady

Brady Stafford works as a Copywriting Specialist for Urban Ignite, helping clients shape their narrative, tell their story, and expand their portfolio of SEO-driven written content. His copywriting appears on website and landing pages, blog posts, social media posts, and email campaigns. Brady utilizes SEO practices to drive traffic while still creating informative, narratively compelling content across different mediums. 

 

Brady received a BA in History with a minor in Journalism from the University of West Virginia. Several of his historical essays were published by the University. Outside of work, Brady is an avid musician who fills much of his time listening to or playing music. He is also a travel aficionado who enjoys rock climbing and mountaineering (which are different!). Having completed all of his targeted summits on the East Coast, he hopes to conquer Mt. Rainier in Washington and Mt. Denali in Alaska in the future.

Emily

Emily works as a media specialist for Urban Ignite, focusing on videography in production, pre-production, and editing. She uses her skills as a storyteller to visually communicate the stories of our clients and their work, using creativity, problem-solving, and technical knowledge to guide her projects. She graduated from Goucher College with degrees in both Communications and Philosophy, with her philosophical studies amplifying critical analysis and writing skills as well as a love for questioning and research. What she loves most about her career as a videographer is the opportunity to learn a variety of niche knowledge about the different subject matters of her videos. 

 

Outside of work, Emily enjoys painting psychedelic geometric artwork, watching action films, reading science fiction, and learning about history, places, and trivia on Wikipedia. She has a bearded dragon named Franco and sometimes they eat kale together. She plays the piano once a year.

Steven

Steven Quinones works as a Media Specialist at Urban Ignite, balancing pre-production, media shoots, and post-production work. Steven often works directly with clients for on-site shoots, and is an expert at setting the scene and guiding participants through the process. His goal is to help you feel comfortable in front of the camera, and his guidance can help make even your shyest team member feel like a star. Steven previously worked in a professional photography studio for four years and spent years in a sales position as well. His freelance work has included music videos, wedding videography, and more. 

 

Steven has traveled and lived across the country, being born and raised in Nevada before making his way to Maryland. He embraces the experience of meeting new people, and connecting with artists in the places he visits. He is a huge fan of stand-up comedy, with Theo Von and Mark Normand among his current favorites. Steven will be the first to tell you that Mexican food is the best of all foods.

Elijah

As Director of Media, Elijah’s goal is to cultivate an environment of collaboration through media production, driving storytelling for clients through excellent photo and video content. They have worked freelance as a cinematographer and editor, whose previous clients include the Chemistry Department and Cell, Molecular, Developmental Biology, and Biophysics Doctoral Program at Johns Hopkins. She also works as an adjunct professor at UMBC for photo and video classes. Elijah received her Masters of Fine Art from the Intermedia + Digital Art Program at UMBC, and her Bachelors of Fine Art in Digital Media from Youngstown State University.

 

Outside of work, Elijah spends time on her own bodies of artistic work, focusing on the act/actions of surveillance, as well as notions of memory, nostalgia, longing, and personal identity. They enjoy, as many do, video games, films, tv shows, but also engage in several hobbies focusing around dilapidated and obsolete technologies, like utilizing VHS camcorders, 8mm/16mm found films, and post-apocalyptic costume making.

Tarah

As Urban Ignite’s Director of Design, Tarah Maxsell is your visual design expert. Her work touches nearly every creative process at our firm, from logo and branding design to web layouts, social media templates, and everything in between. Her process is one of intentionally seeking out beautiful solutions to all of your design challenges. Tarah’s work has been recognized by Out Of Home Today (OOH Today) for excellence in outdoor advertising. 

Tarah received a BFA in Fine Arts with a focus on Graphic Design from Messiah University. Tarah enjoys anything she can do outside, as well as ceramics and interior design. You’ll most often find her with her husband Nick and their Goldendoodle Wesely.

Christian

As the Director of Web Content, Christian Fuller helps execute your digital marketing strategy through compelling websites, engrossing written content, and an intricate knowledge of best SEO practices. Christian oversees all web design and written content creation projects, helping ensure the final product delivered to you is spectacular. 

Christian believes that content writing is essential to building the narrative of a business. He puts the work in to help your brand find its tone and voice so you can speak the language of your audience. Copy should always grab attention, and communicate something valuable. He helps you find the perfect sweet spot. 

His web design experience allows him to guide our web team efficiently through the process, accounting for elements like the flow of content, website interactivity, and mobile optimization. Christian believes a strong website is an invaluable marketing tool and helps clients execute their creative vision. 

Christian brings 5+ years of copywriting, web design, and SEO experience to the table. He earned his BA in English from the University of Maryland. Outside of work, he is a frequent traveler and camping enthusiast, creative writer, and super fan of anything horror or punk music-related.

Leigh

Leigh Engelke is our coordinator-in-chief as the Operations Director, ensuring everything runs smoothly and efficiently. She is the primary point of contact for clients, addressing their day-to-day needs and communicating new project details to internal staff. Leigh ensures nothing slips through the cracks, and that content output is consistent. She is also responsible for internal procedures at Urban Ignite, helping everyone stay on track and adhere to company policy. 

 

Leigh believes that clear, transparent communication is the key ingredient in a successful business relationship. She wants every client to have clarity on the progress of projects, and be able to communicate any concerns as they arise. Leigh is here to take care of our clients, and she’s excellent at it. Fostering a healthy working environment where employees are free to communicate their feelings is also essential to Leigh as Operations Director. 

 

Professionally, Leigh brings experience working with the Maryland Department of Social Services, where organizational efficiency was crucial. Her decade-plus experience in the food service industry gives her excellent personability, knowledge of task management, and the ability to keep up with the fast-paced needs of clients. 

 

Leigh earned a BS in Psychology from Goucher College. When she’s not managing operations for Urban Ignite, you can find her hiking, painting, crocheting, practicing yoga, or just hanging out with her cat and best buddy, Rex.

Jordan

Jordan Fuller is the Founder and Creative Director of Urban Ignite. He works with clients and the team to help drive the creative vision of each project. 

Content creation has always been at the core of Jordan’s identity, starting with home movie production at the age of 6 and video editing at 14 for his YouTube channel. He took an optimistic approach, teaching himself web design in case the YouTube channel found success. While that project never achieved virality, it gave Jordan the tools to lay the foundation on which Urban Ignite would be built. 

Urban Ignite began with clients in the construction and home remodeling industry and grew as a trusted digital marketing firm despite its small team. In the early days, Jordan saw the adverse effects overworking can have on a team’s creative output. As such, the workplace model was readjusted to focus on efficiency and work-life balance. This model includes industry-competitive pay while maintaining a 30-hour work week. 

Jordan is a creative repository for clients, helping them dream bigger regarding content and marketing strategies. 

In his free time, Jordan enjoys a good concert, nature walks, video games, meditation, or exploring local events across Baltimore. He also loves collaborating with others to make art, whether it’s at work or for personal projects. In addition, he hosts local “house shows,” which have showcased local musicians at the Urban Ignite office space for eight years.