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How to Craft Perfect Blog Posts for your Dealership

How-to-Craft-Perfect-Blog-Posts-for-your-Dealership

How to Craft Perfect Blog Posts for your Dealership

When you’re busy managing all the aspects of your dealership’s marketing, it can be tempting to take shortcuts. That’s especially true when writing dealership blog posts. But if you let the “hurry” drive you to publish a lackluster article, you won’t gain readers or attract converts to your business.

Good news: by following a simple structure, you can create informative, interesting dealership blogs. You can keep the following outline handy and use it as a template to create perfect posts, even when you’re pressed for time.

SECTION 1

Without an intriguing title, your blog won’t capture attention. Make sure it has an action verb, so readers know there is content they can use. Good choices are who, what, when, where, why, how.

  • Present the headline in title case (initial caps on all words except conjunctions and prepositions).
  • Put the date up front, so people know when your post was published.
  • Put social sharing buttons near the top of the post but off to the side – they’ll be easy to see, a reminder to readers to share your great article.
  • Use a feature image – a graphic or photo. It should be directly relevant to your content. Having the image up front ensures it will be included whenever your post is shared.
  • After your headline, your “lead” – the first paragraph – has to snare reader attention and keep them reading. Tell them what you’re going to tell them in the post, or present a relevant startling fact. Keep the lead short, no more than 1-3 sentences.
  • Make a strong case. That’s better than publishing a post with no point. (You can take a stand on some important issue, but you don’t have to be that obvious. Sometimes you want to offer articles that are primarily informative, say about a new piece of equipment or the benefits of a new technology. Your “strong case” is a clear explanation of why this is important to your reader.)
  • Use statistics, facts, or examples to illustrate your key points, to make your post more interesting and real.

EASY-READER TEXT TIPS: To make your dealership blog easy on the eyes, use size 14 or 16 font. Recommended line width is 50-60 characters, although you could go up to 75. (If lines are too long, it’s harder for eyes to track them.) You can also use the Golden Ratio Typography Calculator to identify the best line height for your text.

SECTION 2

How-to-Craft-Perfect-Blog-Posts-for-your-Dealership-2Use a sub-head to break up your text visually. It can be in title case, if you like. It should be bold or a different color or font size so it stands out. Sub-heads make your post more visually appealing and present it in bite-size sections that are easier to read.

  • Each sub-head should have an <H2> or <H3> tag, but reserve <H1> tags for your headlines.
  • Write your dealership blog in a conversational tone, and use “you” so you’re speaking direct to your audience.
  • Use numbered lists or bullets to add visual interest and make your points quick and easy to grasp.
  • Use images or photos to illustrate key points.

SECTION 3

Use sub-heads every few paragraphs. They not only provide better visual definition, they enable you to present your points in an orderly manner.

  • Use short text blocks as you write. Like too-long lines, too-deep paragraphs put people off, and they can be harder to read. So keep most paragraphs between 1 and 3 sentences. You can occasionally include a longer one, if necessary.
  • Along with data and examples noted above, use details to give your article substance. If your reader thinks it was worth reading, they are much more likely to share it, in order to share the value.

PEER Strategy | Engage | Calls To Action | Loyalty Bound | CTACONCLUSION

Pull it all together with a short summary. Be sure to include a call to action that points readers to the next step you want them to take. For example:

By following this structure, you’ll be able to craft dealership blog posts that are visually inviting and interesting to read. That’s the beginning of a great conversation. To learn more about blogging and boosting the power of your dealership’s marketing, contact ADI today.

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