Blogging isn’t just about giving information to your audiences. It’s about the connection WITH those audiences. Even with the countless ways to get get your blog in front of the right audience, if your content doesn’t connect with the people in that audience, you may never have a blog that gets read.

Ok, I don’t want to totally turn you off blogging, so let’s get right down to business and give you six keys to creating good content for your blog:

1. Write a headline that gets noticed. Many of the people who read your blog will find your posts through search engines and their RSS feed readers and only see the headline of one of your posts and possibly a tiny piece of the post. Write your headline in a way that grabs attention and gets draws them into clicking through to read on.

2. Create content that keeps people reading. When a visitor clicks their way to your blog, you want to keep them there for as long as they can - or until they do something you want them to - sign up for a free report, contact you, etc. And it’s likely that you aren’t the first blog they’ve come across on the subject they’re searching out. Stand out by being unique - yet still relevant. This can be accomplished through the tone of your writing and your own personal perspective on your niche. Be yorself - within reason, of course. Be funny because you’re funny - not for the sake of telling a joke.

3. Welcome and acknowledge comments. A blog post isn’t over when you click the ‘Publish’ button in the WordPress interface. As long as your content is live on the Internet, you can (and really should) expect readers. Read and acknowledge those comments - even if they’re good or bad. This is where the relationships are built on a blog and where you’re likely to add to your readership. When others come to your blog and see an active comments section that include your responses, it’s like a welcome mat that invites them to take part in the conversation.

4. Share some link love. Don’t hoard your readers by only giving them internal links on your blog. Share links to relevant content OFF your site. Trust me, people will appreciate it because it shows them that you’ve taken the time to find relevant content for them and actually share it with them. It also makes it look like you’re very active in your field.

5. Leave your black tie, or LBD*, at home. One of the big differences between blogs and business websites is that your tone can be much more formal on your blog. Even if your main site is pretty relaxed, your blog can still offer an outlet for less formal topics. Think of a blog as a social tool and bring your conversational tone.

6. Offer more than just words to your readers. Don’t be shy about offering links to relevant products you sell via affiliate programs if that’s congruent with the purpose of your site. Also, if you have video, embed it into your posts. Just don’t overdo these things. It’s fine to blog once, maybe twice about a product you’ve used, loved, and now want to share with your readers.