Seven blog formatting tips to increase reader engagement

No matter how good your content is, if your readers have a hard time reading it, you’ll lose them.

How you format your blog posts is just as important as what you decide to publish, so it is critical that you use formatting best practices when creating your blog posts.

Here are some formatting tips to make sure that anyone can easily read through your content and learn more about your brand:

1. Headers, subheaders, and lists help your readers easily navigate your material. They break up your content so it is easier to find what your readers are looking to know. They also convey your key points to readers who are scanning through your post.

2. A good rule of thumb is to keep your overall content length shorter than 600 words. But no matter if you are writing a short post or long-form content, it’s important to keep your paragraphs short. Short paragraphs are easier to read and draw attention to the key points.

3. Column width is really important for creating readable content. If columns are too wide, readers either lose focus or have to scroll across the page. So make sure that your columns rest neatly in the centre of your page and are 80 characters wide or less.

4. There are so many gorgeous fonts out there, but when writing a blog if your font is too fussy or contains elements like shadowing or highlights, the lettering can be very hard to read. Stick with simple fonts like Calibri, Times New Roman, and Helvetica which are easy to read.

5. Colour can help highlight important points, but too much colour can make it hard for your reader to focus. Contrast is also important; if your font is too light or your background too dark, it will be even harder to read.

6. Adding empty space between paragraphs or around columns gives people a place to rest their eyes. This helps reduce reading fatigue and keeps your readers engaged.

7. By tagging the structural elements in your blog you improve accessibility. Here is a simple guide to formatting for accessibility so everyone can access your content (Blog Accessibility).

Following these formatting tips will improve readability; encourage customer interaction; and make your posts more attractive to your readers. At ALHAUS, we focus on making content both readable and engaging. If you are looking for more tips on how to improve your content so everyone can enjoy it, take some time to check out our blog. We offer expert tips on everything from topic ideas to formatting to accessibility improvements.