Highlights from a Blog Content Checklist (by Michael Gass)

1. Identify your audience. This will help to make your writing easier and more focused.
2. State the purpose of your blog. Create a descriptor statement in the blog’s Header. A one sentence summation of the purpose for your blog. Expand upon the descriptor statement in a “Welcome” section in your blog’s sidebar.
3. Make sure that your blog’s benefit to your visitors is crystal clear.
4. Reading fuels your writing. You need a good strategic reading program with a clear focus that is centered upon your audience’s interest and needs.
5. Have calls-to-action that are clear. What do you want your audience to do? They can subscribe to your newsletter, inquire about your services, download a white-paper or eBook, email you their questions, etc.
6. Create each post title with the keywords you want to dominate through search (i.e. “ad agency new business”). It is also helpful to flag a targeted audience through Twitter and let them know the content is specific to their needs.
7. The first sentence of your post should be the “takeaway or benefit statement”. Just simply answer the question, what will be my takeaway or benefit if I commit to read this post? Lead with the conclusion.
8. Have a distinct point-of-differentiation.
9. Remember that online readers prefer writing that is concise, easy to scan, and objective (rather than promotional) in style.
10. Focus on providing quality information over the quantity of posts being generated.
11. Build relationships with your readers by integrating your blog with Facebook, Google +, Twitter and LinkedIn.
12. Your blog should become a repository of valued information for your audience. This means that it’s not all original content. I recommend writing 1 original post for every 4 or 5 resource posts.
13. Use bulleted or numbered lists often. Readers love them.
14. Highlighted keywords (hypertext links serve as one form of highlighting; typeface variations and color are others).
15. Publish on a regular schedule.
16. Build credibility and authority for your niche.
17. Provide links to additional resources. I almost always provide “Additional articles that may be of interest” at the end of most of my post, linking to similar content from my blog and other sources. It also will keep your visitors on your site longer and improve their experience.
18. Half the word count (or less) than conventional writing. Usually 350 to 450 words.
19. Demonstrate how you stand out in your niche. Provide testimonials, comments, featured articles, endorsements, and statistics—in text, audio, and video format through additional linked blog pages or specialty pages.
20. Provide one call-to-action with clear instructions above the fold.
21. Avoid jargon and agency speak.
22. Provide captions (where appropriate) on photos that are keyword rich and benefit-driven.
23. Have a clean, simple, banner at the top of your blog that creates the right feeling on your site. A personal rather than corporate feel.
24. Break-up long text with sub-headings, bullet points, italics, indention, photos and graphics.
25. Provide an incentive for visitors to give you their name and email.
26. Don’t adhere to the belief that if you “build it and they will come”.
27. Test, monitor and fine tune your blog regularly.
28. Use offline-to-online marketing to further promote your blog.
29. Collect blog stats on results weekly, or per campaign.
30. In promoting your blog, consider paid traffic, Facebook PPC and banner ads.
31. Submit your blog post to online directories.
32. Facilitate referral opportunities through your blog.
33. Interact regularly through social media—Facebook, Google +, Twitter and LinkedIn.
34. Run competitions. I’ve generated a lot of traffic to my blog through an “Agency Blog of the Month” contest that culminated into an “Agency Blog of the Year”.
35. Conduct online surveys and polls through your blog

To see Michael's full checklist (70 tips) please visit http://fuelingnewbusiness.com/2011/09/29/a-70-point-checklist-for-jump-starting-or-tuning-up-your-blog-for-new-business/