A featured post in WordPress does not need to be your most recent post. This is a post you use to grab the attention of your readers, or your killer content of the season, if you will.
This can also be changed so that the featured post is the newest post you upload.
What is a Featured Post?
A featured post on WordPress is the first blog that your readers see when they arrive on your website. Featuring a post allows you to keep a specific post at the top of your page. New posts will appear below the featured post.
Doing this lets you control what your readers see for the first time. This allows you control over their initial experience.
How To Write a Great Featured Post?
Be Engaging
A captivating title will help to grab the attention of your readers. The right title can distinguish between someone leaving your post or continuing to read.
Posts that create discussion amongst readers help to create more traffic to your post. If readers feel engaged, they are more likely to share your posts.
They are more likely to get involved in discussions and voice their opinions.
Stay Relevant
Don’tDon’t write about outdated content. Readers are interested in the here and now. Or even in the future.
Try to avoid writing about topics that will age badly over time. Topics can be niche as long as they can hold up over the years.
If you can produce relevant posts ten years down the line, then you know you are producing quality content.
Readable
Spacing between paragraphs
If posts visually seem like a lot of work to read, readers will be deterred. Readers want to be able to work through content at a fast pace.
This means no long blocks of text. Spacing helps to draw the reader’s eye in without feeling overwhelmed.
Include headlines
Headlines help to break the content up into more understandable sections. This helps posts to look less visually daunting.
Most readers are intimidated by long bodies of text. Many readers also feel like they do not have the time to read such long texts.
Length
Posts between 500 and 1,500 words hold the reader’s attention effectively.
Most readers do not have large amounts of time to read posts. Most of them want to get to the point clearly and concisely.
Useful
Readers want to feel their lives have been enriched after reading a post. Try to ensure that you provide your readers with an opportunity to learn something.
Where To Add Your Featured Posts?
On the sidebar
The sidebar widget offers you the opportunity in WordPress to set up a feature post.
Featured tags
You can use a featured tag in your posts so that you would be able to rotate your feature posts accordingly.
This helps a featured post to gain life again and not become ‘‘tried’’.
Embedded posts
Even a few website templates allow you to embed your feature posts into their pages. There is a certain code included to make this possible.
Having posts featured on other sites allows for more potential traffic to your WordPress site.
Once readers have clicked on your featured post and landed on your page, they are more likely to read even more of your content.
Analytics plugin
You can make use of an analytics plugin. This will allow you to track which of your feature posts gain the most success.
This allows you to track what your readers are interested in. This can assist you in generating more of that type of content.
Featured Posts vs. Featured Image On WordPress
What is a difference between a featured post and featured image? A featured post is a written blog post that appears at the top of your blog posts. This post has gained the most success and interest from your readers.
You can change the featured post whenever you like.
Most posts have a featured image. This image helps grab the attention of the readers. It also indicates what the post is about.
Generally, the featured image is that one image that sets the tone of the WordPress blog. This image will help inform readers what your post is all about.
A featured image can help change a long piece of text into a visually exciting post. A featured image assists with the following:
Clickability
Entice readers to click on the WordPress page to read the post.
Readability
Images help to break up the text. This makes the posts easier to read. Content with images can also assist in informing the readers what the post is about.
Shareability
Images help readers share a post as they usually feel the images will attract others.
Conclusion
Featured posts assist in keeping a WordPress site attractive to readers. It helps to grab the type of reader you are targeting.
When you added your featured posts, your readers immediately understand what your page is about.
