Looking for ways to attract more readers to your blog?

Whether you blog about budget travel, ethical fashion or healthy cooking, your posts are constantly competing against similar content by other bloggers in your niche. Your ‘Ultimate Guide to Road Tripping in Europe’ is just another post in a sea of search results with similar titles.

So the big question is, how do you make your post stand out from the rest?

One effective way to attract readers to your content and keep them engaged is to offer freebies, such as printables, within your posts. The good news is you don’t have to be design savvy to create free printables that your readers would love.

In this post I show you how to create printables for your blog with some basic design tips and a list of freebie types. I also share some ideas for promoting your stunning freebies on your blog and social media.

OK, let’s dive in!

How to create stunning printables

Whether you want to create your own printables from scratch, work on available templates or use a mock up for inspiration, here are some basic design tips to bear in mind.

Your brand image

Your free products must reflect your brand image. When creating your printable or customising a template, make sure that the design is in line with other visual elements of your blog, including:

Colours: It’s easy to get carried away with colours when creating fun and quirky printables, however you want readers to associate the freebie with your brand. For this reason, stick to your brand colours or use the same colour palette you use for your blog.

Fonts: Likewise, try not to go too crazy with fonts. Use the same fonts that you mainly use on your blog. Learn how to choose the right fonts for your blog.

Logo: Make sure your blog name and logo are visible on your blog, for instance in the footer or header. You can also watermark your printables with your logo.

Simplicity is key

Designing freebies for your blog can be super fun. Feel free to get super creative with your printables, however try not to overdo it.

Keep your design clean and neat. You don’t need to use a plethora of colourful designs to make your freebie attractive. Bear in mind that a lot of your readers will be printing your freebie in black and white.

I highly recommend using a white background and a crisp black font for your freebies, especially if you’re creating journals, workbooks or guides. This ensures that your printable is legible and readers can use it comfortably, whether they’re viewing it on their phone or reading a printed copy.

If you’re creating freebies such as guides or infographics, try not to cram too much text into one page or image. Keep it simple and brief to avoid overwhelming the reader with too much information.

Personalise it

Use your own voice! Make sure that the content in the freebies is yours and reflects the personality of your brand. You don’t want readers to think that you pulled a freebie from another source and that you’re presenting it as your own.

Types of printables you can offer

Not sure what type of freebie to offer your readers? Here are some ideas you can use:

Checklists: If you’ve just created a guide to working from home or a Rome bucket list, complement your post with a checklist that includes the main highlights in your post.

Packing lists: Writing a post about the best things to pack for a winter trip to Europe or must-have hiking essentials? Give your readers a handy packing list that they can print.

Planners: Your two-week New Zealand itinerary can be turned into a pretty printable planner. Likewise, your post about establishing a healthy work and life balance can come with a nice schedule planner.

Infographics: Showing newbie bloggers how to set up a blog on a budget? Summarise your guide in a neat infographic.

Guides: Are you an expert in a particular destination? Put together a guide for your readers. It doesn’t have to be an elaborate one – maybe just a few pages with basic facts about the destination, your local tips and a list of the best things to do.

Games: Writing about ways to keep children occupied during a weekend staycation? Create your own games and quizzes and share them with your audience.

Cheatsheets and workbooks: Whether you’re a lifestyle coach or an online course creator, offering free cheatsheets and workbooks is a great way to help your audience trace their progress and achieve their goals – which in turn keeps them away from your competition!

Journal: Want to give your subscribers a nice gift? Put together a stunning journal for them. This can be a reflective journal, or a journal packed with writing prompts or inspirational quotes.

Posters: Create lovely illustrations for your readers to print and hang on their walls, such as inspirational quotes or maps.

How to promote your freebies

Pinterest: Create stunning pins to promote your freebies! If you’re creating a pin for a post that contains a freebie, make sure to mention the freebie in the Pin title and description and on the image itself.

Instagram: Promote your freebie in an Instagram post and include the link to the freebie in your bio.

Banners: Direct your readers’ attention to the freebies with attractive banners within your posts or on side bars.

Pop up windows: This is mostly effective if you’re offering an opt-in freebie for newsletter subscribers. A great way to grow your email list is to offer a freebie to subscribers.

Freebie library: If you offer several freebies, create a freebie library on your website where readers can browse through your available printables. You can also entice your readers to join your email list by offering access to your free resource library.

And finally, don’t forget to include the freebie in your post’s meta title and description, e.g. Best Things to do in Rome (+ Map & Checklist).