When I first started blogging, my paragraphs were lengthy to say the least. Forget about the content - when readers came to my blog they were quickly scared away by my endless paragraphs so they never actually got to my content.
Honestly, a good headline is all it really takes to get a readers attention. Getting their attention isn't the hard part though, it's keeping it.
If you want to keep a readers attention, you need to be an authority on your topic. Readers want to hear from an expert, not an armature. If they feel you are just another Joe Shmoe they won't care what you have to say.
A good way to show you have done the research and really know what you are talking about is to use linking. When your links are well chosen and well placed, they give you credibility. It is important that your links make sense. Linking effectively can make a huge difference on a blog.
When I first started blogging I would link the word website which clearly doesn't make sense and will not grab any reader's attention. A good alternative is to link the name of the website. Some examples of good linking can be found on my blog in my "The Opportunity of a Lifetime . . . Literally" post.
If you want to grab a reader's attention and keep it, you need to keep your posts short and concise. As a beginner in the blog world, I would write and write and write. It is important to know the average blog post consists of 100-250 words.
Readers want to get their information and fast. As Chris Brogan simply said "keep it brief". If you make it hard for them with long posts, they are going to find their information elsewhere.
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