How to Write a Blog Post: a practical process for blog writing
Blogging can be a great way to share your thoughts and ideas with the world, but the question of “How to write a blog post” can seem a bit daunting at first. In this blog, we’ll walk you through the steps of how to write a great blog post yourself, from choosing a topic to hitting publish. By the end, you’ll be ready to start sharing your voice with the world and getting more readers interested.
Introduction: Why write a blog post and where to start
There are a few things you should consider before you start writing your blog post.
First, think about why you’re blogging. Are you looking to share your expert knowledge on a topic? Start a dialogue with others about current events? Or simply document your life and thoughts for friends and family?
Next, you’ll need to choose a topic for your blog post.
Choosing a topic for your blog post
Once you know why you’re blogging, it will be easier to brainstorm blog topics to write about. If you’re writing for an already existing blog domain, get an idea of the topics and tone used to make sure your blog post is in line with the rest.
If you’re writing for a business-oriented blog, try to choose a topic that is related to your industry and target audience. Topics like these could range from industry-specific news to tips and tricks on a subject you’re knowledgeable in. Consider your broader content marketing strategy and where your blog post ideas fit in it.. You don’t have to be a digital marketing agency to create a functional strategy!
If you’re blogging for personal reasons, pick a topic that is close to your heart or that you feel passionate about. Try to keep in mind this is your own blog, so its topic and tone of voice should reflect your character.
Once you have a topic in mind, it’s time to start researching!
Research: Finding supporting information for a great blog post
There are a few different ways you can find supporting information for your blog post. One way is to search for articles, other blog posts, books, or websites that are related to your topic. This will help you get a better understanding of the subject matter and give you some ideas of what to write about.
Another way to find supporting information is to interview an expert on the topic. This can be someone you know personally or someone you reach out to via email or social media. If you choose to interview someone, be sure to include their quotes and references in your blog post.
Finally, you can also conduct your own primary research by surveying people or conducting experiments. This type of research can be especially helpful if you’re writing about a brand new or polarizing topic. No matter what type of supporting information you use, be sure to cite your sources so that your readers can easily find the original source.
Headline: What makes a great headline and why you need it
Writing headlines is arguably one of the most important steps in writing blog posts. A headline is one of those elements that can truly make or break a blog post and this is for two main reasons.
First, it’s what will appear in search results and on social media sites, so make sure it’s something that grabs the reader’s attention and accurately reflects the content of your post. Secondly, a good headline will entice readers to click on your post and read more. This means that you have to put your writing skills to work and create a post title that pleases both algorithms and users.
Finding the balance between enticing users and search engines
So how do you write a catchy headline? Start by thinking about what would make you want to click on a blog post. Is it an interesting or controversial topic? A humorous take on a current event? Once you have an idea of what would make someone want to read your blog post, try to distill it down into one or two keywords or phrases. Finally, put these words or phrases together to form a headline that is both informative and attention-grabbing.
For example, if you’re writing a blog post about the pros and cons of social media, your headline could be something like “Is Social Media Ruining Our Lives or Improving Them?” This headline is both informative (it tells the reader what the blog post will be about) and attention-grabbing (it’s controversial and makes the reader want to find out more).
As a side note, you’ll also want to do some keyword research to see just how much traffic and competition any given topic has. This can also help give you ideas on the phrasing of the title to grab as much traffic as you can. You could also use the results of your keyword research to improve the post’s on page SEO, but more on that later.
Once you’re all set with your headline, it’s time to get down to business.
Content: The bread and butter of writing blog posts
Now that you’ve written a catchy headline, it’s time to start writing the body of your blog post. When crafting the content of your post, be sure to keep your target audience in mind. Write in a clear and concise manner, and avoid using jargon or technical terms that might not be familiar to your readers. Once you’re happy with the content of your post, take some time to proofread it for any errors or typos.
One thing to keep in mind when writing blog content is to break up your text into smaller paragraphs. This will make your post easier to read and more digestible for your readers. You can also use headings and subheadings to further break up your text and help readers navigate your post.
Also, be sure to include supporting information for your claims and assertions. This could be in the form of statistics, quotes from experts, or links to other articles or blog posts. Including this type of information will help add credibility to your blog post and make it more authoritative.
Content isn’t just text, don’t forget to add images!
When including images in your blog post, make sure they are relevant and add value to the content of your post. For example, if you’re writing about how to make a perfect cup of coffee, an image of a well-crafted latte would be more effective than a generic photo of coffee beans.
If you’re adding images to your own blogs, make sure that you have the appropriate rights to use and share them. An easy way to avoid potential copyright issues is to use stock photos from services such as Shutterstock, Adobe Stock, or iStock.
Closing your blog and integrating it in a broader strategy
Finally, don’t forget to add a call to action at the end of your blog. This could be something as simple as asking readers to leave a comment or share the post on social media. A call to action gives readers something specific to do after they’ve finished reading your post and helps to encourage engagement.
If you’re thinking longer term, make sure the blog you’re writing fits into a broader content strategy. A blog post, no matter how good, can only do so much for your blog on its own. Content is at its most powerful when it’s part of a larger strategy that aims at building authority and fostering an audience.
Formatting: How to make sure your blog post is easy to read
Once you’ve written the body of your blog post, it’s time to start thinking about how to format it for easy reading.
One thing to keep in mind is the use of white space on your page. Breaking up your text with plenty of white space will make your blog post more visually appealing and easier to read. Experiment with blog layouts to see what setup works best for your content and relevant images.
You can also highlight key points or callouts in your blog post by using bullet points or numbered lists. This is a great way to highlight important information without disrupting the flow of your text.
Formatting images and links for seamless reading
If you’re including images in your blog post, make sure to format them properly. For example, you’ll want to avoid placing text directly on top of an image, as this can be difficult to read. You can also use captions to provide additional information about the images you’re including.
Finally, don’t forget to add links to other articles, blog posts, or websites that are relevant to your topic. This will give readers additional resources to explore if they want to learn more about what you’ve written about.
By following these tips, you’ll be able to format your blog post in a way that is easy for readers to digest and makes your content more engaging.
Blog SEO: How to write a blog post that ranks
Search engine optimization goes hand-in-hand with much of digital marketing, even more so when we’re talking content marketing. A successful blog post is not only one that’s readable and engaging, it also has to rank in search engine results.
In addition to crafting catchy headlines and well-written content, you’ll also want to make sure you include relevant keywords throughout your post and in the title and headline. Use keyword research tools to find out what people are searching for and add strong keywords to your meta description, title, and blog content.
Complete your blog’s SEO with images, links and social media
Another point to keep in mind is your blog’s featured image. Think of it this way, a blog post without a featured image is kind of like a video with no thumbnail. Users look to these images to get a quick first impression of the blog’s content and search engines look to them for relevant image titles and alt text, so make sure to satisfy both.
It’s also important to include links to other articles or blog posts, as this helps improve your blog’s SEO. Internal links are especially helpful because they make other relevant pages more accessible and encourage users to look around your site.
Borrowing a page from social media marketing, you can also promote your blog post on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to help it reach a wider audience and create some valuable backlinks.
It’s fair to say that by taking the time to optimize your blog post for search engines, you’ll ensure that more people can find and read your content, so don’t sleep on SEO!
Publishing & Sharing: Time to get your message out!
Now that you’ve written and formatted your blog post, it’s time to hit publish! This is where you’ll share your post with the world.
You can share your blog post on social media, as well as in email newsletters or other blog posts. You can also promote your blog post through paid advertising or by including it in a roundup of other content.
If you take the time to promote your blog post, you’ll be able to ensure that more people can find and read it. And who knows, if it’s a good blog you may even start building a crowd of return readers!
Conclusion
If you’re writing your first blog post, you may feel overwhelmed by all the things you have to keep in mind. It’s no surprise that many new bloggers take a while to find a pace that works for them.
In this blog, we answer the question of how to write a blog, not with a simple “do X” or “copy Y”, but by highlighting all the different elements that make a good blog post. Now don’t worry, most people don’t write the perfect blog post on their first try. What matters most is learning something from every blog you write so our best advice is: start blogging!
If you found this guide helpful, make sure to check out our blog for more news and information about all things digital marketing.
