How to Write a Blog Post

Writing can be difficult, and writing regularly can see downright impossible. But here’s the thing: writing, especially blogging, can become as organic as breathing air with just a little practice and the proper planning and approach.

To get yourself on the proper track to writing killer posts from now until forever, we’ve compiled a list of seven essential elements that you should keep mind well before attempting to put fingers to keyboard:

1. Focus on Looks More than Readability?  Big Mistake

Some bloggers and traditional writers fall into the trap of thinking that just a few well-placed images or a high-resolution photo or video are the best ways to beautify your copy.

Proper formatting and maintaining an overall consistency throughout the copy is the best way to make your blog much easier to digest for readers and increases the likelihood of it being shared through social media networks. People love to read things that are easy to understand and follow uniformity from the first word to the very last period, so why not take advantage of that?

2. Know Your Audience

Before you even think about staring a post, whether it’s your first or your 101st, you have to be mindful of who you’re writing for. When nailing down a target audience, keep these questions in mind:

  • What does my audience want to know about?
  • What are some “pain points” that may resonate with my audience the most?
  • What can I provide my audience that would set me apart from others like me?

As an example, say you’re trying to write a blog geared towards older, retired veterans looking for ways to volunteer in their respective communities. Because there might be more of a technology gap between them and a much younger generation, an article may focus on how to learn to utilize social media to search for nearby volunteer networks.

3. Use Headlines and Subheads to Draw Them In

Writing a title or headline that immediately captures the attention of the reader will elevate your blog and increase the likelihood of people reading more.

Adding informative and relevant subheads to your copy creates a sense of chronology and organization when reading, and allows readers to easily identify what sections are going to be about before reading them. This saves readers time by being able to avoid certain sections that may not pertain to what they’re trying to read or learn as that time.

4. Quality is the Best Policy

Once you’ve organized your thoughts and locked in a viable topic, you’ve got to start writing. Your content needs to be organized, compelling, informational, but above all, accurate. Readers do not respond well to nonfactual information. Not only does this hurt your reputation as a writer, it also affects you credibility as a person.

Making sure that whatever research you do you strengthen the veracity of your post is also valid goes a very long way in establishing yourself as a reputable blogger.

5. Optimize for SEO

Once you’re finished writing, be sure to go back and optimize your copy for search engine optimization, or SEO. Focus less on the length of sentences or phrases and more on the overall fluidity.

There’s a fine line between organic writing and blatant keyword stuffing that can be crossed if you’re not careful. If a word can be replaced with a keyword, feel free to do such. But be mindful of how much you do this. Many of Google’s latest algorithm updates have all but abolished the use of shadier SEO tactics to increase search visibility.

Relying more on quality content and meaningful sentence inclusion go a much longer way in the end.

6. Call Your Readers to Action

Preferably placed in the middle or near the end, a call to action, or CTA, gives readers a task that can potentially turn them into repeat readers or followers. A CTA can take many different forms, but most are either clickable buttons or a hyperlink that points a reader to more information or resources.

For example, asking readers in an article to subscribe or sign up for a monthly newsletter of your site is considered a simple CTA that increases your following without being too invasive.

7. Try Marketing Socially

Blogs rarely become popular by just sitting around on the Internet. Marketing your content socially is one of the best ways to get your name out there into the world. Applications like Facebook, Twitter and RSS feeds are all perfect ways to advertise.

There’s also third-party software, like Mail Chimp, that allows you to create email and newsletter campaigns that you can send to readers for free.

Summary

There are certain elements that you should be mindful when considering how best to write a blog team project management tools. Quality content, good organization, savvy marketing tactics through web software, proper formatting techniques and SEO optimization are just a few of the ways we mention to create compelling, informational and engaging content. Read our take on the subject:

How to Start a Blog Well

Blogging is a fun, enjoyable way to share your thoughts and even make a decent income. Today, people are blogging on a variety of subjects, from career advice for corporate hopefuls to niche discourses among dedicated hobbyists. Whether you’re a first-time writer or a seasoned journalist, you can write about any topic that interests you. Starting a blog can seem intimidating, but with a little set-up and some good content, you will soon be ready to begin!

First, choose a concept. Perhaps you enjoy cooking and trying new recipes, or maybe you are an avid hiker that loves to write about nature. As long as you are passionate about a subject, you can turn it into great content! Also consider how broad or specific your concept will be. If your concept is too general, you may have difficulty finding a dedicated audience and standing out from the competition. If it’s too specific, you may quickly run out of material to write about.

Decide on a focus. Why are you writing, and what will readers gain from it? With so many options available on the web, readers need to have a good reason to keep coming back to your site. Your focus should also reflect who you are and your motivation as an author. For example, a political commentary written by an active-duty soldier varies greatly from one written by a former White House journalist. A website about fashion that provides style tips and tricks on a budget is much different than one focused on the hottest runway looks and celebrity trends. Developing a clear focus is vital for success. Take time to carefully reflect on your personal motivation, target audience, and overall goals.

Once you have a concept and focus, brainstorm catchy names. Try to convey your concept and focus in a memorable way. As you consider possibilities, browse other blogs online to see if your names are already taken. Keep an eye out for popular websites with similar names; you want to avoid confusing potential readers. Take note of elements that appeal to you and the size of your competition. If there are already many sites with similar concepts or topics, consider what you can do to make yours stand out from the rest.

Next, choose a blogging platform. WordPress, Blogger, and Tumblr are some popular options. If you like to write on-the-go, consider a platform that you can log onto through an app. For beginners and professionals alike, many people prefer WordPress for its user-friendly interface and great plug-ins and themes. It’s easy to install and also offers an app for smartphones or tablets. Depending on your platform, you can either use a free service which will provide a domain and host for you, or you can self-host and pay for domain space and hosting service yourself. Self-hosting provides greater freedom and the chance to have a more memorable domain name and URL; many free sites offer sub-domains that can be awkward and hard to remember. However, if you host on your own, be prepared to pay domain rental fees and monthly costs for hosting services.

After choosing your platform, pick a theme. Try to match the aesthetics of the design with your content. For example, if you plan on discussing serious and professional topics, avoid whimsical or overly colorful designs Discover More. Many themes can be personalized with color choices and art to better suit your aesthetic. Avoid designs that might distract from the actual articles themselves. Some themes are free, while others may be purchased for a one-time fee.

Install plug-ins to expand the capabilities of your website and add additional features. A huge variety of plug-ins are available, such as SEO (search engine optimization) tools or analytical tools that log the page views and traffic on your site. Other plug-ins include links to social networking websites, such as Facebook or Twitter. Some are geared towards helping you generate material for your articles. For example, PhotoDropper, a WordPress plug-in, helps users find creative commons-licensed pictures and art on Flickr.

As you start writing and putting up your first posts, promote yourself. Integrate keywords to make your website easy to find on search engines. Post links and information on all of your social networking platforms to inform friends, family, and co-workers, and put a link in your e-mail signature. Most importantly, interact with other bloggers. Comment on their articles and share links to their posts, and they will likely return the favor.

By following these easy steps, you can quickly become an active blogger and generate a following on the web! Create new posts regularly and always proofread your work for errors and typos. Though it may take time for readers to find you, keep posting and continue to advertise as much as possible. As you continue to create quality material and increase your presence online, your new blog will become even more successful.

Summary

Starting a blog is easy with the right steps. First choose a concept, identify your focus, and create a catchy name. Browse other blogs to ensure your title is unique and check out the competition. Next, choose a blogging platform and install plug-ins. Finally, promote your site through social networking and interact with other bloggers.

Before You Start a Blog

If you are considering a blog, you should first learn this art-form by observing the best ones out there.  Blogging may or may  not be for  you.

 

Study the Leaders

You can get many good ideas by studying what’s already out there. Focus on successful bloggers in your own niche or industry and ask yourself what they are doing well and where improvements could be made project team management. You can identify the leaders in a number of ways. Those who dominate the search engines for popular keywords are obviously getting a good deal of traffic. You can also install the Alexa Tool Bar to find out how sites rank in terms of traffic. There are SEO tools that allow you to look up the Google Page Rank of a website. Some SEO experts, however, believe that page rank is a declining factor when it comes to indicating real authority.

Of course, you don’t simply want to copy what others are doing. You can, however, learn from them. If you see that the highest traffic authority blogs use certain types of themes or layouts, for example, you might want to borrow some of these tactics. Similarly, you can see what strategies they use to build mailing lists, sell products or encourage interaction with visitors.

Finally, it’s a important to keep up with the latest trends pertaining to the internet, websites and technology. If a new social media platform suddenly becomes huge, for example, you will want to know about it so you can begin utilizing it. Keeping up with the latest plugins can ensure that your blog has the most useful features. Being a successful blogger takes quite a bit of work and dedication, but the rewards for those who are determined make it all worth the effort.


Grasp the Basics

As with anything else, you will need a certain amount of dedication and perseverance if you want to succeed. The web contains millions of websites, so it’s important to stand apart in some way. Like learning how to golf, there a basics that need to be mastered, and remastered. For example:

  • Choose a Popular Niche -While you can choose any subject you want, if your goal is to attract a large number of visitors you should select a topic that’s in high demand. Selecting the main theme of your website is the first step, as this will determine what form it takes in the future.
  • Post Regularly -This is one of the most important principles. New posts should be added consistently, preferably every day or two.
  • Create Quality Content -If you want to attract visitors and also do well with Google and other search engines, you must publish original and helpful material. It should also be relevant to your main topic.
  • Use Images and Videos -The internet is becoming increasingly visual. Videos, images, memes and infographics can be more compelling than text. Using this form of content can help make your website more popular.
  • Connect With Social Media -Whenever you publish something new, you should alert your friends, fans and followers on social media. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and other social sites work very well with blogs and they can help make your posts more popular.

Follow our Posts for Help

If still interested, and ready to move forward, check out our upcoming posts. We would like to help.  Good luck and remember to have  some fun!