A Blog Post About Blogging
(Hella meta, right?!)
Are you looking to share your awesome thoughts with the world, but have no idea how to start your blog post? Do you find yourself constantly typing then immediately deleting each sentence of your next entry?
Don’t worry – we got your back.
There are so many ways to write a good blog post, but sometimes it can be a struggle just getting things started – we definitely struggled a few months ago as we prepared to launch our own blog!
After a lot of research, testing of different processes, and consistent team communication, we’ve come up with what I think is a pretty sweet solution to help us (and our contributors) turn unrefined ideas into nicely polished blog posts.
After finally figuring out this process for our team, I still had a goal to make other people feel more comfortable with the process of writing for a blog. So, I put together a guide outlining the core elements of a solid blog post. The best part about this guide is that it’s FREE!
You can read the main elements of our guide in this blog post, or you can skip right to the download of the full guide by clicking HERE. (There’s a link at the end of the post as well if you’d like to do both.)
Whatever you decide, I hope you find this information helpful as your write your first (or your next) blog post!
Part 1 - Start With The Basics
Step 1: Your Blog Post Title
In a creative way, let readers know how your blog post will be useful to them. Here are some title templates to get you started:
How To Create ________ That Completely Changes ________
# Things Your ________ Doesn’t Tell You About ________
The Secrets of ________
Everything To Know About ________
The Best/Worst/Funniest/Most Ridiculous/etc. Things About ________
Step 2: Your First Sentence
This is where you set the hook! Try asking a provocative question, or taking a controversial position on a well-known topic. For example:
“Have you ever wondered what it might feel like to trade jobs with someone for a day?”
– OR –
“Modern marketers don’t understand the basic differences between marketing strategies, channels, and content.”
Keep the topic simple by delivering one key takeaway for your blog post.
Step 3: Your Supporting Paragraphs
Use the remainder of the blog post to validate your position or opinion. Fill in the details by sharing your insight as to why you’ve made the original statements, and back up your argument with stories, data, and personal experiences.
Part 2 - Spice It Up
Step 4: Make A List
Readers love to look at numbers and lists – especially oddly numbered lists – because they provide specificity, organization, and structure. Brandon Cox of Social Media Today also mentions that “odd numbers are seen as more authentic than even numbers in marketing copy.”
So not only do lists organize your points, making your content easily skimmable to the reader (which is a good thing), but it can also increase the value of your post!
If your topic works well with a few bullet points, try listing out 3-5 bullet points that highlight the main topics of your blog post.
Step 5: Add Some Color
Be sure to choose graphics and images that relay the personality of your piece. This is what adds the color to the black-and-white text of your blog post.
If you don’t have the right images to use, do an internet search for images that are for public use under a Creative Commons license.
*Be sure to read the license closely, giving the original photographer the proper acknowledgment.
All images should be sent to your Blog Director with the finalized copy of your post.
Step 6: Break The Ice
At the end of your blog post, create an ending that invites interaction in the Comments Section. It can be as simple as “What are your thoughts about this?”
Or even better, try ending with a more specific question relating to the topic of your piece by asking readers to share a bit about themselves and their experiences.
Part 3 – Polish & Shine
STEP 7: Get To The Point
Did you know the average human attention span is shorter than the attention span of a goldfish?!
It’s true. Go ahead and Google it. (Or read this article from TIME.)
While long form articles are still appreciated by many, it’s the short-and-sweet posts that are enjoyed by most readers on the daily.
Make your post only as long as it needs to be – don’t feel like you have to write the next Harry Potter novel.
Step 8: Scream It From The Mountain Tops
After all your great work creating this masterpiece-of-a-blog post, don’t forget the most important step: Sharing your work with your world.
Generate excitement by making sure your entire network knows that your work is available, and earn some well-deserved kudos in the process.
Show your friends! Tell your family! Share your work through all your social media accounts, especially the LinkedIn profiles for your personal and business accounts.
Step 9: Keep The Conversation Going
After you publish your super awesome blog post, keep an eye out for comments and respond to them as quickly as you can.
Responding to comments within an hour or two is ideal, but at minimum, try responding by the next day.
Your Turn
That’s it! What do you think? Are you ready to start blogging?
Share your story in the Comments Section. Let us know if you have launched your blog after reading this guide, or if you have any other useful tips and tricks for new bloggers!
Download The Guide
Now, go forth and enjoy your adventures in QWERTY!
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
How to Write a Blog Post: A Simple Formula + 5 Free Blog Post Templates, by Rachel Sprung of HubSpot
5 Reasons Readers like Numbers in a Headline, by Brandon Cox of Social Media Today
You Now Have a Shorter Attention Span Than a Goldfish, Kevin McSpadden of TIME
Unsplash.com, free high-resolution, Creative Commons Zero licensed photos from photographers around the world