So you’ve decided to add a blog / news feed to your website?
Excellent. We have a short and sweet formula that shows you how to write a blog post. Rinse and repeat.
That’s the easy part over with! Now, how to write a blog post that delivers?
If writing for the web doesn’t come naturally to you, read on. Here are 9 steps to get you started.
1. Think about your title
This is a big one – yup that’s why it takes the top spot. If the point of your blog is to bring inbound traffic to your site, then how will you entice people to click and view? Your post title is super-important. If it doesn’t hit the spot, your blog post will never see the light of day. Keep it succinct and on-point – preferably under 70 characters.
If you’re still not sure, write your article first, then you can scan the content and your title will become apparent. If it doesn’t, you’re trying to cover too many topics! Think about what your potential audience are looking for and use that to peak their interest. (Here’s a few tips to get you started in writing website content).
2. Craft your intro
Here’s where you get to elaborate on your title and reiterate the subject. It’s where your reader will decide if they’re in the right place and if they want to continue. Again, keep it simple. We’re not writing a book here – just offering a broader explanation of what’s to come. Explain the problem and how you’re going to solve it.
3. Make room for visuals
As the saying goes – “A picture paints a thousand words”. Aside from ensuring your page is aesthetically pleasing, strong imagery will enhance your posts and help to avoid a nasty wall of text on the page. You can download high quality images from Shutterstock or iStock, for a small fee, or access free images on sites like Pexels or FreeImages. Be sure you have the right to use images if you find them online.
4. Don’t forget formatting
The first thing I do when I hit a page of text, is hit the back-button. Don’t lose your readers because it’s just too hard. Use short paragraphs, make the content scannable, use lists and bullets points to break up the paragraphs, keep sentences short, use headings and subheadings to create sections and make sure your paragraph text is big enough to read with enough contrast between the text and its background.
5. Be human
Consider the language you’re using. Read it out loud. If you sound like someone else then scrap it and start again. Don’t write your blog post in a language that you don’t speak. Use simple words. Tell a story. Communication is key.
6. But don’t forget the spiders
If you want your post to appear in search results (yes you do!), keep keywords and phrases in mind and use them throughout your post. When you’ve finished – refer to number 5 and make sure it’s still human. ?
7. Include links
If you’re referencing someone else’s article or website, link to them so your reader has the option of looking further. Also reference your own cornerstone content.
8. Conclusion
I wouldn’t say this is essential, but in a lot of cases it’s something to consider. If you’re comparing software for example, you’ll want to finish with a summary of your findings – it depends on the article.
9. Consider your call to action
Is there something you want your reader to do when they get to the end of the article? If so, ask them to do it! Provide the next step.
So there you have it. If you’re just starting out with your blog – this will help you work out how to write a blog post that your visitors are likely to read. There are a million articles online that explain this is detail but hopefully this will get you started.
Remember: “The turtle only makes progress when its neck is stuck out…”