How to Write a Blog Post
A blog post on how to write a blog post…does it get any more meta than that?
Writing blogs can provide a great opportunity to promote your business. According to content marketing research, businesses with blogs produced 67% more leads per month than those who didn’t blog.
They can help you connect with customers, who can give direct feedback. Sharing your knowledge and expertise can also prove valuable to the customer experience. There’s also the added benefit of driving more traffic to your website and improving your writing skills.
But where do you start?
There are plenty of blog post formats you can use to communicate your ideas to readers, including listicles, news articles, interviews, reviews and how-to guides. You can even write a personal blog based on your own experiences. The possibilities are endless.
Here’s a simple, foolproof guide on how to write a blog post:
- Brainstorm ideas
Before writing a blog post, ask yourself: What do customers want to hear more about? What issues concern them?
Gauge interest by conducting some market research: Create an online survey or reach out to customers via social media. Look at other blogs: What makes them stand out? What topics do they discuss? Observe how they interact with their readers and the type of feedback they receive from them. Also, make a note of their visual appeal.
It’s also wise to invest in a strong content marketing strategy by writing the kind of content that educates, entertains and inspires. Choose two or three objectives you hope to achieve (e.g. gain 500 more Twitter followers over the next three months). Equip readers with the right information to solve their problem or identify a problem they didn’t even know they had. This is the key to creating an attention-getting blog topic.
- Identify your target audience
Who is your blog for, exactly?
It’s important to consider just who will be reading your blog post. Again, ask yourself: Who might read this? How will I stand out from the crowd? Will my post provide the answers people are looking for?
Is your business focused on food? You might just attract foodies and amateur chefs to your content, people looking for easy recipes or exciting new flavours on the market.
Work in an arts-related field like fashion or graphic design? A younger demographic heavily connected to sites like TikTok or Instagram might be interested in your blog post.
Defining your target audience helps to ensure that you’re creating the right content for the right people. It also helps to increase monetisation and to better understand how your readers think and feel.
- Develop a draft
Once you’ve chosen a topic, you can begin to create an outline. This is also where you’ll do your research.
Confine this to legitimate sources such as news articles, business analysis, peer-reviewed papers, and other industry blogs. Provide evidence for your claims – don’t mislead readers or make promises about your product or service that you cannot keep. Writing the first draft will allow you to carefully organise your ideas into a more coherent body of work, and to check for any errors or inconsistencies. Learn how to write a blog post by reading other people’s blogs. How do they hook readers in? How do they structure a post? What tone of voice do they use?
You also need to come up with an eye-catching title for your blog post, something that will pique readers’ interest but is still informative and to the point. Avoid clickbaity headlines that promise more than they can actually deliver. Not only will this turn readers off, but it looks cheap and unprofessional. Use your blog post title to teach readers something new and to provide valuable insight into your business. Try out Wix’s free title generator for some inspiration and ideas for creating titles for your blog content.
- Create a blog
Now that you’ve drafted your blog post, it’s time to properly set up your blog.
There are plenty of web hosting platforms to choose from, including WordPress, Squarespace, Weebly, GoDaddy and Wix.
Although a free blog might seem like the simpler solution, it really pays to upgrade to a paid blog. A free blog involves a sub-domain and will limit your web hosting choices. A paid blog, however, lets you establish your own web hosting domain, giving your blog instant credibility. You also maintain control over your blog’s name, aesthetic and the way it’s organised. You can even have access to tools, plugins and other resources to help enhance your blog’s reach.
After you’ve signed up, it’s time to choose a blog theme. Find a layout that’s tasteful and fits your business’ image. Avoid garish colour schemes so it’s easier on readers’ eyes, and apply the same colour palette to your blog logo.
A well-organised table of contents can also make a huge impact. Not only does it present a nice clean layout, but it also makes it easier for readers to find specific information, and can improve bounce rates and on-page time.
- Write and publish your blog post
With your research completed and your target audience identified, you can now start writing your blog post.
Typically, a blog post – like most forms of writing – consists of an introduction, a body of text and a conclusion. Try to capture your readers’ attention with a killer opening line: Ask a question, cite a statistic or use an analogy or metaphor. Split your post up into short paragraphs and subheadings in bold text to make it easier to read (like this post). You can even use a numbered list or bullet points to succinctly communicate your ideas. Make sure that your blog format is easy to read on a mobile device.
When blog writing, it’s also important to propose solutions. Readers are counting on you to guide them through your chosen topic and to confront issues in a certain amount of depth, presented in a way that’s clear, concise and well-sourced. Avoid anecdotal evidence, but try to make your blog writing feel personal.
Incorporating SEO into your blog writing can also help to drive up traffic. Research SEO trends and compare your blog post with top-ranking results on Google and other search engines to ensure your post appears near the top.
Images can also help make a blog post pop. Make sure that they’re relevant to the topic and pay close attention to your featured image – this will be the one that pulls readers in.
And, of course, always, always proofread before you hit ‘publish’!
- Promote your blog post
There are several ways to promote your blog post so it reaches a wider audience.
Tell friends, family and colleagues about your blog post and encourage them to share it with others. Post a link to it on social media, and even advertise it on YouTube and TikTok.
Don’t forget to add hashtags and engage with your followers. Create a dialogue by replying to their comments. Add links to your business’s social media at either the top or bottom of your blog post, so readers can stay up to date.
Find other blogs that relate to your industry and leave constructive feedback, hopefully translating into strong relationships with other bloggers in the future.
Post regularly – create a schedule and stick to it. Most bloggers will start off with at least one new post a week. If you fail to capitalise on growth, then your follower count might begin to dwindle.
- Propose effective marketing strategies
Running a blog can be quite costly if you decide to host a custom domain. That’s why writing blog posts can be an excellent way to earn money, which you can put back into the running of your site.
Monetise your blog posts by advertising your products and services at the bottom of the page. Publish sponsored content and generate income through advertising by signing up to Google AdSense. Offer subscription-based services or content exclusive to members.
Affiliate marketing can also provide a healthy revenue stream, where readers can click on a link that redirects them to another site. If they end up buying a product you’ve endorsed through that site, then you end up earning a commission on that sale.
The more popular your blog becomes, the more you earn.
Great Blog Writing Examples
There are millions of great blog writing examples out there to draw inspiration from when it comes to writing your own blog post.
Squarespace’s blog, Making It, is a valuable resource for people wanting to create their own website, offering ‘stories and solutions for the modern entrepreneur.’
Posts are split into four categories (On Trend, Makers, Know, Videos), emphasised by clean lines, bold graphics and high-quality photos. Information is accessible, entertaining and well-researched. Because the layout is so uncluttered, each element is given enough room to breathe and looks sleek and stylish at the same time.
Like Squarespace, Canva’s Learn blog also provides useful tips, information and advice to help new and experienced bloggers achieve their design goals.
The Sydney-based company writes about a wide range of topics, including social media, colour branding, photo editing, font psychology, and logo design, all neatly organised and set against a minimalist background. They also report regularly on educational and non-profit initiatives.
The blog’s layout is fresh, clean and easy to navigate, with each section clearly labelled. Colourful graphics and stunning photography also help to create a friendly atmosphere for readers.
Pinch of Yum, meanwhile, is a charming food blog from Minnesota with a huge following. Written in an open and inviting manner, it’s filled with tasty recipes, made all the more enticing with mouthwatering photos of cookies, cakes, pasta, burgers and soups.
Not only is it a sumptuous visual feast for readers, but it also gives the blog a nice warm and cosy feel, evoking feelings of fun and nostalgia. The blog’s layout is also highly organised, with sections dedicated to instant pot recipes, pasta recipes, vegan recipes, frozen meal recipes and more.
Pinch of Yum is also incredibly social media savvy. Popups remind readers to follow them on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest, and it also posts sponsored content, working with such brands in the past as Google, Aldi and Chobani. You can even follow the blog owner’s 10-year journey to full-time blogging, helping to inspire others.
So Now That You Know How to Write a Blog Post…
It’s time to get to it!
Writing a blog post takes a lot of practice. It might seem daunting at first, but it might also help boost your business in the long run by increasing sales, building up brand awareness and making customers feel heard. Expanding your professional network is also a plus, helping you connect with others.
Remember: Be authentic, be unique and be honest. The more effort you put into your blog, the more chance it has for success.
Get in touch for blog writing help
If you don’t have the time or interest in blog writing, we can assist you with our content writing services.
