You want to write a blog, but writing’s not your thing? That’s fine – we’ve created a guide to writing a successful blog! Writing a successful blog can feel overwhelming. Sometimes there can be pressure, especially when you don’t know what to write about or your mind goes blank. As a matter of fact, I struggled with what to do as a beginner and how to approach writing my first blog. So you can learn from my experience.
There are many blogs about how to write blogs – that, in itself, can be overwhelming. A step-by-step structure for your blog can make a huge difference when getting started!
It helps to take a step back and consider what a blog is, the purpose of blogs and why you need them in your business.
There are over 175 million blogs on the Internet – so all that content must be for a reason, right?
Blogging is an important part of digital marketing for many businesses. A blog invites readers to participate. Most businesses use blogs to educate their audience, publish news, and communicate with a wider audience. They’re designed to be interactive, which helps you create relationships with potential readers – and turn them into customers! When readers share your content on social media, or leave comments on your blog, it helps increase traffic and builds up your web presence.
To help you get ‘unstuck’ and get blogging more easily, we have put together a step-by-step structure. To get started you don’t have to see the full staircase, only the first step – so here it is…
Carefully choose a topic that your readers would be interested in
Picking a topic to write about is the hardest part. Usually, we tend to write about what we know best, have experience in or a subject that interests us.
The best advice to choose a topic is to pick something that your audience wants to know and read about. Think of the questions they would often ask. If someone asks you that question frequently, there are likely many more people who would ask the same.
Stick to topic ideas related to your primary subject area once you’ve created a beat for your blog. This helps to keep your posts on topic and relevant to your audience.
Write an outline
Once you’re done with choosing the topic of your blog, identify the ‘take home message’.
Now break this message down into important points, grouping them into headlines and subheadings.
This will make it easy to include all important points, save time when you write, and structure your blog perfectly.
Grab your readers attention with great headlines
A successful blog begins with a great headline that attracts the reader’s interest. No matter how interesting your blog is, people won’t read it if the title doesn’t immediately catch their attention and intrigue them to learn more.
Spend time crafting your perfect headline. This should be the first and last step before you publish it. A great headline should be simple, fascinating and engaging.
It should be followed by a great introduction. A good technique to write a great introduction is to raise a question that answers the reader’s problems straight away. Then you should explain how reading your blog will give them an answer, they’ll be intrigued to read on.
Make your blog easy to read
Readers don’t usually read blog posts word-for-word. Instead, they scan them to find the information they need.
Because of this, it is important to construct your blog so they are simple to scan. It will make it easier for your readers to get the information they need fast, increasing the chance they’ll visit your site again for more valuable content.
Here are some ways to help ensure your blog is scannable and visually engaging:
- Use short sentences
- Use bullet points or sub-titles to break down blocks of text
- Include lots of white space
- Make sure you use simple language – being short, clear, and writing in a tone that a primary school student could understand
Understand Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
Posting blogs online is a useful way for increasing search engine traffic to your website. Every article provides a chance to include keywords that you can search for on your website.
Be sure to include relevant keywords as you write. It is useful to do keyword research beforehand so you know what they are. Then try to use them in your writing – but not forcefully. Keep your reader in mind.
Use headlines to your advantage, they help Google’s understanding of your blog content and its sections. A compelling headline with SEO in mind may include numbers or a teaser/offer.
The most important thing to remember when using SEO in blog posts is that you should always think of your readers first. Including keywords is important – but not to the detriment of your copy or audience… so don’t let your SEO objectives impact the readability of your blog. Remember – content that is original and offers value is highly sought after by readers.
Demonstrate your points with images
A simple picture can make a long-blog post much more interesting and engaging – and easier for the reader to digest.
If you can’t explain all of your ideas in words, including images or infographics in your blog will help keep the readers engaged for longer.
Images can also help when you’re trying to prove a point in your post. Afterall, they say pictures paint a thousand words.
Final thoughts
Following these steps every time you write a blog will mean you struggle a lot less when creating great content.
Every blog may feel like a lot at first, but once you get used to the core steps and put it into practice, writing a successful blog will become second nature.
Check out some blog examples on our blog page. If you need assistance with blog writing our team of marketing experts is ready to help! Chat to us today.
