Need to write a blog, but not sure where to start? It’s okay. We’ve got you covered.
A blog is a regularly updated informational website or online journal written to drive traffic to your website and connect with customers in a conversational way.
You don’t need to be a professional to write a blog. Whether you work for a business or independently, you may find you need a blog to grow your business. However, what you may not know, is how to write one. Our top 9 tips will kickstart your blogging journey and ensure you won’t fail.
Plan away
You may have exceptional writing skills and fingers that can speed away on a keyboard, however, the core of writing a blog consists in the time spent planning. Before you start typing away, it is essential to plan your blog and know what you are going to write about.
Choose a topic
As you plan your blog think about what interests you and your target audience. Would you be interested in the topic yourself? Is the topic current and useful? Will this add value and help my readers?
Know your audience
How do you know what your audience is interested in?
Research is the answer. Take a look at the questions in your inbox or DMs, review the comments on your social media posts, conduct surveys and read your reviews. Find out what your most popular content is, and your audience’s biggest questions are. As a blogger, it is your sole purpose to provide for your audience. The more you know about what they need and want the more you can provide.
Do your research
You may wonder: “how can I write a blog on a topic I know nothing about?” Well, that is simply solved with a little more research! Ensure you are using reliable and credible sources. Use authoritative sources and check your facts until you are certain your information is correct.
Writing a capturing headline
Your headline is what initially draws the audience in to reading your blog- so make sure it is attention grabbing. Writing an amazing piece is not effective if there is no one to read it, so get creative!
You want your heading to grab the attention of the audience through its individuality and relevance to your business. Use the research about your target audience to guide your headline- because you know what they’re interested in- and remember to keep it short, sharp and shiny!
Structuring your content
Once your blog is opened, you must provide your audience with the valuable and compelling content upfront. Within the first few lines you need to capture their interest and address their problems.
Present your information with an introduction, body and conclusion format to make it simple for your audience to follow. Consider your tone and message in your blog to adapt to the needs and wants of your audience.
Keep paragraphs short and sentences even shorter
The initial sentence of a paragraph should reflect the core of the paragraph. Information should be kept in short sentences to ensure paragraphs can be easily read and understood and hold the attention of the readers. No one wants to read a paragraph that continues on forever, so keep it neat and concise.
Use sub-headings
Nothing will annoy a reader more than getting through multiple paragraphs only to find their answer in the very last one.
Sub-headings allow the blog to be structured for easy readability and flow, thus ensuring readers can get to the answer they are looking for quickly and efficiently.
Edit, edit and edit
Get your voice working and read over your work aloud multiple times! It is beneficial for someone else to read over your work too. Ensure your sentences flow easily, avoid repetition and do not consist of any spelling or grammatical errors. Don’t be afraid to make cuts too if something doesn’t work.
Now it’s time to get started!
Did you know that 80% of people who attend a course or engage in training never take any action as a result? Be one of the 20% and get blogging now!!!
You may feel overwhelmed as you start your blogging journey, however following these simple steps will provide a simple system for you to follow and ensure you produce a successful end result.
