How to write an awesome blog post in 5 steps?

 

How to write an awesome blog post in 5 steps?

Writing a blog post is a lot like driving a car. You can spend months studying code called Highway or reading articles that tell you how to write a blog post. But nothing prepares you for the real thing, like controlling the speed of a vehicle, following another vehicle, or driving fast on the open road. We have to learn everything systematically. You know you need to start blogging to grow your business, but you don’t know how. In this post, I’ll show you how to write a great blog post in five simple steps that people actually want to read. Are you ready? So let us begin.

How to write a blog post in five easy steps:

Step 1: Plan your blog post by choosing a topic, creating an outline, conducting research, and fact-checking.

Step 2: Create a headline that is informative and grabs the reader’s attention.

Step 3: When writing your post, write a draft in one session or gradually word over parts of it.

Step 4: Use images to make your post interesting, improve its flow, add humor and explain complex topics.

Step 5: Edit your blog post. Make sure to avoid repetition of things that have been mentioned once. Read your post aloud to check its flow. Have someone else read it and provide feedback. Keep sentences and paragraphs short, don’t be a perfectionist. Don’t be afraid to shorten the text or adapt your writing at the end.

Now let’s examine each step in more detail.

How to write a blog post?

Step 1: Planning

First, a disclaimer – even if you can type eighty words per minute and your writing skills are sharp, the entire process of writing a blog post usually takes more than a couple of hours. It can take you several days or a week to “write” a blog post, from the seed of an idea to finally hitting “publish.” But spending that important time planning your post and thinking about your post is very important. (Yes, the idea works if you’re a blogger) Before you sit down to put digital pen to paper before you write it, you need to make sure you have everything you need to sit down and write. Many new bloggers overlook the planning process, and while you may be able to skip the planning stage, doing your homework will save you time learning more and help you develop better blogging habits.

Choose a topic that interests you

There is an old adage that says, “The writer has no fun, and the reader has no fun.” No matter what industry you work in as a blogger, you should live and die by this statement.

Before you do any of the following steps, be sure to choose a topic that really interests you. I mean nothing – a lack of passion in any piece of writing from a writer can effectively make his entire blog post look bland. You can tell when a writer is bored with his subject immediately after reading his writing. And it can be very embarrassing for that writer. But the hallmark of a professional blogger is the ability to write anything well. No matter how dry the topic is, blogging is very easy. However, you will be recognized as a good blogger if you can muster at least, or at least some passion for, what you know about.

You have to admit that every post depends on your creative writing. Some posts may feel like a chore, but if you have editorial control over what you write or write about, choose topics that you want to read, even if they’re related to niche industries. Your readers should be more excited about reading your content than you can be about it.

Check out our eight blog topic generation list to get you inspired without getting really desperate, or check out these eight strategies for coming up with unique blog ideas.

Write an outline for your post

Great blog posts don’t just happen. Even the best bloggers need a rough idea to keep them on track. This is where outline frames come in.

This is just a rough guide to make sure that you don’t stray too far from touching on the topic of your writing. An outline doesn’t have to be long or detailed.

For example, this is the outline I sent to my editor before I started working on this post:

Introduction

[Quick summary explaining what the blog post will cover]

Section 1 – Blog Post Planning

– Things bloggers need to do before putting pen to paper – outlining, researching, etc.

Section 2 – Writing a blog post

– Tips on how to focus on writing, productivity tips for bloggers

Section 3 – Rewriting/Editing the Blog Post

– Self-editing techniques, things to watch out for, common blogging mistakes

Section 4 – Optimizing the Blog Post

– How to optimize a blog post for on-page SEO, social shares/engagement etc.

Section 5 – Conclusion

– Finalize

The purpose of this outline is to make sure I know what I plan to cover, the order in which the various sections will appear, and some bare-bones details of what each section will cover.

Outlines keep you honest. They prevent you from engaging in poorly thought out metaphors about driving and keep you focused on the overall structure of your post. Sometimes I write a more thorough outline (and sometimes I don’t even bother with one), but most of the time, something like the outline above is perfectly acceptable.

Whether you write your outline in your word processor, on a piece of paper, or on a bar napkin, focus on what you’re working on.

Do your research

The biggest secret that professional bloggers (myself included) don’t want you to know is that we don’t know everything. To be honest, sometimes we don’t know anything about it before we sit down to write about it.

This does not mean that all bloggers are naive fakes. On the contrary, the natural curiosity of many bloggers makes them good at what they do. If you blog for a living, even if you don’t know anything about it, you need to feel comfortable moving from one topic to another. To do this and allow us to write authentically about new topics, knowing how to properly research a blog post is essential.

It almost goes without saying, but relying solely on Wikipedia as a primary source is always a bad idea. Yes, Wikipedia has thousands of well-researched articles, but it’s not infallible, and inaccuracies make their way into articles without site editors noticing. Plus, every verifiable fact on the site is referenced from links elsewhere on the web, so why cite an intermediary?

If you rely on third-party information to write your blog post, choose authoritative sources. Official associations, government websites, highly cited research papers, and leading industry experts are good examples. No one is right all the time, however, approach every source with a journalist’s habitual skepticism and as long as you are positive your information is solid.

Check your facts

A few years ago, I edited a piece written by a colleague focusing on the highlights of a major technology conference. The writer, under seriously tight deadlines, did a bang-up job of writing good copy in virtually no time, but he failed to properly check his facts. He cited a Forbes article in which the writer claimed that Steve Jobs was using PowerPoint on stage – something that never happened. It was lazy journalism on the part of a Forbes writer, and an easy mistake to make on the part of my colleague, but the result was the same; One poorly researched article directly affected the other because both writers failed to do their due diligence.

All it takes is one glaring error to destroy your credibility. Everyone makes mistakes, but it’s important to avoid such gaffes. If you’re just starting out, your credibility and authority will take a big hit if you publish incorrect information, and even if you have a blog with millions of loyal readers, your regulars will be all too eager to jump on your mistake – just look at the comment sections of publications like Wired or TechCrunch to see how quickly this can happen.

In the event that you fall victim to a well-executed scam, repeat widely circulated misinformation, or simply make a mistake, own up to it right away and be transparent about your edits. If you try to slip something past your readers, you can bet they’ll call you out on it, making the damage even worse. Be honest, be responsible and fix it – fast.

How to Write a Blog Post, Step 2: 

Writing a Good Title

Everyone and their grandmother has an opinion about headlines. Some say you should be as specific as possible (to avoid misleading your readers and manage their expectations), while others recommend taking a more abstract approach. Vague headlines might work well if you’re Seth Godin, but for most of us it’s better to be specific.

Some headlines practically write themselves.

There are two main approaches you can take to writing blog post headlines. You can decide on your final title before writing the rest of your post (and use your title to create your outline), or write your blog post with a working title and see what fits when you’re done.

Personally, I don’t follow a strict strategy one way or the other. Sometimes I come up with a strong title from scratch and stick with it, but other posts take more work. While sites like Upworthy have arguably ruined Internet writing with their clickbait headlines, the process behind the site’s headlines has merit, as it forces you to really think about your post and how to grab your audience’s attention.

Writing headlines for blog posts is as much art as science and probably warrants its own post, but for now, let me suggest what works for your audience. If your readers want hyper-specific case studies on how to do stuff, by all means, let them have it. However, don’t do something just because someone else is, especially if it doesn’t resonate with your audience.

How to Write a Blog Post, Step 3: 

The Writing Part

So, you’ve done your research, settled on a title (or at least a working title), and now you’re ready to actually write a blog post. So get to it.

Similar to headlines, there are two main approaches to writing a blog post. You can sit down and write the entire draft in one sitting (my preferred workflow), or you can gradually chip away at it over time. There is no right or wrong answer here – whatever works for you.

However, I recommend doing as much in one session as possible. This makes it easier to focus on the subject, makes it less likely that you’ll forget critical points, and allows you to quickly get the damaged material out of your hair.

Even if you work more efficiently in short bursts, try to maximize the amount of writing you do during those periods. The more times you revise the draft, the more tempting it is to add a little here and a little there, and before you know it, you’re out of content. Even if you want to draft a blog post over three or four writing sessions, do as much as you can in one sitting.

How to Write a Blog Post, Step 4: 

Using Images Effectively

Writing for the web is an entirely different animal than writing for print. Often, people don’t have the time, desire or ability to focus on long blog posts without some visual stimulation. Even a well-formatted blog post that contains only text is likely to send your readers screaming to Reddit or Twitter within minutes, which is why including images in your posts is so important.

Images help your blog post flow more effectively

The main reason to include images in your blog posts is to break up the text. Many people scan blog posts rather than pore over each word, and interspersing images throughout the copy can make your post seem less intimidating and more visually appealing.

Images make great visual punchlines

Everyone loves a good laugh, and a well-chosen image can help lighten the tone of your posts and add some much-needed humor to the piece. This is especially effective if you’re writing about dry (or flat-out boring) content.

Pictures make complex things easier to understand

Let’s face it – sometimes, digital marketing (and hundreds of other niche topics) isn’t the most accessible subject for newcomers. That’s why images are an essential part of your blogging toolkit if you’re hoping to expand your audience. Diagrams, charts, infographics, tables, and any other visual assets can help your readers understand abstract or complex topics and grasp the points you’re trying to make.

How to Write a Blog Post, Step 5:

 The Editing Part

Actually writing a blog post is hard. Editing a blog post is hard. Many people mistakenly think that editing is simply punching through sentences that don’t work or correcting grammatical errors. While sentence structure and grammar are both very important, editing is about looking at the piece as a whole and, at times, being willing to sacrifice words (and the hours it took to write them) for the sake of cohesion.

I’m clearly not telling you to check your spelling and grammar – you should be doing it anyway. However, I will offer some self-editing tips and advice on how to tighten up your writing so that it packs a punch and keeps your readers scrolling.

Avoid repetition

Few things are more jarring to read than the repetition of certain words or phrases. Once you’ve completed the first draft of your blog post, read through it and check for words that could be changed to avoid repeating yourself.

Read your post aloud to check flow

This is a technique many writers learn in workshops. If a piece reads awkwardly out loud, it probably reads awkwardly in your reader’s mind. It might sound a little weird, but force yourself to read your post aloud to check for word interruptions or run-on sentences. Do you find yourself struggling with sentence flow? Rework it until it rolls off your tongue.

Get someone else to read your work

This is crucial for novice or casual bloggers. Asking a friend or colleague to review your work isn’t an admission of weakness or a sign of failure—it’s a commitment to making your work as strong as possible.

Ideally, ask someone with editing experience to proofread your work. Also, make sure they understand that you’re not looking for help spotting typos or grammatical errors (but if they do, great), but you want to hear their thoughts on the flow of the piece and whether it makes sense structurally. Are your grades good? Is your position clear on a controversial issue? Does the piece prompt the reader to think or challenge an existing belief? Is the advice you’re giving worth following? All of these questions can help another set of eyes reading your work answer.

Keep sentences short and paragraphs short

Nothing intimidates or outright infuriates a reader faster than massive walls of text. It’s a common mistake that novice bloggers make, and one that I see frequently in a lot of online articles.

Sentences should be as short as possible. They are easy to read, making your audience’s job easier. Short sentences reduce the likelihood of going off on tangents. For example, I recently came across a sentence in an opinion piece on Wired that had seven subordinate clauses, an editorial sin of almost unimaginable proportions.

Paragraphs should be short and sweet. The shorter the paragraph, the more likely your readers will continue. The “rules” of paragraph structure have been bent a bit since web-based publishing became the norm, but try to separate individual ideas into their own neat, short paragraphs.

Accept that your blog post will never be perfect

There is no such thing as a perfect post, and the sooner you realize this, the better.

I’m not advocating publishing sloppy work, nor am I saying you shouldn’t obsess over details. However, I am saying that the best blog posts can always be better, but time is always against us. Again, unless you’re Seth Godin, you’ll probably need to publish more than one post a month, so agonizing over each post will kill your desire to write and waste valuable time — not to mention the possibility of incurring the wrath of your editor. or content manager.

Make each post as good as possible, learn from the experience, then move on.

Don’t be afraid to make cuts or adapt on the fly

You may have forgotten, but I originally included a section in the example outline for this post dealing with optimizing blog posts for SEO. I fully intended to write this section, but when I saw how my first draft was shaping up, I realized it was too substantial a topic to tackle in an already lengthy post. As a result, I made the decision to cut this section from the post entirely. I intentionally left the outline intact to demonstrate that you shouldn’t be afraid to make editorial decisions like this.

Unless there’s something you absolutely must include (say, a section your sales or management team expects you to deliver on the post you’ve agreed to), your outline isn’t set in stone. Remember – an outline is a guide, not an immutable series of commands. If something doesn’t work, whether it’s a sentence, a paragraph, or an entire section, don’t hesitate to cut it. Be ruthless in your work.

That’s all written…

Blogging is one of the things you should do. Fortunately, it gets easier, and with time and practice, you’ll be blogging like a pro in no time.

If there’s an aspect of writing a blog post that I haven’t covered, or if you have specific questions about my process or anything blog-related in general, let me know in the comments – I’ll answer them as best I can.