Now don’t sigh. You know you should write a blog post today. So I’m here to give you some tips on how to write a great one.
You already know that you have to keep your website up-to-date, and your blog is an excellent way of doing that. It’s also a great marketing tool as people who visit your website can see that you’re exceptionally good at your business.
But you sit down at your computer, staring at a blank document, wondering what on earth you’re going to write.
Let me give you 5 tips on writing a killer blog post that people will want to read.
1. Planning.
This begins with choosing a topic you know your readers will want to read. What do they want to know? Go into forums connected to your industry and see what people are asking. You could also search on Quora
Is there any industry news that you can put your spin on?
Whatever you decide to write about, make sure you do your research and fact check.
Tip: If you’re stuck, head over to Hubspot’s Blog Ideas Generator. All you need to do is put in up to five nouns, and it will give you some ideas.
2. Now for the Heading.
Your heading (title) and your first paragraph have to be attention-grabbing. Studies have shown that around 80% of people who see your post will only read the heading and the first couple of lines. In other words, just the part visible before having to scroll, and only 20% will click through to “read more”.
This means that your first impression has to grab!
You can begin with a question, something that everyone can relate to. Or perhaps it is something you’ve experienced that goes entirely against the normal.
(Although this is #2, the heading and the first paragraph doesn’t necessarily have to be written first.)
Tip: Your title shouldn’t be any more than 70 characters
3. The Meat of the Post.
From the first paragraph, you’re now going to segue into the meaty part of the post. It’s where the nuts and bolts happen. You can begin this part by telling your reader what they can expect to learn. Make it personal if you can, as readers love it when they believe you’ve written this post just for them.
The length of your post will depend on the topic, but remember that many readers will skim over the words, especially if there are a lot of them.
Tip: Break up the words. Short paragraphs, images and bullets help.
4. Conclusion.
When you get to the end, make it strong. Summarise the main points you’ve made and leave them with a feeling that they have learned something new.
At the end of the post, always have a call to action. This can be:
- Subscribe to your newsletter.
- Share on social media.
- Buy your products.
- Read the next post.
5. Edit and Proofread.
Once you have your draft finished, I usually go and get a coffee, sit out in the sun (if it’s not raining!) for just 10 minutes. It helps to clear my brain.
I then put my draft up into Grammarly (my favourite editing tool) when I come back. I then can read it, make changes, and Grammarly takes care of the proofing.
Now it’s time to PUBLISH!
Tip: Make sure you share your post everywhere! You can also use snippets of it as social media posts.
BONUS! There’s an old saying in writing,
“No fun for the writer, no fun for the reader”.
So whatever the topic is, have fun with it!
I can certainly help you with your social media, along with your blog and newsletter. Please click through to my services HERE