How to write a blog post. Even if you’ve never written one before.
Below, I’ve laid it out super simple for you. A 101 on how to write a blog post. Even if you’re not a beginner, this is a helpful little cheat sheet to remind you of the fundamentals you may overlook as you get too comfortable writing your blog posts.
- Choose a topic: Decide on a topic that is relevant to your audience and that you are passionate about. Can’t work out a topic? I’ve created a mini video course to help you choose the right topic. It includes an activity to get those brain juices flowing.
- Research: Gather information and data on the topic to support your points.
- Create an outline: Organise your thoughts and information into an outline to serve as a roadmap for your post. My online course, Blank to Brilliant, has a downloadable outline template plus informative video lessons to help you write the best blog post ever.
- Write a compelling headline: Your headline is the first thing that readers will see, so make sure it grabs their attention and accurately reflects the content of your post.
- Write your post: Use a clear and engaging tone to communicate your message. Use subheadings, images, and other media to break up the text and make it easier to read.
- Edit and proofread: Check for grammar and spelling errors, and make sure your post flows well and is easy to understand.
- Promote your post: Share your post on social media, send it to your email list, and reach out to other bloggers to request they share your post with their audience.
- Engage with readers: Respond to comments, answer questions, and continue the conversation on your post to build a strong community of readers.
How do you choose a topic to write a blog post about?
Choosing a topic to write a blog post about can be challenging, but there are several strategies you can use:
- Identify your niche: Consider the specific area of expertise or interest your blog focuses on and use that as a starting point to generate post ideas.
- Look for inspiration: See what’s trending in your industry or niche by reading other blogs, following influencers on social media, and checking out popular news sites.
- Respond to questions and feedback from your audience: Pay attention to the questions or feedback your readers are leaving in the comments, on social media, or via email, and use that as inspiration for a post.
- Address a problem or pain point: Think about the common issues or pain points your readers might be facing, and write a post that offers a solution or provides helpful information on how to address those issues.
- Use a content calendar: Plan ahead and choose topics to write about in advance. This will help you stay organised and on schedule and allow you to focus on specific topics during certain months or events.
- Look for evergreen topics: Consider writing about topics that are always relevant and don’t expire, like how-to guides, listicles, and explainers, so your post can continue to drive traffic to your blog for a long time.
How do you research for a blog post?
- Use keyword research tools: Use tools like Google Keyword Planner or SEMrush to find out what keywords and phrases people are searching for concerning your topic.
- Look for statistics and data: Find statistics and data to back up your claims and make your post more credible. You can use websites like Statista, Pew Research Center, and the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
- Read industry publications: Look for articles, reports, and studies in industry publications and trade journals to stay current on the latest developments in your niche or industry. And, of course, don’t forget books.
- Check out competitors’ blogs: See what other blogs in your niche or industry are writing about, and look for ways to improve upon or add to the information they’re providing.
- Check out forums and Q&A sites: Visit forums and Q&A sites like Quora or Reddit to see what questions people are asking about your topic and what kind of information they’re looking for.
- Use social media: Look for posts, hashtags and influencers on social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn that can give you an idea of what people are talking about and the trending topics.
- Conduct interviews: Reach out to experts or professionals in your industry or niche and ask if they would be willing to be interviewed for your post. They are likely to share your post amongst their networks when done, helping you get a broader reach too!
- Please keep track of your sources: As you research, keep track of the sources you’re using so that you can easily cite them in your post and avoid plagiarism.
How do you create a blog post outline?
- Start with a central idea: Write down the main idea or thesis of your post, which should be the focus of your post.
- Break down the main idea into subtopics: Identify the key points you want to make in your post and break them down into smaller, more manageable subtopics.
- Add supporting details: For each subtopic, think about the specific details, facts, examples, or quotes that you’ll use to support your point.
- Use a hierarchical structure: Organise your subtopics in a logical, hierarchical structure. You can use a bullet point list or a diagram to help visualise the structure of your post.
- Add an introduction and a conclusion: Write a brief introduction that will grab the reader’s attention and give them an idea of what your post is about. Also, add a conclusion that will summarise the main points of your post and provide some final thoughts.
- Use headings and subheadings: Use headings and subheadings to break up your post into sections, making it easier to read and scan.
- Add multimedia: If you plan on using images, videos or other multimedia in your post, make sure to include them in your outline, so you can remember to include them in your post.
- Review and revise: Review your outline and make sure it covers all the key points you want to make in your post. Revise it as needed until you’re happy with the structure and flow.
Creating a blog post outline can help you organise your thoughts and ideas and make it easier to write your post. Here are some steps you can follow:
The Blank to Brilliant: write a blog post online course breaks this down in super easy-to-follow detail. It’s like having me alongside you, helping you write your post.
How to promote your blog post
Promoting your blog post can help increase traffic and visibility to your blog. Here are some strategies you can use:
- Share on social media: Share your post on your social media accounts like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Pinterest. Use hashtags and tags relevant to your post to help increase visibility.
- Reach out to influencers: Reach out to influencers in your industry or niche and ask them to share your post with their followers.
- Submit to social bookmarking sites: Submit your post to sites like Reddit, Digg, Quora, Medium and StumbleUpon to get more visibility and drive traffic to your blog.
- Guest post on other blogs: Reach out to other bloggers in your niche and ask if you can guest post on their blog. Make sure to include a link to your post in your author bio.
- Comment on other blogs: Leave comments on other blogs in your niche and include a link to your post in your comment.
- Use email marketing: Send an email to your subscribers and let them know about your new post.
- Optimise your post for SEO: Make sure your post is optimised for search engines by including relevant keywords, meta tags, and a meta description.
- Leverage communities: Share your post on online communities like forums, Facebook groups, and LinkedIn groups relevant to your niche or industry. You can totally share your blog post in my Facebook blogging group here.
- Use paid promotion: Consider using paid promotions like Google Ads, Facebook ads, Twitter ads, etc., to increase visibility and drive traffic to your blog. It’s been a while since I’ve used LinkedIn ads, but these could be worth the budget if your demographic is corporate-based. Also, as a writer for Pinterest, I’ve seen first-hand how dedicated they are to their business partners (meaning the people that advertise with them), and there have been some tremendous results for brands. Definitely worth considering if you have products that appeal to Pinterest users. They purport ‘2x higher return on ad spend for retail brands, compared to social media.’ Here is a case study for Huggies that I wrote for Pinterest.
- Track and measure: Use tools like Google Analytics to track the performance of your post and understand how it’s being received. Use this data to improve your promotion strategy.
How can your blog posts stand out from the rest?
There are several ways to make your blog posts stand out from the rest. Here are my key takeaway tips!
- Write with a unique voice: Use a tone and style that’s distinct and original, which will help your posts stand out.
- Do in-depth research: Make sure your posts are well-researched and provide valuable insights and information that readers won’t find elsewhere.
- Use visuals: Use images, videos, and other multimedia to enhance your post and make it more engaging and visually appealing.
- Tell a story: Use storytelling techniques to make your post more interesting and engaging.
- Use examples and case studies: Use real-world examples and case studies to illustrate your points and make your post more relatable and easy to understand.
- Address current events and trends: Write about current events and trends in your niche or industry to keep your posts timely and relevant.
- Be controversial: Don’t be afraid to take a firm stance on a controversial issue or challenge the status quo.
- Create interactive content: Create interactive content such as quizzes, polls, and surveys to engage your readers and encourage them to share your post.
- Create a series: Create a series of posts that build on each other and follow a specific theme or topic.
- Be consistent: Post regularly and consistently, and make sure your blog design and layout are visually appealing and easy to navigate.
Let’s not play small anymore. Learn to write professional-level blog posts – for your career, business or marketing with BLANK TO BRILLIANT: write a blog post online course.
This post contains a few affiliate links of things that I actually use and believe in.