Blogging provides you with the opportunity to connect with anyone along with a variety of benefits. You can get organic traffic from search engines, gain recognition from a new audience, as well as build a community of readers interested in your work.
So, if you want to know how to write an effective blog post, you are in the right place! Let’s dive deeper into the intricacies of creating blog posts and how you can successfully start your journey.
What is a Blog Post?
A blog post refers to an article, news item, or any piece of content featured in the blog section of a website. Generally, a blog delves into a specific subject or addresses a particular topic, offering educational content spanning from 600 words to over 2000 words. It also consists of other types of media like images, videos, infographics, or other interactive charts and elements.
Through the aid of blog posts, individuals and businesses can share insights, thoughts, and narratives on various topics. This contributes to enhanced brand visibility, credibility, conversions, and revenue. Most importantly, a blog post serves as a means to drive traffic to your website.
Types of Blog Posts
Before you start your blog content, you can choose the type of post you want to write. Some of the popular types of blog posts include:
- List-Based Post: A list-based post, often referred to as a “listicle,” presents information as a list. Utilizing sub-headings to break down the content into distinct sections, this format facilitates easy skimming and understanding for readers.
- How-to Post: How-to posts are generally a step-by-step guide that aims to solve problems for readers and serve as a practical guide for a specific task or project. Creating such guides improves reader literacy on the subject and positions the blog as a valuable resource.
- Thought Leadership Post: These posts provide an opportunity to share expertise on specific subjects, offering first-hand knowledge to the audience. Thought leadership posts are typically written in the first person. They contribute to building trust with readers and establishing the blog as a credible source.
- Newsjacking Post: A newsjacking post involves leveraging the blog to break industry-related news. While offering timeless professional advice, this type of article seeks to capture consumer’s attention and establish the blog as a reliable source for staying informed about significant industry developments.
- Infographic Post: This type of post conveys information that might not be best suited for a plain blog copy. Usually well-designed, infographics help in engagingly presenting statistical data, enhancing reader engagement and retention of information.
- Curated Collection Post: A curated collection post is a special type of listicle blog post. This post shares a lot of real examples to convey a larger point as compared to sharing tips or methods of doing something.
- Guest Post: Guest posts allow the inclusion of external voices on the blog, providing diverse perspectives and expertise. They are particularly useful when seeking an outside expert’s opinion on a topic, adding variety to the blog’s content while addressing issues that may be beyond the blogger’s scope of expertise. Establishing editorial guidelines is essential when accepting guest posts to maintain consistent quality standards.
- Slide Presentation: Similar to PowerPoint but designed for the web, slide presentations serve as an alternative format to traditional blogs. By embedding and summarizing a SlideShare in a blog post, you can share substantial information and enhance the chances of the content ranking on search engines.
How to Start a Blog?
Do you want to learn how to start writing blogs? Now that you know the types of blogs you can write, let’s understand how you can start creating a professional blog.
- Understand Your Audience
Before writing your blog post, you need to understand who your target audience is. You can do so by asking explanatory questions such as who they are, what their interests are, and what challenges they face. Make notes about their age, background, goals, and challenges.
Conduct in-depth market research through the aid of social media and use online blogging tools to gather specific information. Based on these, create buyer personas that will allow you to tailor your blog content to the interests and needs of your audience. This approach ensures that your posts are relevant and valuable to your readers.
- Identify Your Competition
Explore your competition and get inspiration from top blogs. Analyze their strategies to understand how they are growing. The objective is not to copy their elements but to discern what readers value in a high-quality blog. When examining a competitor’s blog, determine if they are your direct competitors based on audience, niche, and focus.
Clearly define your buyer personas before creating your blog. If they are indeed your competitors, observe their branding, color palette, and theme to attract a similar readership. Colors play a critical role in establishing a niche identity. Additionally, analyze the tone and writing style and assess whether their copywriting aligns with the blog you aim to create and resonates with readers.
- List Down Blog Post Topics You Can Cover
Selecting the right topics is crucial before diving into blog writing. Begin by identifying your desired niche and exploring general themes. One effective strategy is to analyze competitor blog pages, examining their frequently covered topics to identify content gaps or opportunities for deeper insights.
Opt for subjects you understand well, drawing from your professional background, hobbies, or academic expertise. Post about topics that align with your audience’s needs by consulting sales and services teams for insights into customer queries and preferences.
Additionally, you also need to conduct preliminary keyword research to gauge the demand for your chosen topics so that you can ensure they align with what your audience is actively searching for. This comprehensive approach helps you create content to captivate and fulfill the needs of your target readership.
- Determine Your Unique Angles
Discover your unique blog angle by crafting a comprehensive professional and personal bio, emphasizing your experiences that shape your distinctive perspectives. Clearly define the specific problem you aim to address to your readers, fostering trust and encouraging returned visits.
For example, in a fitness-focused blog, assist readers with challenges like effective home workouts. Align your editorial approach with your blog’s theme and problem-solving orientation. Make sure your blog stands out and resonates with your audience, whether sharing options providing instructional content, or conducting original research.
- Name Your Blog
Choose a compelling name for your blog that is easy to say and spell. Ensure the name is memorable for readers and is as straightforward as a URL. Link the blog name to your brand message, reflecting the topics and values you cover. Consider your target audience’s needs and aspirations; a name that aligns with their goals attracts the right readers. You can also use a blog name generator but ensure the chosen name is unique to avoid confusion and enhance visibility.
- Create Your Blog Domain
To create your blog website, you need to secure a blog domain which is a crucial part of your web address, such as “www.yourblog.com.” Consider adding a subdomain like “blog.yourcompany.com” if you already have an existing business website.
Some content management platforms provide free subdomains, but for a subdomain linked to your business, register it with a website host. Various web hosting services like GoDaddy, BlueHost, and DreamHost offer affordable options.
- Choose a CMS and Complete Blog Set Up
Select a content management system (CMS) to build and manage your blog without coding. Some of the popular choices include WordPress, Blogger, and Wix among others. After deciding on a domain and subdomain, choose a web hosting service and complete the setting up of your blog.
- Customize Your Blog Aesthetics
Personalize the look of your blog to align with your content theme and brand after setting up your domain. For instance, if your blog focuses on sustainability, incorporate green tones into the blog layout. If you are adding a blog to an existing website, ensure consistency in appearance and subject matter.
This can be achieved by including your business logo, serving as a reminder to the readers of the content’s source. Most importantly, maintain an “About” page that acts as an extended mission statement supporting your company’s goals. The degree of branding is at your discretion.
After you complete all these steps, you can start writing new blog posts. Make sure to keep your content engaging so that your readers keep coming back.
How to Write Your First Blog Post?
To answer your question about how to create blog posts, follow the steps below to create your first post:
- Choose a Topic in Your Niche
If you are wondering what to write, you can start by selecting a topic that you are passionate about. Ensure that the topic aligns with your expertise. Avoid starting with a “how-to” article until you establish credibility in your field. For example, if you are into the CRM business, consider a post on the importance of using unified software for marketing, sales, and service teams.
Begin with alternative blog posts like listicles, curated collections, or news pieces. If stuck for ideas, brainstorm and iterate off old topics by adjusting their scope, time frame, audience, or format. Blog about ideas such as explaining differences between two subjects, presenting a best/worst list, addressing common mistakes in your niche, free guides, providing proven tips, or sharing tool comparisons. Leverage content performance data to gauge audience resonance and focus on core blog topics to establish thought leadership and attract readers.
- Target a Low-Volume Keyword
Optimize your blog post around a low-volume keyword, ideally with 10 to 150 monthly searches. This minimizes competition and enhances your ranking chances. Conduct keyword research by using online tools like the Keyword Suggestion tool, Ubersuggest, or Wordtracker.
You can start with a general keyword like “home gardening,” and pick a related keyword with a lower search volume, such as “container gardening tips.” This approach enhances the likelihood of your first post achieving a higher rank.
- Define Your Audience
Before your first blog post on a low-volume topic, Google the keyword to check user intent, ensuring search results favor articles over product pages. For example, searching “under sink plumbing bathroom” results in product pages and guides from major publications, prompting the need to use a different topic.
Once you can settle on your topic, understand your audience by anticipating their interests and preferences. You can browse other blogs in your niche, observe assumptions and readers, explore forums or groups for insights, or look for current events and recent news stories related to your field. Defining your audience is crucial since it helps in creating impactful and engaging content, regardless of the blog’s focus.
- Do Your Research
To write authoritative blogs, in-depth research on your topic is integral. While Wikipedia offers valuable insights, it is not foolproof. Rely on credible sources like official associations, government websites, well-cited research papers, and industry experts when using third-party information.
Approach sources with journalistic skepticism, questioning until you ensure the information’s reliability. Ensure to do proper fact-checking so that there is no misinformation or mistakes. Be transparent about edits, and rectify any errors to maintain the trust of your readers. Moreover, leverage Google to find more information about your topic. Check “People also ask” and “People also search for” to gain more details for your blog.
- Choose the Type of Blog You Want to Create
The best blog posts are the ones that follow a format throughout the post, ensuring consistency. Select if you want to write articles, a list-based post, an infographic post, a newsjacking post, or a thought leadership post, among other options. Make a post by deciding on the best option for your topic. Choose one particular type of blog post before you begin the writing process.
- Create a Compelling Title
Before you create your final title, develop several working titles as iterations to refine your approach and narrow down the topic for focused blog post writing. For instance, if your initial topic is “Effective Strategies for Successful Marketing,” your working titles could be “Key Tactics for Marketing Success” or “Strategies for Engaging Content Marketing.” Though the working title may not become the final one, it serves as a specific guide throughout the writing process.
An attractive blog title not only attracts readers but also complements your blog’s design. Focus on clarity, specificity, and the promise of offering valuable insights or solutions. Put yourself in your audience’s shoes and ensure the title communicates the benefits of reading your post, whether it satisfies curiosity, imparts knowledge, or aids in problem-solving. Strive for an engaging headline without resorting to clickbait tactics.
- Write an Outline
Organize your blog post effectively by creating a well-structured outline. Break down your content into different sections using descriptive headers and consider subsections for detailed information. By outlining the post beforehand, you can identify key points and determine the optimal order for presenting them.
Focus on overarching H2 initially, allowing for the natural inclusion of subheaders as you progress with your writing. You can also include H3 to incorporate more depth into your blog. This approach ensures a reader-friendly format and makes it easier for your audience to navigate through the content.
- Develop Your Introduction
Craft a compelling introduction to captivate your audience. Begin by grabbing their attention through storytelling, humor, empathy, or by delivering intriguing facts. Clearly outline the purpose of your post and illustrate how it addresses a relevant problem. This provides readers with a reason to continue and demonstrate the value your content brings to their work or lives.
- Create Each Blog Section of Your Outline
Expand on each section of your outline to create a great post. Utilize the outline as a roadmap, elaborating on each point with your existing knowledge and additional research. Ensure clarity and depth in your writing by avoiding redundancy and offering valuable insights. While a conclusion may not always be necessary, consider wrapping up your extensive blog articles with a brief bulleted list or closing thoughts.
Tailor your writing style and tone to your blog’s audience, adapting to a more formal approach for professionals or a lighter, fun style for specific niches. Make sure your sentences are clear and concise and your overall writing incorporates a steady flow to captivate readers. Don’t overlook creativity which allows your unique perspective and emotional expression to enhance your creativity. Lastly, grasp sentence and clause structure to ensure effective communication and clarity in your writing.
- Add Images and Media
Enhance your blog post with various media elements beyond text. Incorporate a visually appealing featured image relevant to your content, recognizing the growing importance of visuals on social platforms. Ensure a visually pleasing post by maintaining consistent formatting, organizing content with headers, and applying a defined border to screenshots.
Implement a thoughtful tagging strategy by choosing 10-20 tags representing the main topics of your blog, promoting easy navigation for readers. Center your images to maintain professionalism and captivate attention, especially during transitions between devices. Don’t forget to add descriptive alt text to images, aiding in search engine ranking and providing accessibility for all readers, including those using assistive technology.
- Include a Call to Action
Incorporate a call to action (CTA) in your blog post to prompt your audience to take specific actions. These can include encouraging readers to subscribe to your newsletter, join an online community, access downloadable content, or try a free trial for conversion.
CTAs serve as embedded links or buttons that guide readers toward the desired objective, such as subscribing or making a purchase. Utilizing effective CTAs not only engages your audience but also contributes to long-term goals like monetizing your blog. Explore a variety of compelling CTA examples before you select one for your blog.
- Optimize Your Blog for SEO
One of the most important steps is to optimize your blog post for SEO with a comprehensive approach, incorporating both pre and post-writing strategies. Conduct keyword research before outlining in order to create systematic content. Integrate chosen keywords naturally in the headline, body text, subheadings metadata, URL, and image alt text for enhanced blog performance. You should also perform internal linking and create an effective content cluster.
Focus on clarity rather than obsessing over keyword density, thereby, allowing readers a seamless experience. Additionally, review and refine your meta description, page title, headers, and anchor text, aligning them with relevant keywords. Compress images for faster page speed, ensuring an optimal mobile-friendly design to cater to the majority of organic visits. Therefore, adopting these SEO practices enhances your blog’s visibility and user experience.
- Edit and Publish Blog
One of the effective blog writing tips is to always check your written content. Make sure your blog is error-free through diligent proofreading and editing. Don’t underestimate the significance of this step. Engage the use of online tools like Grammarly for a thorough review.
After this step, upload your post into your preferred CMS and double-check your post that may have been missed during the proofreading process. When sure about your post, do the necessary formatting before hitting the publish button.
- Promote Your Final Post
As a blog writer, once your initial blog post is live, employ effective promotion strategies to ensure it reaches your target audience. As a new blogger, focus on creating a promotion plan that uses social media and email marketing.
Email marketing, a direct communication channel, allows you to send tailored newsletters to potential readers. Additionally, you can leverage the vast user bases of platforms like Facebook or Instagram for social media promotion. Actively engage with your audience to choose channels to enhance readership and establish a connection beyond writing a compelling blog post.
- Track Post Performance
It is essential to monitor the performance of your post to evaluate the effectiveness of your strategy. Keep track of key performance indicators (KPIs) such as total traffic, average click-through rate (CTR), traffic sources, SERP position, search queries, comments, social shares, new leads, and conversion rate. Use various website traffic analysis tools to gain insights into your audience’s behavior and assess the success of your blog post in achieving your goals.
What is the Format of Blog Writing?
Here’s a quick glimpse of the blog format or blog template that you can use:
- Headline: Ensure it’s clear, catchy, and SEO-friendly.
- Introduction: Hook the reader, address search intent, and outline the blog’s purpose.
- Subheadings: Organize content logically for easy reading.
- Body: Offer valuable information with examples and maintain a conversational tone.
- Visuals: Include relevant images or videos for enhanced engagement.
- Engagement: Encourage comments and shares for reader interaction.
- Editing and Proofreading: Check for grammatical errors, spelling, and coherence; fact-check the content.
- Readability: Use consistent font, and formatting, and keep sentences short.
- SEO: Naturally incorporate relevant keywords and address search intent.
- Links: Add internal and external links for context.
- Social Sharing: Include buttons and shareable snippets.
- Review: Give the post a final read before and after publishing.
Conclusion
Writing your first blog post can be an exciting yet daunting task. Simply follow the steps mentioned in this blog to successfully create your blog followed by your first blog post. Ensure you select a topic that you are passionate about and paint a full picture with images, graphics, or video. Avoid overwhelming your readers with fluff. Use an active voice and remember that each sentence should convey a single idea. Follow all these useful steps to have your first blog online ready to publish!