10 tips for writing a blog post

Posted by Ben on April 15, 2009 | Permalink | Hits: 2230 
Tags: writing, content

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This week at Top Ten Blog Tips, I'm going back to basics and looking at how to write a blog post. Whether you're just starting out or you need a refresher, this is a great starting point to understand how the writing process works. It's also a good guide if you'd like to use a more structured approach to the one you're using at the moment.

1. Pick a subject.

What are you going to write about? Be sure to think this through before you start, otherwise you may start writing about one thing and finish writing about something else entirely. That might be how you write, but it can confuse and frustrate your readers.

2. List your bulletpoints.

This is easiest with a list post, but it's still possible with a regular post. Basically, list your main points without going into any detail. This means you should be able to get most of your ideas written down before you forget about them.

3. Ask on Twitter for additional points.

Short on ideas? Why not ask on Twitter for some additional thoughts? Make sure you credit anyone who contributes to the discussion by linking to their Twitter profile or blog. This is a good way to complete a post where you just can't think of everything.

4. Reorganise the headings.

Your bulletpoints should now become headings. I use Todoist to list my ideas, then I write directly in Injader once I'm ready to put the headings in sequence. In terms of how to order the list, I aim to start out strong, hide my stride in the middle, establish some continuity from one item to the next (if it's possible to do so), then go out with a bang and leave my readers wanting more. Sequence is very important!

5. Write the detail.

Once you've got the headings down, you can now start filling in the gaps. That's where the meat of your post comes from - but don't be fooled into thinking it's as easy as sitting down to write a great post with no prior planning. Without a solid structure, the detail will lack context. Of course, you CAN write great posts like this, but I've always found it's a huge risk to write in this way. Perhaps if you do write posts in this way, you could set them to one side and at least go through the remaining points on this list rather than publishing the post immediately.

6. Sleep on it.

It's SO tempting to hit the Publish button as soon as you've written a great post. If you're writing for a news site or you're writing another type of post that has a deadline, you may not be able to sit on the post for a day before putting it online. However, if you can, make sure that you do. You'll see why in a moment. The last few steps give you more and more of a chance to help your posts go from being a good idea to a well-executed, memorable symphony of components, each contributing towards a great blog post.

7. Write a killer title.

You might find it easier to write this earlier in the process, but no matter how you do it, take the time to write a strong title for every single one of your posts. Your title should be intriguing, informative and descriptive. It should also contain a couple of keywords that you'd like to target on search engines. Don't spend more time tailoring your blog to the search engines than you spend on writing great content, but do try to consistently hit the same keywords again and again. Be sensible - don't write things like "What I did today - oh by the way, have some free money". Work your desired keywords in the title of the post in such a way that it isn't a blatant attempt to boost your search engine ranking. Even though a blatant attempt may work in the technical sense, a site that a visitor can see is heavily "keyword-laden" is off-putting at best, and spammy at worst.

8. Find a great image.

A post without an image is like cheesecake without the base. It's still OK, but it's not the same. It's a lot better to grab a decent image to bring your post alive, than simply dump your text on the page and hope for the best.

9. Proof-read.

Read, re-read, re-re-read... um anyway, proof-read your posts for errors! Also, watch out for recurring errors that you might not be aware of. I can think of one very well-known blogger who should stop writing "alot" and start writing "a lot"...

10. Promote it!

Twitter is a good place to share your posts, so long as your Twitter usage involves more than just posting links to your blog. Share your post on forums and with your blogging friends, but don't spam!

What process do you follow when writing blog posts?

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Comments on 10 tips for writing a blog post

3

Ben | April 16, 2009 | 207 comments

Thanks guys! :)

5

Ben | April 19, 2009 | 207 comments

Thanks Stanley, it's worked well for me. :)

7

Ben | April 21, 2009 | 207 comments

Thanks Seth - welcome! :)

11

Ben | June 17, 2009 | 207 comments

Thanks everyone for the comments! :)