How To Write Great Blog Content
Nowadays it seems like everyone has a blog. Whether it’s a friend who talks about her summer travels, a coworker who blogs about baking, or even your grandma may have a blog about crafting. So how do you make your blog stand out from everything else that’s trending on the internet?
Well, we have some simple steps to help make your blog not get lost in the literary sea! Why is this important? A well written and interesting blog post can do a lot for you and your brand! Good content, like a great blog on your website, can keep your followers engaged, informs them of what you do, what you’re interested in… and it can also help with your website SEO (Search Engine Optimization… it helps get you noticed on search engines like Google, but that’s a different story). Readers benefit by getting good information that’s important to them, while you benefit from getting more visitors to your website, and also possible new customers!
See the steps below on how to WIN at blog writing and swim (not sink) in the sea of bloggers!
PICK PASSION OVER POPULARITY
Think about that first job you had… and probably did not love by the end. At first, it was great making money and trying something new but it then became harder and harder to go to work each day. When you aren’t passionate about something… it shows in your work. It’s the same with blog writing! How do you pick a topic you’re passionate about? Follow these four steps to find your passion, choose your topic and get ready to grab a pen to start writing!
Find a topic you actually care about.
Research! What are your customers likes and dislikes? What do they care about?
Get inspired by other writers you love reading or who are already writing about what you care about.
Choose a topic, and create categories of all the different elements and news-worthy topics you could talk about.
BE MORE ORGANIZED THAN YOUR SOCK DRAWER
Yes, your sock drawer. It’s probably not the most organized area in your life. Your blog, on the other hand, should be the opposite of your sock collection, it should scream organization to your readers. If you’re hopping from one point to the next without fully completing a thought, your readers will feel like they’re on a rollercoaster, and probably not a fun one! And once they get off that ride, they‘ll not be coming back anytime soon or sharing their experience with anyone else. Being organized will also help you stay on top of your content from start to end, and make sure you’re sharing important stuff on a consistent basis! You want your hard work to be read and shared, so get organized!
Create an outline from start to beginning of a blog post… what are you trying to tell them, what do they want to know and what’s the end point you’re making? Don’t get lost in the middle!
Finish a point just as clear as you start it. Make sure that you wrap up each point, don’t leave your reader searching for the complete thought.
Proofread! Read your blog in the morning, during the day, at night, just make sure you proofread as you go to see if it’s clear and organized to you… and have someone else review to make sure it’s clear to them too!
START STRONG- CREATE A HOOK THAT FIGHTS FOR YOU
We’re all just swimming through the internet looking for news, articles or blogs to draw us in. So what will make people more likely to read your blog over the next? It’s all about the HOOK! From the first couple sentences of your blog, you want people to be engaged… so that they read the entire post. A hook could be a question, a single thought that you expand on later or anything that will catch your reader’s attention. When writing your blog, make sure you can answer yes to most of questions below to ensure the strength of your hook:
Will the reader want to keep on reading?
Does it speak to them?
Does it give them engaging hints on what’s to come?
Is your hook unique?
Does it make the reader ask questions?
Does it sell the reader to keep engaging with your blogs and brand?
TAKE A SNACK BREAK
You may get into a blog writing zone and type away until your computer battery fades to 2%… but make sure to come up for air! Even the greatest blog writers need a snack break once in while and they understand that it won’t just help your mind and body refresh but also your creativity! If you’re feeling like a zombie and thinking about that box of Nutter Butters, check out these creativity-approved snacks that could also help you stay focused:
Eggs
Blueberries
Dark Chocolate
Nuts
Salad
START STRONG, END STRONGER
Your topic is great, you’ve hooked the reader and your thoughts are perfectly organized… but now you’ve reached the END! Don’t just brush off the ending of your blog, this is a vital part of keeping your readers coming back for more and becoming customers. Visualize it as a movie… what if you just watched a great movie like The Breakfast Club and instead of the classic song montage with Judd Nelson throwing his fist in the air, it just ended with them getting into their parent's cars and leaving. It would not have the same effect! So treat the ending of your blog just as important as the beginning. What benefits does a strong ending have? See these 4 ways your ending impacts your audience below!
Keeps your readers thinking about your blog or wanting to share with others.
Creates the opportunity for more engagement. Will your readers want to comment or respond to your blog?
More likely to share your blog. If readers leave with new knowledge or learning about something they never knew about, your followers will most likely share it with friends and family.
Encourages readers to subscribe and come back. You want people to invest in your brand and what you’re offering them. Create an ending that makes them wanting more!
We hope you’re eager to open a blank page and start using these tips to write your latest and greatest blogs! You no longer need to see blog writing as a hopeless journey but as a journey that’ll keep your followers engaged and wanting to know more! Link us or let us know about your blog in our comments below!