How to Write a Blog Post

If you’re new to online marketing, or you’re setting up your own startup, or even if you’ve started to use social media a bit more lately, it’s likely that you’ve searched the term ‘how to write a blog post.’

So many online marketing gurus assume that everyone has a working knowledge of blog posts and their power. But what if you’ve never had to write one before?

 As a marketing copywriter with over a decade of experience behind me, I can tell you that blog post writing is an art that can be learned via three things: practice, and trial and error. What works for your competitor might not work for you – and equally, what your readers might be interested in might be totally unexpected and out of the industry norm. The best thing you can do right now is get started, because the sooner you start writing blog posts, the sooner you’ll start creating engaging posts that grip your readers and keep them coming back for more.

To help you get going, here are some of my best tips for writing blog posts your customers, clients and followers really want to read:

Research Your Readers

Ideally, you’ve already got a really good idea of who your customers are, and who you’d like your customers to be. The thing is, every group of customers has individual reasons for heading to your website’s blog. You can find out what they want by looking at your site’s analytics.

 Using analytics you can see:

●     Your most popular web pages

●     What people are searching for

●     The pages that cause visitors to leave your site

●     Where your visitors are based.

 …and much, much more. Use this data to come up with related topics to write about and you’ll be laughing!

 Write Your Conclusion First

 It sounds counter-intuitive, but if you’re struggling to write a 500 word post about your chosen topic, start with your conclusion.

Once you’ve defined what your post is about and how it’s going to end, filling in the gaps can be a lot easier. Writer’s block is real, but you don’t have to listen to it!

 Find A Topic

In my recent post about creating a blog post editorial calendar, I talked about a blog post topic generator. There are lots of tools like this all over the internet, and I find them really useful.

Remember: you don’t need to use the topics these tools generate for you, but they can help inspire you on days when you’re really struggling.

 Use a Template

 When you’re starting out on your first few posts, it can be difficult to know where to begin. That’s why Hubspot have created a blog template resource with several different styles to choose from. It takes the guesswork out of getting started and gives you space to think about the really important stuff, like the content!

 Sharpen Your Writing

 Finishing typing doesn’t mean you’ve finished your blog post. The next task on your agenda is proofreading. Proofreading is checking your work through thoroughly for errors and typos, and also to see that is ‘scans’ well – that is, it reads naturally and engagingly.

Over time, your skills will sharpen and this process will take less time. Do make sure you proofread every time, though. You never know when spellcheck will let you down. In fact, NEVER rely on smellcheck. See what I did there?!

 There are other tools out there to help you, too. Feeling like your post lacks a bit of pizazz? Head to Thesaurus.com to give your descriptive words a little boost. Worried your work feels a little cheesy? You might have a minor cliché problem. Zap those overworked phrases with this handy little tool that seeks them out for you.

 Keep At It

 Nobody becomes a great blog post copywriter overnight. It takes time, practice, experience and patience. What I can promise you, however, is that blogging is really important for your website and you’ll see definite benefits if you stick at it.

 Still struggling? That’s what I’m here for. Ping me an email today and let’s talk about how I can help your business or website with some fresh, engaging copy and blog posts.