So, you want to write a blog post? That’s awesome! But, where do you start, or more appropriately, how do you start? You’ve never done a blog post before. You might have done essays, letters, social media captions, and posts, but never a blog post. But then again, how can doing any of these other things help you to write the perfect blog post? They can and they can’t. Allow me to explain.
They can because the more you’ve written, the more you learn or gain exposure to different styles of writing. And they can’t because writing a blog is different from writing a social media caption.
Moreover, writing a blog is something that you learn to constantly perfect over time, and this can only be done when you’re writing and not by reading about it. In the beginning, it is understandable that you need a little help, so, you can read about it and do your research. However, the best form of learning is by doing it.
Putting that aside, let’s take a look at the steps involved in writing a good blog post.
Step 1: Planning
The first step of writing any blog post is planning. Naturally, before you set pen to paper (or digital pen to paper), you need to think about and decide what you are going to write. Everything from deciding the word count to deciding the topic is involved in the planning phase. In the first part of the planning phase, you will have to choose a topic that interests you.
Naturally, if you are not interested in the topic you are writing about, how will you spark interest for the reader?
The second part of this step is to write an outline for your blog post. After choosing the topic you want to write about, next, you should know what exactly you will be covering in that blog. From the introduction to the conclusion, you should have an idea of what to discuss or talk about. Lastly, do your research about the topic and check your facts and figures to make sure everything you are writing is correct.
Step 2: Come up with a Great Headline
A good title speaks to people and sparks curiosity but doesn’t give too much away. The title needs to be concise and suited to the topic and the audience. Since it is supposed to appeal to the readers, you have to keep their interests in mind as well. There are two ways to go about writing or deciding a title for your blog.
You could decide on a topic first and let it shape your blog. Or, you could write the blog with a rough title and then finalize or refine the title after the blog is completed so that the blog shapes the title.
One type of blog post is quite popular among multiple industries, and that is the ‘How-To’ blog. The reason for their popularity is pretty simple and it is that they are a sort of tutorial or guide blogs and people would read them mostly to understand or learn about something. It’s not like they would read these in their leisure time or scroll past them when they really need to know or learn about something.
Step 3: The Writing Part
After having gone through the first two steps, the next part is finally the writing part. You’ve decided on the topic, you’ve designed the outline, and you’ve decided on a title. The next step is writing the blog. The first thing you should know about writing is that you might have to write, erase, and then rewrite multiple times until you get the perfect shot. But, that’s just the whole process of writing a blog.
As we mentioned before as well, writing a blog only perfects with practice. So, even if you don’t get it right the first time, you shouldn’t be discouraged and keep trying and learning to improve.
When writing, it is all about the flow and the tone of the blog itself. Writing in a way that develops an interest in the reader is a skill that you develop over time and by observing what your audience is looking for. When you write a blog, you don’t just have to stuff it with information. You need to arrange it and structure it so that it is interesting to the reader and they get what they are looking for.
Step 4: Use Images
Using images and media in your blog is definitely a good move. Not only does it elaborate on the meaning of your words, but it is also useful in drawing readers’ attention. When reading a long blog post, people generally want some sort of attention-grabber or visual stimulation to keep them from getting bored and closing the blog. Additionally, some things or topics just require a picture for a demonstration.
Take the example of a recipe blog post. Of course, you don’t need a visual representation of the ingredients like flour, sugar, baking powder, etc., but what about if you are asked to fold the dough in a certain way or shape?
Of course, text-wise, they can just ask you to fold it in a braided manner and that much is pretty understandable. However, a picture, illustration, or video would be additional help that people might need. This is why it is recommended to use media in your blog posts.
Step 5: Editing/Proofreading
The last step in this process is ignored most often, yet, it is very important. After you have completed the blog post, you need to sit down and proofread the blog to see if everything sounds good and is properly structured. Oftentimes, while writing, we make grammatical errors and sometimes, even leave behind incomplete sentences. To clear all of this out, be sure to proofread the blog properly at least once before submission.
You can even make use of sites and resources such as Grammarly that can check your spelling, punctuation, sentence structure, and more. Tools like these really make everything easier for you and if not Grammarly, then try another tool that you can find on the internet. As long as you have a good internet connection, like Xfinity Internet, you can find multiple tools to work with. Here’s what Spectrum Internet has to offer when it comes to internet plans and bundles.
To Put It All Together
And that is how you write a blog post! If you follow these steps and keep practicing, we’re sure you will be able to write a good blog in no time. And as we said, you don’t need to write a perfect blog the first time, the second time, or even the next few times after that. As long as you keep practicing and stay on track, you will perfect that skill too!
