Writing a blog post is a modern skill that everyone can benefit from learning. If you are new to writing blog posts, do not stress: the following is a simple guide for beginners that will help you learn the basics about writing your own blog.
Blog Essentials: What to Know Before You Write
Before you start typing away at the keyboard, make sure you know some key essentials. Taking this step will help you get on track before you begin to write your blog.
Take Notes
Get a notebook to keep track of all of your blog’s information. As you Come up with answers for the following questions this is where you should write them down. You can also use a note-taking app on your phone or computer. What is important is that you keep track of the focus of your blog.
Topic
What is the topic of the blog? Is it something you came up with on your own or were assigned by a marketing director, manager, etc.? The topic might be broad or it might be niche, depending on the nature of your blog.
Your blog title should be under 60 characters and clearly say what your post will be about.
Requirements and Research
What are the requirements of your blog, and how much research will you need to do? The more requirements, the more likely it is that you will have to do some research on either the topic or some of the requirements (such as needing to use certain tags or writing styles). If you need to do research, get it done before you start writing.
Looking into the topic you are writing about beforehand is a great way to write better content. There are many ways to do your research. I like to use tools like Google and YouTube to learn more about my blog topics. As you research you should note what other people are asking about this topic and include answers to those questions in your post.
Audience
Who is the audience of your blog? In other words, who are you writing for? The audience can help determine the overall style, tone, and feel of your blog post. For instance, a blog post about cat health that is written for a professional veterinary audience will sound very different than a blog post about cat health is written for regular pet owners.
Thinking about who will read your blog can help you figure out what to include in the post itself. What do these people want or need to know about this topic? How can you present this information in a way best suited for them?
Length
Do you have a certain length in mind for your blog post? For the most part, blog posts should be long enough so that they are informative but not so long that people get bored. Most bloggers stick to word counts of 300 to 500 words for regular posts, with longer content (often called “long-form”) reserved for less frequent posts.
I personally try to make my blog posts as long as possible. This way I am able to include much more helpful information for my readers. I also like to dive very deep into my research which makes it easier to write longer blog posts.
Your first blog post may not be very long. My first blog post was about 150 words. What is important is that you sit down and write it and then you do it again and again and again. As you become more accustomed to writing blog posts frequently you will get better at writing them, in length and in formating.
Formatting and Photos
Finally, how will you format your blog and will you supplement your post with photos or images? If you are using images, make sure that you are allowed to use them; there are millions of public domain and copyright-free images online, so you should not have any trouble sticking to this rule.
I find my images using an app called Pixabay. You can find tons of free to use images on the Pixabay app or by visiting Pixabay.com. Adding photos to your blog post helps break up the text giving your reader’s eyes a break and it is just prettier. Make sure to use pictures that relate to what you are writing about. Random photos spread throughout your blog posts will not look very good.
If you can take pictures yourself to add to your blog posts I think this is a great option. Many people use the free images offered by services like Pixabay so if you have unique photos on your blog it will help you stand out.
Writing Your Blog Post: Basic Tips
Now that you are prepared to write your blog, take a look at these simple yet effective tips for the actual writing process.
Write an outline of your post
Always write an outline of your blog post! This will make it much easier (and quicker) to write since you will be able to follow your outline as you write.
I create my outlines right on my blog editor. First I come up with a title, then 5 or 6 subheadings. Then I see if there are any sub-sub headings I could add. As I am doing this I add small notes under each subheading to paint a picture of what I will write later.
Once all that is done I write the whole blog post in one sitting without editing. This helps me keep my flow and prevents writer’s block. I spend my time editing in the next step.
Read your draft out loud
After you are done with your draft, read it out loud. Make edits where necessary. I also find when I am doing this step there are things I had left out. This is a great time to add a little more content to your blog post.
You can also use a computer program to have it read out loud for you. This will help you catch unnoticed grammar and spelling mistakes, along with any odd phrases or other elements you need to change.
I am a BIG fan of this technique. I have dyslexia so finding mistakes in my writing has always been a struggle. Using tech aids like voice to text and text to speech save me SO MUCH TIME!
Post!
Once you are happy with your writing, then it is time to hit publish and post your first blog post! For best results, you should post during a high-traffic time of day. Good luck!
At times this can seem like the hardest part. It is kind of funny. Before you write your blog post you can get very stressed and in your head about it, but once you start and you find your flow it becomes very easy. Then, after you have faced your fear and written the post you become nervous about posting it.
This “fear” finds me every 3 months or so. I just get locked up on publishing. I worry my posts are not good enough or I have forgotten to add something.
Push through this!
You can always go back and edit or change your blog post in the future, but if you never publish it you will be stopping it from helping others.
You got this. Write that blog post. Check it and edit it. Add photos to it and share it with the world. Best up luck!
Need more help in getting started?
I tried to make money online by myself for the last 5 years with little success. At that time I saw many gurus and coaches offering there teaching on the next big way to make fast money online.
I have come to the conclusion that there is no easy way, but there is a correct way.
This year I signed up for a course that takes me step by step through creating a blog website that will replace my current income within the next 24 months. This is not a get rich quick scheme. This is Project 24.
Project 24 was created by Jim and Ricky from the YouTube channel Income School. They have created many highly profitable blog websites and are now teaching people just like you and me how to do the same thing.
I strongly believe this is the best course out there for people who can do the work to create an income from a blog.
Some times people fail because they do not do the work. Some times people fail because they do not know what to do. This course solves only the 2nd problem, the rest is up to you.
If you would like to learn more about Project 24 and how it can help you create passive income from a blog website check out some of the blog post links below.