A Newbie Blogger Explains How to Write a Blog
I was recently tasked with writing a blog. Many of you may remember me from the Shut Up and Blog webinar I hosted with Mike Hayes, CMO of Charcoal Marketing. That was a great opportunity for me to learn about the importance of blogging, and the key tips for writing a successful blog. So, what did I learn?
It all starts with an idea
First things first - have an idea! It is certainly more difficult to start a blog when you have no idea what to write about. Find something that you know a lot about, or feel you can offer a unique perspective on. For me, I am very new to blogging and actually put on a webinar about it before I ever wrote my first blog post (just lucky, I guess!).. So here I am, taking pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and starting my journey on blogging. Remember, when getting started, you can think about your own special skills and perspectives, experiences from your career, your hobbies or passions.
Next comes the headline
Having an intriguing headline is what is going to get your audience to open your blog and WANT to start reading. If I titled this blog “How to Write a Blog” - yeah, it describes what the information in the blog contains, but how likely are you to read it? It might also get lost in the list of every other ‘how to’ blog you may come across. You might be more likely to read a step by step guide from someone's blog that uses an intriguing title that makes you laugh, or really WANT to know more. What makes your blog stand out from all the other ‘how to’ blogs and use that to your advantage. And, leverage that in your headline! Can’t think of something clever? Be descriptive in your headline. “Writing a Blog from the Perspective of a First Time Blogger” might be more welcoming to other first timers in knowing it may be easier for them to follow along without it being too advanced.
Understand the benefits
The benefits of blogging? SEO, SEO. SEO! If you need more traffic to your website and want to up your search ranking - blogs can definitely help! This allows you to sneak in all your keywords which will help consumers find your content and website easier, and find yours before your competitors. If you have a list of keywords ready, it can help you to stay on track with your writing and keep pulling you back to the purpose, making it easier to read and have a better flow. If you are just getting started, try using just one keyword. Use it in the page title, the headline, and 3-4 times in the post. Remember, Google rewards Authority, Traffic (popularity), and a Grade 8 reading comprehension level.
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
Including photos in your blogs can not only make it more visually appealing but it allows the reader to get a visual idea of what you are communicating. Visuals also help with SEO (yes, more SEO talk - it’s important okay!?). Make sure to rename your photos so that it is easily picked up by Google and those searching. You can do better than an image titled 1iu39fg93.jpg, and it gets you another chance to input those KEYWORDS.
What do you want to happen?
Make sure to have a goal in mind for your blog. Do you have a call to action? Is there something you want your readers to do once they are done reading your blog? Maybe it is going to another page on your site to learn more, or filling out a contact form. Make it clear and make sure you provide the Call To Action (CTA) at the end to increase the chance of your goal getting completed.
My takeaway
One thing that I have found helpful, was reading more blogs myself. The more you read, the more you can get a feel for the tone and perspective. Writing a blog can be daunting, but you can make it easy on yourself. Thankfully, there are also lots of resources available, if only just reading other blogs to spark an idea.
More questions? Check out our free resource guide that includes links to:
FREE research options:
Google Keyword Planner (must be activated in Google Adwords account)
Google Search Console (Analytics must be enabled with your google analytics account)
Social Media
Remember why you should start blogging: it costs nothing; it compounds over time; it attracts relevant users; it supports other marketing channels (repurposed content). And, it’s not that difficult. Trust me!