7 Important Things To Do When Writing a Blog Post

Posted September 17, 2016

Blogging is simple and everybody can do it. Just write down your thoughts, make a good story and that’s it, right? If you are one of those who have this mentality, then you might want to reconsider.

While some personal blog posts can be as easy as typing down what you’re thinking, others are definitely more complex than that. Business blogging tips are available left and right, but what really makes an audience take the time to sit down and actually read a blog post? With so many bloggers around, the competition can be quite tough. Getting yourself noticed and giving valuable information is really the key to become a successful blogger. The process may not be simple, but with time and practice, all these things can be learned and mastered.

Here are a couple of things that you need to know when writing a blog post.

Topic Profiling

In the past, blogs are just online diaries where people share their innermost thoughts or vocalize their opinions about a certain topic. After a few years, it has successfully evolved into a business tool that can actually make or break a brand. When blogging for a business, you should have a clear picture of your goal. Your article must be able to attract readers and spread awareness so that people actually buy the goods or services of the brand that you’re writing for. To do this, you must know your audience. What do they want? What stories can you come up with that will catch their fancy? You must study your target audience to come up with great blog topics.

Researching

Once you’ve chosen a blog topic, you must research thoroughly. Know what’s been written about it, and add more valuable information to what’s already available. Do not spin articles. This is a practice that most reputable organizations don’t approve of. A good writer should be able to come up with original content based on research and creativity. Readers appreciate articles that actually have substance and value; ones with new pieces of information and news that they haven’t heard of. When researching, always jot down notes so you can remember the key points of an article that you are about to write.

Focus Keyword

According to Yoast, “The focus keyword is the keyword that you want your page to rank for. When people search for that keyword, you want them to find you.” Simply put, the focus keyword will be your tool to make sure your readers find your blog. The easiest way to find the appropriate keywords is by using Google Trends. It may not be as simple at first, but you can master the tool with enough practice. The secret is aiming for a set of words that are searched for by a wide audience.

Skeleton-building

To make blog article writing more efficient, practice doing basic skeleton-building. You can do this simply by creating an outline that will make the flow of your topics more organized. This will make the article more harmonious in terms of fluidity of ideas. Get into the habit of making an outline first. This will serve as your guide so that your article will be complete yet concise.

Proofreading

This is an essential step in all types of writing. A badly written article full of grammatical and spelling errors is a huge turn-off. This will make a reader question the integrity of the brand. It may sound severe, but image is everything. The style and tone of a blog is also something that readers notice. Ask another writer to review your work, then do a few more steps such as using free proofreading applications like Grammarly to eliminate mistakes from the get-go. Never ever publish a work that is half-baked.

SEO

A blog full of valuable information is great but will be of no use if your readers can’t find it. Most blogs are posted via WordPress, so take advantage of SEO plug-ins such as Yoast. It will help you immensely in terms of getting your blog out there.

Promotion

To get more readers to actually see your post, this is where social media comes in. Use it to your advantage by promoting in all your brand’s social media channels. A typical brand may use Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Post about it and share it with your network in Linkedin.

The secret boils down to writing something that will give information to people.

If it’s valuable to your readers, it’ll be a sure winner. So if you are a writer, always aspire to give substance and value in whatever you’re writing. This is what ultimately attracts readers and will keep your blogs read, liked and shared.

On the lookout for more conversion? Here are 5 Simple Ways to Drive Traffic to Your Blog.