If you’ve spent any time on the internet, you’re probably familiar with blog posts. After all, you’re reading one right now. You also might be aware that blog posts serve many purposes. For instance, establishing yourself as an authority in your area of expertise, driving traffic to your website and educating your audience about topics that you are passionate about.
What is a blog post?
A blog post is a piece of content that gets published on a website. A blog can make up a section of a website or it can make up the entire website. The blog that you are currently reading is an example of the former. The Pioneer Woman is an example of the latter.
Both contain blog posts that cover different topics and include images alongside the written content. Written content is the key component and the bare minimum for any blog post. A YouTube channel, for example, is not a blog because it features video content as opposed to written content. The same goes for an Instagram account which is made up of a feed of images/videos.
Back in the day, social platforms like MySpace and LiveJournal were all the craze and blogs and social media went hand in hand. Nowadays, blogs are largely separate from social media, although many bloggers do promote and cross-post their blogs on social platforms with the goal of driving traffic to their website and promoting their brand.
Types of blog posts
Blog posts can either be written as stand-alone pieces or as part of a series. Below we take a look at the most common types of blog posts found today.
How-to blog posts
How-to blog posts are instructional pieces of content that usually list a series of steps that the reader needs to take to complete a task. An example of this kind of blog post is a recipe blog post.
List-based blog posts
Also known as listicles, a list-based blog post lists a number of related entries. These entries could be a list of facts, products, quotes, etc. List-based blog posts are very common on blogs like BuzzFeed.
News blog posts
News blog posts link to various trending articles. They also include insights that build upon, speculate and agree or disagree with the information in the referenced trending article.
Interview blog posts
Interview blog posts introduce the person who is being interviewed and provide some background on them before diving into some Q&As.
Review blog posts
These blog posts focus on reviewing things like products, movies, video games, books, tv shows etc. These types of blog posts can review just one topic, or touch on many within the same category.
Personal blog posts
A personal blog post usually discusses things like personal experiences, thoughts or opinions. These blogs aren’t typically written in a corporate or professional style. But rather are written to form a personal connection with readers.
Explainer blog posts
Explainer blog posts are similar to how-to blog posts in that they provide a thorough explanation of the topic being discussed. The difference, however, is that they don’t follow a numbered, step by step style of writing. They also don’t necessarily explain how to complete a task.
Image-based blog posts
As the name implies, these kinds of blog posts are focused on images. Examples include infographics or blog posts that contain multiple images with a short explanation at the bottom of each image.
How to write a blog post
1. Set up your blog
Before you can begin writing content, you actually need to have a blog. If you already have a website, add in a blog section. Many CMS (Content Marketing Systems) like WordPress have templates that you can use to make it easy.
If you aren’t able to create a blog through your existing website or if you don’t have a website, you’ll need to build your blog from scratch. There are many ways to do this, some requiring more technical skills than others. You can choose to use out of the box CMS platforms like Squarespace or Wix or go with a more DIY option like WordPress. Other options require hiring a developer to build a custom website.
Aside from the actual website, you’ll also need to pay for:
- Hosting
- Website domain name
- Design services (unless you want to design the blog yourself)
- Blog writing and/or editing (unless you plan to do all the work yourself)
Blogging without your own website
Instead of setting up a website for your blog, you can choose to publish your blog posts on large, public platforms like Medium or Tumblr. Many of these established blogs publish mostly, or sometimes only, posts written by guest bloggers and bloggers get paid for doing it!
2. Choose a topic
Once you’ve got your blog up and running, it’s time to choose a topic. If your blog is affiliated with your business, choose topics that provide value to your target audience while promoting your brand.
To get some ideas of what to write about, try asking your clients what kinds of topics they’d enjoy reading about on your blog. You can also study what other leaders in your industry are writing about and then take inspiration from them. Just don’t copy them outright.
3. Write an outline
After you’ve decided on a topic for your first blog post, it’s time to create an outline. Start by listing your title, headings and key points.
An easy way to write an outline is to follow the structure of an essay. Basically, an introduction, body and conclusion. Follow these but with a slight difference to your conclusion by including a call to action.
Once your outline is complete, it’s time to begin the hard work, the actual writing!
4. Hook your reader and keep them interested
Where to start? The hook of course! The hook is the most important part of any kind of writing, so it’s imperative that you get it right in order to get the reader’s attention. An effective hook might be to mention a surprising or shocking fact. For example, “Did you know that the QWERTY keyboard was designed to slow down typing speed?”
Another way to hook readers is to speak directly to their pain points in the form of questions. For example, Should Your Brand’s Content Be Authoritative Or Agreeable? Are Virtual Events Here To Stay in 2021? and Does Having A Blog On Your Website Really Lead To Sales?
5. Provide your readers with a strong call to action
A good call to action is one that asks your reader to do something in a short and sweet phrase. For a blog post, the CTA might look like leaving a comment, making a purchase or subscribing to your newsletter.
Calls to action usually make use of direct-response copywriting principles. These typically include very specific and to the point requests that create a sense of urgency.
6. Edit and proofread
Read and re-read through your draft many times to correct it and make sure that nothing sounds awkward, choppy, excessively wordy or out of place.
Whatever you end up writing about, do it with confidence
Once you have the grammar and consistent tone down, you can rest assured and know with confidence that you have done all you can to maintain the reader’s attention. While effectively communicating the points that you wanted to get across.
If you’re too busy to sit down and write and feel you need help with monthly blog posts for your business, why not contact us today? We’d love to help!
