It’s no secret that blogging is the second most used form of digital content marketing and that blogs can help your website attract up to 55% more visitors.
However, the big secret is how to create your blog flawlessly, structure it correctly, and the optimal blogging tips.
Here is the best blogging routine to save you time and energy and avoid some writing pitfalls from one blogger to a fellow blogger.
Just keep reading to find out the necessary steps and tricks to help you write an excellent blog post.
1. Find your idea:
Steps:
There are many ways to generate ideas for your blog. You can always start with a traditional marketing research technique; conducting a survey asking your customers what they want to learn or a poll on a suggested topic and then email it to your subscriber list; you can also find ideas by keeping an eye on questions and comments on social media and forums, as well as feedback and reviews on websites, or by staying on top of industry trends.
Our personal favourite: you can easily find inspiration for your next blog topic when you are doing your research for your current blog or other content.
Tricks:
- Use Google’s autosuggestion: perform a Google search on the topics you’re interested in, and Google will automatically suggest keywords that people are already searching for.
- Create a “blog folder” on your phone: every time you browse your Instagram, LinkedIn, or any other social media platform and notice a good blog idea, take a screenshot and keep it in this folder; you’ll always be ready for your next blog with multiple ideas.
2. Research, Research & Research:
Steps:
Now that you have your blog post idea start researching the topic thoroughly.
Research is the most effective brain exercise for any writer. It is an excellent source of inspiration, educates you on various topics, and keeps you open-minded and up to date on what’s going on in your industry and the world.
Extensive research will also give you insight into the opinions and thoughts of experts in the field, enrich your vocabulary and improve your terminology while stimulating your curiosity and creativity.
Tricks:
- When researching a specific topic, check out the first three websites listed organically on Google, browse through them, and you’ll discover the top ideas, questions, and keywords that people are currently looking for on that topic.
3. Compose a Headline:
Steps:
Choose a catchy, brief, and descriptive title in line with your blog’s content.
The headline is essentially the gateway to your blog post, so make it clear, direct, and relevant to your readers’ needs and what they are looking for.
Tricks:
- In your headline, include numbers and questions and ensure the title is speaking straight to the reader; for example: instead of writing “ways to write the perfect blog”, use “10 ways to help you write the perfect blog”.
4. Set out the Main Points and Subheadings:
Steps:
Let’s recap! Okay, you’ve got your idea, done your research, and came up with a catchy, punchy title; what’s the next step?
Many would say that the ideal immediate next step is to write your introduction. We disagree for a straightforward reason: have you ever witnessed the construction of walls, a front door, or any other part of a building without a detailed floor plan? We hope not.
So, if you wouldn’t build part of your house without first having a complete house plan, why would you build part of your blog without having a clear structure?
We believe your best next step is to make a list of the main points you want to cover in your blog, these points will structure your entire blog, and they will be your main subheadings.
Tricks:
“If you want something stuck in someone’s head, put it in a sequence of three” Brian Clark.
- The Magic of Three: Let’s go back in time, when we were in school, precisely in a literature or language class. Are you there yet?
Great, now do you remember Miss Smith telling you to divide your essay into 5 paragraphs? The introduction, the 3 body paragraphs, and the conclusion? Exactly, that’s the tricolon rule our writing teachers taught us in school, and it’s the “magic of 3” trick we’re referring to in this particular section.
Using the magic of 3 in your blog makes it readable, understandable, and memorable. This applies not only to main points and paragraphs but also to word selection and phrase structure.
So do your best to apply it in your blog whenever possible.
5. Write Introduction:
Steps:
Intro time!
After structuring your blog and getting your subheadings, it’s time to turn those subheads into introductory questions and sentences based on the keywords you found on the first three sites that came up on Google when searching for your idea. It’s as simple as that.
Tricks:
- The trick is to use the tricks you already learned in steps two and four!
6. Research, Research & Research 2.0:
Steps:
Yes, more research!
At first, you did some basic research on the topic of your blog post, but now with your main points defined, you’re going to research your specific points one by one to find more comprehensive and articulate sources that touch on the particular areas you want to cover, which will help you uncover additional details, citations, and statistics.
Tricks:
- Open as many research tabs as you need. This will make it easier for you to copy and paste expert quotes and valuable statistics and keep all the necessary information at your fingertips.
7. Know your Audience:
Steps:
This is an essential step that you should never overlook.
You must know your target audience and speak their language before writing to them.
Would you use complicated terminology if you were writing for children? No.
Would you use slang, gaming terms, or meme vocabulary if you’re writing a science blog or a blog for older generations? Most likely not.
That’s why you need to understand your audience correctly, talk their lingo, and mimic their generational hook phrases – it’s almost as if you’re impersonating them.
Tricks:
- Let’s say you’re a millennial blogger and you’re writing a blog post for Gen Z or Gen X.
To make sure your writing is relevant, reach out to your older or younger family members and ask them what their favourite social media accounts are, their top website for information, or just watch their most liked show with them. This will help you spend quality time with your loved ones and learn the best language and terms you might need when blogging for any of them!
8. Fill in the blanks:
Steps:
Let’s review what we have got so far: We came up with the idea, the title, the sections, the intro, the correct language, and lots of search tabs.
So as mentioned in the subtitle, all you have to do now is fill in the blanks of these attractive sections with the appropriate content using the proper wording.
Tricks:
- Sometimes, when you are researching your blog, you get unwittingly impressed with the knowledge and information that experts offer and forget about the expert in you 😎.
Always consider your own approach and thoughts when writing!
9. Use Storytelling:
“Storytelling is the process of using fact and narrative to communicate something to your audience” HubSpot.
Steps:
Have you ever had the opportunity to explain something complicated to a child? If you were lucky enough, then congratulations, that’s the best and easiest way to get the storytelling skill!
When you write your blog, try not to throw away soulless facts and dry phrases; instead, envision yourself presenting this content to someone face to face and notice how you would do it.
Would you be reciting icy words without any personal touch? Would you be narrating a lifeless text without any emotion? I suppose not.
Apply this method when you create your artworks, ask questions, explain the complications, and add some emotions.
Tricks:
- Never had the chance to explain things to a little kid? No worries, look in the mirror and explain all you want to your inner child; the most effective way to do it is by learning something beyond your understanding and then self-explaining it. You’re welcome 😉.
10. Add visuals, Statistics, and Quotes:
“All primates, including humans, are highly visual creatures.” National Library of Medicine.
Steps:
Humans are visual beings by design. About half of the human brain is directly or indirectly devoted to visual processing information, so why not give your readers’ brains the visual delight they deserve?
Add images, videos, and graphics to your blog; it will make it easier for your readers to grasp your content and help you tell a story. Add quotes from experts and statistical figures to make your blog meaningful and credible.
Tricks:
- Canva is an excellent tool for creating images that convey the story you want your readers to experience and contribute to your blog’s aesthetic. It’s also beginner-friendly and straightforward to use.
- Bonus: Add bonus material and conclude your blog post with a question and a call-to-action 👇
