The blog post “ Why You Need To Blog For Your Business” shares some valid reasons as to how a blog can help your business.
But what about the actual blog post itself?
You know you need to write something for your blog, but have you ever thought about how to write a blog post?
Especially one that is worth reading?
Think about this: A blog post that is worth reading is also worth sharing. Thanks to the power of social media, people who found the content valuable will often share it with others in their network. They will share because they think others may find it valuable as well.
I know you’ve heard the term quality over quantity over and over again when it comes to content. You’re probably wondering what exactly is considered to be quality content?
Not all blog posts are created equal.
Anyone can write. It is a basic skill that we are all taught at an early age, yet very few of us go on to further develop those skills. So when you put it that way, technically anyone can write a blog post.
Writing a blog post that is worth reading however can take some time and practice.
When going through the blog post writing process, consider these points:
1. Think of your writing as a muscle (In case you didn’t know, I am also a group fitness instructor, hence the analogy). The more you use it (in different ways), the more you challenge it, the stronger and the better your writing will get. I’m a true believer that you can become better at many things if you are willing to take the time and effort to learn and practice.
2. As scary as it seems, don’t be afraid to ask for feedback on your writing. Ask from other bloggers, from people with writing experience/writing background, a fellow entrepreneur. They may be able to provide some valuable insight, suggest possible edits such as expanding on a certain point that seems a bit
3. Ask yourself after you’ve gone through a few edits (I don’t recall ever publishing the very first draft of a blog post), is this something I’m proud to share with my audience? Not only are you trying to keep your current audience you’re also trying to attract new readers.
So wouldn’t you want your latest post to always be of a certain standard?
I wouldn’t want my readers to think that some of my posts are really good, some are really bad and then the rest of them are mediocre. While the consistency of the posting schedule may fluctuate from time to time, especially if you are the only one running the business (or if life gets in the way), I believe the consistency of the quality shouldn’t fluctuate as much.
4. What does the post do? Does it educate, inspire, entertain, spark conversation? Will readers get something out of it? Will the post make them think?
5. Is it easy to read? Blog posts, in general, are meant to be conversational. (Don’t forget that the original purpose of blogging was to be an online diary). They read very differently from a paper published in a research journal.
Regardless of what the topic is, it should be relatively easy to read and understand. Depending on who your target audience is and what you blog about, perhaps there are some terms you want to explain more in detail or use examples.
6. Layout – The content should be structured into short, easy to read (bite-sized) pieces of text and have an image to go with it. Remember, it’s a blog post, not a mini-novel.
If you are creating a list, use bullet points or numbers.
7. Share your thoughts and experience on the topic whenever possible.
8. If the blog post is explaining how to do something very specific, keep the instructions simple and concise. Include step by step images if possible.
9. Your blog post doesn’t have to be absolutely perfect with respect to grammar and sentence structure, but try your best to limit the number of obvious or outrageous spelling and grammar errors. There have been some occasions where I have gone back to do some minor edits, but for the most part, I think that my blog posts are pretty readable.
10. If you have the data or the sources to further back up a claim, use them. Sharing data and facts about a certain topic can help you be seen as an authority on the subject. It also shows to the reader you put in the effort to do some research.
Hi Karen,
Thanks for writing this post. I especially liked point #4, “What does the post do?” I don’t just want to write for writing sakes, I want to inform and inspire! Great reminder!
While people do have blogs just to write, if you want to build that community, it definitely makes more sense to create content that informs and inspires. Thanks for your comment!