So… I hear it’s your first time? Don’t worry, everyone’s a little nervous for their first time but you’ll be just fine, we’ll take it nice and slow. Writing your first blog post can be scary if you haven’t written in a while. I’m here to show you just how simple it is to go from writing boring essays to a creative writing superstar!
Research a Topic
The first thing you need to do is choose your topic that will be the main focus of your blog post. You can write about basically anything you can think of, but looking at trending topics will give you ideas on what people are reading about. It is important to choose a topic that you find interesting so you can write freely and creatively rather than spewing out facts on a keyboard.
Target Audience
Once you have a finalized topic, you can start thinking about who your audience will be. This is a very crucial step because you don’t want your topic to target teenagers and you’re writing about quantum mechanics and using a ton of jargon. You have to make sure that your writing style correlates with who is reading your article. A blog post is a conversation so it’s important to write in a way that you’re speaking with your audience, not at them.
Do Market Research
If you aren’t already an expert on your topic, this is the time when you go and research about it. Find out as much information as possible before you start writing because you’re better off knowing too much than not knowing enough. When you’re researching, make sure to check your sources to ensure they are factual claims and not just nonsense people uploaded on the internet.
Get Organized
Now that you have all the information you need to begin writing, you can outline your article to make sure it will read as a cohesive unit. Organization is an extremely important step when writing blog posts because if the article flows well, then the reader will want to keep reading. This will also help you keep track of what else you need to write about in case you didn’t finish it all in one sitting.
Hook the Reader
Next, you’ll want to come up with a shocking headline or an introductory sentence that catches the reader off guard. Anything you can think of that will disrupt your audience’s initial thought when they see your post. This will make the reader want to continue reading because they are now interested in your writing. Predictability is the last thing you want to present to your audience when writing blog posts.
Use Pictures or Videos
A great way to liven up your blog post is to insert a couple pictures or videos throughout the article. This will help the reader have more to look at than just words. It can also make topics that are somewhat difficult to understand, easier because they can visualize what you’re talking about. A picture says 1,000 words, so why not use them to help you reach your word count.
Avoid Redundancies
Repetition is monotonous. Repetition is monotonous. Repetition is mono-… see. Do your best to change up your word choice every once in a while. Look up synonyms for words that you feel like you keep repeating. This is also where the outline comes in handy so you’re organized and don’t talk about the same idea later in your blog post.
Short Sentences and Paragraphs
Keep. Sentences. Short. Okay maybe not that short but you want them short enough so they’re easy to read. Super long, run-on sentences are boring and difficult to read because you don’t get a chance to process what you’ve read. Your sentences should be clear and concise but not so short that you don’t finish a complete thought. Paragraphs should also be shorter than you’re used to because seeing giant blocks of text is intimidating for any reader.
Utilize Subheadings, Bullet Points and Lists
When writing a blog post, it is important to utilize the following:
- Subheadings: These allow you to transition from ideas without the reader getting lost.
- Bullet Points: When you have ideas formatted in bullet points, especially with bolded words, the reader’s eyes are drawn to them because it is a change in formatting that they didn’t expect.
- Lists: These are the most efficient means to present new information because they’re usually concise and straight to the point.
Revise
Once your masterpiece is completed, you need to read through it out loud to make sure it flows well. You should also have at least one other person proof read it and search for any errors that you may have missed. Once this process is complete, you have officially finished your first blog article! Give yourself a pat on the back and prepare to write your second very soon after.
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