So your energetic marketing person advised you to start blogging, or sharing updates with your audience. You know she’s right (we usually are…), but staring at a blank page is overwhelming. What should you talk about? How should you start? Here are ten steps I use and share with my clients about blog writing. I hope they help you!
Choose a topic. These ideas might come to you while driving, while talking with a client, or while reading a book, or… well, inspiration may come any time! Have a place on your phone where you can store inspiration.
Write down your main points. This can be on a scratch pad or on your computer. Bullet points will give you a great start when you sit down to write. After you write your bullet points, walk away for a while, at least an hour or two… preferably a day. Let the thoughts simmer in your mind.
Write an attention-getting introduction, preferably a story lead-in. Review your buyer personas and think about how you can draw in your target audience. Stories, self-deprecating anecdotes, startling facts, and speaking to a pain point are all intriguing ways to start a blog.
Take your main points from step 2 and flesh them out into paragraphs. Write conversationally. Avoid deleting sentences. Just put sentences you want to delete at the bottom of the page in case you need the thought later.
Conclude with a call-to-action if appropriate. Always look for ways to drive them further into your platform. Ask for an e-mail, direct to another part of your website, refer to your social networks.
Look for ways you can link to previous blog posts or parts of your website.
Create a catchy headline. Try to make it as short as possible and be sure to use some power verbs to grab attention.
Let the story sit for a day. Or a half day. Or at least an hour…
Revisit and edit as needed and/or have someone else look it over. I like to read my work out loud. I usually catch something I wouldn’t have otherwise. If you are fussy about writing, Grammarly is an online tool that will check your work for you.
Post on WordPress (or your blog platform of choice) and share in social media. Be sure to include your tags and make sure your slug/meta data reads well. (WordPress makes this really easy to navigate.)
Things to keep in mind
-What you say reflects your company in some way. Avoid political statements and blatantly offensive statements.
-The schedule is important. You should be posting at least one blog a month.
-Read your work before pressing “post” or delay the post so that another pair of eyes can review it.
-Images are super, but make sure they are not huge and slow-loading.
-Just one space after a period is best practice.
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