Beginner's Guide: How to Write a Blog Post - Blog 101

In the first of a new series on writing blogs called "Blog 101", I'll share a few basic tips on how to write a blog post.

You may want to (or wonder how to) write a blog. It's a valuable online tool whether you're building a personal brand or if you own an established business, but where do you start?

It's not easy. You need to write regularly, on topic, in an entertaining way, bear in mind some basic SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) tricks and showcase your knowledge. 

​Here are 9 quick tips covering all of this, and more, to help you understand how to write a blog post:

1. Who cares?

Picking your target audience is a vital first step. You need to pinpoint who you want to write for and then target every post to that demographic.

Most likely, your target audience will be your customer base; past, present and future. Identify what they'd like to read about and how you can demonstrate your expertise to them.

2. Get a calendar

You MUST write your blog regularly to build your audience. It's easier said than done, so make sure you produce a basic editorial calendar of dates you intend to post. Put your post ideas into that calendar and, if possible, write up a handful of back-up posts that you don't publish straight away, but can use in busy times to keep churning out the posts.

3. Write a killer title

Readers are a fickle bunch. They will often make a decision on your blog post based purely on its title.

Harsh? Yes.

But we all do it. So pick a title that stands out from the crowd. This list from founder of WordStream Larry Kim is a pretty good place to start.

4. Size matters

Short posts equal poor SEO. The big emphasis from the search engines is on quality content, not a post stuffed with keywords.

​One way they measure this quality is by timing how long a person stays on your web page. The longer they stay on, the better your site will perform on SEO so try to write longer posts that keep your audience engaged.

5. Imposters beware

Be true to you.

Don't try to write as anyone else. Use your own tone of voice and stick to your own style.

If you sound like someone else, your audience won't want to ready your words because, quite simply, they'll just sound like everyone else.

Forget the marketing speak and get real.

6. The power of 'you'

This is the number one tip from many a blog writer. Speak to your audience by using "you" and "your" as much as possible. Let's look at an example, which sentence do you prefer?

Write a blog regularly to build an audience.

OR

You MUST write your blog regularly to build your audience. 

I'd hope you prefer the second. So, speak to your audience in your words to maximise your impact.

7. Break it up

Break up your blog post with subheadings, images and shorter sentences to keep readers reading. 

Listicles, like this blog post, are a great way to achieve this too. Also, keep your language concise and intelligible so you don't bombard your readers with unnecessary information.

Another great saying to bear in mind is the acronym KISS: Keep It Simple, Stupid.

8. Forget it and then edit

Blog writing takes time. It can take hours to research, write and perfect your blog post.

When you've finished writing your post, you'll be sick of the sight of it. So, take time to step away from your post (preferably overnight) and come back with a fresh pair of eyes to reread and edit.

Quick tip: before publishing, read your post aloud to help spot mistakes and make sure it sounds right.

9. Stay consistent

Once you have your target audience, calendar and your first few posts written it's important to stay consistent.

What do I mean here?

I mean you must stay consistent in terms of your tone, topics, target audience and schedule. Familiarity does not breed contempt, it pulls in readers.

As I mentioned, this is the first post in a new series called "Blog 101". If you've got any questions about blogs you'd like me to answer, pop a comment below.

Oh, and if you're wondering why the photo of the red wine at the top? It's also a good idea to use images to peak your readers' interest. You didn't think I'd advocate writing under the influence, did you?