If you’re looking for a concise tutorial that tells you how to write a blog post, you’re in the right place.
It’s likely, that if you’re here, you’re either running an online business, or you’re looking to start an online business. You’ve probably heard about the importance of content, and you know that posting content on a blog is a very common way for online business owners to attract new potential customers.
Unfortunately, for those who are blogging, but are not making money, one of the big problems is with their blogging fundamentals. They might be blogging, but it’s likely, they’re skipping one or more steps I’ll be disclosing to you.
As a result, they’re blog posts don’t build trust, solve a problem, or relay authority. I’m sure if you want to learn how to write a blog post, you also want people to read it, find value in what you’ve written, and you probably also want to make money. In this article, I plan to show you how to write a blog post that:
- Attracts customers
- Solves a problem for them
- and, Makes sales
Good Blog Posts vs. Bad Blog Posts
Since I’ve started blogging, I’ve been able to run across hundreds (maybe even thousands) of blog posts! Once you start specializing in something, it becomes more apparent how many people are doing it–that’s how blogging is for me. I started blogging in 2015, but I didn’t know what I was doing for awhile, so I wasn’t making money.
In 2018, I started really investing in my training, so I could learn how to make money blogging, and that’s when I learned fundamentals that make sales. It’s funny because now when I search online, I’m much more aware of what’s going on: what’s a good blog post, what’s a not-so-good blog post, and everything in between.
As a result, I’ve seen lots of good blog posts, and lots of bad ones.
A Good Blog Post
A good blog:
- Is clearly there to solve a problem for visitors
- Has a clear mission
- Has a brand and clear expectations
- Takes responsibility for helping visitors achieve a goal
- Pays attentions to quality (spelling, grammar, author voice, navigation, design, branding, etc.)
A Bad Blog Post
On the other hand, a bad blog post:
- Doesn’t solve a problem
- Might be more of a rant or personal outlet
- Doesn’t have a clear mission
- Is riddled with quality issues (pop-ups, spelling, grammar, boring or overly opinionated text, bad navigation, ugly design, and bad or no branding)
As more competition is growing online, it’s more and more necessary to step it up with the quality standards. Each blog post should have an end goal is mind, and the most successful online businesses create blog posts to solve a problem for their visitors. Making money blogging is a byproduct of solving problems for your visitors on your blog.
Now, that’s out of the way, so let’s discuss…
7 Steps for How to Write a Blog Post
I tried to condense this process in a simple a memorable way, so when you decide to start writing your blog posts, you know exactly what to do. These are 7 steps you want to remember when writing your blog posts…
1. Identify Problems your Target Audience Might be Having
Since I’ve been coaching bloggers over the last two years, I’ve heard numerous times, “I don’t know what to blog about”, or “can you help me come up with blog post ideas?”, and to be honest, I don’t know what to blog about either until I ask my target audience.
It’s important to network with your target audience. Find people who would be an ideal customer for your products, services, blog topic, or affiliate partners’ products.
Ask them questions to identify problems they might be having that prevents them from taking action or achieving the goal your products or services help with. For example, I often work with people who want to start a business.
If I decide to write a blog post, it would be ideal for me to connect with startup entrepreneurs, find out what stops them from starting or growing their business, and write a blog post that helps them to overcome that obstacle.
Over time, as my blog grows with helpful content that helps them to solve their problems, I become more of an authoritative figure for them, and they may decide to buy products and services that I recommend.
2. Research for Keywords they Might be Using
Stats show that 4.49 billion people use the internet as of 11 March 2020, and the majority of people begin their journey online using a search engine. When they think about something they want to know, they use voice search or type directly into Google with a search phrase or “keyword”.
Unfortunately, if you’re creating titles and using phrases within your content that isn’t consistent with what they type when they’re looking for something, then search engines may not think your content is directly relevant to the person’s query. I see this happen quite often where a blogger uses a “creative” blog post title, and doesn’t get traffic to the content because the title or content doesn’t say what searchers might be looking for–this is why keyword research is important.
After you’ve identified problems your ideal customer is having, it’s important to see what words they’re using to find a solution. You can check Jaaxy, the keyword research tool I use for my blog posts here…
3. Outline Your Blog Post (or Use my Free Blog Post Templates!)
Most good blog posts have three main parts:
- Introduction: Draws readers into your topic, identifies a pain point the reader is having, and makes a promise to disclose a solution.
- The Body: Answers the Most Pressing issues readers are likely to have.
- Conclusion: Emphasizes the takeaway message and tells the readers where they can go for more help solving the problem.
Included within those three parts is text that:
- Shows context: The blog post shows when a person might have the problem you’re solving and how relevant the solution is
- Builds trust: Shows why they should take action on what you’re saying and that you’re a trustworthy source
- and, Demonstrates Authority: The content should prove that you’re an authority on the topic enough that they should take action
If you read things like reviews, list posts, or tutorials, you’ll likely notice that many of them have more components. You can check out my 8 free blog post templates to identify more things you can include in your blog posts, improve the value you offer thru your blog posts, and amp up your writing efficiency.
4. Write the Post
Once you’v got the outline and an understanding of the potential readers, I think writing the post is so much easier. Now, it’s a matter of explaining to them how to solve the problem their having.
You want to make sure that you keep the post:
- Easily readable
- Scannable
- and Clear
Many website visitors scan thru text; rather than reading, so as you’re writing, make sure to separate your paragraphs after 1-2 sentences, so the post is easy to scan. Add in headers and sub-headers to break up text, and give specific focal points within the post.
Stats show that most adults read at a 9th grade reading level, so it’s important to write in a conversational tone. Try not to use lots of vocabulary or long words (unless its absolutely necessary)–otherwise it can negatively impact your audience comprehension and how many come back.
5. Edit the Post
Once you’ve written the post, it’s important to go back over it to “polish” it. Many people say it slows them down to edit and write at the same time, so I recommend you separate the two steps. When you’re editting, you’re polishing your SEO, spelling and grammar, images, formatting, and overall voice.
SEO
You want to make sure you’re using your keyword in the title, meta description, and first paragraph. If you can find ways to use the keyword without being too robotic, then try fitting it in there. It makes it easier for Google to index the content relevantly.
More resources on SEO:
Spelling and Grammar
Although, we like to think that people don’t judge from superficial metrics, we do. You and I both judge based on things like spelling and grammar. You might not notice, but if a blog post is really badly riddled with spelling and grammar errors, it’s likely you’ll bounce away from the site without thinking twice.
Spelling and grammar is important, so take your time, and make sure you’re using best practices. Download a software like Grammarly that helps your spelling to stay pristine.
Images
Images help to break up the text. They can also add further explanation if you’re doing a tutorial of some sort. Video could also be a great way to demonstrate what you’ve written about in your blog post. Either way, you want to consider that some people will need to see what you’re writing about in order to stay engaged (even if it’s stock photos that you add).
Monetization
When you attract the right customers to your blog post, you want to make sure it’s easy for them to purchase the products and services that would help them, but you don’t want to come off as a spammer. Make sure to build context, authority, and trust FIRST before pitching a product or service.
6. Add Content Upgrades
Most online businesses will agree that the money is in the list. You want to create printables, PDFs, checklists, or other content upgrades that help your website visitors to take action on the things you’ve advised them on. You also want them on your email list if you plan to offer more value that’s relevant to them.
Not every blog post will need content upgrades, but if you’re writing on a topic that you write a lot on, and you have more value you can add, then consider adding a content upgrade, and get them on your email list!
7. Publish
Once you’re done implementing the last 6 steps, it’s time to hit “preview”, make sure your post looks good, then publish it.
Conclusion on How to Write a Blog Post
Writing blog posts is something that’s helped me to attract hundreds of new customers using the internet. I know that when you do these 7 steps, you can get the same result.
If you have anymore questions about how to write a blog post, or if you have a process that works well for you that you’d like to share, don’t hesitate to leave that in the comments section below. Also, if you’d like to learn more about blogging or making money with your blog, check out the Blog Starter Bundle.
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