19 Jan Blog Writing 101
The truth of the matter is that everyone can write a blog post. That’s true of any art! Anyone can do it, but not just anyone can do it well. “How do I write a blog post?” is a question the Spark Boutik team hears all too often. So, here are some tips to get you started.
Headline
Imagine the Internet as a giant screaming match. There are hundreds of websites publishing content for the same audience you’re targeting. Your headline needs to be your attention-grabber. In approximately 120 characters or less, you need to hook the reader and pique her interest.
Picture
A blog without at least one picture just isn’t complete. You don’t want to turn your blog post into a picture book, but you do want to hold interest with images where appropriate. When the reader clicks your headline, the picture is one of the first things she’ll notice, so it needs to command attention too. Pick an image that really stands out!
Introduction
The introduction can be one of the trickiest parts of a blog post. It needs to say a lot in a limited number of words. You should lead with a personal observation or anecdote where possible. Then, make your main point quickly. Short and sweet is the way to go.
Body
Now you’re ready for the meat and potatoes (finally). Just like your body should be, this explanation is going to be direct and fluff-free.
- Use subheadings and lists to separate your body. The average attention span is about 90 seconds, so don’t get too carried away with extras.
- Check your spelling and grammar – twice. Nothing kills readability quite like half a dozen misspelled words.
- Facts are friends, not foes. Opinion blog posts are fantastic from time to time, but establishing yourself as an authority means backing up your claims where applicable.
Conclusion
Forget what you learned about conclusions in high school and college. You want to conclude with a question or an invitation to engage. For example, for this post, we might ask: “What other blogging tips are out there?”
Bonus Points: Social
Now that you have the content, it’s time to seed it into social networks. This is where your 120-character headline comes in. It also just so happens to be the perfect length for a tweet!
Start tweeting and sharing your blog post across your social assets. If you want others to do the same, go ahead and ask. Did you know that adding “Pls RT” to a tweet makes it 4x more likely to actually be retweeted?
So, what other blogging tips are out there?
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