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Here’s a question: how many people do you know who’ve started a blog in the last year?
If you’re counting on both hands, you’re not alone. There are almost 500 million blog accounts on Tumblr alone and it’s estimated this number grows by 50 million every year. So how does anyone write a blog that stands out?!
I’ve learnt there’s a knack to getting clever thoughts read online: a great blog takes great design. I’ve discovered 10 key steps to creating a blog that cuts through the white noise. So here goes – the anatomy of an awesome blog.
- Make sure the opening sentences have impact 🎬
Edit your headline and introduction until they’re absolutely perfect. You need to clarify your offering in a nutshell as you have only about 8 seconds to grab your reader’s attention.
- Add a great image to sum up what the editorial’s about 📷
It’s a fact that strong visuals attract people to content and help people retain the information. Think of an image as an essential signpost to your content. You can create a copyright free image on a graphics tool like Canva or find a great shot in a photo library like Pixabay.
- Ask – who is your audience? 👥
Who do you want to read your blog? When you’re being creative, you also need to be strategic. Take some time to consider who might benefit from your knowledge. Map out your ideal readers – just write a few sentences to make them feel human. Then write your blog as if you’re talking to them.
- You have an idea for a blog – so make it helpful to your audience ℹ
A time poor audience needs a darn good reason to read on. A great blog offers value to the reader so package your editorial with USEFULNESS in mind.
- Create a hook 🎣
A hook is a single focus that helps to reel the reader in. It could be a topical hook – which makes your blog feel timely. Or an educational hook that’s helpful to the reader. Or a newsworthy hook that ties your editorial to current affairs. When you’ve analysed the single most important point of your blog, align this to the title, the image and the editorial.
- Keep it short! 🔻
I’ve found that many successful influencers write blogs that don’t go over 800 words. Once you have your draft, edit it down to make sure the essential information flows.
- Think of your ‘content stamp’ 🔡
Try to create a standardised look for your blogs. This doesn’t mean make them look boring – roll out a design style that ties in images, fonts and colours.
Why? Well, imagine your ideal reader clicking on your website to discover a host of thumbnails that look part of a brand. Professionalism conveys expertise.
- Make it readable! 📰
This is different to keeping it short. It’s all about the layout – text that’s dense can be very off-putting. So try the following:
- Make sure your blog layout includes lots of white space.
- Highlight important quotes to break up the text.
- Put your copy through a readability test.
- Where will you publish? 📥
Do take time to consider the best platform for your blog. Ask yourself – where am I going to post to find my ideal audience?
You’ll need to do a spot of research on Medium, Tumblr, Facebook Notes, Linkedin or your website – there will be pros and cons to each platform. You’ll need to weigh these up against your objectives for blogging to find a fit.
- Make some noise! 📣
Writing a blog is a lot of hard work. There’s no point in posting your blog then leaving it to languish, unread. So finally, work out a mini strategy to market your blog on social media before you post it.
About the author:
Paula Gilbert is a marketing consultant and Facebook Ads strategist. She works out of The Garden Shed and has helped clients gets blogs publishing on sites with readerships in their millions.
Such great tips, Paula. One I am also using right now is a keyword search before even starting. Blog writing is a way more strategic venture than it appears! A bit of an extra challenge for creatives.
Thank you and yes, describing blog writing as a strategic venture is spot on! You’ve got to have your nuts and bolts in place. Keywords are absolutely vital but I’d need to dedicate a whole new blog to that one… this piece is primarily on design and layout. x
This is such a helpful article Paula, thank you! There really is an art to writing a great blog – I will definitely be putting these tips into practice!
That’s very kind, thank you! Glad the tips have been helpful and will look forward to your next blog.
What a super helpful blog Paula! We sometimes just write about topics we like – but actually it’s about pinpointing what our audience is interested it.
Thank you and yes! All about being helpful. So easy to write a piece that you feel passionate about – as you know, the trick is to tailor it with an audience in mind. ?
Thanks Paula. This is so helpful. I don’t think I even give a blog 8 seconds before I move onto something else. So many of us are used to digesting information via Facebook etc. our attention spans are completely altered now. A blog needs to strike a chord so quickly – as you’ve mentioned. Thanks again.