Sharing a story, offering tips and advice, educating, informing, entertaining, whatever it is that you would like to share, blogging is the solution. Blogging also builds your reputation and demonstrates your knowledge in your field. You don’t need to be a wordsmith or be Harvard educated, provided that your spelling and grammar are okay and the information that you are sharing is well researched, you are good to go.
Here are some things to think about when starting a blog.
Where will it be hosted? If you have a website this is a no-brainer. Add your blog to your website and share the link. If you don’t have a website there are plenty of paid and free blogging platforms to use such as Tumblr. Although, one disadvantage to not having your own website is that you have no control over your domain name.
Decide on what type of blog you would like to write. Here are just a few ideas: A list (top ten), article, interview, review, story, personal, image-based or a fact sheet. There is no rule on how long a blog should be. Aim for 250 plus words and the sky is the limit. Most blogs tend to fall in the 500 - 1200 word range. (500 words is approx 1 A4 page of typing)
To begin with, choose a subject that you are passionate about. It is far easier to write a blog on something that you know inside out. To help you, imagine having a conversation with someone and telling them about your subject. Brainstorm what you would like to include, writing down the key bits which will give the bones to your blog. You can then begin to infill with the rest. (You may wish to run a keyword search on the internet to help with your SEO)
Think about your audience. Who are you writing the blog for, where are they ie Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn etc, and what would make them want to read your blog? Write your blog aimed at your target audience.
Struggling with a title? Use a blog title generator. You add a few keywords on the subject of your blog and you can generate blog titles. There are plenty of free title generators online. This saves a headache when it comes to giving your blog a catchy title.
Have a beginning, middle and end. Writing a blog is no different to writing a story. The beginning is a feed into the main part of the story. It is there to entice the reader to continue. The middle will have your main points, lists etc and the end is your review and conclusions to your blog.
Keep your content interesting. If your beginning is lacklustre, it is unlikely that your reader will bother finishing. People love the human element of blogs. Make sure to put plenty of personality into your writing and keep the blog moving right until the end.
Never be afraid to be humorous or a little different. If you make your reader feel emotions such as happiness or love, they are far more likely to share your blog with a friend. Have fun with your blog, there are no real rules here!
Edit and proofread. Run your blog through Grammarly.com and check that your content is free from spelling errors and grammatical mistakes. Grammarly has a free version which is perfectly adequate.
Don’t forget to add a call to action if you want your readers to contact you, visit an online shop or visit your website etc.
Bonus tip – Hire a professional copywriter to do it for you. Not everyone has the time or wish to write their blogs. Sampson VA Services can do all of your blogging for you. Book in for a consultation and let’s get you started.