To keep your new project at the highest degree at all times, you should consider following these seven best practices when writing a blog post.
These apply whether it is your very first or your 100th post, the basic ruling is always the same.
With time, you will develop your individual strategy on how to approach each project. This will help you successfully publish an enticing and compelling article every single time.
Just like with everything else, blogging and online journaling take time and dedication. Still, even if writing is not your cup of tea but the idea of running your blog is, you can learn and master it all fairly easily.
More or less, it is the consistency and commitment that will define who wins the blogging game and who loses. And if you follow the pure fundamentals and mix it with your signature touch, you will march toward victory in a gallop.
1. Avoid blocks of texts
Do you want your articles to be more eye-friendly and appealing? Well, we all do. Instead of having chunks of unreadable text, make sure you break it up into sections. Instantly, your article will become friendlier and way more comfortable to read. Even for those who just skim through the text, they will get way more out of it compared to having one big block of text.
If you are unsure how to make your blog posts more attractive to the eye, one of the solutions is to use bucket brigades. It is a very simple tactic that uses particular words and phrases that not only make it look more fun but help keep readers engaged for longer.
Play around with different options and enjoy the positive impact coming your way shortly after.
2. Use images, videos and screenshots
This paragraph relates to the previous one a whole bunch. While visual material is highly beneficial to express yourself in a unique way, it also helps you split the text and make it more favorable by the end user.
A picture tells a thousand words, right?
If that is so, what’s the number of words a video then tells?
To skip the math, it is an absolute must to use images, videos and even screenshots in all and every single article your plan to publish.
You can use free and premium content resources, but it would be even better to use your own material and bring things to a whole new degree.
Do your thing and stand out from the masses like a champ.
3. Optimize your content for search engines (SEO)
Now, we are getting to a more technical part of running your blog successfully. However, in the modern era, we live in, and with the available technology, all the tech tasks become quick and straightforward.
Even if you are an utmost beginner, search engine optimization should not be much of a difficulty for you. The easiest way to approach it is to simply install the fantastic and super convenient Yoast SEO plugin. From then on, it’s the WordPress plugin that guides you to publishing SEO optimized content and gets it ranked for targeted keywords not just quicker but higher in search engines as well.
The most general rule when it comes to search engine optimization is keeping things simple, readable and valuable. Titles, sub-titles, meta descriptions and images should come naturally anyway.
On top of that, Google is getting smarter and smarter, understanding what your blog is all about without the need to stuff it with keywords and any other fishy techniques.
4. Always create unique, never-before-written text
Bloggers sometimes tend to get lazy, looking for ways how to create articles as fast as possible. It is quite obvious that you should never steal from others and copy the text to your blog.
Needless to say, it will do more harm than good. After all, you decided to pursue this blogging adventure long-term, isn’t that true?
Of course, it is perfectly fine if you paraphrase someone but never should you practice the copy and paste technique.
You need to cement it into your brain that you must always craft unique, compelling and intriguing articles. Even if it takes you way longer than expected, it is totally worth it.
And that brings us to the next point.
5. Focus on quality over quantity
Just like content is king so is quality. Instead of hammering out multiple blog posts a week, heck, a day, stick to reducing blogging frequency.
Writing less can result in a boost in organic traffic.
However, you need to know that the time and effort it will take you to produce one high-quality article might even be longer compared to multiple finished short and poorly written texts.
Yet again, if you decide to launch a blog, you need to know that consistency matters. You must decide how many articles you plan to release on a weekly basis and stick to it. It is important to let search engines know that your page is active, delivering content that will benefit readers.
Doing five posts on the launch week then two after fourteen days and then one in three months will definitely not do you well. Instead, let’s say two blogs is what you manage to handle on a week-to-week basis – just stick to it!
And to make your lives simples and hassle-free, plan new topics to write about several weeks ahead.
6. Create impactful title and intro
This one is pretty self-explanatory, not needing too much explanation.
The title is the first thing your blog visitors see. Now, if it is something that does not attract their curiosity, they might skip the content altogether.
On the other hand, all you need is the right combination of words, and they are hooked immediately.
Sure, creating enticing titles takes time and practice, but you will master it with consistency easily.
Moreover, just like the title is important, so is the first paragraph of your article. Heck, the first sentence should be a killer one, helping you win them over effortlessly.
Not to mention, if you would like to rank for a particular keyword, it is wise to add it in the title and first sentence as well.
Notice: Featured image matters, too! The right mix of title, image and intro will give you the winning combo.
7. Write with a personal tone
Just think of the articles that best resonated with you. How were they written? Did they use a personal tone, as they would actually be your friends? The answer is, very likely, affirmative.
When it comes to blogging, you should stick to originality and personalization. And if you are still not 100% sure how to do it, simply pick your best friend and write the article like you would be chatting with him or her.
Yes, it is that simple!
Sure, you might avoid some slang and other inappropriate words but in general, that’s the whole thing. Keeping things simple and uncomplicated, as well as sentences short, is the promising mixture that you should follow every single time.
Of course, if you plan to start a scientific and super technical blog, you might need to alter your tone slightly. But the basic principals will still stay the same.
Author Bio: Rok is a professional content creator and an enthusiastic marketer who spends most of his day behind the screen, drinking coffee and listening to black metal. But he never misses a daily workout to get the blood flow going. He goes by the quote, “Only a fool worries over what he can’t control.