Writing a blog post is easy, right? You simply need to sit down, put your fingers to your keyboard, and write about whatever interests you. Job done!
It’s not that simple, of course. Especially if you’re looking to gain a readership and earn money through your blog, there are a few rules you need to adhere to.
So, what makes a good blog post? Well, the following will give you some indication of what you should be aiming for.
#1: Correct spelling and grammar
Your blog post might be interesting to read but if the reader is distracted from the content by bad spelling and grammar, they might not make it to the end of your article. So, if you don’t know the difference between a colon and a semicolon, and if you’re not a great speller, it’s probably time to brush up on your skills.
You should also set up an account with Grammarly, as all of your mistakes will be pointed out to you. You will then have the opportunity to make any fixes before you publish your post.
#2: A captivating opening paragraph
People have very limited attention spans, so if your opening paragraph is dull, they might not progress very far into your article. So, pay attention to what you write at the beginning.
Open things up with a punchy statement, a fascinating quote, something funny, or a question to the reader. Draw them into your article with an insight into what lies ahead. And above all, utilize every ounce of your creative talents to give them an excellent first impression.
#3: Interesting images
A blog post consisting entirely of text can be overwhelming to the reader, especially if it is a long one. For this reason, it’s worth adding visual appeal. If we were to apply this to your text, we would say use short paragraphs and an easy-to-read font to improve the experience of your reader.
But you can also spice things up with images, such as photos that correspond with what you are writing about, infographics to summarise points, or simple-to-understand charts to represent your topic. These will both break up the text and give your readers something interesting to look at, so they shouldn’t wander away from your post midway through.
#4: Relevance to your blog
There are some blogs that cover all kinds of topics, so you can be forgiven for mixing things up a little with your content. But then there are blogs that are focussed on specific topics, such as motoring, gardening, or household tips.
If your blog has a particular theme, you will attract those people who have an interest in your chosen subject. But if you start to veer too far away from what your readers are interested in, you will quickly lose them. So, stick to what your readers want when writing your blog posts. But if you do decide to write about something else, either create a separate blog or link your readers to different topics on your website.
We have barely scratched the surface so continue your research online. And as part of your research, consider the blog posts you have liked or disliked. Learn from the best as well as the worst and write your posts with the lessons you have learned in mind.
