
Note : A long read.
“Share your story. Inspire action.”
After receiving countless emails and dm’s asking me to help write a good blog post or the “where to start” questions, I’ve taken the liberty of drafting this piece dedicated to the respective question. After a whole year of blogging, I certainly can assure with my experience, these points will help you a great deal.
Before you start writing here are some guidelines to keep in mind, as well as some tips and tricks to make your blog post as impactful as possible.
Blogging Guidelines:
- Be considerate of the privacy of others that you mention in your story.
- Try not to generalize. Your experience is unique and might not apply to others in
similar circumstances. - Use respectful language.
- Please provide links or citations for any facts you include.
7 Tips for Writing a Great Blog:
Tip #1: Write with Intention!
Social media and blogging are about ENGAGEMENT! Before you start writing your post
spend some time thinking about what impact you want your post to have on readers. Is the goal to inform people about an issue? Is it to spark further conversation about a topic? Is it to encourage someone to get involved? Maybe it’s all of the above! If you have a clear understanding of what the goal of your post is before you start writing, your message will be much clearer. I recommend creating an outline for your post that includes topic sentences for each paragraph – that way you can ensure your ideas flow well together.
Tip #2: Choose a Hook
Benjamin Franklin once said, “Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.”
Are you interested in hearing how this quote relates to your blog? Well, that’s because I started this tip with a “hook.” A hook is something writers use to keep their audience reading past the first sentence or two. It is also the organizing principle that you should base your entire post around. Think of it as the idea that hooks the pieces of your post together i.e. intro, body, and conclusion.
Here are some common hooks…
1. A good question;
2. A dramatic situation;
3. An interesting character;
4. A quote that says it all;
5. A surprising statistic; or
6. A funny situation;
One way to ensure that your post never strays too far from your hook (or organizing
principle) is to circle back to it in your conclusion.
Tip #3: Share your unique perspective!
Readers are bombarded with thousands of blog posts a day. The Internet is like a black hole. Want to make your blog post stand out? Highlight what makes your perspective/s about a topic (example: mental health) unique. Having trouble articulating what your perspective is? Start by asking yourself “Why does mental health matter to me?” Your answer to that question probably reflects your personal or professional perspective – and that’s what your audience wants to read about!
Tip #4: Write 25 possible titles to hit on the perfect one.
You’ve probably heard the phrase “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” Unfortunately, in the blogosphere, your title might be all a reader uses to judge whether or not to read your post. Choosing a snappy title that highlights the main point of your post in an engaging way is hard. Here’s a trick: set a timer for five minutes and write the first 25 titles that come to mind. Now, I may be exaggerating 25, but, as many as possible by your imaginative mind. Yes, really. Some will be bad (that’s okay), but around number 20, you’ll strike title gold.
Tip #5: Increase ‘Readability.’
In the age of 6-second videos and 140-character updates, it’s easy to lose your reader’s
attention. One way to combat this is through increasing your post’s “readability,” or the
ease with which your text can be read and understood. Here are some ways you can do
this:
1. Be concise! Break up long paragraphs and sentences so they are easy to read and
understand;
2. Include subheadings throughout the post that highlight main ideas;
3. Eliminate passive voice; and
4. Choose the 3 most important sentences in your post and make them bold. This
allows a skimming reader to pick up on the main points easily.
Tip #6: Include pictures.
Social media research shows that posts with pictures get more traction. Find one or two pictures that illustrate the topic of your post to include. It’s best practice to get permission first before sharing a photo that you find on the Internet. A good resource for free shareable photos is Wikimedia Commons. Make sure to always include a photo credit with photos that you do not own. I draw, sketch, illustrate, take photos or make my own pictures for my blog. Along with writing, that is my muse. I combine my passion for art and words and create a unique visual layout that not only informs and inspires my readers but also keeps them engaged. Some people who own a photography blog, have their own pictures. Food blog owners have their own style. It is important to understand your style so that you can make your blog stand out from the crowd.
Tip #7: Include a “Call to Action.”
Storytelling can drive social change. One way to do that is to include a “call to action” (CTA) at the end of your blog posts to better engage readers and help initiate action on important issues. A “call to action” could be as simple as asking the reader to share your blog post on their social media sites to help promotion. You could highlight a useful resource that you think would help others in a similar situation.
Whatever your CTA is, including one (or a few) will go a long way in promoting ACTION and continued ENGAGEMENT with your readers.
I hope you found this list of tips useful. ♥ Feel free to ask any questions or share your ideas in the comment section below. Alternately, I’d really appreciate for you to share this content on your social media platform if you found it useful so that others can benefit from it too. If you have any doubts or want a personal clarification, send me an email on eclipsedwords@gmail.com. Follow me on Instagram Happy Blogging! ♥♥♥
Thank you for reading. Love you for that!
—–Have Hope. Keep Faith—–
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Great post 👍
Thank you!
Good tips
Great tips!
Thank you, hope it helps.
You’re welcome! Yes, definitely!
Thanks for these great tips!
Thank you, hope it helps.
These were great tips. I can tell which writers are taking the time to engage and who is just throwing words out there to get more followers…those are the ones I have to unfollow.
We all appreciate great content—thank you!
Thank you.
I hope these tips help you in some way.
Happy Blogging! ❤
Thank you! This is helpful and timely – I just started my own blog 🙂
Wish you the best! ❤
Thank you! This is helpful and timely – I just started my own blog 🙂 Great work!
Wish you the best! Thank you! ❤
Great advice! Nicely written!
Thank you, Warren! ❤
You’re welcome!
Good Morning, I would like to thank you for liking my latest blog post “The Gift 🎁: Five Hidden Wishes”. It meant so much to me. Have a lovely day 🌺
You have a good blog.
Happy Blogging! ❤
thanks for sharing
Thank you, I hope it helps.
I love this. Thank you for your insight.
Thank you, I hope it helps.
Happy Blogging! ❤
great tips for new bloggers out there.
Thank you, I hope it helps someone in a good way.
Sure it will.. Keep posting such tips to guide new bloggers..
Really enjoyed this post! As a new blogger I greatly appreciate theses tips!
Thank you.
Wish you the best in your blogging world. 😊✨
Very helpful for newbies and oldies
Thank you! ❤
Great advice, thank you! 😊
Thank you, I hope it helps. 😊😊
Love the Benjamin Franklin quote!~
It’s one of my favorites!
❤❤❤
This was SO informative and helpful! Thank you! And that Benjamin Franklin quote…..might just be my new favorite!!
Thank you.
I hope it helps.
Wish you the best and happy blogging! ❤
Brilliant tips. Thank you. Thank for liking my blog post as well.
You have a good blog.
Wish you the best!
Thank you. May your’s continue to grow.
Brilliant!
Thank you! ❤
Thank you so much for sharing this!
I just started blogging and would for you to check it out:)
Sure, wish you the best in your blogging world. 😊
Well-put and concise. Now tell me how to get COMMENTS on my blog LOL
Hahah, yes. I’ll create an entire new piece on the particular topic. 🙂
Great tips 🙂
Thank you. I hope it helps. 😊
Excellent article and I am sharing it. Thank you for visiting my blog today, too. Nice to meet you.
You have a good blog. Wish you the best in your blogging world. 😊 ✨ ❤
Thanks for sharing these are really great tips
Thank you, I hope it helps. 😊
Wish you the best!
Ya really, myself I am following your tips
Thank you for sharing this 🌷
Wish you the best in your blogging world. 😊 ✨ ❤
❤❤❤
Very informative and useful as a starter pack for blogging. Thank you very much. In cases in which I use images from google, how do I cite where the picture is from? Should I put it below the picture?
Only if the picture is already owned by someone or has a watermark of an owner. Otherwise there are many pictures out there which can be used in your own name and those which are not pre-owned.
Noted. Thank you very much for the tip
Hi and thanks for the support. Am glad you put it together so well. Not just for Beginners. All great Tips. Balanced and well thought out. Thank you.
Thank you, I hope it helps.
Wish you all the best in your blogging world. 😊 ✨ ❤
Hi again. Yep. Number 5 used already. Thanks. Till next.
How awesome that you “liked” my post. Thanks for the visit.
This article has super useful tips I plan to incorporate in my own writing. Having a bit of trouble learning WP to add more interest, but not giving up. Thanks!
Thank you! I appreciate you visiting, “Going Against the Grain”. I’ll be sure to keep these tips in mind. Always on the track for self improvement!
Thanks for the tips!
Excellent tips. Thanks.
Very encouraging and motivating Anand Bose from Kerala
Clear and concise! Blessings!
Lovely tips! Thanks for taking time to share.
Best wishes.
P.S: Thank you very much for subscribing to my blog.
Thank you for stopping at my blog and reading my post, lovely to meet you. Your tips are great, love tip #4 hadn’t thought of doing that, I’ll definitely use this one. I also have found that when my blog posts are shorter I get more likes and comments on it as opposed to longer blog posts and definitely pictures make a huge difference. Thank you
Namaste and thank you for visiting the blog. I look forward to have your reflections.
with love & gratitude, Ellie
P.S Thank you for the tips, best wishes.
Thank you for reading my post and for this really great post of yours.
Nina
Wow! Those are some awfully good tips from someone who is so young and who has only been blogging a year! And look at your readership and responses! You are really onto something! Where did you go to become so wise so soon??
Great post. Thank you for sharing.
Yeah, I agree. Good guidelines. Thanks for checking out a recent post. Glad you enjoyed it.
yeah, I agree, good guidelines. Glad you enjoyed a recent post.