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Beginner’s Guide For Writing A Great Blog Post

by Aishwarya Shah 
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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78 thoughts on “Beginner’s Guide For Writing A Great Blog Post”

  4. 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!

    Reply
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  27. 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?

    Reply

    1. 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.

      Reply

  29. 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!

    Reply

  30. 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!

    Reply

  36. 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

    Reply

  37. 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.

    Reply

  39. 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??

    Reply

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