Being a blogger is a great and profitable occupation. We look at how to start writing for a blog. It is not just a matter of pen to paper, it is much more.
We all have a story to tell and blogging is the answer.
I love writing and blogging is just one of my outlets to provide information so that others may learn something more and increase their business output.
Telling a story is not all that hard, we do it with our partners and our kids everyday so putting your pen to paper is not a lot different.
However, there are a few rules to follow.
No matter how well you write or how often you write the skill.
What you require is getting people to read your words and stay on the page from beginning to end.
Furthermore, if you want them to do something else that will make you money, it may be to click a link, read an advertisement, buy something from you or even enroll in training or coaching.
Having an idea and put it on paper
There are a million topics to choose from and only you understand which one is best. It must be something that interests you and where you can share your passion with others to carry them along on a journey with you.
Narrow down your topic so that it does not compete head-on with the mob.
One example could be the word Food.
Trying to challenge the multitude of experts writing on this subject is virtually impossible. They've been doing it for years and you're just not going to achieve page one.
However, the simple word Food opens many opportunities for you.
Writing for a blog and food
First of all, how many types of food do you know? Every country has a food that people like, Chinese, Mongolian, Russian etc so you can select the one you like from there.
Then the sorts of food groups: healthy, low fat, vegetarian, vegan, Halal.
Follow this with types of cooking and we have Frying, Roasting, BBQ, steaming.
We then get to cooking appliances, condiments, special ways and we have not yet talked about the important one of eating food and ways you can.
The other is locations and areas to eat and appliances etc. Therefore, when you find a subject, explore the opportunities that you can enhance to meet your passion.
Build your avitar
Have some fun with Avatar in the urban dictionary and then we will return to the internet application of building a buyer of your ideas.
- Are you writing predominantly for males or females?
- The age bracket you are targeting
- Where do they live?
- Are they from a particular race or religion?
- Consider their wealth bracket
- What interest groups are they associated with?
- Write me a description of the person and then we can
target them.
Let's have a look at a quick example to flesh this out a bit more.
Suppose you are selling machinery for cropping Lupins and each machine costs several hundred thousand dollars.
We can assume that our target is mostly males over 45 years that live where they grow Luperns and have access to money with an interest in farming.
This is your client to target.
Writing is not a short term investment
You will never master a new skill in just a few lessons or attempts. You can, however, start to create readable exercises to put to the page.
However, you will learn the SEO skills required and the art of storytelling to make your readers want to follow every word.
Therefore you must get yourself organised and know the direction you wish to go before you type a single word.
How to make a blog post site?
Do an outline and conduct your research
When you have a subject and know for whom you are writing it is time to get a bit organised. Layout a plan and do some research for original content
We don't know everything and we want to be at our best to research your subject and pick up ideas along the way. You don't want to just copy others' writing but you can use quotes headlines and ideas to enhance what you will write.
You may even pick up a few pictures relating to the subject and pop them into the library to add to the blog.
Write 20-30 headings that go in a direction
By writing your headings first it helps keep the subject flowing and also provides a better way of writing. We all get an idea block at different times but having headings helps the flow of information.
You should always start with a problem to be solved or a character with a desire to achieve because readers are generally looking for solutions to a problem.
Next comes your readers' interest or desire to learn from what is to follow in your following paragraphs.
However, it is not all easy and there are lots of problems you must overcome before you get the final answer.
We do have some answers for you to move through the obstacle course but again we will need to step through some conflict before we can arrive at a final solution.
One great component of this is the motion picture writer and director Michael Haugh, who has produced writing templates that tell a story.
I also use the AIDA approach which is;
- Get readers' attention right from the start
- Gather interest in the subject
- Build the reader's desire
- and close out the conversation with action
- finally, I like to include a conclusion to finish the article
Writing is a journey for your reader that has a problem and wants a solution so give them one.
Write great content
One of the skills is short sentences and short paragraphs that maintain the readers' interest.
Don't be too technical to avoid the reader deserting you for something easy to read. Write at the primary school level.
Get more training
I understand this is a long subject and I could not cover everything in this as hard as I try because each heading is a subject on its own. For this reason, I have supplied a link to more training, ( it is free at Wealthy affiliate)
How many words do you need to write for a good blog?
The jury is really out on this and you will see many ideas from 300 words through to 5000.
When you start out your attempts will be shorter than you would like but still put them to air.
The recognised target is generally accepted at over 1500 words. If you can find 20 headings that is only 75 words a heading so the practice is made easier for you.
Remember that readers may skim the page looking for answers and that is where your headings and pictures get the attention.
Heading and size are important
It is also recognised that heading starts big and goes down through the page.
I am sure you understand the # sizes and know how to choose from #1 down to #4 or #5
Personally, I normally start big with my page headings normally #3 and a final #4
Spelling and punctuation when writing a blog
We all hate spelling mistakes but not half as much as Google does. They will trash your SEO if your attempts at creative contribution are full of errors.
Always use a spell checker or two to make sure your words come out the way you want. One good free tool is Gramarly.com a commercial word program that corrects errors as you write
Use Yoast SEO as a beginning blogger
Yoast is a WordPress plugin that controls your writing to achieve SEO objectives in the best possible way.
You may later move on from Yoast but it will teach you many things that help your blog be read.
I still occasionally turn this plugin on to check my writing and achieve two green lights of acceptance.
You will be criticised for sentence length and the number of paragraphs as well as negative writing. You may find it frustrating at first but it does build a good practice.
Make a blog site explained.
Take time to edit
Your first draft is never the best you can do so review the page as you go along. Make your changes and look for ways to flow the article to achieve the original plan and procedure.
More on SEO
Search engine optimization is a fundamental block of writing and you must use every skill at hand to have a chance of being read.
Keywords are a basic principle of SEO and how you are found on the internet. There is no time here for a full understanding of a subject that is fundamental to your success.
Basically, a keyword is something typed in to search for a subject.
The prior example of a word was “FOOD” however ” The best Chinese Food in the Bay area for under $10″ is also a keyword, it just has a long tail.
Take time to research keywords in my prior article.
Use the links in your article
There are many types of links that include in and out and authority links. In several places in the article I will link to my other pages where there is valuable information pertaining to this post.
I shall also link to places like wikipedia as an authority site and in fact Urban dictionary.
I will probably run a link to another site I own that has other useful information.
Then there will be affiliate links to sites that back up what I say and provide you with a heap more information and training.
Don't plagiarize in a blog
You can quote, you can rewrite, but copying other material will come with a Google penalty. Believe me, they know when you copy and it will be treated as a copy.
Link to social media
Again, to complete the circle of values, I will include my social media sites to increase my SEO rating.
Do not try and include every social media activity, but try and concentrate on just one or two depending on your market.
Back to the beginning and your blog title
Your blog title is in place to get the readers' attention. If you have a title best Lupern picker, the average reader will just not read the post.
But money-generating Lupin pickers will pick up a lot more interest.
Your ideal heading will solve a problem be of interest, play on fear or perhaps have an urgency about it.
This is nearly as important as the whole written blog because you have a nanosecond to grab the interest of the reader.
Your blog description is also important
The rules here state your Keyword must be in the description and it should also appear at the start of the post. Importantly, it conveys to the reader enough excitement to get them reading more.
A description allows up to 160 characters over which Google will give you a wrist slap.
The heading, URL and description by someone who should know how to do it. Mr. Google, of course.
Blog writing checklist
By now you are probably having a head spin or throwing a tantrum because there are too many rules.
Whilst this is true, a simple checklist is easy to do and for any beginner, it is a necessity.
Write your list and add to it as often as you want but make sure you tick all the boxes.
Pictures in a Blog
When you are reading an article. Well-placed pictures relevant to the subject and royalty-free will boost the readership by quite a lot.
Again, there are rules and the pictures should be to a size that fits and importantly have an Alt description filled out.
The jury is a little undecided on the alt description with some references saying it could include your keyword.
Others and I among them believe the Alt description is there for handicapped readers and it should explain what the picture is about.
You can also link the picture to somewhere else so it is a click capture.
Track your blog
Set up a free Google Analytics account so you can track your visitors from live viewers to monthly reports.
You need to follow analytics because you will learn all about your readers and can adjust your style of writing to meet their needs.
A blog to read on a mobile phone
Many readers are now using a mobile phone as their main device so your structure should be set up to be easily read. You can check this by using a common login called https://search.google.com/test/mobile-friendly
Conclusion
There is a lot more to blog writing than words
There is a way to play this game to win and Google wrote the rules so it is their way or the highway.
make your list and practice your art as you reach out to readers.
Writing for a blog by Peter Hanley
