How to write for blogs and enjoy doing it does not come easily to many of us when we first start out.
If you have a blog, you may well be feeling that it is a lonely and quite scary world at times
Very often we start a blog and we write about things that are happening in our life or things that excite or inspire us. This could be the latest make up, handbag or a pair of jeans.
Very soon we realise that we are not getting noticed, have very few followers or engagement on our website and it knocks our confidence so we start to put out fewer posts or worse none at all.
Now it all depends on why we started our blog in the first place. Was it because everyone else seemed to be doing it and making money ? Was it because we just wanted a place to voice our opinions? Was it because we wanted a way out of that horrible 9 to 5 job we hated ? Or was it because we wanted to earn money. Full stop?
I have a message for you
Do not give up on that blog no matter where you are at in the blogging process or whatever your reason for starting.
You are irreplaceable because you are You. And being you is enough.
You have a place in the blogging world which can be hugely successful but first you have to acknowledge who you are and what you are selling ( this doesn’t have to be monetary, it could just be an idea )
Once you have acknowledged who you are and what your purpose is, you will gain some focus for your Blog.
Blogs that are a big mixture of things are rarely successful.
People, buy people first and products and ideas second.
So, it is okay to talk about your fears, worries or successes but you need to have a direction for your Blog.
Are you selling physical products? If so who is your ideal customer?
Are you selling self development? If so who is your ideal customer?
Are you selling blogging as a career ? If so who is your ideal customer?
I guess you are getting the gist here. First, know who you are, then what you are selling and then who is your ideal customer.
Once you know these three things, your blog will become more focused. You will know what and to who you are marketing and speaking to. Writing blog posts will become something you look forward to doing, rather than dreading. It will be like you are writing to a friend someone you know and who is interested in what you have to say.
Rules for writing blog posts
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Write like you would speak. People buy people first. Do not be afraid to use your humour or swear, if that’s your thing. Your readers should get a sense of who you are and what you st and for.
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Make your information easy to read. Short paragraphs, bullet points and headings are really important. No reader wants to read a sea of words with no punctuation.
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Do not be afraid to tell your reader what you want them to do. It’s okay to ask for a sale or their email address. Your readers will not get subtle hints and people really appreciate honesty.
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Use a great title. Now this one is for both Google and your reader. You would be wise to invest in a keyword search tool. It will help you find a title that includes keywords searched for often and therefore your blog post will be found in search engines. This means more organic traffic. Add a little bit extra to your keywords to entice the reader. My title is a good example How To Write For Blogs Are my keywords. And Enjoy Doing It is for you. I highly recommend Jaaxy as your keyword search tool. Go and read my review by clicking here.
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Aim for at least 1000 words. Google likes long posts for some unknown reason. 1000 words fits their algorithm for ranking posts and it is just enough to keep your reader interested. Obviously it depends on your subject, so it could be longer. I think my longest post is 2200 words.
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Use Images. A picture paints a 1000 words. Images help break up your text and make it easier for people to read. Finding great images is not too hard. Go read my post on The Best Stock Photo Websites by clicking here.