How to Create a Decent Blog Post
I never promise perfection (I don’t believe it exists) but what I can guarantee is decency.
If you want to learn how to be the best of the best, you will not find that here!
In this post we will not be covering the bulk of what a blog post is which is, arguably, the writing, instead we will be covering just about everything else. For starters…
The Headline
Whether you choose to formulate the headline at the beginning, middle or the end doesn’t matter. Just make sure it’s a good one. There’s no rule that you have to stick with the first headline you come up with, as long as you change it before you officially hit post, you are good to go.
The goal of the headline is to catch the readers attention yes, but also to be exactly what they are looking for. Do research on trending keywords or phrases on the topic you are writing about, because these are the words people are literally typing into Google.
You can find these words by searching on Google yourself, searching on Pinterest, or using a generator such as answerthepublic.com.
The Spacing
If you know me, you know I love to read, and you probably love to read too. But unless you write essay style blog posts that are super entertaining like Samantha Irby (and even she utilizes spacing) then you too will need to utilize spacing to keep your readers from taking one look at a lump sum of words and peacing out.
Most importantly, use headlines in your text, better yet, use multiple! I mostly use heading 2 (I’m in Squarespace but I think it’s similar with most web platforms) and occasionally throw in a H1 or H3, which is my script font. Not only will spacing help with readability, it also helps with SEO, which brings organic traffic to your site because Google pulls headlines! (I think? I’m pretty sure…but still use headlines please)
The Photos
I’ll say it again, I love a good book. I will slam down a 700 page book about faries no problem, but when it comes to online reading I think most of us are like children. We need pictures, or our attention will flow elsewhere, and quickly. Right when you think you’ve written just a little too much and the words are starting to blend together, throw in an image.
Not just any image of course, if you have one that makes sense with the post (like my Google screenshot) or a picture that will show the experience, enhance the story, or demonstrate, use it. You really can’t have too many pictures.
You can also utilize stock photos to spice it up or Pinterest graphics.
Some of my favorite stock photo sites are:
Canva: there are some really good gems here, paid version recommended.
Girl Boss Stock: by far my favorite!
Death to Stock: Just found this one and intrigued, very different trendy photos
Related post: 5+ Ways to Use Stock Photography for Your Blog
The Voice
Think of a blog post like a college admission essay. Sure, it has to be well written and relative to the topic, but the admission board will quickly toss it aside if it feels like anyone could write it, or worse, that a robot wrote it. There needs to be some emotion in it, some personality. That is what will set you apart from all the other blog posts that are almost identical, except yours makes people laugh or cry and coming back for more.
The Details
The worst part of it all, the nitty-gritty details. The writing may take up the bulk of the work, but it’s the backend stuff that we all dread. Making sure you have a featured image, meta description, alt-text on your images (I rarely do this, I should probably listen to my own advice) and social posts lined up just to name a few. Don’t forget about these steps! They are the icing on the cake, the last layer of paint. Without it, the post is not quite finished.
I hope this helps you get started with blogging or reminds you of anything you’ve missed. I love blogging and I love to see others taking part. Leave a comment below if this helped you at all!