You’re writing a blog post and you’re currently staring at the computer screen, hoping for some inspiration. How much time has passed since you started? A few minutes? Or a few hours?

Your shoulders slump as you sigh in frustration. Why is this happening again?

If this situation sounds familiar, you’re not alone. When you’re facing writers block or suffering from lack of inspiration, creating amazing content can feel like it’s never going to happen.

I do have some good news, you’ll be pleased to know. Writing great blog content on a consistent basis can seem overwhelming. But it’s possible.

How do you think the most successful bloggers got to where they are today?

Each of them committed to honing their craft through consistent hard work and effort. So no matter whether you’re just starting out or you want to make some improvements to your content, you’ve come to the right place.

You’re about to learn 7 steps to writing a blog post that will make it your best piece of content every time.

Click the button below to download my 5-step guide to creating an irresistible call to action that you can use to get more people over to your website.

#1 | MAKE IT CONVINCING

The first 100 words of your blog post will be the deciding factor. That will determine whether your readers stay or go, as the question on their lips is:

What’s in it for me?

You have one chance to grab your reader’s attention. This is your opportunity to craft an introduction to your post so don’t miss out. Your aim is to seize their attention from the moment they land on your blog.

CoSchedule say you need to hook your readers in:

Start with an interesting fact
Share the end of the story first
Use an anecdote
Ask a (worthwhile) question
Go for the cliffhangers
Gentle confrontation

The key to writing a blog post is to do it with your reader in mind. What will inspire, entertain or educate them? What about your post will speak to their main struggle or pain point?

If you’re a beginner, take some time to research. Look at your competition, influential bloggers in your niche, and those in your space that have built what you’re dreaming to create.

Notice their tone, style...the words they use (and don’t use). Is their language resonating with their audience? If so, why? What about it makes you relate to it?

Your goal here isn’t to copy their blog. You want to have a better understanding of what their audience (and yours) is looking for.

Your writing also needs to have personality. If you don’t believe in what you’re writing then nobody else will. And the only way to believe in what you write is to have been there, done that, bought the t-shirt. Sharing something you haven’t actually done is, for want of a better word, a lie.

To really engage your audience, you’re going to have to be straight with them. A great example of this is Hannah Gale. Not only does she speak from the heart, she also speaks from experience.

And it shows.

She’s empathetic and always creates a mental picture of the particular struggle she’s talking about. She lets her audience know that she gets it and gives them a solution.

#2 | SPEAK TO ONE SINGULAR PERSON

I talk a lot about how if you aim to please everyone you’ll end up pleasing no one. You need to understand the needs of your target audience.

So instead of pushing out content that appeals to the masses, you should be writing with a very specific reader in mind.

If you speak to one singular person, it means you’re embracing your ideal reader. You know who they are in great detail.

Have you taken the time to consider what your ideal reader wants to know more about or what answers they’re looking for when they visit your blog?

(This is an exercise I go through with my coaching clients and it’s always a game changer!)

If not, then let’s make a start on getting you into the head and heart of the person you want to talk to.

HOW TO IDENTIFY CONTENT FOR YOUR AUDIENCE

Put yourself in the shoes of your ideal client. What struggles do they face, what questions do they have, and what problems do you solve?
What is your competition talking about? Do you think that would be relevant to your audience?
Do some digging. Research keywords and phrases that your audience would search for if they were looking for your content, product, or service.
When you’re researching topics, think about what your audience actually wants. The key here is to mix traditional keyword research with the contextual search of your reader. Put it in their words - what would someone type into Google or ask out loud?

If you spend more time researching, you can better understand exactly what potential readers are looking for. So when it comes to writing a blog post, you’ll be able to best meet their needs.

Lauren from Elle & Company understands her audience and speaks solely to that group throughout every single piece of content she creates.

This post answers the question, “How can I find out more about Squarespace SEO?” That’s the problem she’s looking to solve for her reader. When you land on the post, you see she’s identified the problem, empathised with the situation, and provided all the answers.

#3 | KEEP IT FOCUSED

Stick to one topic per post. Don’t drift. Be concise and informative, but always know your purpose for each post before you find yourself rambling about something completely unrelated.

HOW TO GET STARTED:

Get clear on the purpose of your blog post by writing an outline with all your key points.
Flesh out those key points and express the why, what, and how of your post.
Write down the following - why your reader should care, what they will learn by reading your content, and how this post will make their life easier or better.
Identify the most important takeaway that your readers will get from this post.

If you’re looking for an example of this, look no further than Seth Godin. He guides you in and then leaves you with that aha moment. You get that moment of clarity where your mind shifts, your eyes open and the possibilities become endless.

You can give that to your audience too.

#4 | MAKE IT READABLE AND SCANNABLE

Whether your post is 300 words or 3,000, it’s important to eep it scannable and readable.

Your visitors are busy and are on the move quickly. Make it simple to quickly digest your article and topic.

Brian Dean who runs the Backlinko blog, consistently writes an opening paragraph that leaves no doubt in the mind of the reader what:

The article is about
Why they need to read
What they’re going to learn

But don’t worry - you can do the same! Here are a few tips for writing a blog post, helping you to connect with your reader, and allowing you to create an article that speaks to their struggle.

Avoid using technical terms or industry jargon that your typical reader wouldn’t understand.
Don’t use acronyms or other terms that make a reader question what they mean. If a reader can’t quickly understand what your message is, they’ll move on (and might never return).
Format your post. Use different sized headers, bold, italics, short and concise paragraphs, bulleted lists, graphics and other elements to break up the post.
Read through your post out loud. Are you tripping over words? If it doesn’t flow for you, it won’t flow for your reader either.
Edit, edit, edit!

#5 | GIVE IT A GREAT HEADLINE

When it comes to writing a blog post, your blog post title acts as a marketing headline. Readers are going to make snap decisions based on your title or headline.

Your goal is to drive them in through short, catchy and straightforward titles. You want your blog post title to arouse curiosity and produce action - but only though an honest promise of what’s to come.

TIPS FOR WRITING A BLOG POST TITLE

Incorporate keywords
Use a popular headline type (list / how to / question)
Use a mixture of common, uncommon, emotional and power words
Use an optimal character length (55 characters is good to aim for!)
Make sure it has a positive connotation

#6 | MAKE SURE IT’S SHAREABLE

The easiest and quickest way to create shareable content is to create an eye-catching graphic. This will not only help get your content shared, but images have an immediate impact.

Did you know:

When people hear information, they're likely to remember only 10% of that information three days later. However, if a relevant image is paired with that same information, people retained 65% of the information three days later. - Source

Encourage your readers to share your content across multiple social channels by creating at least one branded image.

What does this mean?

Stay away from anything that screams stock photo or doesn’t feel “on brand”.

It’s also a good idea to customise the size of your graphics to optimise the visual appeal on each platform. For instance, here’s the Pinterest graphic I’ve created to accompany this post.

You have a great opportunity when writing a blog post, because every social network requires a different size image. Feeling ambitious? You can find the dimensions for each social network here.

You can also use a tool like Canva to create all your graphics. This is a great way to keep everything in one place and streamline your workflow.

#7 | TIDY IT UP

Always go through your posts and tidy them up before publishing. Get rid of any unnecessary words or phrases. Keep it short and to the point. Remove any adjectives or adverbs that lengthen a sentence.

Install Grammarly, go through your spellings and change your sentence structure if need be.

Another tool I find very helpful is Hemingway. I try and aim for a 7-8 grade or readability score and always make sure I change any elements of my post in the passive voice or sentences that are hard to read.

BONUS TIP: ADD A PERSUASIVE CALL TO ACTION

You’ve written a great blog post and you’re ready to put it live. But don’t hit that share button just yet!

Make sure you’ve added a call to action.

This should be the exact next step you’re asking readers to take. Give them clear instructions, whether it’s signing up for something or getting a free download.

Don’t assume they know what you want them to do.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Writing a blog post should be done with the aim to inspire, motivate, and captivate your audience.

Your goal is to give them a persuasive reason to come back to your blog time and time again.

Never miss an opportunity to write better content, speak to your ideal reader, and be an authority of trust that keeps your audience coming back for more.

Click the button below to download my 5-step guide to creating an irresistible call to action that you can use to get more people over to your website.