how to write blog post for beginners

How to Write a Blog Post: A Step-by-Step Guide [+ Free Blog Post Templates]

Review a step-by-step guide plus useful templates to learn how to write an effective blog post for your target audience and customers.

6 FREE BLOG POST TEMPLATES

Save time creating blog posts with these free templates.

Updated: 04/03/24

Published: 04/03/24

Anyone can connect with their audience through blogging and enjoy the myriad benefits that blogging provides: organic traffic from search engines, promotional content for social media, and recognition from a new audience you haven’t tapped into yet.

If you’ve heard about blogging but are a beginner and don’t know where to start, the time for excuses is over. Not only can you create an SEO-friendly blog , but I’ll cover how to write and manage your business's blog as well as provide helpful templates to simplify your blogging efforts.

What is a blog post?

How to start a blog, writing your first blog post, what makes a good blog post, blog post examples, how to write a blog post.

Let's get started with an important question.

Blogging may mean different things depending on your niche — so let’s begin with this definition.

A blog post is any article, news piece, or guide that's published in the blog section of a website. A blog post typically covers a specific topic or query, is educational in nature, ranges from 600 to 2,000+ words, and contains other media types such as images, videos, infographics, and interactive charts.

Blog posts allow you and your business to publish insights, thoughts, and stories on your website about any topic. They can help you boost brand awareness, credibility, conversions, and revenue. Most importantly, they can help you drive traffic to your website.

But in order to begin making posts for a blog — you have to learn how to start one, first. Let’s dive in.

• Understand your audience.
• Check out your competition.
• Determine what topics you'll cover.
• Identify your unique angle.
• Name your blog.
• Create your blog domain.
• Choose a CMS and set up your blog.
• Customize the look of your blog.
• Write your first blog post.

1. Understand your audience.

Before you start writing your blog post, make sure you have a clear understanding of your target audience. To do so, take the following steps.

Ask yourself exploratory questions.

To discover your audience, ask questions like: Who are they? Are they like me, or do I know someone like them? What do they want to know about? What will resonate with them?

Jot down your notes in a notepad or a document. This is the time to brainstorm audience attributes from scratch, no matter how out of left field they may feel. You should also think about your audience's age, background, goals, and challenges at this stage.

6 Free Blog Post Templates

• "How-to" Post
• "What is" Post
• Listicle Post

You're all set!

Click this link to access this resource at any time.

Carry out market research.

Doing market research sounds like a big task, but in truth, it can be as simple as accessing a social media platform and browsing user and blog profiles that match with your potential audience.

Use market research tools to begin uncovering more specific information about your audience — or to confirm a hunch or a piece of information you already knew. For instance, if you wanted to create a blog about work-from-home hacks, you can make the reasonable assumption that your audience will be mostly Gen Zers and Millennials. But it’s important to confirm this information through research.

Create formal buyer personas.

Once you’ve brainstormed and carried out market research, it’s time to create formal buyer personas . It’s important because what you know about your buyer personas and their interests will inform the brainstorming process for blog posts.

"Buyer personas aren’t just for direct marketing. They can be a handy way to keep a human in mind while you’re writing. If you’ve got other marketing or sales teams handy, coordinate your personas," says Curtis del Principe, user acquisition manager at HubSpot. "Chances are that your existing customers are exactly the kind of people you want to attract with your writing in the first place. Your sales and service teams can also have great insight into these people’s needs and pain points."

For instance, if your readers are Millennials looking to start a business, you probably don't need to provide them with information about getting started on social media — most of them already have that down.

You might, however, want to give them information about how to adjust their social media approach (for example — from what may be a casual, personal approach to a more business-savvy, networking-focused approach). That kind of tweak is what helps you publish content about the topics your audience really wants and needs.

Don't have buyer personas in place for your business? Here are a few resources to help you get started:

• Create Buyer Personas for Your Business [Free Template]
• Guide: How to Create Detailed Buyer Personas for Your Business
• [Free Tool] Make My Persona: Buyer Persona Generator

2. Check out your competition.

What better way to draw inspiration than to look at your well-established competition?

It’s worth taking a look at popular, highly reviewed blogs because their strategy and execution is what got them to grow in credibility. The purpose of doing this isn’t to copy these elements, but to gain better insight into what readers appreciate in a quality blog.

When you find a competitor’s blog, take the following steps:

Determine whether they’re actually a direct competitor.

A blog’s audience, niche, and specific slant determine whether they're actually your competitor. But the most important of these is their audience. If they serve a completely different public than you, then they’re likely not a competitor. That is why it’s important to define your buyer personas before taking other steps in the blog creation process.

Look at the blog’s branding, color palette, and theme.

Once you determine that they’re your competitor, it’s time to take note of their techniques so that you can capture a similar readership. Colors and themes play a huge role in whether you seem like part of a niche — for instance, a blog about eco-friendly products should likely use earthy tones instead of bright, unnatural colors such as neon yellow or pink.

Analyze the tone and writing style of the competition.

Take note of your competition’s copywriting. Is it something you feel like you can successfully emulate? Does it ring true to the type of blog you’d like to create? What do readers most respond to? For most, creating a tech blog might be an excellent idea, but if journalistic, review-based writing doesn’t work for you, then that might not be a good fit. Be aware of what you can feasibly execute or hire freelance writers.

3. Determine what topics you’ll cover.

Before you write anything, pick a topic you’d like to write about. The topic can be pretty general to start as you find your desired niche in blogging .

Here are some ways to choose topics to cover.

Find out which topics your competitors often cover.

One easy way to choose topics for your blog is to simply learn what other blogs are writing about. After you determine your competitors, go through their archive and category pages, and try to find out which topics they most often publish content about. From there, you can create a tentative list to explore further. You might find, for instance, that a competitor only covers surface-level information about a subject. In your blog, you can dive more deeply and offer more value to readers.

Choose topics you understand well.

No matter what type of blog you start, you want to ensure you know the topic well enough to write authoritatively about it. Rather than choosing a topic you’ll need to research as you write, think about those that come most naturally to you. What has your professional experience been like so far? What are your hobbies? What did you study in college? These can all give rise to potential topics you can cover in depth.

Ensure the topics are relevant to your readership.

You may find that you hold deep expertise in various topics, but how relevant are they to the audience you understood back in step one?

Del Principe suggests checking in with sales and service teams as well. "What kinds of things do they wish customers already knew? What kinds of questions do they get asked a thousand times? What kind of objections come up from potential customers, and how do they address them?"

If you’re not serving their needs, then you’d be shouting into a void — or, worse, attracting the wrong readership. For that reason, after identifying the topics you can feasibly write about, ask yourself whether those are subjects your audience would like to explore.

Do preliminary keyword research.

Keyword research is the process of searching for topics using a keyword research tool , then determining whether there is demand by looking at each topic’s (or keyword’s) search volume. If you found the perfect topics that are the perfect cross between your expertise and your reader’s needs, you’ve struck gold — but the gold will have no value unless people are searching for those terms. Only then can you capture the audience that is waiting out there.

4. Identify your unique angle.

What perspective do you bring that makes you stand out from the crowd? This is key to determining the trajectory of your blog’s future, and there are many avenues to choose in the process.

Here’s how you can find your unique selling proposition in crowded blogging niches:

Write a professional and personal bio.

Knowing your own history and experience is essential to determine your unique slant. To get started, write a professional bio that explains, at length, who you are and which experiences most inform your blogging efforts. While I could write a lengthy exposition about my childhood, that history isn’t essential unless I’m launching a blog about raising children.

What unique experience makes you a trusted expert or thought leader on the topic? You can use your answers to that question to find your angle. Use this information to populate your “About me” page on your blog and share more about yourself.

Determine the special problem you will solve for readers.

Your readers won’t trust you or return to you unless you actively help them solve a problem. As you try to find your angle, think about ways you can help your audience surmount challenges typically associated with the topics you’ve chosen for your blog. For instance, if you’re creating a blog about sustainability, then you might help readers learn how they can compost organic materials in their home.

Choose an editorial approach.

Will you share your opinions on trending debates? Teach your readers how to do something? Compare or share original research? The editorial approach you choose will in part be informed by the topics you cover on your blog and the problems you’re helping your readers solve. If your blog is about marketing trends and your goal is to keep marketers up-to-date on the latest changes, then your editorial approach should be journalistic in nature. This is only one example of how to choose a technique.

5. Name your blog.

This is your opportunity to get creative and make a name that gives readers an idea of what to expect from your blog. Some tips on how to choose your blog name include:

Keep your blog name easy to say and spell.

No need to get complicated at all with your name, though it might be tempting, since there are so many blogs out there. While choosing a unique name is essential, it’s also important to choose one that is easy to memorize for readers. It should also be simple to remember as an URL (which will come into play in the next step).

Link your blog name to your brand message.

The more related your blog’s name is to the topics you cover, the better. For instance, DIY MFA is all about writers doing their own Master of Fine Arts in writing at home. The brand’s message is all about delving deep into one’s writing practice without needing a formal degree. Try to do something similar for your own blog name: Alluding to your blog’s message, value proposition, and covered topics in one sweep.

Consider what your target audience is looking for.

Your blog name should tie directly into what your readers want to achieve, learn, or solve. DIY MFA is about writers who don’t have the money for graduate school, but who still want to develop their writing skills. The HubSpot Marketing blog is — you guessed it — about marketing trends and tips.

It’s okay if your blog name feels “too straightforward.” Straightforward names accurately communicate what you’re about and effectively attract the right audience.

If you still need more assistance, try using a blog name generator . One last tip: Make sure the name you come up with isn’t already taken, as it could lessen your visibility and confuse readers looking for your content.

6. Create your blog domain.

A domain is a part of the web address nomenclature someone would use to find your website or a page of your website online.

Your blog‘s domain will look like this: www.yourblog.com. The name between the two periods is up to you, as long as this domain name doesn’t yet exist on the internet.

Want to create a subdomain for your blog? If you already own a cooking business at www.yourcompany.com, you might create a blog that looks like this: blog.yourcompany.com. In other words, your blog's subdomain will live in its own section of yourcompany.com.

Some CMS platforms offer subdomains as a free service, where your blog lives on the CMS, rather than your business's website. For example, it might look like this: yourblog.contentmanagementsystem.com. However, to create a subdomain that belongs to your company website, register the subdomain with a website host .

Most website hosting services charge very little to host an original domain — in fact, website costs can be as inexpensive as $3 per month when you commit to a 36-month term.

Pro Tip: You can connect your custom domain to free hosting with HubSpot’s free CMS or in premium editions of Content Hub. This includes access to built-in security features and a content delivery network.

Here are five other popular web hosting services to choose from:

7. Choose a CMS and set up your blog.

A CMS (content management system) is a software application that allows users to build and maintain a website without having to code it from scratch. CMS platforms can manage domains (where you create your website) and subdomains (where you create a webpage that connects to an existing website).

HubSpot customers host web content via Content Hub . Another popular option is a self-hosted WordPress website on a hosting site such as WP Engine . Whether you create a domain or a subdomain to start your blog , you'll need to choose a web hosting service after you pick a CMS.

Pro Tip: You can get started for free with HubSpot’s free blog maker . Our free CMS offers everything you need to get started– including hosting, a visual editor, and hundreds of free and paid themes to choose from.

Start using HubSpot's Free Blog Making tool to publish blog posts.  

8. customize the look of your blog..

Once you have your domain name set up, customize the appearance of your blog to reflect the theme of the content you plan on creating and your brand.

For example, if you're writing about sustainability and the environment, green might be a color to keep in mind while designing your blog.

Image Source

If you already manage a website and are writing the first post for that existing website, ensure the article is consistent with the website in appearance and subject matter. Two ways to do this are including your:

• Logo : This can be your business‘s name and logo — it will remind blog readers of who’s publishing the content. (How heavily you want to brand your blog, however, is up to you.)
• “About” Page : You might already have an “About” blurb describing yourself or your business. Your blog‘s "About" section is an extension of this higher-level statement. Think of it as your blog’s mission statement, which serves to support your company's goals.

9. Write your first blog post.

Once you have your blog set up, the only thing missing is the content. While the design and layout are fun and functionally necessary, it's the content that will draw your readers in and keep them coming back. So how do you actually go about writing one of these engaging and informational pieces?

You’ve got the technical and practical tidbits down — now it’s time to write your very first blog post. And nope, this isn’t the space to introduce yourself and your new blog (i.e. “Welcome to my blog! This is the topic I’ll be covering. Here are my social media handles. Will you please follow?”).

Start with “low-hanging fruit,” writing about a highly specific topic that serves a small segment of your target audience.

That seems unintuitive, right? If more people are searching for a term or a topic, that should mean more readers for you.

But that’s not true. If you choose a general and highly searched topic that’s been covered by major competitors or more established brands, it’s unlikely that your post will rank on the first page of search engine results pages (SERPs). Give your newly born blog a chance by choosing a topic that few bloggers have written about.

If you need help, you can also use AI to help you create a blog post quickly. 

1. Choose a topic you’re passionate and knowledgeable about.

Before you write anything, pick a topic for your blog post. The topic can be pretty general to start. For example, if you're a company that sells a CRM for small-to-enterprise businesses , your post might be about the importance of using a single software to keep your marketing, sales, and service teams aligned.

Pro tip : You may not want to jump into a “how-to” article for your first blog post.

Your credibility hasn’t been established yet. Before teaching others how to do something, you’ll first want to show that you’re a leader in your field and an authoritative source.

For instance, if you‘re a plumber writing your first post, you won’t yet write a post titled “How to Replace the Piping System in your Bathroom.” First, you’d write about modern faucet setups, or tell a particular success story you had rescuing a faucet before it flooded a customer's house.

Here are four other types of blog posts you could start with:

• List (“Listicle”) : 5 ways to fix a leaky faucet
• Curated Collection : 10 faucet and sink brands to consider today
• SlideShare Presentation : 5 types of faucets to replace your old one (with pictures)
• News Piece : New study shows X% of people don't replace their faucet frequently enough

If you're having trouble coming up with topic ideas, a good topic brainstorming session should help. In the post I’ve linked, my colleague walks you through a helpful process for turning one idea into many. Similar to the “leaky faucet” examples above, you would “iterate off old topics to come up with unique and compelling new topics.”

This can be done by:

• Changing the topic scope
• Adjusting your time frame
• Choosing a new audience
• Taking a positive/negative approach
• Introducing a new format

And if you’re still stuck, let’s take a look at some first blog post idea examples.

First Blog Post Ideas

The difference between [niche topic] and [niche topic], explained by a [niche expert].

• The Difference Between SEM and SEO, Explained by a Marketing Expert
• The Difference Between Sedans and Coupes, Explained by a Car Mechanic
• The Difference Between Baking and Broiling, Explained by a Professional Baker

The 10 Best and Worst [Niche Tools] for [Niche Activity]

• The 10 Best and Worst Writing Software for Fiction Writing
• The 10 Best and Worst CRMs for Nurturing Prospects
• The 10 Best and Worst Family Cars for Cross-Country Roadtrips

8 [Niche Activity] Common Mistakes (+ Ways to Fix Them)

• 8 Non-Fiction Writing Common Mistakes (+ Ways to Fix Them)
• 8 Salmon Broiling Common Mistakes (+ Ways to Fix Them)
• 8 Car Maintenance Common Mistakes (+ Ways to Fix Them)

9 Proven Tips for [Niche Activity]

• 9 Proven Tips for Checking Plumbing Problems under Your Kitchen Sink
• 9 Proven Tips for Writing a Non-Fiction Bestseller
• 9 Proven Tips for Doing DIY Car Maintenance

Why We/I Switched from [Niche Tool] to [Niche Tool] (Comparison)

• Why We Switched from Pipedrive to HubSpot (Comparison)
• Why I Switched from Microsoft Word to Scrivener (Comparison)
• Why We Switched from iMacs to Surface Studio (Comparison)

[Niche Tool] vs [Niche Tool]: Which [Tool] is Best for You?

• Zendesk vs Freshcaller: Which Call Software is Best for You?
• Air Fryer vs Convection Oven: Which One is Best for You?
• Mazda Miata vs Toyota Supra: Which Sports Car is Best for You?

The Ultimate Roundup of [Niche Activity] Tips and Tricks

• The Ultimate Roundup of Novel Writing Tips and Tricks
• The Ultimate Roundup of Macaroon Baking Tips and Tricks
• The Ultimate Roundup of Solo Traveling Tips and Tricks

Want some real examples of blog posts? See what your first blog post can look like based on the topic you choose and the audience you're targeting.

2. Target a low-volume keyword to optimize around.

Finding a keyword with low searches in Google (I recommend sticking to about 10 to 150 monthly searches). These topics offer less competition and should therefore allow your new blog post to rank more easily.

To choose a topic, you can either do a traditional brainstorming session or carry out keyword research. I suggest the latter because you can actually see how many people are looking for that topic.

Now, don’t be intimidated by the term “ keyword research .” It’s not just for marketers, but for new bloggers, too. And it’s really easy to do.

To jumpstart your keyword research, first begin by identifying the general topic of your blog.

Say you’re a plumber. Your general, high-level topic might be “plumbing” (67K monthly searches).

Next, put this term into a keyword research tool such as:

• Ubersuggest
• Wordtracker

When you run this term through the tool, a list of related keywords will appear. Scan the list and choose one with a lower search volume. For this example, we’ll use “under sink plumbing” (1.4K monthly searches).

Run that keyword in the keyword research tool again. Look at the related keywords. Find one with a lower search volume. Do that again.

For this example, we’ll settle on “plumbing problems under kitchen sink” (10 monthly searches). That’s the topic for our first post.

TLDR ; Choose a low-volume, low-competition keyword that will ensure your first post ranks.

For more help on keyword research, here are more resources you can use:

• How to Do Keyword Research for SEO: A Beginner's Guide
• How to Perform Keyword Research and Rank
• Top Tools For Finding Long-Tail Keywords

3. Google the term to understand your audience’s search intent.

You’ve got your topic — now, you need to check that the user’s search intent would be fulfilled by a blog post.

What does that mean?

If someone is looking for “plumbing problems under a kitchen sink,” they might be looking for a tutorial, a diagram, an article, or a product that can fix the issue. If they’re looking for the first three, you’re good — that can be covered in a blog post. A product, however, is different, and your blog post won’t rank.

How do you double-check search intent?

Google the term and look at the results. If other articles and blog posts rank for that term, you’re good to go. If you only find product pages or listicles from major publications, then find a new topic to cover in your first post.

Consider the term “under sink plumbing bathroom” (30 monthly searches). It seemed like a perfect fit because it had low monthly searches.

Upon Googling the term, I found product carousels, product pages from Home Depot and Lowes, and guides written by major publications. (You’ll also want to avoid topics that have been covered by major publications, at least for now.)

TLDR ; Before writing your first blog post about a low-volume topic, double-check the user intent by Googling the keyword. Also, don’t forget to take a look at who’s written about that topic so far. If you see a major brand, consider writing about another topic.

4. Find questions and terms related to that topic.

You’ve got a highly unique topic that’s been covered by just a few people so far. It’s time to flesh it out by covering related or adjacent topics.

Use the following tools:

• Answer the Public : When you place your keyword into this tool, it will give you a list of questions related to that term.
• Google : Google is your best friend. Search for the term and look under “People also ask” and “People also search for.” Be sure to touch upon those topics in the post.

You can also use these keyword research tools we mentioned above in step one.

5. Come up with a working title.

You might come up with a few different working titles — in other words, iterations of approaching that topic to help you focus your writing.

For example, you may decide to narrow your topic to “Tools for Fixing Leaky Faucets” or “Common Causes of Leaky Faucets.” A working title is specific and will guide your post so you can start writing.

Let's take a real post as an example: " How to Choose a Solid Topic for Your Next Blog Post ."

Appropriate, right? The topic, in this case, was probably “blogging.” Then the working title may have been something like, “The Process for Selecting a Blog Post Topic.” And the final title ended up being “How to Choose a Solid Topic for Your Next Blog Post.”

See that evolution from topic, to working title, to final title? Even though the working title may not end up being the final title (more on that in a moment), it still provides enough information so you can focus your blog post on something more specific than a generic, overwhelming topic.

6. Create an outline.

Sometimes, blog posts can have an overwhelming amount of information — for the reader and the writer. The trick is to organize the info in a way so readers aren‘t intimidated by length or amount of content. This organization can take multiple forms — sections, lists, tips — whatever’s most appropriate. But it must be organized!

Featured Resource: 6 Free Blog Post Templates

Download These Templates for Free

Let's take a look at the post, " How to Use Snapchat: A Detailed Look Into HubSpot’s Snapchat Strategy. " There‘s a lot of content in the piece, so it’s broken up into a few sections using descriptive headers. The major sections are separated into subsections that go into more detail, making the content easier to read.

To complete this step, all you really need to do is outline your post. This way, before you start writing, you'll know which points you want to cover and the best order to do so. And to make things even easier, you can download and use our free blog post templates , which are pre-organized for six of the most common blogs. Just fill in the blanks!

7. Write an intro (and make it captivating).

We've written more specifically about writing captivating introductions in the post " How to Write an Introduction ," but let's review, shall we?

First, grab the reader‘s attention. If you lose the reader in the first few paragraphs — or even sentences — of the introduction, they’ll stop reading (even before they've given your post a fair shake). You can do this in a number of ways: tell a story or a joke, be empathetic, or grip the reader with an interesting fact or statistic.

Then, describe the purpose of your post and explain how it will address a problem the reader may be experiencing. This will give the reader a reason to continue reading and show them how the post will help them improve their work or lives.

Here‘s an example of an intro I think does a good job of attracting a reader’s attention right away:

“Blink. Blink. Blink. It's the dreaded cursor-on-a-blank-screen experience that all writers — amateur or professional, aspiring or experienced — know and dread. And of all times for it to occur, it seems to plague us the most when trying to write an introduction.”

8. Build out each section of your outline.

The next step — but not the last — is actually writing the content. We can't forget about that, of course.

Now that you have your outline or template, you're ready to fill in the blanks. Use your outline as a guide and expand on all points as needed. Write about what you already know, and if necessary, conduct additional research to gather more information, examples, and data to back up your points, while providing proper attribution when incorporating external sources. When you do, always try to find accurate and compelling data to use in your post.

If you‘re having trouble stringing sentences together, you’re not alone. Finding your “flow” can be challenging for a lot of folks. Luckily, there are a ton of tools you can lean on to help you improve your writing. Here are a few to get you started:

• HubSpot's AI Blog Writer : Tools like HubSpot's AI Blog Writer can be a valuable asset for beginners and seasoned bloggers alike. It simplifies the process of creating SEO-friendly and engaging blog content, which is crucial for connecting with your audience and enjoying the benefits of blogging.
• Power Thesaurus : Stuck on a word? Power Thesaurus is a crowdsourced tool that provides users with a number of alternative word choices from a community of writers.
• ZenPen : If you're having trouble staying focused, check out this distraction-free writing tool. ZenPen creates a minimalist “writing zone” designed to help you get words down without having to fuss with formatting right away.
• Cliché Finder : Feeling like your writing might be coming off a little cheesy? Identify instances where you can be more specific using this handy cliché tool.

You can also refer to our complete list of tools for improving your writing skills . And if you're looking for more direction, the following resources are chock-full of valuable writing advice:

• Copywriting 101: 6 Traits of Excellent Copy Readers Will Remember
• How to Write Compelling Copy: 7 Tips for Writing Content That Converts
• How to Write With Clarity: 9 Tips for Simplifying Your Message
• The Kurt Vonnegut Guide to Great Copywriting: 8 Rules That Apply to Anyone
• Your Blog Posts Are Boring: 9 Tips for Making Your Writing More Interesting

9. Publish and promote your first post any way you can.

As a new blogger, you likely don’t have a social media following yet. Thankfully, you don’t need a huge following before you can create a promotion strategy.

A promotion strategy is your master plan for how you create, post, and engage with your social media content. It helps you take advantage of social and digital technologies to share your business, or in this case, your content. Having a solid promotional strategy offers your audience from different marketing channels more ways to find your blog posts.

Here are more blog post promotion resources:

• 12 Tried-and-True Ways to Promote Your Blog Posts
• 10 Sites You Can Use for Free Blog Promotion
• 9 Link Building Email Outreach Templates That Actually Work
• Inbound Link Building 101: 34 Ways to Build Backlinks for SEO
• 11 Creative (But 100% White Hat!) Ways to Earn Backlinks

Before you write a blog, make sure you know the answers to questions like, “Why would someone keep reading this entire blog post?” and “What makes our audience come back for more?”

To start, a good blog post is interesting and educational. Blogs should answer questions and help readers resolve a challenge they're experiencing — and you have to do so in an interesting way.

It‘s not enough just to answer someone’s questions — you also have to provide actionable steps while being engaging. For instance, your introduction should hook the reader and make them want to continue reading your post. Then, use examples to keep your readers interested in what you have to say.

Remember, a good blog post is interesting to read and provides educational content to audience members.

Want to learn how to apply blogging and other forms of content marketing to your business?

Check out HubSpot Academy's free content marketing course .

Now, let's dive into some formatting guidelines to use before you publish your blog posts.

Blog Format Guidelines

• Include H2s to arrange ideas.
• Center your Images.
• Add alt text.
• Keep your sentences clear and concise.
• Use media with purpose.

1. Include H2s to arrange ideas.

When you begin typing your blog content, it’s important that you divide paragraphs into sections that make it easier for the reader to find what they need.

If you’re just starting out, then focus on the overarching H2s you want to talk about, and you’ll be able to branch off into subheaders and more naturally as you continue.

2. Center your images.

This is a simple practice that can help your content look more professional with little effort. Centering your images keeps the reader’s attention drawn to the subject — not searching for elsewhere.

Centering also looks better when translating from PC to mobile devices. As formatting transitions to small screens or windows, a centered image will remain the focal point.

3. Add alt text.

So those images you centered earlier, make sure you have descriptive alt text for them, too.

Image alt text allows search engines, like Google, to crawl and rank your blog post better than pages lacking the element. It also leads readers to your blog post if the keywords included are what they searched for in the first place.

Besides SERP features, image alt text is beneficial to readers by providing more accessibility. Image alt text allows people to better visualize images when they can’t see them, and with assistive technology, can be auditorily read aloud for people to enjoy.

4. Keep your sentences short and concise.

When you begin working on the body of your blog post, make sure readers can clearly understand what you’re trying to accomplish.

You shouldn’t feel pressure to elongate your post with unnecessary details, and chances are that if you keep it concise, readers will derive more value from your work.

5. Use media with a purpose.

Break up the monotony of your blog post with some multimedia content where seen fit.

Your reader will enjoy visiting a blog page with images, videos, polls, audio or slideshows as opposed to a page of black and white text.

It also makes it more interactive and improves your on-page search engine optimization (SEO).

Now, do you want some real examples of blog posts? See what your first blog post can look like based on the topic you choose and the audience you're targeting.

• List-Based Post
• Thought Leadership Post
• Curated Collection Post
• SlideShare Presentation
• Newsjacking Post
• Infographic Post
• How-to Post

1. List-Based Blog Post

List-based post example: 17 blogging mistakes to avoid in 2021, according to hubspot bloggers.

List-based posts are sometimes called “listicles,” a mix of the words “list” and “article.” These are articles that deliver information in the form of a list. A listicle uses sub-headers to break down the blog post into individual pieces, helping readers skim and digest your content more easily.

As you can see in the example from our blog, listicles can offer various tips and methods for solving a problem.

2. Thought Leadership Post

Example: how hubspot's customers are shaping the next normal.

Thought leadership posts allow you to share your expertise on a particular subject matter and share firsthand knowledge with your readers.

These pieces — which can be written in the first person, like the post shown above — help you build trust with your audience so people take your blog seriously as you continue to write for it.

3. Curated Collection Post

Example: 8 examples of evolution in action.

Curated collections are a special type of listicle blog post. Rather than sharing tips or methods for doing something, this type of blog post shares a list of real examples that all have something in common in order to prove a larger point.

In the example post above, Listverse shares eight real examples of evolution in action among eight different animals — starting with the peppered moth.

4. Slide Presentation

Example: the hubspot culture code.

HubSpot Slides is a presentation tool that helps publishers package a lot of information into easily shareable slides. Think of it like a PowerPoint, but for the web. With this in mind, SlideShare blog posts help you promote your SlideShare so that it can generate a steady stream of visitors.

Unlike blogs, slide decks don't often rank well on search engines, so they need a platform for getting their message out there to the people who are looking for it. By embedding and summarizing your SlideShare on a blog post, you can share a great deal of information and give it a chance to rank on Google at the same time.

Need some slideshow ideas? In the example above, we turned our company's “Culture Code” into a slides presentation that anyone can look through and take lessons from, and then promoted it in a blog post.

5. Newsjacking Post

Example: ivy goes mobile with new app for designers.

“Newsjacking” is a nickname for “hijacking” your blog to break important news related to your industry. Therefore, the newsjack post is a type of article whose sole purpose is to garner consumers' attention and, while offering them timeless professional advice, prove your blog is a trusted resource for learning about the big things that happen in your industry.

The newsjack example above was published by Houzz, a home decor merchant and interior design resource, about a new mobile app that was launched just for interior designers. Houzz didn‘t launch the app, but the news of its launching is no less important to Houzz’s audience.

6. Infographic Post

Example: the key benefits of studying online [infographic].

For example, when you're looking to share a lot of statistical information (without boring or confusing your readers), building this data into a well-designed, even engaging infographic can keep your readers engaged with your content. It also helps readers remember the information long after they leave your website.

7. How-to Post

Example: how to write a blog post: a step-by-step guide.

For this example, you need not look any further than the blog post you‘re reading right now! How-to guides like this one help solve a problem for your readers. They’re like a cookbook for your industry, walking your audience through a project step by step to improve their literacy on the subject.

The more posts like this you create, the more equipped your readers will be to work with you and invest in the services you offer.

8. Guest Post

Example: your bookmarkable guide to social media image sizes in 2021 [infographic].

Additionally, these posts give your blog variety in topic and viewpoint. If your customer has a problem you can't solve, a guest post is a great solution.

If you begin accepting guest posts, set up editorial guidelines to ensure they're up to the same standards as your posts.

So we’ve gone through the different types of blog posts you can make, but how do you consistently make quality blog posts that your viewers will enjoy?

• Draw from your buyer personas and what you know about your audience.
• Pull from your content strategy and/or brainstormed topics.
• Identify what's missing from the existing discourse.
• Choose what type of blog post you're writing.
• Generate a few different titles and choose the best one.
• Create your outline and designate keyword-rich H2s and H3s.
• Write your blog post!
• Proofread your post.
• Add images and other media elements to support your ideas.
• Upload your post into your CMS.
• Determine a conversion path (what you want your audience to do next).
• Add calls to action to guide your audience to take action.
• Link to other relevant blog posts within your content.
• Optimize for on-page SEO.
• Publish and promote the blog post.
• Track the performance of the blog post over time.

1. Draw from your buyer personas and what you know about your audience.

Before you start writing your blog post, make sure you have a clear understanding of your target audience.

Ask questions like: What do they want to know about? What will resonate with them?

This is where the process of creating buyer personas comes in handy. Consider what you know about your buyer personas and their interests while you're coming up with a topic for your blog post.

For instance, if your readers are millennials looking to start a business, you probably don't need to provide them with information about getting started in social media — most of them already have that down.

If you haven’t developed buyer personas yet, I’ve found that it’s easiest to get started by gathering the information you already have about your audience and looking for trends. Sending out feedback surveys and interviewing followers can also be helpful.

Does your blog attract a specific age group? Does your audience live in a certain region? How do readers typically discover your content? Finding answers to these questions can help you get a better idea of who your buyer persona is.

2. Pull from your content strategy and/or brainstormed topics.

If you already have a pre-existing portfolio to look back on, it would benefit you to pull from those brainstormed post ideas or previous content strategy.

One thing that’s been helpful for me is specifically looking at content performance data when brainstorming ideas. In doing this, I’ve discovered which topics tend to resonate with my audience (and which ones don’t) and created content around them.

By focusing on your core blog topics, or clusters , you can establish yourself as a thought leader, gain the trust of your audience, rank better on search engines, and attract new readers.

3. Identify what’s missing from the existing discourse.

Fill in the gaps of the existing discourse in the topic of your choosing.

You want to meet a need that hasn’t already been met in your topic cluster. Otherwise, you run the risk of writing content for topics that are already over-saturated.

It’s hard to beat saturated search queries when you’re trying to rank against high authority publications — but not impossible if your content is answering the queries the competition hasn’t.

To discover what’s missing within a topic, I conduct a competitive analysis to see what my competitors offer in their content and how I can make my blog post better. Here are some things to look out for:

• Unanswered user queries
• Content depth
• Content freshness
• Media richness
• User experience

If your competitors are lacking in any of these areas, you can use that to your advantage and focus on them when writing your blog post.

Another way to differentiate your blog is by offering original data, quotes, or perspectives. Some of my best performing posts have come from getting a unique quote from an industry expert.

4. Choose what type of blog post you’re writing.

There are several types of blog posts you can create, and they each have different formats to follow.

Six of the most common formats include:

• The List-Based Post
• The “What Is” Post
• The Pillar Page Post (“Ultimate Guide”)
• The Newsjacking Post
• The Infographic Post
• The “How-To” Post

Save time and download six blog post templates for free.

5. Generate a few different titles and choose the best one.

Your blog title should tell readers what to expect, yet it should leave them wanting to know more — confusing, right?

This is why when you’re coming up with a blog post title that you should brainstorm multiple ones instead of just one. I find it helpful to share these titles with a couple coworkers to get their feedback and see which one is most engaging to them.

I’ve also enlisted the help of ChatGPT to generate sample blog post titles by inputting a prompt like, “Write a list of blog titles about [topic].” Even if it doesn’t give you exactly what you want, it can still get ideas flowing.

6. Create your outline and designate keyword-rich H2s and H3s.

When outlining, you need to center your main ideas with keyword-rich H2s and H3s. These are going to be your headers and subheaders that readers typically search for, and the information that Google crawls when indexing and ranking content.

I use keyword research tools, like Ahrefs and Semrush , to find the best words for my blog post. To find the right keywords, I focus on the following elements:

• Relevance to topic and search intent
• How authoritative my blog is on the topic
• The amount of search traffic my blog could gain

Remember, your outline should serve as a guide to make writing your blog post easier, so make sure you include all the important points you want to discuss and organize them in a logical flow.

7. Write your blog post!

I already told you how to build out your outline earlier in the post, so we'll quickly go over the main points once more.

You‘ve already outlined your main headings and subheadings, so now’s the time to add the body.

Write about what you already know, and if necessary, conduct additional research to gather more information, examples, and data to back up your points, while providing proper attribution when incorporating external sources. When you do, always try to find accurate and compelling data to use in your post.

This is also your opportunity to show personality in your writing. Blog posts don‘t have to be strictly informational, they can be filled with interesting anecdotes and even humor if it serves a purpose in expressing your ideas. It also factors into creating and maintaining your blog’s brand voice .

Don‘t be discouraged if you’re having trouble stringing sentences together, you're not alone. Finding your “flow” can be challenging, but there are many tools to ease the process. Software such as HubSpot's Free AI Blog Writer can help you generate copy for your blog post. You can even use it to outline and generate title ideas.

8. Proofread your post.

The editing process is an important part of blogging — don't overlook it. I tend to self-edit while I write, but it’s essential to get a second pair of eyes on your post before publishing.

Consider enlisting the help of The Ultimate Editing Checklist and ask a grammar-conscious co-worker to copy edit and proofread your post. I also really enjoy free grammar checkers, like Grammarly , to help proofread while I’m writing.

If you're looking to brush up on your self-editing skills, turn to these helpful posts for some tips and tricks to get you started:

• How to Become a (Better) Editor: 13 Editorial Tips
• How to Become a More Efficient Editor: 12 Ways to Speed Up the Editorial Process
• 10 Simple Edits That'll Instantly Improve Any Piece of Writing

9. Add images and other media elements to support your ideas.

When you're finished checking for grammar, shift your focus to adding other elements to the blog post than text. There’s much more to making a good blog post than copy, here’s some following elements to add in support of your ideas:

Featured Image

Choose a visually appealing and relevant image for your post. As social networks treat content with images more prominently, visuals are more responsible than ever for the success of your blog content.

For help selecting an image for your post, read " How to Select the Perfect Image for Your Next Blog Post " and pay close attention to the section about copyright law.

Visual Appearance

No one likes an unattractive blog post. And it‘s not just pictures that make a post visually appealing — it’s the formatting and organization of the post, too.

In a well-formatted and visually-appealing blog post, you'll notice that header and sub-headers are used to break up large blocks of text — and those headers are styled consistently.

Here's an example of what that looks like:

Screenshots should always have a similar, defined border so they don‘t appear as if they’re floating in space — that style should stay consistent from post to post.

Maintaining this consistency makes your content look more professional and easier on the eyes.

Topics and Tags

Tags are specific, public-facing keywords that describe a post. They also allow readers to browse for more content in the same category on your blog. Refrain from adding a laundry list of tags to each post. Instead, put some thought into a blog tagging strategy.

Think of tags as “topics” or “categories,” and choose 10-20 tags that represent all the main topics you want to cover on your blog. Then stick to those.

10. Upload your post into your CMS.

You filled out your blog post with all the optimized content you can, now is the time to publish it in your content management system.

I also use this step as an opportunity to double check my post for any errors that were potentially missed during the proofreading process. It’s especially important to preview your post before publishing to make sure there aren’t any formatting issues.

You can opt to post your content immediately, save it as a draft, or schedule when you want it to be posted live in case you adhere to a posting schedule.

11. Determine a conversion path (what you want your audience to do next).

A conversion path is a process by which an anonymous website visitor becomes a known lead. It sounds simple enough, but creating an effective conversion path requires a clear understanding of your target audience and their needs.

Having a conversion path is important because when you share your content on the web, you should have an idea of what your audience should do next, or in other words, provide them with a path forward.

The HubSpot Flywheel model is a great example of this as it shows how our organization gains and maintains leads.

12. Add calls to action to guide your audience to take action.

Call to action (CTA) are a part of a webpage, advertisement, or piece of content that encourages the audience to do something. You can add them to your blog post to guide your reader with “next steps” or a conversion path.

Different types of call to actions include asking readers to:

• Subscribe to your newsletter to see when you publish more content.
• Join an online community in your blog domain.
• Learn more about a topic with downloadable content.
• Try something for free or discount to convert readers to customers.

To get a better idea of how to make a CTA that readers want to click, we have a whole list of effective call to action examples for you to check out.

13. Link to other relevant blog posts within your content.

When you’re completing your blog post, you should link relevant content throughout it. An effective way to do this is to link within the same content cluster.

One thing I do to make finding relevant links easier is going to my search browser and typing “site:website.com: keyword.” By doing this, you can find all the posts you have published on that topic.

Keeping relevant content throughout your post can provide your readers with more helpful information, and potentially boost search engine rankings with corresponding longtail keywords .

But we’ll talk more about how to improve your ranking in the next step.

14. Optimize for on-page SEO.

After you finish writing, go back and optimize the on-page elements of your post.

Don‘t obsess over how many keywords to include. If there are opportunities to incorporate keywords you’re targeting, and it won‘t impact reader experience, do it. If you can make your URL shorter and more keyword-friendly, go for it. But don’t cram keywords or shoot for some arbitrary keyword density — Google's smarter than that!

Here's a little blog SEO reminder about what you should review and optimize:

Write your meta description.

Meta descriptions are the descriptions below the post‘s page title on Google’s search results pages. They provide searchers with a short summary of the post before clicking into it. They are ideally between 150-160 characters and start with a verb, such as “Learn,” “Read,” or “Discover.”

While meta descriptions no longer factor into Google‘s keyword ranking algorithm, they give searchers a snapshot of what they’ll get from reading the post and help improve your clickthrough rate from search.

Optimize your page title and headers.

Most blogging software uses your post title as your page title, which is the most important on-page SEO element at your disposal. But if you've followed our formula so far, you should already have a working title that will naturally include keywords or phrases your target audience is interested in.

Don‘t over-complicate your title by trying to fit in keywords where they don’t naturally belong. With that said, if there are clear opportunities to add keywords you‘re targeting to your post title and headers, feel free to take them. Also, try to keep your headlines short — ideally, under 65 characters — so they don’t get truncated in the search engine results.

"The first component of a good title is that it needs to be scannable. People aren’t reading every word of your thoughtfully crafted headline. If you’re following a search-focused strategy, make sure to include the keyword at the beginning," Del Principe says.

Consider anchor text best practices as you interlink to other pages.

Anchor text is the word or words that link to another page — either on your website or on another website. Carefully select which keywords you want to link to other pages on your site because search engines take that into consideration when ranking your page for certain keywords.

It‘s also important to consider which pages you link to. Consider linking pages that you want to rank for a specific keyword. You could end up getting it to rank on Google’s first page of results instead of its second page — and that isn’t small potatoes!

Write alt text for all of your images.

Alt text conveys the “why” of an image as it relates to the content of your blog post to Google. By adding alt text correlating to the topic clusters and keywords of the post, Google can better direct users’ searches to you.

Check that all images are compressed for page speed.

When Google crawls different websites, a page’s load speed holds weight in page ranking. Make sure the images you include throughout the page aren’t unnecessarily large to shorten the duration it takes to load.

Use apps like Squoosh to minimize the size of your images without losing the quality.

Ensure that your blog post is mobile friendly.

More than 60% of organic visits are carried out on a mobile device. As such, having a website with a responsive design is critical. In addition to making sure your website‘s visitors (including your blog’s visitors) have the best experience possible, optimizing for mobile will score your website some SEO points.

15. Publish and promote the blog post.

Share your post across all the marketing channels in your repertoire. The further the reach, the more of a possibility that readers will find it.

Channels to expand your blog post promotion strategy include:

• Social Media Marketing : Sharing your content on the most popular social media networks like Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, etc.
• Email Marketing : Sharing the newest post with your email subscribers to find.
• Boosted Posts or Paid Ads : Allocating budget toward advertisement on search engines inorganically.
• Word of Mouth Marketing : Actively influencing people to read your content organically.

16. Track the performance of the blog post over time.

Your post is published for the world to see, make sure you’re keeping an eye on its performance over time so you can see if your blog post strategy is working well enough for your goals.

Here are some blog KPIs I like to keep track of:

• Total traffic per post
• Average CTR
• Average SERP position
• Traffic source breakdown
• Number of search queries per post
• Average comments per post
• Social shares per post
• New blog leads
• Conversion rate

There’s a plethora of website traffic analysis tools that you can take advantage of to better understand your audience’s behavior on your blog posts.

Quick Blog Writing Tips

If you’re feeling stuck as a new writer, don’t give up. It gets easier with practice. Whether you’re struggling with writer's block or wanting some ways to add depth to your content, here are some quick tips I compiled to help take your blog writing to the next level:

If you don’t know where to start, start by telling a story.

When you’re facing writer’s block, start with what you know. Not only will sharing personal anecdotes help you get ideas flowing, but it can also keep your readers engaged with what you’re saying.

Stories can simplify complex concepts and make your content more relatable. Plus, they add a human touch and help set the tone for the rest of your blog post.

Include interesting quotes or facts for emphasis on the subject.

When you back up your ideas with unique, expert quotes or share facts from reliable sources, it shows that your blog post is well-researched and trustworthy.

If you don’t know where to start with finding quotes, think about the people you know and their expertise. For example, I’m lucky enough to have incredibly knowledgeable coworkers here at HubSpot that I can reach out to if I need a quote.

I’ve also reached out to connections on LinkedIn to see if they can provide a quote or know someone who can. HARO can also be a great resource if you need a quote in a pinch.

Make your content skimmable; break it into digestible chunks.

There’s nothing that turns readers off more than opening an article and seeing a large wall of text. Think about it: most internet users have a short attention span and tend to skim through content rather than reading every word.

That’s why I recommend breaking up your blog post into smaller chunks to make it more digestible. You can do this by utilizing subheadings (H2s, H3s, H4s, etc.), bullet points, and short paragraphs.

Not only does breaking up your content make your blog post more visually appealing, it also helps readers quickly find the information they’re looking for without getting lost in a sea of text.

Paint a full picture with images, graphics or video.

Aside from aesthetic appeal, visuals can help convey complex ideas in an easier way and help readers remember the information you share.

I recommend reading through your blog post and putting yourself in your reader’s shoes. Is there anything you wrote about that would be better explained with the support of an image or graphic?

For instance, whenever I write about the pros and cons of something, I like to create a graphic that shows those pros and cons in a side-by-side comparison.

I also look at search engines results when determining what images to add to my post. Does the SERP for the keyword you’re targeting have an image pack? See if you can add in images and optimize them with alt text to increase the chances of appearing in those results.

Each sentence should convey a single idea.

Keep it simple, stupid. There’s no reason to write overly complex sentences that confuse your readers. Instead, opt to convey your message in a simple and accessible manner. At the end of the day, readers just want to find the answers they’re looking for, and writing in a straightforward manner can effectively meet this need.

I like to use the Hemingway App to make sure that my writing doesn’t get too dense.

Use active voice.

Although your writing should captivate the reader, you should avoid overwhelming them with fluff. Using active voice can help keep your writing clear, concise, and energetic while still getting your point across.

For example, instead of saying something like “the product was loved by customers,” write “customers loved the product.”

Ready to blog?

Blogging can help you build brand awareness, become a thought-leader and expert in your industry, attract qualified leads, and boost conversions. Follow the steps and tips we covered above to begin publishing and enhancing your blog today.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in October 2013 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

Don't forget to share this post!

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Blog Examples for Beginners: How to Write Your First Blog Post

Back in 2009, with fingers shaking, I hit publish on my very first blog post. I was fearful of what people would think. Would I get a negative comment? That left me with many questions.

It was hard enough figuring out how to start a blog , but now I had to find a way to share my thoughts consistently.

Would anyone find what I had to say valuable? Was I just contributing to the noise online? Did my message matter?

Maybe you have some of those same fears and doubts. If so, you’re in the right place. I have a simple first blog post template you can use. Follow these four simple steps and launch your blog to the world.

First Blog Entry Examples (with Template)

Before we get into the 4-step first blog post template, we need to answer two important questions first:

• Question 1. What tool will I use to start writing my blog posts?
• Question 2. How can I come up with a good idea to make a great post?

Where to Write Your Blog Posts

So, let’s talk about some blog writing tools you can use. It doesn’t matter where you write your blog posts as long as you have a simple repeatable process to follow. Here are six of my favorite writing tools.

1. Directly in WordPress

If your blog is powered by WordPress , you can always write your blog articles there. It keeps things easy and less complicated for you. Regardless of which writing tool you use, you’re going to need to eventually copy it into WordPress. Since you are just getting started, WordPress might be the best tool to begin with.

2. Google Docs

The nice thing about writing in Google Docs is that you have another place where your content is stored. That way if you ever lost your work , you have a backup. I also like to use Google Docs because it makes it easy to collaborate with others.

Google Docs is a great writing tool if you want to use add-on tools to make your writing easier. For example, I personally like to use two add-ons. The first one is Grammarly , which will check your grammar and spelling as you write. Even though I have an editor that combs over every blog post, it’s nice to have a built-in grammar checker as you write your draft post.

The second add-on is the SEMrush SEO Writing Assistant.

While outside the scope of this post, learning SEO (search engine optimization) is a great skill to learn as a blogger. It can give you a competitive edge over your competition. SEMrush’s add-on offers keyword suggestions I might want to include in my article to get more search engine traffic.

3. CoSchedule

I’ve been a fan of CoSchedule for a few years now. I even wrote a blog post review on my experience with it. Basically, it’s an all-in-one calendar for content, social media, email marketing, and more.

It can be a bit expensive for bloggers just starting out, but if you want to manage all of your projects in one place, it’s a great tool.

Have you heard of Kajabi ? It’s not just a blog writing tool but has many other powerful functions to support your blog business. I primarily use Kajabi to host all of my online courses, membership site, landing pages, and online store. If you want to sell digital products and build a blog, you can do both with Kajabi.

Kajabi would replace your monthly hosting cost and WordPress. Blogging on Kajabi is straight forward. As you can tell from the image below, you have a title and body section. Create your headline, write your blog entry, and hit publish.

5. Microsoft Word

This is the tool of choice for many bloggers when starting out. Most people are familiar with Word since it was the tool they used to write their papers in school. One word of warning: be careful about using copy and paste into WordPress. Sometimes the formatting doesn’t transfer correctly. Always paste your text into the text side (or HTML side) and not on the visual editor.

6. Evernote

Another popular writing tool is Evernote . The benefits of Evernote are two-fold. First, you can access it online and offline. If you are flying on a plane, you can work on your blog post even without internet access. Later, your document will automatically sync with the cloud.

Secondly, you can easily share it with others. Similar to Google Drive, you can share a link to your note or notebook in Evernote and collaborate together.

Remember this. Writing your post can happen anywhere. You can start with one of the six tools mentioned above, or go with your own. It comes down to personal preference. Whatever tool helps you be consistent with your writing is what matters most.

Blog Post Ideas for Beginners

Maybe your challenge is not where to do your writing, but what to blog about . Regularly coming up with blog post topics doesn’t have to be difficult. I believe your first blog post ideas should come from a place of passion.

Set a timer for five minutes. Write out as many answers as you can think of to the following series of questions:

• Why am I starting this blog in the first place?
• Who do I most want to help?
• What lessons from my own life can I share with others?
• What are the top three to five things someone should know in my niche in order to be successful?
• How will this blog help others?

The 4-Step Blog Post Template for Your First Blog Entry

After working with thousands of new bloggers, I’ve created a simple 4-step template to help you write your first blog post fast. Those four steps are:

• Step 1. Create a catchy headline
• Step 2. Write the outline before you start writing
• Step 3: Edit your blog post draft
• Step 4: Promote your blog post to the world

Step 1. Create a Catchy Headline

Post titles are super important for any blogger. Treat them like newspaper headlines. A headline on a newspaper makes or breaks the sale of that paper. Your headline should be catchy, interesting, and leave just a bit of curiosity.

When it comes to deciding on a headline, choose one of the following three strategies:

• The magic of list posts
• The power of “how-to” posts
• The blog announcement post

The magic of list posts. It’s been proven over time that we love lists. We want to know not only what’s on the list but what didn’t get included. We click on the headline because we know the article is scannable and we can see what is included in the list.

Here are a few examples you can use to create your own headline:

• 5 Quick Tips for __________
• 10 Things You Should Never Do When _________
• 5 Ways to __________ (without being pushy)
• 5 great things to do with __________
• 7 ways to be a ________ ninja
• 10 Reasons Not to _____
• 7 _____ Danger Signs
• 7 things _____ Should Never Do
• 21 Secrets the _____ Experts Don’t Want You to Know
• 10 ______ Facts You Need to Know

The power of “how-to” posts . Another strategy that will give you tons of blog post ideas is to cover the most important “how-tos” in your niche. Readers love practical posts that lead them to action. It feels like time well spent if I can take concrete action on something I just learned.

A few examples might be:

• How to recover from a _____________
• How NOT to get ____________
• How to Get _____ in Half the Time
• How to Beat the Fear of _____
• How _________ Will Save You Time, Money, and Stress
• How to clean ____________
• How to maintain _____________
• How to take care of _____________
• How to repair the __________________

The blog announcement post. The last strategy I want to share with you is a post you would typically only write once. This post will be a foundational article you will refer back to for years to come.

The two early strategies (list posts and how-to posts) are the formats I use 90% of the time week in and week out. You’re welcome to start with one of them to get your first post published if you would like.

The blog post announcement post is easy enough to write because it doesn’t require much guesswork. In a moment, I will share with you a simple writing outline you can use.

As far as a headline, go with something like: “How (name of your blog) Will Help You (insert the goal, promise or purpose of your blog).”

If you are still at a loss of how to create a catchy headline, then consider using the headline analyzer tool from CoSchedule. This tool will analyze your headline and give you a score. Don’t worry about trying to score a 100 on your headline. I usually try to get at least a 70.

Step 2. Write the Outline Before You Start Writing

Many aspiring bloggers are excited until it’s time to sit down and write. Why does it feel like all of my energy and creativity gets sucked about when it’s time to write?

See Post: 4 Proven Ways of How to Start a Blog Post

Other bloggers say they just want for inspiration to strike before they sit down to write. If that was true for me, I’d be waiting a long time.

Don’t wait till you feel like writing. Most writers I know don’t like writing, they like having written . There’s a big difference. Never forget the words of Harvard psychologist Jerome Bruner who said:

“You’re more likely to act yourself into a feeling than feel yourself into action.”

If you’ve successfully accomplished the last step of deciding on a headline, it makes writing much easier. The headline creates the outline for you. Once you’ve nailed down the outline, all that’s left is to fill in the text.

Let’s look at how to create an outline from each of our three examples above.

Create an outline for your list post. If you’ve chosen a list post headline, then you must first decide how many make your list. You can do as few as three or as many as 101. It really comes down to the purpose of the post.

I usually start by opening up my writing tool of choice and brainstorming as many examples as I can think of. Once I’ve created the list, I have my number and I have my outline.

Create an outline for your how-to post . If you decided to go with a how-to post, then the process will be slightly different. First, start with a beginner’s mind. It’s easy to skip a few steps because you think they are assumed.

We all have the curse of knowledge. We simply forget what it’s like to be a beginner.

When outlining a how-to post, you want to think in terms of steps. What’s the very first step I should take? Once I complete that step, what’s next? Repeat the same process until all of the steps are out of your head and on paper (or screen).

Now, you may end up combining steps and that’s okay. A how-to post will have a minimum of three steps. The maximum number of steps depends on the topic you have chosen.

Create an outline for your blog announcement post. If you chose option number three, then there is a specific format you should follow.

WARNING : Be careful not to make your first blog post about you .

Yes, you will be introducing yourself and maybe even sharing your story. But never forget that your blog is for others. You want to help, serve, or inspire.

The good news is that I already have an outline you should follow. The body of your blog post will include these subheadlines:

• State the goal of your blog
• How this blog will help
• Who you are

The opening of your blog post should state the goal of your blog . Why are you starting this blog in the first place? Is there a mission or cause behind your desire to start this blog?

Next, talk about how your blog will help the reader. What are some of the specific ways you plan to help others? Will you be publishing a weekly blog post? Will you launch a podcast? Will your blog include videos?

Finally, fully introduce you and your story. Always remember that you are not the hero of the blog. Your target audience is the hero. You are just the guide. Because of that, we don’t lead by touting our credentials or why we are qualified to help.

Still, people will want to know who is behind the blog so feel free to share your story. But lead with serving and helping first.

Once your outline is ready, just focus on writing a paragraph or two for each point in your outline. Once you do, you have a rough draft ready to go. Now, it’s time to edit.

Step 3. Edit Your Blog Post Draft

Blogging is a different way of writing than when you were in English class. It’s more conversational for starters. Also, we break a few of the rules along the way.

Follow this list of basic guidelines and you’ll be a pro in no time:

• Use bullets – My number one tip is to break up your content to make it easy to consume on the computer or mobile device.
• Subheadings – We already covered this in the outline section, but add lots of subheadings
• Short sentences – Keep your sentences short. Enough said.
• Short paragraphs – Notice how many of the paragraphs in this blog post are two or three sentences, max. Make your content easy to scan.
• Relevant Images – Add images to your post to make it more engaging
• Look for grammar errors – I like to use Grammarly to help me with my grammatical construction.
• Add a call to action – Add ways for readers to join your email list sprinkled throughout your blog posts.
• Publish your post – Get your blog post out to the world! Don’t worry about mistakes! You can always come back and fix them later.

Step 4. Promote Your Blog Post to the World

Once your post is live, it’s time to share your post with the world. I know this can be a scary feeling when first starting out.

My best tip is to not focus on yourself, but focus on how your blog will help others.

An ideal place to start is social media. What social media accounts are you already using? Share your blog post there first. Remember, you can do it in a non-pushy way.

If you’re not sure what to write, a have a sample script below you can use:

“Hey friends, I’ve decided to start a blog with the goal of helping others. I’ve just published my first post!

It would mean the world to me if you would click the link, read this post, and then come back here and share your thoughts with me. Thanks!”

Now, you don’t want to hit up your social media newsfeed daily to push people over to your blog post. We want to be helpful, not annoying.

You can also enlist some friends to help get the word out. Come up with a list of 10-20 friends who you would consider to be supportive. Be sure this list includes friends and not just acquaintances. Otherwise, this exercise will not work.

Send them a message on Facebook Messenger. Let them know you recently launched a blog and it would mean the world to you if they would share it on social media.

To make this easy for them, you’ve already typed up a script they can post. It goes like this:

“Hey, guys! My friend Sally, just launched a blog designed to help overwhelmed moms claim back control of their lives. You should check it out here: LINK”

The point of all of this is to get referral traffic to your site. They have friends you don’t have. They can reach people you cannot reach.

Blog Post Examples

Congrats on getting your first blog post published! Would it be helpful to see a few examples? Let’s take a look at a few first blog post examples.

Example #1: CPA Career Coach

My first blog was launched in 2009 and it was designed to help accounting and finance professionals find meaning in their work. My first post had three parts.

Part 1. An Opening Story

Part 2. The List Post Outline (4 Major Points)

Part 3. How This Blog Will Help You & Who I Am

Let’s take a look at one more example.

Example #2: Personal Branding Blog

A few years later, I launched JonathanMilligan.com. The goal of the new blog was to help people discover their purpose and be more productive. Here’s the outline I used:

Part 1. Who This Blog is For

Part 2. How This Blog Will Help You

Part 3. Who I Am

There you have it! You should now be well on your way to blogging your passion and sharing your message with the world. You got this!

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WEBSITE ESSENTIALS

How to write a blog post: a step-by-step guide

• Cecilia Lazzaro Blasbalg
• 14 min read

Get started by: Creating a website → | Getting a domain →

When you create a blog , you have the opportunity to dive deep into your favorite topics, highlight your expertise and build a community of readers interested in your work. Whether you want to learn how to make a website and blog from scratch, or make blogging part of your business strategy, publishing content online is an effective way to share your knowledge and ideas with the world.

That said, composing a winning entry takes practice. In this A-to-Z guide, you’ll learn how to write the perfect blog post—from choosing the right blog topics and picking the proper format for your articles, to selecting strategic images that generate interest and engagement. By the time you’re done reading this, you’ll have a clear idea of how to create strong blog content that effectively communicates your ideas and stands out from other articles on the web, other types of websites and within the blogosphere .

Ready to get blogging? Get started with Wix today.

What is a blog post?

A blog post is a piece of content published on a blog, typically consisting of text, images, videos or other multimedia elements. Blog posts cover a wide range of topics and can vary in length and format. They are often informal, conversational and engaging, providing information, insights, opinions or entertainment to the blog's audience. Blog posts can serve various purposes, including educating, entertaining, inspiring or promoting discussion.

How to write a blog post in 13 steps

Brainstorm blog topics

Refine your topic with keyword research

Define your audience

Create an organized outline

Write engaging content

Craft an irresistible headline

Choose a blog template

Select a blog domain name

Pick relevant images

Implement calls-to-action

Optimize for SEO

Edit and publish your blog post

Promote the final article

01. Brainstorm blog topics

When writing a blog post, whether you're guest posting for someone else or writing for your own blog, you’ll want to cover topics that bring value to your readers and fall in line with their interests, as well as your own. Rather than trying to find the perfect topic right away, start by jotting down different ideas that come to mind.

There are several places you can look to spark new topic ideas:

Browse other blogs within your niche with competitor analysis . If you’re starting a travel blog , for example, simply Google “travel blog” to see what your competitors are writing about.

Use AI tools at your disposal to generate topic ideas

Use Google Trends to find out which topics are trending.

Look for current events and recent news stories related to your field.

Find out what people enjoy learning about by browsing online courses on Udemy , Skillshare and LinkedIn Learning .

Once you find some interesting ideas online, think about the unique ways you can approach those topics. Consider the various ways you can play around with topic ideas to come up with something that isn’t only trendy and relevant, but that’s also original and fresh. You'll also need to consider making sure your blog post is up to date and this will mean including relevant data and statistics related to the topic.

Let’s say, for instance, that you want to write about chocolate chip cookies. There are a few different angles you might consider taking here based on your target audience and potential for website traffic :

A how-to post that instructs readers how to do something with clearly ordered steps (e.g., “How to Bake Chocolate Chip Cookies from Scratch”)

A curated list that offers a set of recommendations for your readers (e.g., “The Top Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes”)

A tips and advice post that provides expert guidance and resources. (e.g., “Tips for Making Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies Extra Gooey”)

A definition-based blog post that helps explain the meaning of a term or topic (e.g., “What Are No-Bake Chocolate Chip Cookies?”)

A top trends article that highlights what’s currently popular (e.g., “The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes From This Year”)

A personal or business update that lets you unveil something fresh or recently unknown (e.g., “My New Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Revealed”)

Get brainstorming with these best blog ideas , and check out our professional guide on how to start a blog for more helpful tips. You can also consider those close to you for feedback on your ideas, or branch out to a wider audience and get their thoughts.

02. Refine your topic with keyword research

Part of writing a blog post involves keyword research. This crucial SEO practice is used as a marker to see which terms you can potentially rank high for in certain online searches.

Once you’ve chosen a direction for your blog post, and before you get started with the writing process, you’ll need to figure out the chances of its success on search engine result pages—which ultimately means getting more eyes on your content. In order to succeed, conduct keyword research to find the most relevant queries for your topic.

You can find keywords for your own articles by using various keyword research tools. If you’re new to blogging, you’ll probably want to start with free tools such as Ubersuggest and Google Keyword Planner . Afterwards, you may want to upgrade to more advanced tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs .

While conducting keyword research, keep in mind that the more specific the phrase, the more closely it will match your audience’s intent. On the other hand, broader keywords tend to have higher search volumes—meaning more people are searching for them each month.

Think about the benefits of opting for a broader phrase, like “chocolate chip cookies,” over a more precise phrase, like “how to make chocolate chip cookies.” Choosing the right keywords means striking a balance between high search volume and high intent.

Once you’ve selected your keywords, you can use them to shape the structure of your content. Google those phrases to find out which articles have successfully targeted those same keywords, and spend some time browsing their content. This will give you inspiration for your own article in terms of what to include and how to structure it. Don't forget to also tap into your own experience as an entrepreneur or writer, when choosing what to write about.

03. Define your audience

Now that you know what you’ll be writing about , you need to find out who you’re writing for . Anticipating the kinds of people who will be reading your posts will help you create content that is interesting, engaging, full of relevance and shareable.

Of course, your audience largely depends on your type of blog . If you run a baking blog, you’ll probably be writing for an audience of people who love baking and are seeking recipe inspiration. Even more specifically, if you run a healthy baking blog, you’ll be writing for people who similarly love baking but who want to make their culinary creations healthier. It’s important to keep these nuances in mind when crafting your content, since your goal is to write articles that resonate strongly with readers.

So, how do you figure out your audience in the first place? Start by taking another look at the other blogs in your field. Consider who they seem to be writing for, and the kinds of assumptions they’re making about their readers’ interests and lifestyles. For example, you might find that most of the blogs address a particular gender or age group.

You can also use online forums to find the main questions asked by your audience, or visit Facebook groups to read what topics they like or talk about. This will help you create content that piques their interest, sparks their curiosity and answers their questions.

Whether you're starting a book blog , a fashion blog, travel blog or something else—defining your audience should come first.

04. Create an organized outline

The key to learning how to write a blog post is doing thorough research and planning before you create the article itself. After deciding on the topic and blog format , you’ll need to build the mold for your content. Creating an outline is critical, as it ensures your article will have a strong foundation that you can build on as you write your blog post.

Start by creating subheadings, which are the backbone of an organized outline, under which your paragraphs of text will sit. These small but mighty pieces of content help you break down your article into bite-sized sections, making it easier for you to write and more digestible for people to read.

If it’s a step-by-step guide or a list of tips, start building your outline by listing out all the main points clearly, as in the example below:

Outline: How to Bake Chocolate Chip Cookies from Scratch

1. Gather your ingredients

2. Mix and knead the dough

3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper

4. Scoop mounds of dough onto baking sheet

5. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit

Add bulleted notes within your introduction and under each of your subheadings. This will help you formulate your main points.

If you find yourself getting stuck, use one of these blog post templates to guide you through the outline process.

05. Write engaging content

Turning something you love and know a lot about into blog posts is a great strategy to attract readers: they’ll come for the knowledge, but they’ll stay for your authentic outlook and first-hand experiences.

Hanna Kimelblat , Blogger and Growth Marketing Expert at Wix

Now that you’ve sketched out the blog post, you can begin typing away (or, use AI to write your blog posts ). Keep in mind that blog posts, like many other types of writing, typically include three main elements: an introduction, the body text and a conclusion.

Let’s start with the introduction. In the first few sentences of your article, you should already grab your readers’ attention. Begin with a relevant quote or statistic, tell a short story, or share an interesting fact. Then, set the tone for the article by sharing a brief summary of what you’re going to talk about in the body text. This gives your readers a reason to keep going.

Next, fill in the body text. In your outline, these are the bullet points beneath each subheading. This is the meat of your blog post, so it should be clear and compelling. Avoid fluff and repetition, and instead offer deep value by sharing your knowledge, research, and insights.

A concluding section isn’t always necessary—in fact, our blog rarely uses one—but it can be useful in the case of storytelling or when wrapping up a very extensive article. You can tie your main points together using a short bulleted list, or by sharing some closing thoughts in a few sentences. No matter the case, you’ll want to end on an engaging note.

At this stage you'll also want to consider your writing style, this is usually determined by your blog audience. If you're targeting a professional business crowd so you might want to consider adopting a more formal writing style; if you're writing for bakers, something more light and fun might be the best style. Within this consider your tone too, blogs, even formal business ones, are meant to open up communication and inspire conversation. Make sure your tone is relevant to your writing style and audience, but also use welcoming and inspiring language where possible.

Other important concepts to consider in your content creation process are:

Viscosity : essentially the ease with which a reader can understand and flow through a piece of text. It is akin to the "fluidity" of the writing and how smoothly the ideas and information are conveyed to the reader. High viscosity in writing implies that the text is dense, complicated, and difficult to read, while low viscosity indicates that the writing is clear, concise, and easy to comprehend.

Rhythm: the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables, sentence structures, and the flow of words that create a musical or harmonious quality in the text. It's the cadence and beat that give the writing a sense of movement and can make the language more engaging and memorable.

Creativity : the ability to express oneself imaginatively and inventively through the written word. It involves using one's unique perspective, original ideas, emotion, pathos and artistic flair to craft compelling stories, poems, essays, or any form of written content. Creative writing allows writers to explore their thoughts, emotions, and observations in an innovative and expressive manner. Storytelling is a huge part of writing a blog post and shouldn't be neglected.

Sentence and clause structure: fundamental elements of grammar that govern how sentences are constructed in the English language. They determine the arrangement of words (verbs, adjectives), phrases, and clauses to convey meaning and ensure clarity in communication. Understanding sentence and clause structure is crucial for effective writing and communication.

06. Craft an irresistible headline

When writing a blog post, you don’t only need strong content; you’ll also want a powerful headline . A great headline entices readers and enhances your blog design , ensuring that they actually click on your article in the first place.

Learning how to write a catchy blog title doesn’t have to be hard. All you need to do is keep the following points in mind: clarity, specificity and offering an answer or solution.

Writing a good headline also depends on how well you put yourself in the shoes of your audience. Use the title to promise readers that your blog post will provide valuable insight that will benefit them in some way, whether by satisfying their intellectual curiosity, teaching them something new or helping them solve a problem. This will increase the chances that they’ll click on your article and read it. Just don't go over board and remember to avoid clickbait, which is writing a hyperbole headline just to get clicks through to an article.

Here are some examples of headlines that we are quite proud of, to give you a general idea for your own content:

Create a Powerful Free Landing Page in Under an Hour

20 Best Time Management Apps to Organize Your Life

How to Design an A+ School Website (With Examples)

Make a Change: Using Photography as a Tool to Raise Awareness

If you're looking for inspiration to get started, try out this blog post title generator .

07. Choose a blog template

Writing your blog post may be your first priority, but you’ll also want to package it in an appealing way. Having an article with strong visual appeal is crucial for striking the right chord with your readers. The best way to customize your blog's design is by starting with a free blog template .

Professional designers have created all these blog layouts, and they're fully customizable to reflect your blog's messaging and tone. For inspiration, check out these blog examples to see how others have transformed these templates into beautiful, content-rich powerhouses.

If you’re writing a blog about organic ingredients, for instance, using a natural color palette on your site will set the right tone for the type of topics you’ll be writing about. This same color palette should also be used for your blog logo , as well as on your social media platforms.

08. Select a blog domain name

You should host your well-crafted blog on your domain site address in order for readers to discover it. When it comes to naming your blog , you can gather ideas from a blog name generator and see if the domain name is available.

Spend time thinking about how your blog and domain name fit in with the blog post topics you will cover. Make sure that your name reflects your blog’s persona, topic and niche.

Once you have finalized your name, choose your domain name (also referred to as a URL, for example, www.wix.com). Typically, your domain name will be the same as, or at least similar to the name of your blog.

09. Pick relevant images

Likewise, you should also enhance your blog post with a few great images that illustrate your main points. It’s important that your pictures add value to the subject, rather than serving as placeholders. Pay extra attention to your featured image—this will be the main visual below your blog’s title, and it’s what readers will see when they browse your articles from your blog’s homepage. Infographics are also great to insert within blog posts to reinforce key points or ket stats.

Also consider inserting videos into your blog posts, the best ones are those you've created to match the topic and intent of the video, but you can also use those from third parties, to improve the user experience and engagement rates on your articles.

With Wix, you can add a professional photo gallery to individual posts and embed your own pictures within your articles. You can also choose from an array of media content from Wix, Shutterstock and Unsplash directly within your site’s editor.

10. Implement calls-to-action

In the same way a blog is meant to inform people about specific topics, it can also be used as an important tool that motivates readers to take a certain action. This includes everything from subscribing to your blog to making a purchase.

This element is referred to as CTA, or call-to-action, and is presented as an embedded link or button that states your objective in an alluring manner. Some of the most common call-to-action examples for blogs include “Subscribe,” “Download our e-book” or “Sign up.”

Using CTAs can help you transform your website traffic into engagement and, eventually, profit. While your immediate goal is to get more readers, you may eventually want to monetize your blog further down the road.

11. Optimize for SEO

When it comes to SEO for bloggers , a strong SEO plan involves optimizing your content both before and after writing the blog post. Not only does this include doing keyword research prior to the outline phase (mentioned in step 3), but it also includes using those keywords to polish your final piece.

This begins with sprinkling relevant keywords throughout your article. Let’s say you’ve chosen to target the keyword “business strategies.” Use this exact phrase in your headline, throughout the body text and one to two subheadings if it’s a natural fit.

Next, include this keyword in your metadata. This is the preview text you’ll see for every article on Google, and it includes a title (known as the meta title) and short description (the meta description). You’ll also want to add the keywords to the URL of your article, as well as in the alt text of your blog post’s images. Use these SEO features to give your blog an overall performance boost. Lastly, and make sure you know exactly how long a blog post should be to best rank your post.

12. Edit and publish your blog post

With so many common blogging mistakes out there, you’ll need to thoroughly check your article for grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, repetition and any other unprofessional content. Furthermore, make sure your ideas flow coherently throughout each section, signaling a clear and purposeful message to readers. You can read about other essential aspects of blogging in this comprehensive blog post checklist .

We recommend asking a friend or colleague to give your blog article a once over before it goes live, as part of your proofreading and fact checking process prior to publishing. Direct them to look for any discrepancies or ambiguity. It’s also important to emphasize quality over quantity in order to keep your readers interested and to establish your credibility. Then, once you’re happy with your written work, it’s time to hit publish.

13. Promote the final article

Once you’ve written and published the blog post, take the necessary steps to make sure it gets read. Two of the most effective ways to promote your blog post and get readers are email marketing and social media marketing.

Email remains one of the most reliable platforms for marketing, as it allows for a direct communication channel between you and your audience. This highly effective digital marketing strategy involves sending out customized emails to prospective users with the aim of converting them into loyal fans. If you’re interested in getting started, this powerful email marketing service can help you send custom newsletters for your blog.

Beyond emails, sharing your article on social media can also go a long way. For example, if you want to accrue a wide audience, promote your blog on Facebook or Instagram, which have one of the largest and most diverse user bases.

Whichever channels you choose, make sure to actively engage with followers on a day-to-day basis. This will ensure that you not only write a great blog post, but that you get people reading your article, too.

Looking to really get your blog off the ground? Take a look at our Build Your Own Blog online course to get you started.

How to structure a blog post checklist

Headline: clear, catchy and relevant, includes keywords where relevant for SEO

Introduction: hooks the reader, answers search intent where relevant, outline's the blogs purpose and main point

Subheadings: organizes content into digestible and readable sections, follows a logical flow

Body: provides valuable information while supporting points with examples, stats and other evidence, conversational tone

Visuals: includes relevant images, infographics or videos that enhance understanding and reader engagement

Engagement: encourages reader interaction (comments, shares)

Editing: checks for grammar and spelling errors, edited for coherence and style, fact checked

SEO: includes relevant keywords naturally, answers search intent

Readability: uses consistent font and formatting, short sentences

Links: includes internal and external links for additional context

Social sharing: includes social sharing buttons and shareable snippets of information

Review: read through the post one last time before publishing and after published

How to write a blog post FAQ

How to write my first blog post.

Writing your first blog post can be an exciting but daunting task. To make it easier follow these basic steps - choose a compelling topic, plan out your post, hook readers with a killer introduction, provide meaningful content, hone your conversational style and include visuals where you can.

What are 5 easy steps to writing a blog post?

How to write a blog post with ai, how to write a blog post as a beginner, what is a blog post example, what is the format of blog writing, related posts.

How to write catchy blog titles: 12 tips and examples

The ultimate blog post checklist

Blogging for beginners: 20+ tips to jumpstart your blog

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How to Write a Good Blog Post: Complete Guide

Last Updated: March 23, 2024 Approved

Finding Your Style

Opening the post, writing and organizing, editing and closing, managing your blog, expert interview, expert q&a.

This article was co-authored by Rut Nastiti . Rut Nastiti is a Social Media Manager at Innovations for Poverty Action based in Washington D.C. With over six years of professional experience, Rut uses her skills in online content creation, graphic design, public relations, and communications planning to lead Innovations for Poverty Action's social media policy and strategy initiatives. Rut received her Master of Public Policy from George Mason University and her Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Communication Arts from Wartburg College. There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, 86% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 61,395 times.

In our current digital age, blogging is a great way to reach a wide audience of readers. Maybe you want to blog about your love of cats, or the most recent presidential debate. Or maybe you are blogging to promote a product on social media. Whatever the reason, a good blog post takes time to craft and get just right so it will be worth reading.

• For example, if you’re creating a home and food blog, scroll through other popular home and food blogs. Notice the layout, content, and images on the other blogs. Pay attention to how long the posts are, the frequency of the posts, the writing style, and the subject matter.
• If you’re creating a business blog, look at how other sites approach a certain business topic. Also, note if the site has an active comments board and how often the writers respond to reader comments.

• If you are writing for a personal blog meant for only close friends and family, you can likely be as honest or casual as you’d like. You also won’t need to explain that Toby is your 4 year old son or Baxter is your cat.
• Treat a personal blog like a conversation. Write like you are chatting with a close friend or family member. Avoid jargon, complicated sentences, or cliches. [3] X Research source The reader wants to feel like they are getting to know you, so don’t be afraid to put your unique voice front and center.
• If you are writing for a personal blog that is meant for a larger audience, you can still write casually and honestly. But you may need to include references, a glossary, or explanations to ensure your readers can follow along.
• Though business blogs or marketing blogs may be a bit more formal, they should still have a conversational tone. Above all, you want to avoid confusing or boring the reader.
• For a business or marketing blog, think about what your readers expect from your blog. Are you providing information to your readers/buyers? Are you trying to persuade them to buy a certain product? [4] X Research source
• It’s also important to think about the information your readers already have. If the majority of your readers are Millennials looking to start their own business, you probably don’t need to provide information about how to use social media. But you may want to give them information on how to adjust their approach to social media to be more business-savvy.

• For example, you are writing a blog post about how to make chocolate cake on your personal food blog. Of course, there are many recipes for chocolate cake online. So what makes your recipe stand out? Are you adding interesting ingredients like salt or candy? Or are you using a unique technique to make the chocolate cake?

• If you are writing a personal blog about fashion, you may want to consider a fashion issue or problem you are interested in discussing. This could be the lack of nice clothing for plus size women, the neon fall trend that won’t go away, or even your struggle with finding the right pair of jeans.
• If you are writing a business blog, you may want to focus on a particular aspect of your business that might be interesting to your customers. For example, if you run a retail camera store, you may want to talk about the latest camera releases, or a more specific topic like your favorite digital camera on the market.

• Make the headline of your title strong, concrete, and punchy, which basically will attract your reader.
• Don’t be afraid to have a bold title. The title is the first thing the reader will see on your blog, so make it attention-grabbing. [6] X Research source
• It may be better to have a simple title, rather than a complicated or confusing one. Though you may want to be snappy or witty, often titles that are clear and easy to read are the most effective. [7] X Research source
• For example, a blog post on your food blog about a chocolate cake recipe could have the title like: “My Amazing Salted Chocolate Cake Recipe”.
• A blog post about finding the perfect pair of jeans could be: “Blue Jean Blues: Finding the Perfect Pair”. Or something shorter and simpler, like: “My Search for the Perfect Pair of Jeans.”
• If you are writing a blog post on your favorite camera on the market, you could use a title like: “The Best Point and Shoots Out Right Now”. Or something more formal like: “My Top Ten Best Digital Cameras on the Market”.

• Identify a need. [9] X Research source Think about what problems or issues the reader would want to solve. Create an opening line that promises to answer this need. For example, on your food blog, you identify a need for your reader to learn how to properly ice a cake. Your opening sentences could be: “We’ve all been there. Your child’s birthday is set to start in an hour, but you can’t figure out how to ice the triple layer chocolate cake.”
• Ask an intriguing question. Use a question that leaves little room for the reader to respond with anything but “yes”. Make the question seem interesting enough to the reader. For example, on your camera blog, you could begin with: “Looking for a digital camera that produces top quality images, but doesn’t weigh a ton? Ready to switch to a point and shoot, but shopping on a budget?” [10] X Research source
• Say something unexpected. But make sure it still relates to the topic of your post. This could be a unique statement or phrase that you haven’t used often on your blog. The idea is to jolt the reader into paying attention. For example, if you often talk about cakes or cookies on your food blog, begin a post on pies with: “Okay readers, it’s time for me to do something radically different on here. I give you: lemon meringue pie.” [11] X Research source
• Make a claim or promise. This technique works well for business blogs that are selling a product or providing product information to their readers. Just make sure you can back up your claim with solid content. For example, the camera post could begin with: “Today, I am going to help you buy the best digital camera you have ever owned.” [12] X Research source

• Create an outline for the post. Break the topic down into sections, short paragraphs, or subtitles. [13] X Research source
• If you are writing a blog post with a recipe, you may want to create a separate section for the recipe and then a separate section with the directions. Or if you are writing a post with a list, use numbers to organize the content.
• Download free blog post templates online, which are pre-organized based on the most common blog post types. [14] X Research source

• You could include customer testimonials, expert quotes and industry research or data.
• You could also include a seconding of your claim from another blogger who is considered an expert or tastemaker in the eyes of your audience.

• If you are writing a blog post with a recipe, breakdown each step in the recipe. Explain how the reader can whisk the eggs, combine the wet and dry ingredients, or place the cake in the oven. Be specific and go through each step in a logical order.
• If you are writing a more opinionated post, like the best ten digital cameras, back up each camera with a personal note about your experience with each camera. Include your reasons why each camera is worth the reader’s attention.

• Remember that your blog has an unlimited amount of space for posts and images. So don’t be afraid to focus on one aspect of a topic and then expand on another aspect in another blog post.

• You can also include a “tweet this quote” option on a quote from the post, or add a share button for Facebook or Twitter. [19] X Research source

• Think of tags as keywords, terms, or categories that relate to the post. Avoid a laundry list of terms and only include terms that apply to the topic of the post. [20] X Research source

• Focus on images that look interesting, are easy to understand, and trigger an emotion in the reader. [22] X Research source

• If you are writing a personal blog post, it may be useful to read the post out loud. That way you can check that the voice sounds natural and casual.

• Most blog experts argue that posts published on weekdays will get more exposure and traffic than posts published on weekends.
• Public holidays are also not the best times for publishing a post as web traffic is usually already down during these times.
• Figure out the best time of day for you to publish posts by testing out different publishing times with your audience.

• If you are updating your blog on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis, keep it consistent so your readers know when to look for new content on your blog.

• Responding to reader comments also allows other readers to have conversations with each other on your blog. This builds reader loyalty, and creates a space where readers feel like they can talk and “belong”. It also gives the content of the post more depth by including other opinions and impressions from readers.

You Might Also Like

Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about dealing with social media, check out our in-depth interview with Rut Nastiti .

• ↑ http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/writing-a-good-blog.html
• ↑ http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/how-to-write-blog-post-simple-formula-ht
• ↑ http://www.forbes.com/sites/jaysondemers/2014/06/01/how-to-write-the-perfect-business-blog-post/
• ↑ http://socialtriggers.com/perfect-blog-post/
• ↑ http://www.problogger.net/archives/2008/08/23/11-ways-to-open-a-post-and-get-reader-engagement/
• ↑ http://offers.hubspot.com/blog-post-templates
• ↑ http://www.problogger.net/archives/2008/08/27/does-your-next-blog-post-matter/
• ↑ http://www.forbes.com/sites/jaysondemers/2014/06/01/how-to-write-the-perfect-business-blog-post/2/
• ↑ http://www.problogger.net/archives/2008/08/12/how-to-craft-a-blog-post-10-crucial-points-to-pause/

About This Article

To write a blog post, start with a short, bold title, like "My Amazing Chocolate Cake Recipe," so it grabs the reader's attention. Then, introduce your topic by asking a fascinating question or posing a problem your readers can relate to. Next, separate the main body of your post into short, easy to follow paragraphs. Finally, add a call to action in the conclusion, like asking readers to retweet the article. For tips on how to add tags to your blog post, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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wikiHow Tech Help Pro:

Level up your tech skills and stay ahead of the curve

Congratulations on deciding to write a blog. It can be daunting, staring at a blank page wondering where to start. But writing search engine optimized (SEO) blog articles is a great way to generate a steady stream of high-value leads to your website without having to spend a ton on advertising.

But not just any content will do. The last thing you want is to spend hours or days researching and writing a post that gets five or so views a month. Great content is only great if it gets results.

That's why I'm going to show you how to write a blog post that ranks on Google and, more importantly, grows your business.

How do I know this process works? Because I've used it repeatedly to rank for keywords and phrases in the top ten positions on Google. So, let's get started.

What is a blog post?

A blog post is an article that's published in the blog section of a website. It can be a how-to guide, news piece, event announcement, or podcast link. It covers a specific topic in detail and can range anywhere from 600 to 3000+ words.

A great post educates and delivers value while also entertaining the readers. It answers your target audience's questions, demonstrates your expertise, builds your credibility, and it can boost your revenue.

To do that, it needs to rank on Google. And for the blog content to rank, it will need to include some, if not all, of the following:

• Images (e.g., an infographic)
• Some form of downloadable intellectual property (IP) (e.g., a template, worksheet, guide, or data)
• Informational or entertaining videos
• Interactive charts

Some posts perform better than others. It all depends on your market segment. What might be the go-to style of blog writing for one niche market could crash and burn in another.

So if you're new to writing a blog post, you need to research your niche to be sure you're crafting content in the format your audience prefers.

Here are a few types of popular blog post ideas:

• The "How-to" post (e.g., How To Write A Lead Nurturing Email Sequence ). The purpose of this type of blog post is to explain step by step how to do something, like baking a cake or building a website. It gives the reader the tools and instructions they need to execute effectively.
• The "What is" post (e.g., What Is Direct Response Marketing ?) This type of post aims to educate and inform its audience about a particular topic.
• The "Pillar topic" post (e.g., Business Systems 101 ). A pillar article is the main topic you want to rank for. The purpose of a pillar blog post is to teach. Typically a long article, a pillar post covers the topic in-depth, is packed with valuable information, examples, processes, and much more.
• The " List-based " post (e. g., 9 Steps To Build A Sophisticated Marketing Plan ). Checklist blog posts break down the items you need or steps you have to take to fulfill a task, such as writing a LinkedIn post or sculpting your abs. It's simple, straightforward, and effective.

Now that you know the types of blog articles to write, how do you ensure that your blog post gets read.

Just tell us where to send it... We respect your email inbox and will never spam.

What makes a good blog post? (7 key elements)

Understanding how to write a blog post is only the start of your writing journey. More importantly, is how to write a GREAT blog post.

Blogging is all about solving a problem in an engaging and compelling way. Your blog post needs to answer the questions, Why would my audience care about this topic? and What do I need to do to keep them reading?

If you want to write a great blog post, here's what you need to do.

1: Target a niche audience

If you've been a part of your target audience, then you know their struggles. You've experienced,  and hopefully, have overcome those challenges yourself. So you'd know better than anyone else what to write about and what information to share. When you write about a topic that you're intimately familiar with, that's how you build a relationship with your readers and win their trust.

Also, you want to target your niche because those are the people who are most likely to buy your products or services. That's the end goal, right—to sell!

So, if you target everyone, you'll be attracting the wrong kind of traffic to your website. While it might feel good to boost your traffic numbers, if they're not potential leads, your article is essentially a dud.

2: Focus on the pain points early and provide a solution

Start with a bang. You want to get your readers to self-identify immediately. Remember, when you're in pain, you want pain relief. Your post needs to be the aspirin to their headache. So draw them in by stating the problem or challenge and explain how you'll share your secrets to solving it.

If you've done your keyword research, you’ll know that your keyword needs to appear in the opening sentence.

3: Add an intriguing or compelling headline

Believe it or not, headlines can mean the difference between someone reading your post or clicking out of your site.  Search engines don't like it when readers do that. It's a warning signal that your content sucks (even though it may not).

While there are dedicated sites and tons of advice online on how to write a great headline, the best advice I can give you is to answer your target audience's questions.

In fact, a recent study revealed that 14.1% of all Google searches are in the form of a question. With "How" blog posts averaging 8. 07% of all searches and "What" posts averaging 4. 3%.

So once you settle on the type of post you're going to write, come up with roughly ten potential headlines. Sure, you'll discard most of them, but you'll want to use a different headline for your title tag and article headline.

Here are a few examples of great headlines:

• 33 non-sucky subject lines for emails that people actually open and read
• A little mistake that cost this business owner $85, 000
• Direct response copywriting: 7 vital ways to ensure your copy hits the spot and closes the sale
• How to win back dormant customers using an email reactivation campaign

Remember, a great headline solves a problem and brings a little personality or intrigue. Go on, give it a try.

4: Grab your reader's attention

How you write your blog post directly impacts the time your readers spend reading your words. You need to include keywords, to be SEO compliant, and make it gripping. If there’s no hook, your readers won't read your post.

They want to be entertained, to laugh, or to be shocked. So here are a few writing top tips:

• Use original analogies. Cliches are overdone. People want something new; so give it to them.
• Don't be afraid to tell a story. Everybody loves a good story.
• Add personality to your writing. Think about the books you love to read. What is it about the writing that keeps you coming back for more? Maybe it's humor or a self-deprecating tone. Pay attention to the way your audience responds to you.
• Write so a 14-year-old can understand what you're saying. That means short, snappy sentences. Forget the jargon or high-brow language.
• Use an active voice. A passive voice will put you to sleep. Here’s an example of an active voice. Millions of people love chocolate. Now, if I were to write in a passive voice, it would look something like this. Chocolate is loved by millions of people.
• Treat your writing like a conversation. Imagine you're sitting at a coffee shop having lunch with a friend. How would you share your story? That's what you want to keep in mind when writing. Your readers want to feel like they're having a casual conversation with a friend they know, like, and trust, not like they're sitting in an auditorium being lectured to.

5: Meet the word count

This is a tricky subject. No offense, but the typical online user has the attention span of a gnat unless, of course, they find something that intrigues them. Then they have all the time in the world. So what does this have to do with word count?

If you want to stand any chance of getting eyes on your article, it needs to rank in search engines. To do that, it needs to meet the average number of words for that keyword. If that's 600, lucky you. If that's 4, 760, you've got your work cut out for you.

Your writing needs to maintain a rhythm without adding words for the sake of word count. A good idea is to add a “contents” section to your blog. Your reader can use it to skip ahead to related topics.

For example, say your post topic is What is a target audience? If you've done your keyword research, you'll know that you also need to answer the questions:

• What is the difference between a target audience and target market?
• Why do you need to define your target audience?
• How do you find your target audience?

So make sure when you're writing blog posts that you address all relevant points.

6: Add images (designed, not stock visuals)

People consume information in very different ways. Some prefer written text, others like video, and some engage best with visual content. To craft a winning blog post, it's never a bad idea to include all three.

Added to this, Google indexes images, making it another way for readers to find your blog articles. But whatever you design, the visual must include your logo or website URL.

It also needs to be shareable. Look at the visuals that perform well on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. They're not cheesy stock visuals. They’re often illustrations or a beautiful photographs of a scene with an inspirational quote or thought.

You can also use images to break down complex tasks into simple, easy-to-follow visual steps. For example, how to write a marketing plan or how to build a website.

So use images to draw attention to essential stats, processes, ideas, or simply to give the reader a breather.

7: Include a call to action

What do you want the reader to do next? Google wants to see a conversion, and simply reading the post doesn't qualify. You need the readers to take some sort of action.

Adding a call to action is an opportunity to get readers to opt into your email list, download a lead magnet, request a quote, enroll in your course, whatever. This equals dollars in your bank account so make sure you're adding a content upgrade to your post.

And mix it up. You'll want to include multiple CTAs throughout your blog post. I like to position these just after the introduction, in the middle of the blog, and at the end. This means that I don't lose any readers who jump off within the first few seconds.

Every blog post should include a CTA to join your newsletter and either download a free piece of content or purchase a product or service.

So those are the bones of a good blog post. Now, let's discuss why you want to write a post for your readers.

Why write a blog post? (5 excellent reasons)

There are many reasons why writing a blog post is good for business. Most of these I've mentioned before, but to recap, here's why you want to publish blog articles.

1. It demonstrates your expertise and boosts your credibility.

By sharing advice based on actual experiences, you build trust with your readers. You're also able to bring something new to your market. So much of what's online is regurgitated fluff.

Readers are hungry for new ideas and ways of doing things. When you show proof that you get results, you build your authority and credibility.

2. It attracts and drives high-value traffic to your website.

Blogging is an opportunity to drive qualified traffic or leads to your site. These are your niche readers. They're typing questions into Google for which you have the answers. Your goal is to get them to take a look at your blog posts.

If you publish quality content that delivers a result in advance, you'll become their go-to source for advice and help.

3. It helps you to rank in search engines.

Every blog post is a chance to rank in the top ten for search terms. And before you ask, Does it matter whether or not your writing ranks ? Yes, it does.

You want your writing to rank because, to a search engine, you become a trusted source, and this boosts your domain authority.

Publishers and other businesses are more likely to link back to your content, ask you for an interview, or submit a contributor piece.  This means you get exposed to readers who might have not ever heard of your business otherwise.

So, you get more leads and potential customers.

4. It increases your conversion rate and grows your company revenue.

Using your blog to upsell a product or service is a great way to increase your company revenue.

For example, say someone is looking up the benefits of business coaching . You've created a blog that covers that and includes a call-to-action to determine if they'd be a good fit for your coaching program. They click the CTA link, fill in the form, and one of your team members contacts them to learn more about their business, the challenges they face, and where you could help them to level up.

They're impressed and decide to hire you. If you hadn’t created this blog post, they may never have learned of your coaching services and hired you. So blogging is an ideal way to grow your company revenue.

5. It provides content that you can repurpose.

If you're thinking about starting a blog for your business, chances are you already have active social accounts. Sometimes knowing what to say on a Facebook post can be challenging. But not anymore.

Most blogs are long-form. If you cover multiple related topics to your keywords in your blogs, you can repurpose this content for social media, a book, course, even webinars.

You want to use a multi-approach to the media because not everyone consumes information in the same way. So there can be people in your target audience who only ever read Instagram posts or watch YouTube videos. By repurposing your content, you reach a wider audience.

Now that you know the five reasons you want to write a blog post, let's look at how to write a blog post that readers can't wait to share.

Blogging for beginners: 12 best practices for writing blog posts that convert

Every blog writer is unique, and what works for some may not work for others. My advice, use this blogging methodology to get you started. As you create more blogs, you'll begin to develop a writing process that works for you.

Here’s my step-by-step method on how to write a blog post:

1: Build your content plan

A content plan is a spreadsheet of topics your audience is interested in. It lays out the strategy you'll use for writing and promoting your blog content in the coming months.

Your content plan needs to cater to the different buyer journeys. Remember, not everyone in your target market is ready to buy immediately. Some might just be looking to educate themselves. Others might only be interested in your basic plan, whereas a few will want to purchase your premium solution.

So when building out your content plan, you want to craft articles that answer your readers' questions at each stage in the buying process.

Keep in mind the following:

• Whom will you be writing for? You want to create topic clusters based on the different needs of your target audience at every stage of their buying journey.
• What are their burning questions? A great way to build out ideas is to answer your clients’ frequently asked questions. These are the questions they type into Google every day. Start listing these FAQs in your content plan. If you're stumped, you need to do market research. Arrange to speak with your top customers, send a questionnaire to your email list, check out social channels or forums to see what your ideal customer is talking about. Figure out why they buy and why they would buy from you.
• Based on your research, brainstorm content ideas . I explain how to infiltrate your target audience here . Check it out.

Let’s talk about the bones of your content plant. It’ll be broken into topic clusters, pillar articles, and cluster content, with internal links pointing from the cluster content to the pillar article.

Important terminology

• Topic cluster - The broad topic you want to rank for. It focuses on a specific buyer journey.
• Pillar article - The main topic or keyword you want to rank for.
• Sub-topic / Cluster content - A keyword-relevant article that supports (is related to) the pillar article. These can be short 600 - 1000 word articles.
• Hyperlinks - Internal links from the pillar article to the cluster content to build broad search engine authority.

For example, your content plan could look something like this:

• Topic cluster: small business marketing
• Pillar article: What is direct response marketing?
• Cluster content:
• 8 Characteristics of a direct response ad
• Emotional direct response copywriting
• Powerful examples of direct response marketing
• What are direct response emails?

Make sure you develop smaller articles around your content plan.

2: Choose a topic that interests your ideal target audience

Before you sit down to write your blog article, you need to choose a topic that engages your readers. If you've already fleshed out your content plan, then select a topic from there.

Make sure it appeals to your readers' wants and needs.

For example, if you’re a specialist cycling shop, you could create a listicle type blog post that details the items a beginner cyclist will need to start off-road cycling. The blog would include a freebie downloadable checklist that the reader can print and bring to a store to check off their purchase items.

3: Identify your focus keyword or phrase

The keyword or phrase is the topic you want to rank for. It's what your readers (potential customers) are searching for each month. This keyword will need to be included in your title tag, article headline, and throughout your blog.

Keyword research is crucial because you want to select a keyword that receives a lot of organic traffic. Remember, organic traffic equals high-value leads.

Choosing something obscure with minimal traffic signals that your readers aren't interested in that topic. So don't waste your time blogging about it.

What is worth considering is the type of keyword you attempt to rank for. Neil Patel found that it's easier to rank for questions or long-tailed keywords than it is to rank for two-word keywords.

For example, by zeroing in on beginner cyclist tips , we can see the potential to get 3,500 organic searches for this topic each month.

The keyword cyclist tips is searched 6,600 times a month. It’s a popular search term which means other sites will be competing for it.

Bike riding tips for beginners receive far less traffic, so this could be a great long-tailed keyword to try and rank for if you’re new to blogging. Your domain authority won’t negatively impact your chance of appearing in the top 10.

Once you've finished with your keyword research, you need to take things a step further.

4: Research

Having identified the topic you want to write about, it's time to see which blogs rank for that keyword and why. AHREFS, Neilpatel.com, and , are all excellent for researching popular keywords.

I'm using Surfer SEO as an example. The image below shows you the top five blog articles ranking on Google for that keyword. These are organic competitors. Here are some of the site benefits:

• It gives you the Title text, URL, and meta-description.
• It also shows the content score out of 100 for that keyword. This number represents how relevant the information within the blog is and the quality of writing. The first article has a ranking of 88 out of 100.
• The following number is the domain authority of the site. It's ranked out of 10, with eight and above high scores.
• And it also shows the article’s word count. SurferSEO will then give you an average word limit to target.

Your goal must be to read at least the top three articles. See what topics they cover. What are the H2 and H3 tags? How many images do they include? Is there an opt-in?

You don't need an SEO program to help you optimize your blog post, but it will massively reduce your research time. For example, includes a SurferSEO includes a BRIEF section listing topics and questions you need to cover.

It also lists words that need to appear in your blog, as well as where they need to appear. For example, the algorithm might say you need to mention the focus keyword every 150 words. Or that the word bike should occur at least 24 times in your blog article. Knowing this helps you to draft your blog post outline.

4: Create a blog outline

Some call it an outline. I prefer the term skeleton structure. It's a rough outline of what you want to write. You’ll want to develop a process that works best for you. Here’s what I like to do:

• Create your skeleton draft (outline).
• Write the headline or post title.
• Determine the H2 and H3 header sections. These are the subtopic ideas that you'll need to flesh out. For example, it could answer the question How do I get better at cycling? And What is a good cycling distance for beginners?
• Within each H2 and H3 section, list keywords or topic ideas that you want to cover. You also want to include some relatable story that makes your readers sit up and say, Yup, this is for me.
• Are you offering a free download? Determine where you'll include this CTA and any others you'd like to drive the reader to.
• Add your conclusion. A conclusion needs to wrap up the gist of your blog post. It should highlight the main points and give the reader something to do. For example, if the post speaks about how to make choux pastry, the conclusion should tell the reader to try it and share their feedback. Was it a success? Can they share their finished product as an image on social? This creates meaningful engagements which lead to social shares and drives organic traffic to your post.

Remember, the purpose of an outline is to show you exactly what information to cover in your post. It makes the process of writing your first draft much easier.

5:  Write your first draft

Now it's time to start writing and flesh out your outline. Again, every writer has a unique process.

I like to edit as I write. So I'll work on a section until I feel it's 95% perfect. Other bloggers prefer just to write and get their rough draft done. Then they'll go back over their writing and finesse it.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind.

Set yourself a deadline

Most writers work best on a deadline. You know you need to have completed keyword research by this date, a draft by another date, etc. Adding a deadline means you have to get your act together and get things done.

Block off time to write

It can easily take an hour to get into a writing zone, so block off a day just to write. It'll take you far longer to complete your blog if you're allocating an hour here and there.

Leave your headline until last

Writing headlines is an art form. It takes skill. Not only do you need to entice your readers, but you also have to answer to search engines.

So you need to include your keywords in the headline and make it clickbait-able. I’ll only finalise the headline once the first draft is completed. I don't necessarily know how many steps or points I'll share, so leave your headline until last.

Craft a compelling introduction

The best bloggers craft an introduction that readers literally cannot look away from.

Think of a car accident. A truck ploughs into a 4x4. You know it's a gruesome scene. Somebody has likely died. But still, you've slowed down to 5 miles an hour—not to be safe but so you can crane your neck and eyeball the damage.

So you want your introduction to be unmissable because if it's not, your readers won’t keep reading. Make sure your introduction includes your keywords in the opening line, states the problem you'll solve, and contains a little story.

Add interesting stats (data your readers can trust)

Readers love data. It gives your advice or suggestions credibility. For example, why would I take up email writing just because you say I should. But if you include a stat like email marketing generates $38 for every $1 spent, well, you've got my attention.

The thing is, you need reputable information. If only 100 people were surveyed, taking data as the gospel truth isn't concrete evidence that the wider population shares those opinions. So make sure you check your facts.

• Who conducted the research?
• How many people took part in the focus group or survey?
• Are they part of the target market?
• Was evidence given to confirm the claims made? For example, did the report show examples of different company's campaign results? Don't blindly accept information—question everything.

Give away stuff for free

Let's be honest. People love free stuff. Whether that's a coupon, free trial, eBook, t-shirt, whatever, people love it. IP intellectual property is just as powerful. It's something you own and can brand. It could be a:

• Guide to blogging
• Template for building out your content plan or writing your first press release
• List of the best performing subject lines
• Video series

It gets leads to opt into your website. From there, you just need to market to them until they buy. So make sure you're grabbing your readers’ attention with a free giveaway.

Be prepared to walk away

Writer's block is a reality. There will be times when it feels like you've vomited nonsense onto the page. Step away and do something else. Trying to push through will only result in frustration and feeling like you've achieved nothing that day.

Double-check the final document

Once you've finished writing, you want to re-read your blog post and ask yourself the following:

• Have you answered the question?
• Does it flow? Is there any area where the writing is clunky or disjointed? Are there sentences that you can break up or shorten?
• Have you used transition words?
• Are your subheadings distributed evenly?
• Is it in your company's voice?
• Is it written in first-person narration and second-person narration? We want to address the audience directly, so use words like you and your.
• Have you broken up large chunks of texts? Walls of text are scary for most readers. It feels overwhelming, and this can be a turnoff. Instead, you want to use bullet points, numbers, bold, and italics to break the content into bite-size pieces of information which are easy to digest.

Use Grammarly to help you iron out confusing sentences, incorrect grammar, spelling mistakes, and get rid of plagiarized sentences.

Don't be afraid to reorganize your outline

If you think a topic needs to come higher up, move it. If something feels unnecessary, cut it. Basically, if you're questioning why you've included something, it probably doesn't need to be there.

6: Optimize your blog post using an SEO tool like SurferSEO or Page Optimizer Pro

The best way to optimize your blog post is to use a content editor like SurferSEO . It highlights words and phrases you need to cover in your article, and it will give you a content score out of 100, so you know where improvements can be made.

Here's how you can make sure your blog post is SEO compliant:

• Does it link to your pillar article?
• Does it meet the word limit?
• Have you met the header and bolded text count?
• Have you used enough images? Again, images can break up walls of black and white text.
• Have you ticked most of the keywords? (SurferSEO gives you the keywords that need to appear in your blog post. They will turn green once you’ve met the count for that particular word. See the image below.)
• Are there any keywords that you’ve used too much (in red)? Can you replace some of these with similar words?

7: Edit your writing

The best editors don't write. They specialize in taking your shiny blog post and turning it into a masterpiece. They'll identify where you need to build on a statement, or remove something. They'll pick up grammar and spelling mistakes or deviations from your copywriting style guide.

But if you can't afford an editor, consider purchasing a subscription to Grammarly. It'll do much of the legwork that an editor would. You can also use Hemingways Editor to determine the reading level of your writing. It'll help you to rewrite complex sentences, so they're more readable.

Top tip: If you can't afford an editor, give yourself a day or two between completing the final draft and editing it. You need fresh eyes to edit, and you're more likely to miss obvious mistakes if you immediately dive into editing.

8: Design images for your blog

Long-form blogs need images. Even short-form blogs should include a picture.

Images form a vital component of your blog article. Visuals draw the reader in, break up walls of text, highlight important points or ideas, and explain complex ideas. Plus, Google indexes them.

So be sure to add designed visuals. You can use a program like Canva to create professional-looking visuals without needing a design degree.

9: Format your blog and write your SEO title, slug, and meta description

Once your images and copy deck is approved, place your article into the Content Management System and format it.

• Format it into H1, H2, H3 tags, etc.
• Add in your images and fill in the alt text (alternative text).
• Check all hyperlinks work.
• Include CTAs in your post.
• Write an SEO title that differs from your blog headline.
• Write an enticing meta-description that encourages the reader to click to learn more. Don't assume they will. Include some sort of instruction like, “See for yourself; click to find out more. ”
• Choose a featured image for social sharing.
• Add the publishing date.

Then you need to market it. But not just any marketing will do. In The 1-Page Marketing Plan Course I show you the exact techniques I've used to start, grow, and exit several multi-million dollar businesses, so you can too. Tell Me More

10: Hit Publish

Once you've completed your checks, publish the post. Do a final once-over to ensure all links are opening in new tabs and to make sure the opt-ins work.

11: Add internal links to your blog article

Until your blog goes live, you can't add internal links. But make no mistake, internal linking is a vital part of writing. It says to Google that it's an important topic. So straight after publishing your post, add five to 10 internal links to your new blog post.

Then submit it to Google Search Console. This allows your blog to be crawled and hopefully for search engines to start sending organic traffic your way.

12: Promote your blog post on social media

Lastly, you want to promote your blog post on social media. Share it on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Create a similar article on LinkedIn and include a backlink to the original post. The more social shares, the more likely it is for your blog post to be found online.

So that's my exact process on how to write a blog post that doesn't just rank. It also gets read and shared. Now let's take a quick look at some of the tools new bloggers and seasoned ones need to succeed.

Tools every blogger needs to write a great blog post

Take a look at the following must-have tools:

• Make sure to use Grammarly to check spelling and grammar.
• You can also use Hemingways Editor to determine the reading level of your writing.
• Optimize your article with a tool like SurferSEO or Page Optimizer Pro .
• AHREFS and Quora are great for researching topic ideas.

And that's how to write a post

It doesn't matter if you're new to blogging or you’ve been blogging for years. Following these steps will help you to bring your A-game to every blog post you write.

Remember, it’s about drawing your readers in, piquing their interest early, and giving them something valuable to take away and a reason to come back for more.

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How to Write a Blog Post For Beginners (From Start to Finish)

Want to master blog writing as a beginner? You’re in the right spot!

With over a decade of blogging experience and mentoring countless budding writers, I’m here to share the secrets of crafting compelling posts. Ready to elevate your blogging game? Dive in!

How to write a blog post for beginners:

1. learn to navigate wordpress.

To start, it’s crucial to familiarize yourself with WordPress, a popular and free content management system on the web. Whether you’re looking to attract an audience or generate consistent traffic, WordPress is your reliable companion. Upon logging into your WordPress account, navigate to “posts,” and click on “add new.” Here, you’ll find an array of tools to format your blog post, including areas to add a title, insert media, and create different types of headings. WordPress also enables you to choose a theme , italicize and bolden text, add lists and blockquotes, align text, add links, and even set up a specific publish time and date. It’s also crucial to add your blog post to the appropriate category and optimize it for a specific keyword using an SEO plugin like Rank Math SEO.

One of the most essential things in writing a blog post, or any other written composition is choosing a topic. This will dictate where you need to go to conclude.

2. Choose the Right Topic

Choosing the right topic for your blog post is both an art and a science. According to HubSpot, posts that answer common questions and explain “how-to”s perform well. People just love practical knowledge. But, finding a topic isn’t just about what’s trendy or engaging. It should also have potential for search visibility – after all, Ahrefs tells us that over 90% of pages get no traffic from Google .

To choose the right topic, consider these strategies:

• Explore Industry Buzz: Visit industry forums, competitor blogs, and social media platforms. What’s everyone talking about? You can provide a fresh perspective on these subjects.
• Leverage Google Trends : This tool allows you to identify emerging keywords in your field. Spot a topic on the brink of popularity, and your blog could ride the wave of interest.
• Balance Passion and Interest: Adobe says 33% of consumers subscribe to emails for their “interesting and informative content.” So, while it’s vital to write about what you love, it’s equally important that your audience finds it interesting.

In essence, smart topic selection involves balancing your passion, industry insights, and keyword research. That’s the secret sauce for a blog post that truly resonates.

3. Engage with Your Audience

Every blogger dreams of having an engaged audience . But how do you go about understanding them better?

Here are a few proven strategies:

• Survey Your Readers: Quick, easy, and direct – nothing beats a good old survey. Ask your audience about their interests, pain points, and expectations from your blog. You’d be surprised how much you can learn from their responses.
• Dive into Analytics: Platforms like Google Analytics can provide profound insights about your audience. You can uncover demographic details, interests, and even what content they engage with most.
• Monitor Comments and Engagements: Pay close attention to your blog’s comment section and your social media interactions. Which posts spark the most debate or shares? The answers will tell you what topics your audience truly cares about.
• Follow Industry Trends: Sign up for industry newsletters, and attend webinars and events. This will help you stay in tune with what’s happening and what your audience might find relevant.

Remember, understanding your audience isn’t a one-time task but an ongoing process. The more effort you put into knowing your readers, the more effective your blog posts will be.

4. Structure Your Blog Post

As a writer, your attention is your most precious asset. WordPress offers a distraction-free writing mode, ensuring that your focus remains intact. If you’re writing on the go, Google Docs is another fantastic platform that seamlessly integrates with WordPress. An enticing title is the foundation of a compelling blog post. I recommend that you focus on a specific keyword that users search for online. Free tools like Google’s auto-suggest feature can help you narrow down your focus. Alternatively, advanced tools like SemRush offer more detailed insights about the search volume and keyword difficulty in specific geographic locations. When drafting your blog post, ensure it follows a time-tested structure: title, introduction, body (including headings, subheadings, and images), conclusion, and call to action. A well-crafted outline can make the writing process smoother and alleviate writer’s block.

Let’s take a blog post on “garden office ideas” as an example. Here is a potential outline:

1. introduction, 2. here are the best garden office ideas you can try:.

• Greenhouse Office
• Garden Pod Office
• Repurposed Shed Office
• Treehouse Office
• Outdoor Office With a View
• Plant Walls and Air Purifying Plants
• Zen Garden Office
• Floral Pergola Office
• Container Office
• Deck Office
• Minimalist Garden Office
• Themed Garden Office
• Wildlife-friendly Office
• Mobile Garden Office
• Solar-Powered Office

3. Conclusion

Using tools like the distraction-free mode, you can turn this outline into a comprehensive blog post.

There are several writing and blogging tools available online that will not cost you a cent. Learn to take advantage of those.

5. Leverage Writing Tools

The writing process can be enhanced using several strategies and tools. Set a timer for focused writing sessions, for instance, 30 or 60 minutes, depending on your comfort level. This technique can help you stay on track and increase your productivity. When writing for the web, your language should be simple, engaging, and easy to read. Use writing and blogging tools like the Hemingway Editor to analyze your sentences’ readability. Grammarly and ProWritingAid can assist in spotting spelling or grammatical errors. Once you finish your initial draft, take a break and return to it later for editing. Text-to-speech apps like Natural Reader can help you identify any flow issues in your writing.

6. Master SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is essential for attracting organic traffic. Once your post is ready, focus on optimizing your keyword placement in the title, meta description, URL, and the first paragraph. Google algorithms prioritize pages where keywords are strategically inserted. Additionally, plugins like Rank Math SEO offer guidance to improve your post’s SEO , from a readability score to keyword density. Don’t forget about the meta description – this summary of your article shows up under the title in search engine results. It should include your keyword and be around 150 characters long to entice clicks.

7. Enhance Visual Appeal

Images and graphics can make your blog post more engaging. Canva Pro offers an easy-to-use platform to create attractive visuals. When uploading these images to WordPress, ensure you use descriptive titles and alt tags to further boost SEO. Embedding videos from YouTube or other sources can also increase dwell time, which positively impacts SEO rankings.

8. Linking Strategies

Links are a valuable part of any blog post. Internal links guide readers to other relevant content on your blog, increasing dwell time and page views. They also help Google understand your blog’s structure and content. If you intend to monetize your blog through affiliate marketing, then you must strategically insert affiliate links in your articles. External links, on the other hand, lend credibility to your post and provide additional resources for your readers. They also serve as a signal to Google that your content is well-researched and reliable. However, ensure the linked websites are trustworthy and relevant to your content.

9. Create a Content Calendar

Juggling blog ideas, writing, editing, and publishing can turn into a chaotic mess without a proper plan. A Content Calendar is a blogger’s best friend.

• Identify Key Themes: What are the main topics or themes that resonate with your audience? It could be anything from ‘Home Gardening Tips’ to ‘DIY Decor Ideas’. Categorize your content to streamline your ideas.
• Frequency of Posts: Determine how often you want to publish. Do you prefer the steady rhythm of daily short posts or the impact of a detailed weekly article? The key is consistency.
• Plan Ahead: Use a digital calendar or a spreadsheet to map out your posting schedule for the next month or quarter. Plug in holidays or special events related to your blog’s niche.
• Specify Content Details: For each post, list the working title, keywords, and a summary of what the post will cover. This will serve as your roadmap when writing.
• Update Regularly: A content calendar isn’t set in stone. It’s a dynamic tool. Regularly review and update it based on your audience’s response or trending topics.

Remember, a content calendar is not about confining your creativity, but about providing structure to your blog, making it easier for you to consistently produce high-quality content .

Always preview your blog post before publishing, to ensure that your article is all correct, highly readable, and visually appealing.

10. Review and Publish

Finally, take the time to review your blog post thoroughly before publishing. Use the preview mode in WordPress to see how your post will look when published. Check your formatting, links, images, and overall structure. If everything is in order, hit “publish,” and your post will go live. Remember, blogging isn’t a one-and-done process. Continually review your analytics, revise your content, and engage with your audience to build a successful blog.

Final Thoughts

I highlighted the most essential things you need to know on how to write a blog post for beginners. Take these steps to heart and be consistent and intentional in growing your blog, and soon, you will reap its benefits, both the tangibles and intangible ones. Congratulations! You’re now ready to write your first blog post. As you become more comfortable with the process, you’ll find blogging to be a rewarding experience that can connect you with readers worldwide. Happy writing! Next up, you may want to explore a guide on the top affiliate link-tracking solutions .

Digital marketing course: Join my full AI Marketing course, with over 6h and 30 minutes of video lessons and 5 bonuses and learn the skills necessary to thrive as a marketer in the digital era.

Rafal Reyzer

Hey there, welcome to my blog! I'm a full-time entrepreneur building two companies, a digital marketer, and a content creator with 10+ years of experience. I started RafalReyzer.com to provide you with great tools and strategies you can use to become a proficient digital marketer and achieve freedom through online creativity. My site is a one-stop shop for digital marketers, and content enthusiasts who want to be independent, earn more money, and create beautiful things. Explore my journey here , and don't miss out on my AI Marketing Mastery online course.

Carmine Mastropierro

How to write a blog post for beginners [in-depth guide].

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Blogging is fun and has the potential to make you great money.

It’s also very effective for generating leads if you’re a business owner.

Heck, 53% of B2B marketers say blogging is their top priority for content marketing.

No matter your goals, you need to be prepared before you begin writing.

Otherwise, you’ll face writer’s block, become unorganized, and demotivated.

Today I’m going to teach you how to write a good blog post, ways to promote them, platforms you can use, and more.

By the end of this article, you will be 10x the writer.

What is a blog, anyway?

It seems like everyone and their mom is blogging nowadays.

People make 6 figures from running a blog, the biggest news outlets are essentially just blogs, and it’s never been easier to begin.

Blogging is surprisingly young, too. It’s popularity boomed within the last 5 to 10 years.

The first-ever blog was published in 1994 by a Swarthmore College student named Justin Hall.

Look at this thing!

It looks like it’s straight out of the 90’s. Oh, maybe because it is .

3 years later in 1997, Jorn Barger coined the term weblog( read web-log) and started the blog Robot Wisdom. He used this website to log his web use.

News reporter Jonathan Dube blogged about Hurricane Bonnie in 1998 for The Charlotte Observer . This was the first recorded case of a news blog.

Then in 1999, famous programmer Peter Merholz dubbed the term blog , shortened from webblog.

Back then, blogging was inefficient. There weren’t WordPress or any modern content management systems.

That meant you had to manually update code, archives, and had to be fairly technically sophisticated to blog.

But two entrepreneurs, Evan Williams and Meg Hourihan, had different plans. They launched one of the world’s first blogging platforms, Blogger . It’s still around to this day.

The Dot Com bubble gave rise to blogging in astronomical numbers. In the year 2000, there were only a handful of blogs. You can still see the original list compiled by Jesse Garrett.

In  Tapscott & Williams book, Social Software and Web 2.0 Technology , they found that there 50 million blogs by 2006 .

Blogging grew up faster than your high school crush.

Many original blogs were focused around politics, and politicians like Howard Dean even used them for promoting campaigns. Talk about pioneering content marketing !

Around 2001 is when tutorials, guides, and how-to style articles became popular. So many people were blogging that users had to find a way to stand out.

Websites like Huffington Post were launched around this time, too.

WordPress, my favourite CMS ever, was released in 2003 and now accounts for around 30% of all sites on the internet.

In that same year, Google Adsense was born. This allowed bloggers to monetize their websites, and famous writers like John Chow began teaching people how to do so.

By the mid to late 2000s, every major news outlet had a blog. Businesses began to realize the importance of sharing information and jumped on board, as well.

There was plenty of collaboration back then, too. Even more than nowadays. CNN would pair up with Mashable writers, Techcrunch and AOL, etc.

It’s crazy how far blogging has come. Where do you think it’s heading? Are we going to be blogging in virtual reality? Only using voice to speech?

With that brief history lesson out of the way, here’s where to start a blog of your own.

Where to write a blog

If you want to learn how to blog, you need a website first. You can only really learn from experience.

Luckily we’re in a time where there are dozens of blogging platforms — and most are free.

Here are two of the most popular ones and how to get started.

Blogging with WordPress

Bloggers on WordPress publish a total of 70+ million posts per month .

To join in on the fun, visit www.wordpress.com and sign up for a free account.

Enter your email, a username, and create a secure password on the next page.

I recommend using the free password generator from LastPass . You can adjust the settings however you like and copy the finished product.

Then you have to tell WordPress a bit about your site. What’s the title going to be? It should reflect what you’re going to blog about.

Select a relevant category from the dropdown menu below this.

Select as many primary goals as you like, too. The first option is ideal if you just plan to write content .

The next step is to choose a domain. This is the address to find your blog.

Type in a name in the search bar to see if it’s available.

I recommend starting off with a free domain, as you can always upgrade later.

Lastly, choose your plan.

The free package is great for getting your feet wet. If you want extra features later, you can do so in a snap.

You can begin writing your first entry by selecting “Add” beside “Blog Posts”.

Blogging on Weebly

Weebly is underrated. They have an awesome CMS, drag-and-drop website builder, and give you features that normally aren’t free.

My genuine opinion is that it doesn’t matter what platform you choose.

I’ve used them all and each one has its own pros and cons.

Here’s how to get started with Weebly: visit their homepage and sign up from the top right.

You can log in through Facebook, Google, or create an account from scratch — whatever you prefer.

On the following page, choose whether or not you’d like to sell online. This will determine how Weebly sets up your site.

For blogging purposes, choose the first option.

Next, choose a theme. It makes sense to click the “Blog” filter and pick one of those.

Wait for Weebly to design your site.

You can write your first blog post by clicking “New post” on the bottom right with the blog page selected.

Now that you know how to get a free website up and running, let’s take a look at how to begin a blog post.

How to start a blog post

You’re staring at an empty white screen waiting for an idea to pop up in your head.

I’ve been there, too.

It’s one of the intimidating steps of writing a blog post.

How do you think of ideas? How do you plan the article? These are questions that are bound to come up.

Here’s how to plan and organize your blog posts, and make introductions that hook readers.

Deciding on a topic

The topic of your blog post mostly depends on your goals.

Are you trying to generate leads? Are you blogging for fun?

Either way, I suggest trying out the free tool www.answerthepublic.com .

Type in any word and it will give you dozens of ideas related to it.

For businesses trying to attract leads, consider what questions they have. What are they struggling with? What do they need help about?

Take these questions and answer them in the form of blog posts. You’ll get users high-quality visitors that can convert to paying clients.

Leads generated from SEO have a 14.6% close rate , which is spectacular.

Back to the software. Download all of the results as a spreadsheet for easy viewing if you want.

But, don’t stop there. See all of those questions that Answer The Public gave me from my search? Those aren’t just topic ideas, they are also great keywords for SEO.

You can sprinkle these in your content to make it more valuable and to drive more organic traffic. You’ll be learning how to do more in-depth keyword research in a moment.

Another tool you’ll kick yourself if you don’t use is BuzzSumo . It shows you all of the most popular content in your niche for ideas and inspiration.

Type in a topic idea. BuzzSumo displays the top posts in a chosen time frame, with the number of backlinks and social engagement.

This is amazing for finding trending topics that you can hop on like a wave.

Researching keywords

Don’t worry if you’re not an SEO wizard. Keyword research is a priceless skill, easy to learn, and has a great ROI.

It will aid in driving traffic to your blog, which can be turned into money — you’ll learn about that after 💰

I’m going to use Google’s Keyword Planner and I recommend following along. Sign up for a free Google Ads account if you don’t one have.

You can choose the keyword planner under the tools dropdown.

This will give you a prompt to enter a keyword. The phrase should be related to the individual blog post.

I like to center articles around one main keyword and a few secondary ones.

This is what you will see on the next page. Here’s what you need to know:

• You can download all of the keyword ideas as a spreadsheet from the top right.
• The main metric to look at is the average monthly searches .
• You want a blend of low, medium, and high competition phrases.
• Type keywords into Google and look at the number of results. The less, the better. Aim for under 1 million.

Remember the keywords you found using AnswerThePublic? Plug those in, too. It’s fine if they have a low search volume. Just sprinkle them in for more potential traffic.

But, this raises the next question. Where do you actually place keywords?

I’m going to save you hours of time right now. You don’t need to bore yourself going through 50,000 SEO guides . Here’s where to place keywords:

• In the title of the blog post
• Within the first paragraph
• As headers(H1, H2, H3, etc)
• As the alt text and file names of images
• Naturally throughout the body

It’s as simple as that. Just stick to a basic blueprint and traffic will pour in like maple syrup on pancakes.

The great thing about SEO is that a little bit is better than none. Gradually learn more and it will compound over time.

If you’re interested in different keyword research tools, check out these reviews I’ve done:

• Ubersuggest Review – Is It Worth it?
• KWFinder Review | Pricing, Features, and More
• Wordtracker Review and Quick Use Guide

Feel free to reach out to me to learn more about my Toronto SEO services as well.

How to write a blog introduction

You have the keywords.

You have the topic to write about.

Now, how the hell do you write a good intro?

I like to do it in one of a few ways:

• State an interesting statistic about the topic.
• Make a bold statement that catches attention.
• Ask a relevant question.

That should be the first line or two. It hooks them in.

Then I like to use some age-old copywriting formulas, such as:

Pain, agitate, solve

Identify the pain they are experiencing, agitate it some more, and then tell them how your blog post will solve it.

Let’s say you’re writing about puppies barking too much. You could start the article off with “Is your puppy keeping you up at night with his barking?” (Pain)

You’d follow this up with “This can cause you to lose sleep, hurting your productivity, mood, and daily life”. (Agitate)

Then you’d finish it off with “In this blog post, I’m going to teach you 5 simple ways to stop your puppy from barking.” (Solve)

Professor of social psychology at Florida State University, Roy F. Baumeister, spoke about this extensively in his book Bad is Stronger Than Good .

Roy talks about how psychologically we react, think about, and are impacted more by negative events than positive ones.

When you tug on a reader’s soft spot, it grabs their attention and they crave an answer.

AIDA – Attention, interest, desire, action

I was just reading about this in  The Copywriter’s Handbook  by Robert Bly. AIDA works like this:

• Attention : Grab the attention of the reader first with an exciting headline and intro.
• Interest : Use interesting and new information to inform them why they should be interested in your blog post.
• Desire : Tell them what they are going to get out of it.
• Action : Create a strong call to action .

You already know how to write a good intro, so that covers the attention aspect.

To gain interest, tell the readers why the topic is important. Let’s say you’re writing on content marketing. It’s important because it generates traffic, improves trust, and establishes you as a thought leader.

Then, talk about what’s in it for them. Continuing with content marketing , it will lead to more revenue, clients, and business opportunities. Simple, right?

Finally, tell them what to do next — which is reading the rest of the article. Calls to action like “Keep reading to Learn X ” or “Don’t miss out on the information below” are favourites of mine.

How to write a good blog post

It takes some writers years to become a good blogger.

It seems so simple. You just write about whatever you want and the traffic pours in.

Eh, not so fast.

Writing a good blog post takes skill, practice, and has a science behind it.

I’ve been writing for 6+ years and I’m going to tell you exactly how to write a blog post that ranks on Google and gets your audience drooling for more.

Word count matters

Who wants to read a 300-500 word blog post? Just about no one.

The reality is you can’t fit that much value into short articles, which is why long-form content is trending right now.

Look at this study that SerpIQ did . They found that the average #1 position on Google was 2,450 words.

That seems like a lot. And it is.

But long-form content answers more questions, provides extra resources, and is much more valuable .

You’ll rank for tons of keywords and receive more social shares, too.

Hard work always pays off.

I recommend breaking down long articles into several writing sessions if you’re new to producing long content. Churning out 2,000 to 3,000 words in one go can be daunting otherwise.

To speed up the process, take the time to structure blog posts before you begin by:

• Creating the headlines for the major points you’d like to touch on.
• Creating sub-headlines for points under the main ideas.
• Placing ideas, keywords, and notes under the above.
• Compiling resources to help you write and to use for inspiration.

It will look something like this:

This prevents you from getting stumped about what to write next.

I also highly suggest that you read my article on overcoming writers block . It details eight effective methods to speed up your writing process and never get stuck again.

You’re not writing a newspaper or a letter. Blog posts are meant to be fun, casual, and personable.

Have you ever come across an article that was pure blocks of text? It’s more boring than 10th grade economics.

That’s why the key to a good blog post is proper formatting .

Remember, header tags are your friends. You’ll seldom need anything beyond H1, H2, and H3 tags, but they are available.

Use headers to break down your article into digestible pieces. It helps to organize your main points and thoughts.

I also recommend using short sentences and paragraphs . This makes blog posts easier to read. A study in 2008 found that users only read about 20% of what’s on a page, anyway.

Think about yourself. Rarely will you read an article word by word. Instead, you scroll through and find exactly what you need — hence why headers are so important.

Keep your vocabulary simple, as well. This isn’t a scholarly article or peer-reviewed journal. You have no one to impress with big words.

If your content is difficult to read or navigate, users will bounce. A user that bounces isn’t going to buy a product from you, click an affiliate link, or opt into an email funnel.

Another formatting technique I suggest is bullet points and lists . I’ve used quite a few in this article. They make digesting quick information easier and act as nice breaks from paragraphs of text.

Lastly, use lots of images . Videos are good, too. Commercial-use image sites like Pixabay and Unsplash are perfect for stock photos.

But, you also need infographics, charts, and other interesting visuals. Canva will do just the trick. It’s a free graphic design app that has templates for everything imaginable.

Sign up and choose which type of account you’d like.

Choose “Create a design” from the left sidebar once you’re logged in.

Select which kind of design you’d like to create.

Infographics are fun and engaging images that contain useful stats and info. I recommend including one in every blog post if possible. They are shared and re-posted frequently, as well. This helps with driving more traffic to your website and earning backlinks.

Canva can also be used to make professional featured images, quotes, and other material to make your content pop with life.

Concluding a blog post

You wipe the sweat off of your forehead. 3,000 words later, you’re finally done.

But wait. You still need to write a conclusion. You faint 😱

Don’t worry, it’s not that bad. Concluding blog posts is pretty simple.

The goal of the conclusion is to wrap up the major points. Readers aren’t going to remember every detail, so it should summarize the main takeaways.

Briefly touch on what every section was about and the most important action to take.

Finish it with a call to action, and you’re done!

The call to action can be for opting into a newsletter , buying a course, pitching your services, or anything you’d like. It can even be a call to action to go use the knowledge the reader learned in the article.

How to promote your blog

Until you build up plenty of content and your SEO is shiner than a Ferrari, you won’t get too many people stopping by your blog.

Sorry, but it’s just how it works.

But here’s the deal.

You can still attract tons of users to your website before this. You just need to know how to promote your blog posts, and that’s what you’re going to learn ahead.

None of this costs a dime and can generate hundreds of visitors per day or more.

Promoting blog posts with social media

There are over 3 billion active social media users . That means almost half of the earth’s population is posting selfies and sliding into DM’s. Okay, maybe not exactly, but you get the point.

Social media allows you to place blog posts in front of a massive audience and to build a fan base.

I’ll be touching on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram next, but also make sure to check out my article on promoting blog posts with Pinterest .

How to promote your blog on Twitter

Twitter is universally a good platform, to begin with. It’s easy to share content and to engage with followers.

Create an account and spend time putting together an impressive profile. It should have a link to your blog, a high-quality avatar, and a cool cover photo.

Every time you publish a blog post, share it with your followers.

Use hashtags to get your content in front of the right eyes.

And I already know what you’re thinking: “But, I don’t have any followers.”

That’s alright. Here’s how to get some instantly:

• Search for users in your niche
• Navigate to their follower page
• Follow these users

After a day or two, unfollow the users that didn’t follow you back. Repeat this process until your Twitter famous.

You might think I’m joking, but people do this until they have hundreds of thousands of people following them. It works insanely well.

Make sure to take the time to Tweet at others and reply to messages. Social media is used to be social , after all.

How to promote your blog on Instagram

Remember, when you’re using social media for promoting, it’s not all about just pushing your content into follower’s faces. You want them to get to know you and to build a real brand.

That means showing personal aspects of your life. No, I don’t mean you in your underwear eating Cheeto’s. I mean sharing your thoughts, advice, and pictures of behind the scenes action.

Gary Vaynerchuk is a good example of how to set up an Instagram account .

He has his website linked in his bio with a call to action, a nice display picture, and a bio that sums up his life.

Note how he posts original content with his own quotes, too. He also shares snippets of videos and podcasts that he’s been apart of.

Use Instagram’s live mode and stories feature to further engage with your followers. Stories specifically are ideal for showing you hard at work and new things you’re up to.

One more thing: always use the 80/20 rule . This means that 80% of your content should provide value and the remaining 20% can be promotional.

Use the same follow/unfollow method from Twitter and your Instagram followers will soar.

How to promote your blog on Facebook

I believe that Facebook has the most potential for promoting blog posts , and for one reason — Facebook groups .

Think about it.

There are groups related to what you write about with tens of thousands of users in them. You can place your content in front of them to eat up.

And you don’t just share your content in one group. You should with  dozens of groups. Imagine the magnitude of how many people you can reach.

I know you’re excited. So before you pee your pants, head over to Facebook and type in a keyword into the search bar.

Click the group’s tab and you’ll be given tons of communities to join.

Some will require extra information before you can, but many you can enter with the click of a button.

Once you are accepted, you can share your blog posts in these groups. But, here’s the catch.

You need to remain active, respond to comments, and engage with other members. Otherwise you will be kicked out for spamming.

When you do post an article, ask a question or use a call to action.

This attracts comments and makes your contribution more genuine.

I use this strategy to drive hundreds of users in a single day — you can, too.

Hacker News

Started by entrepreneur Paul Graham, Hacker News is a content sharing website that was launched in 2007.

The platform is completely free and is perfect for submitting your latest blog posts.

Glen Allsopp from Moz did a case study where he drove over 3,000 users with Hacker News alone.

To get started, click the submit button and sign up for free account. You don’t need to verify your email.

Enter a URL and title for your submission. Click “Submit” and you’re good to go.

If Lady Luck is on your side, it might go viral. If not, you will still get some users trickling in.

How to start a blog business

Blogging can make you some serious money. Look at Jim Wang. He started a blog , and in 5 years sold it for $3 million. Not bad.

Jim isn’t a super genius or an alien. He was a software engineer before he hit this home run, and it’s possible for you to achieve similar success as well.

Once your blog is up and running, there are several ways to monetize it. You can focus on one, or use several of the following strategies.

Affiliate marketing

Imagine being able to kick back and see passive income rolling in while you’re in pyjamas. Not to brag, but I actually do that some times 🙂

What helps me, like many bloggers, achieve this lifestyle? Affiliate marketing .

It’s one of the oldest business models in the book. You promote another business’s products and gain commissions. It’s as simple as that.

You don’t worry about customer service, inventory, or any extra responsibilities. You just refer the sale.

There’s never been an easier time to get into affiliate marketing and earn some cash, either. It’s projected that by 2019, global affiliate spending will be close to $6 billion .

That means there will be more opportunities for you as an affiliate. I recommend getting started with Amazon’s affiliate program. It’s free to join and you can instantly promote products.

But listen to me real quick.

You should have at least a few dozen users per day before monetizing because they’ll give you the boot if you don’t generate 3 sales within 180 days.

To get the ball rolling, sign up for an account.

Go through the steps of signing up. It only takes a couple of minutes and you’ll gain access to the platform right away.

The dashboard displays an earnings overview and a monthly summary. These will keep you aware of your progress and motivated to keep hustling.

Enter a keyword in the search bar to find product links.

Here you will find every product on Amazon and the option to generate an affiliate link. The standard link types are text, image, and text plus image. Click “Get link” to choose one of these.

This will bring you to the customize page. Choose your options and then copy the code it generates. You will need to paste this into WordPress, Weebly, or whichever blogging platform that you use.

Don’t place too many affiliate links in your content, though. Google doesn’t like it and neither do your readers. Stick to a couple of relevant products sprinkled through, and will get you some nice passive income.

I highly recommend searching for niche affiliate programs down the road. Amazon is great, but they don’t pay big commissions. Other programs offer hundreds or thousands of dollars for a single referral.

Search Google for:

• Keyword + “affiliate program”
• Keyword + “become an affiliate”
• Keyword + “reseller”

This will help you find programs to apply to, and the process works the exact same. You take products, banners, or other links, and paste them into your content.

Write an e-book

Have you ever wanted to become an author? Then this is your time to shine.  266 million e-books were sold in 2017 and that number is only going up.

Selling e-books is a quick and easy way to make money from a blog. You don’t have to fret about physical inventory because it’s digital, thus it becomes passive income.

I wrote an in-depth guide on writing e-books if you want to check that out afterward, too.

And e-books don’t have to be full-blown novels. I sell quite a few e-books and they don’t usually go beyond 50 pages. The important thing is that you pack knowledge and value into them.

I recommend signing up for Amazon’s Kindle Direct Program . This allows you to earn up to 70% royalties on your books sold through Amazon.

You get to leverage the world’s biggest e-commerce marketplace completely for free, too.

But, you don’t want to write about just anything. You want to find small niches where there’s little to no competition. This helps generate more sales and you will become an authority author for that topic.

Navigate to Amazon’s book section and search for keywords related to what you’d like to write about. Find keywords and topics that have a few hundred results or less.

I searched for “blogging” and as you could guess, it’s extremely competitive with over 5,000 results.

If I had searched for “WordPress blogging” or “Weebly blogging”, the results would be much lower. Always take your idea and narrow it down to something more specific .

Once you’re confident on the topic, it’s time to get writing!

Take the time to plan out your book — don’t go balls to the walls out of the gate.

Brainstorm ideas for:

• The introduction
• All of the chapter headers
• Sub points and content for each chapter

It should look very similar to the blog outline I showed you how to create earlier.  The writing process is a lot easier and faster when you make one.

Ensure that you follow Amazon’s book formatting guide for the best results.

Once you’ve finished your book, you need an attractive cover. This will garner attention and clicks.

I use Canva’s book cover templates to this day. I add high-quality images from websites like Pixabay or Unsplash, and they look very professional.

When you’re ready to publish your book, select the eBook option under “Create a New Title” on the KDP dashboard.

The title and subtitle should include extra keywords to generate more traffic. Add a pen name or use your real name under the author section.

Take the time to write a great description, too. Use header tags to create different sections, and use a call to action like “Buy this book if you want to learn X.”

I’d recommend keeping your publishing rights, otherwise, you don’t own your material.

The next step is to enter up to 7 related keywords to help users find your book.

Past this, you will need to upload your manuscript and cover photo. Pricing your book at $2.99 at 70% royalties leaves you with $2, but you could charge more if you prefer.

Promote these books on your blog and you’ll see the money rolling in.

Sell courses

Similar to e-books, courses allow you to teach your readers while earning revenue.

You don’t have to be the best teacher in the world to sell courses, either. You just need to be an expert at what you offer.

I know an entrepreneur named Rick that made $180,000 in one month from selling financial courses. That’s $1.8 million per year 😱

There are tons of platforms available to help you create courses. Udemy and Khan Academy are two that come to mind.

If you’re lucky enough to use WordPress, you can install free course plugins to sell directly through your website.

The first step is to determine what you’d like to teach. What skills or knowledge do you have that you could offer to your readers?

Just like a blog post or book, take the time to plan out every unit, module, and quiz. Courses can be purely written, or you can include videos and audio.

Check out my courses for inspiration.

Summing up blogging

Blogging is a priceless tool for generating new customers. It’s also a fun hobby and an easy way to generate passive income.

The first step is to choose your platform. WordPress and Weebly are very popular, but Tumblr, Wix, and Blogger are other options.

To speed up the process of writing, brainstorm ideas ahead of time. Plan out the main points and sub-points that you’d like to write about. Collect resources to help you get inspiration, and research keywords to boost your SEO.

Focus on hitting a high word count, using plenty of images, and answer as many questions as possible.

Once you get this down, you need to master the art of promotion. Share your content on social media to instantly get readers and create a newsletter to collect emails.

Hacker News, Reddit, and Quora are other good websites to distribute your blog posts.

Then it’s time to make some money. Consider writing your own e-books or courses. Affiliate marketing and ad networks are ideal for beginners and require much less work.

Learn more about my Toronto content writing services if you need a freelance writer for hire .

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• Blog Tutorial

How to Start A Blog in 2024 Create a Blog in 20 Minutes

Updated January 2nd, 2024

Are you looking for an easy guide on how to start a blog ?

The step-by-step guide on this page will show you how to create a blog in 20 minutes with just the most basic computer skills.

After completing this guide you will have a beautiful blog that is ready to share with the world.

This guide is made especially for beginners. I will walk you through each and every step, using plenty of pictures and videos to make it all perfectly clear.

If you get stuck or have questions at any point, simply send me a message and I will do my best to help you out.

My name is Scott Chow, and I am going to show you how to start blogging today. I have been building blogs and websites since 2002. In that time I have launched several of my own blogs, and helped hundreds of others do the same.

I know that starting a blog can seem overwhelming and intimidating. This free guide is all about blogging for beginners , and will teach you how to become a blogger with just the most basic computer skills. So whether you’re 8 or 88, you can create your own blog in 20 minutes.

I am not ashamed to admit that when I was first learning how to build a blog I made a ton of mistakes. You can benefit from more than a decade of my experience so that you don’t repeat these same mistakes when you make your own blog. I created this free guide so that a complete beginner can learn how to blog quickly and easily.

So, just how do you start a blog?

Learn how to create a blog in about 20 minutes following these steps:

How to Start a Blog in 6 Steps

• Pick a blog name. Choose a descriptive name for your blog.
• Get your blog online. Register your blog and get hosting.
• Customize your blog. Choose a free blog design template and tweak it.
• Write & publish your first post. Share your thoughts with the world. The fun part!
• Promote your blog. Get more people to read your blog with the proper marketing.
• Make money blogging. Choose from several options to monetize your blog.

Should you start a blog?

One of the misconceptions about starting a blog is that you need to be a great writer to be successful. Nothing could be further from the truth. People read blog sites to get a personal perspective on things, so most bloggers write in a very informal and conversational style.

And because of the format, many successful bloggers will write about a variety of topics on the same blog.

In addition, you don’t need to be an expert on any of the topics you write about to have a successful blog. For example, visitors to a cooking blog don’t want to read a textbook from a food scientist, they want to hear the experiences of someone who has actually cooked some real meals, mistakes and all.

To be successful as a blogger there is really just one requirement: a passion for your topic.

At its heart, blogging is about sharing your knowledge with the world. Writing about things that you are passionate about makes the process of starting a successful blog so much easier. As long as you are writing about things that you are genuinely interested in, your passion will shine through and keep your visitors interested.

So why would you go to the trouble of blogging? There are a few reasons:

• Share your story. A blog allows you to have a voice and be heard. You can share your story with the entire world if you so choose. One of the most common ways blogs are used are as a diary where the blogger writes about their daily experiences so that friends, family, and others can all be a part of their lives.
• Make money from home. Blogging can be quite lucrative if done correctly. The top bloggers in the world obviously earn quite a bit, but even a part-time blogger can expect to make a nice profit if things are done correctly. The best part about it is that blogging is a form of passive income, since you can spend just a few hours a week writing a piece of content and then continue to profit from it long after the the writing is finished. I go into much more detail on how to blog for money later in this guide.
• Recognition for yourself or your business. No, you probably won’t have paparazzi following you around because of your latest post. But a successful blog makes your idea into a reality, and can gain you a ton of recognition in your respective field. Many bloggers are known as experts just because of their blogs, and some have even gotten book and movie deals based on their blogs.
• Find a community. Blogging at its heart is interactive. You write a post and people comment on it. This is a good way to connect with people who are interested in the same things as you are. Blogging allows you to teach these people based on your experience, and it gives you the opportunity to learn from your readers as well.

Ready to begin? Click here to go to Step #1 of the guide

What is a blog anyway?

In short, a blog is a type of website that focuses mainly on written content , also known as blog posts. In popular culture we most often hear about news blogs or celebrity blog sites, but as you’ll see in this guide, you can start a successful blog on just about any topic imaginable.

Bloggers often write from a personal perspective that allows them to connect directly with their readers. In addition, most blogs also have a “comments” section where visitors can correspond with the blogger. Interacting with your visitors in the comments section helps to further the connection between the blogger and the reader.

This direct connection to the reader is one of the main benefits of starting a blog. This connection allows you to interact and share ideas with other like-minded people. It also allows you to build trust with your readers. Having the trust and loyalty of your readers also opens up the door to making money from your blog, which is something I discuss later in this guide.

The good news is that the internet is exploding with growth right now. More people than ever are online. This explosion in growth means more potential readers for your blog. In short, if you are thinking about starting a blog then there is no better time than right now.

Let’s start your blog!

Step 1: Pick a blog name

If you are not sure what to name your blog, or what topic to blog about, skip to the next section .

If you’ve already got an idea for the name of your blog, you can check to make sure that no one else has already registered it:

See if your blog name is available:

Note: You cannot use any spaces or punctuation other than dashes in a domain name.

If you find that the name you wanted is already taken there are a few things you can do:

• Try a different domain extension. If the .com version is already registered you may still be able to get the .net or .org version of the name.
• Add small words. Words like “a”, “my”, “best”, or “the”. For example, this site is called TheBlogStarter.com instead of BlogStarter.com.
• Add dashes between words. For example, scott-chow.com

How to Choose a Blog Topic & Name

If you don’t have an idea for a name already, the first step is choosing your blog topic.

If you’re not sure what to blog about, there are a few ways to find a good blog topic :

• Life experiences. Everyone has lessons they have learned through life experience. Sharing this knowledge can be incredibly helpful to others in similar situations. For example, I recently helped a woman start her blog about being a fireman’s wife. She has a lot of experience and knowledge to share with others about this topic, and it has helped her connect with others in similar situations. Think about the things you have experienced in life. This could be related to your family (example: a blog about being a stay at home mom), work (a blog about experiences dealing with clients), or other life experiences (a blog about dealing with a troubling time such as a disease or divorce, or about a happy time such as preparing for a wedding or a birth of a child).
• A personal blog. A personal blog is a blog all about you. This will include a variety of topics, from things you do on a daily basis, to random thoughts and musings. This is a great way to share your thoughts with the world without having to stick to just one topic.
• Hobbies & passions. Hobbies or other interests you are passionate about are a great place to start. Cooking, travel, fashion, sports, and cars are all classic examples. But even blogs about more obscure hobbies can be successful, since the your audience is literally anyone in the world with the internet.

Once you have a topic it’s time to choose your blog name, also known as your domain name.

A good blog name should be descriptive so that potential visitors can instantly tell what your blog is about just from the name.

If you are blogging about one specific topic then you will definitely want to include that in some way when you pick a domain name. Try not to get hung-up on just one word though. For example, a cooking blog doesn’t necessarily have to have the word “cooking” in it. The words “food”, “recipes”, and “meals” would also let people know that your blog is about cooking.

If you are planning to create a personal blog where you discuss a variety of topics then I recommend using your name, or some variation of it, since your blog is all about you. For example, I own the blog scottchow.com. You can also add your middle name or middle initial if you find your name is already taken. Or you could use a variation like “Scott Chow Blog” or “Blogging with Scott”.

Can’t decide on a good name for your blog? Contact me and I will help you personally (for free)!

Once you have some name ideas you will need to choose a domain extension . A .com domain extension is the most preferred, but .net or .org work as well. It is also important to note that for the purposes of a blog domain you cannot have any spaces between words. So “Blogging with Scott” becomes bloggingwithscott.com

Step 2: Get your blog online

Now that you’ve got a name picked out it’s time to get your blog online. This might sound hard or technical, but the steps below will walk you right through and make the process easy .

A blog host is a company that stores all of the files for your blog and delivers them to the user when they type in your blog name. You must have a blog host in order to have a blog .

You also need to have the software to build your blog. In this guide I will be showing you how to build a blog using the WordPress blogging software, because it is the most popular, customizable, and easiest to use.

The web host I recommend, and the one I show you how to use in this guide, is BlueHost . I personally use BlueHost and I recommend them for all new bloggers because:

• They will register your custom domain name for free , making sure no one else can take it.
• They have a 30 day money back guarantee if you are unsatisfied for any reason.
• They offer a free, automatic installation of the WordPress blogging software (which I show you how to use in this guide).
• They offer reliable web hosting that has been recommended by WordPress since 2005 and they currently host over 2 million blogs and websites.
• They have helpful 24/7 customer service via phone or web chat.

Use any BlueHost link on this site to get the special discount price of $2.75 per month.

Disclosure: BlueHost compensates The Blog Starter when you purchase through this link , so my services are free of charge to you! In fact, if you have any trouble at all setting up a blog with this tutorial, just contact me and I will do it for you (free!) .

1. Click here to get the special $2.75 per month rate on BlueHost and then click “get started now”.

2. Select your plan. I recommend that beginning bloggers get the basic plan. Click “Select” to choose your plan.

3. Type in your domain name in the left box and then click “next” to start the registration process.

• If you already own a domain name and want to use it for your blog, type your existing domain in the right box and then click “next”. Only use the right box if you have previously paid to register a domain!

4. Fill out your billing details on the registration page.

5. You will also need to choose your hosting package and options.

• Every BlueHost account plan has everything you need to get your blog up and running, including a free custom domain name, easy WordPress installation, web hosting, and custom email addresses (e.g. [email protected]).
• I uncheck the boxes next to the package extras except for “Domain Privacy & Protection” .  While not strictly necessary, domain privacy keeps your personal information (name, address, phone, email) hidden from the public database of registered domain owners.

6. You will then need to create your BlueHost account and password.

Once you do that you will be taken to an installation helper.  Since you are following this tutorial you can just click “Skip this step” on the next few pages to be taken directly to the dashboard.

7. Install the WordPress blogging platform.

Now the system will install WordPress automatically. Once the install is complete click the “Log into WordPress” button on the top right to be logged-in to the administrator area of your blog.

Having trouble installing your blog? Get help here .

Step 3: Customize your blog

The video above should answer a lot of questions you might have about how to set up a blog and get it customized. Here is a step-by-step break-down of some of things I show in the video.

If you are not already logged-in from the previous step, go to Bluehost.com and click “Login” on the top right to bring up the login screen.  You can then login using your domain name and the password you set in the previous step.  If you have misplaced your password you can reset it by clicking the “Forgot Password” link.

Once you log-in you will be taken to your BlueHost Portal.  From the portal you can click the blue “WordPress” button to be logged-in automatically to your WordPress blog.

Changing your blog design

Once you login you will be in the WordPress dashboard. This is where you can make any changes you want to your blog.

Everyone has a different idea of how they want their blog to look. One of the great things about WordPress is that you can change your entire layout and design with just a few clicks.

In WordPress, blog layouts are known as “Themes”. What is a blog theme? Themes control the entire design of your WordPress blog. To change your theme you are going to click on the “Appearance” tab on the left menu.

You will see several free WordPress themes are already installed on your blog: Twenty Seventeen, Twenty Sixteen, etc. These are well-designed, clean-looking themes that can work for just about any type of blog. In fact, many of the world’s top bloggers use one of these themes.

Unless you have a very specific design in mind for your blog, I suggest you use one of these themes to start with . For our example, let’s use the “Twenty Sixteen” WordPress theme. In order to activate the theme on your blog, hover over the theme and click the “Activate” button. That’s it! You have changed the entire design of your blog with just one click!

If you don’t like any of the themes that are already installed you can easily choose from thousands of other free WordPress themes. To install a new WordPress theme, click on the “Appearance” tab on the left menu and then click “Add New Theme”.

Once the theme is installed click “Activate” to activate the theme on your blog. To see your new theme in action, go to your blog and take a look!

Changing your theme is the simplest way to customize your WordPress blog, but there are lots of other customizations you can do. Check out my full post on customizing your WordPress blog for an in-depth step-by-step guide . You can also watch the video above to see me completely customize a WordPress blog from scratch.

Step 4: How to write a new blog post & publish it

Now that your blog is up and running it’s time to actually do some blogging!  Let’s create your first piece of content.

You are now on the post editor screen. Enter the title of your post in the top box and then begin writing your post in the lower box.

If you would like to add a picture to your post, click on the “Add Image” icon and click “Upload” to upload a picture from your computer. You can make adjustments to the picture size on the next screen. When you are ready click “Insert into post” to add the picture.

Once you have finished your post just click the “Publish” button on the top right side of the screen to publish the new post.

Content That Should be on Your Blog

There are two main types of content your blog should provide: static and dynamic content.

Static Content: Your blog should contain a few necessary pages explicitly designed to provide the visitor with the tools they need. The content on these pages is static, meaning – the content doesn’t change, or at least not very often. These are mainly top-level pages that can be accessed via a menu on your blog.

These static content pages should be in place well before you launch your blog to the world.

Important static pages to include:

• About Me (Us) – This page should include a biographical summary of the author(s) as well as a mission statement. Think about the answers to these questions: How did your passion for the subject matter develop? What do you want to convey to the world? What is your ultimate goal?
• Contact Me (Us) – A contact page provides the visitor a place to reach the author which, in turn, provides the visitor with the reassurance that you are a real and reachable author. You can add your physical address, phone number, and custom email address. Or you can utilize a simple contact form to keep your personal identifying information private. You should put links to all of your social media profiles here as well.

Aside from your blog, which is generally introduced on the home/main page, these two all-important pages should be visible on your top (header) menu and easy to access.  You can take a look at the top of this page to see how I have these pages included in the header menu.  See this detailed guide to customizing your blog menus if you need help.

Other static pages that are equally as important but less commonly thought of are:

• Disclaimer Page : If you intend to monetize your blog, you must describe the ways you intend to generate income. This is an absolute must-have page that should not be overlooked, as per FTC guidelines. For example, if you are discussing and endorsing a product, and stand to profit by linking to the product, this relationship must be disclosed.
• Privacy Policy : If you collect data from your visitors in any way, you are required to add a privacy policy page that tells visitors exactly how you are collecting data, how you are using it, and if you are sharing that data. If you implement Google Adsense or a Google Analytics account on your blog, a Privacy Policy must be used. This page is required by the CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act) and the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), and is included by default on your WordPress blog.
• Terms of Service : If your blog is also running a store or selling services, it is a good idea to have a Terms of Service page to lessen your potential liability.

These required static pages are typically linked to in the footer menu of a blog. They should, at the very least, be visible and accessible from the home page.  Again, look at the bottom of this page to see how this looks in practice.

There are other static pages you can choose to include depending on what suits your blog and business. Common static page examples are an advertising page to solicit paid advertisements, a donations page, a resource page to direct visitors to your favorite links within your field, and a page for submitting ideas and content.

Dynamic Content: Your dynamic content is your blog and the most important content you have to offer. This is where you, as the creator, will infuse the blog with your brand of informative content that supplies your audience with knowledgeable tips, facts, opinions, and stories. This is how you engage your visitors and keep them coming back for more.

Your blog content should be regularly submitted at specific intervals. Waiting months to create content will never build a following. Posting content weekly and driving traffic to these posts will help build your brand.

How to write great blog content

Each post should be lengthy, informative, and engaging. It’s not always easy to come up with new blog post ideas on a regular basis and you are free to mix up the tone and even the subject matter to keep things lively and interesting. It’s your space, after all. But there are a few elements that each and every piece of content should endeavor to include.

Define the Content: Create an alluring post title that stimulates curiosity and encourages clicks. Use the first paragraph of your post to clearly define the topic of your article and provide a possible hook to keep the reader reading.

The Longer the Better – But Break It Up : The more information and detail you include, the better. But visitors will begin to skim if the content contains lengthy paragraphs a mile long, and will pop out faster than they came in. Visitors enjoy tidbits. Keep your paragraphs short with spaces in between, use lists and standout quotes, use images, and always include headings and sub-headings so that visitors can find what they’re looking for.

Engage The Reader: At the end of each post, a common tactic used to engage visitors is posing a meaningful question to your audience and asking them to reply in the comments. This simple measure can increase engagement tenfold.

Original Content: Your content should always be original. Never plagiarize – you will eventually be called out on it and could even face consequences. Your content should come from your heart, your brain, your knowledge base, and your experience. You can get topic ideas from others in your field, but make sure the content comes from you.

Original Photos: While it is easy to include stock images from free image sites, it is even better to include your own photos and graphic work. Another idea is to take free images and manipulate them with a free photo editor.

Edit Your Work: Your blog content should be sufficiently edited. Nothing says unprofessional like several typographical and grammatical errors. If you need a few refresher courses in grammar, consider using a writing application.

Publishing Your Blog

Even after you have written a post your blog may still be showing a placeholder page.

When you are ready to make your blog public for the first time, just click “Home” at the top left of the menu in your WordPress dashboard, and then click “Launch with confidence”. Click the blue “Launch your site” button to remove the placeholder page and launch your blog.

Congratulations! You now know how to start your own blog and publish content!

Step 5: Promote your blog

Creating a well-designed blog and writing great content is just the start. In order to get visitors to your blog you will need spend some time promoting it, especially when you first start.

The strategies below will help get your blog in front of more readers. You don’t need to use every strategy – try out a few and see what works well for you.

Alert Your Inner Circle

The very first people who should become aware of your blog are your inner circle. This includes family, friends, and colleagues within your field. Encourage them to become followers, ask them to mention your new blog, and – most importantly – thank them.

Use Social Media

While you don’t want to overdo it, you still want to create accounts with the “biggies” like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, and Instagram.  You should post a link to your newest content on your accounts, but you can also post relevant news and links to other sources that your readers may find interesting.  Don’t forget to use hashtags and engage with your followers!

One of my favorite ways to get visitors to my blog is to post links on my social accounts, like Facebook and Twitter. This is great, because not only do your friends see the link, but if your friends share the link with their friends it automatically multiplies your visitors. If you have created high-quality content on your blog then social media is a way for your blog to go viral.

Comment on Other Blogs

Find other blogs in your community and engage with them. Using the comment section, introduce yourself and leave engaging and constructive comments. Many will allow you to leave a link to your blog. After creating relationships with prominent bloggers in your community, you will find yourself within their ranks quickly.

Engage with Your Visitors

When your readers leave comments on your posts, always engage with them. Reply to their comments and questions, give them “likes” and affirmations. When it is obvious that the author cares about his/her community and readership, visitors are naturally encouraged to return.

Collaborate with other bloggers

Become enmeshed in your blogging community by collaborating with respected members of your field. Collaborating includes guest posting, promoting each other’s blogs and products, and regularly interacting through comments and social media.

Post Regularly

Post content regularly. Create an editorial calendar and stick to it. A good blogger posts at least once per week to start. If you have long lapses between posts, your followers will drop off and your growth will be severely hampered. It’s not easy to post on a schedule, but it’s something you absolutely must stick to.

Create an Email List

In addition to getting new visitors to your blog, you will also want to make sure your current visitors are coming back. This is where email marketing plays a big role. By collecting the email addresses of your visitors (with their permission of course), you can then notify them when you post new content on your blog. This keeps people coming back to your blog, which not only gives you more readers over time, it also allows you to build a closer relationship with your visitors.

Email marketing is too big a topic to cover well here, so I created a separate guide to email marketing for those who are interested (hint: every blogger who wants more readers needs to read this guide).

Optimize your blog for search engines

You want your blog to appear in search results as soon as possible.

Google: Sign up for a Google Webmaster account and open the Search Console . To add your blog, click “Add Property” and follow the steps to add your blog.

Bing: Sign up for a Bing Webmaster account and add your blog.

Submitting your blog is the first step in process known as search engine optimization (SEO).

Keep in mind that with a brand new blog your traffic will be minimal to start with. However, this will change over time as long as you continue to add informative and relevant content on a regular basis.

To optimize this process, each page of your blog should include these fundamental elements:

• Permalinks: Each blog post “slug” is the end portion of the URL. You want to make sure each post has a defined slug and doesn’t end with an article number. You can easily change this in your WordPress dashboard by going to “Settings” -> “Permalinks”. Select the “Post Name” option and click “Save Changes”

There are many more factors relating to consider, such as installing something like the Yoast WordPress plugin , but these are the big ones that will help improve your search rankings sooner rather than later.

For more tips on promoting your blog make sure to check out my in-depth guide to blog promotion .

Step 6: Make money from your blog

Once you have put in the effort of creating great blog content and promoting your blog, making money from your blog is actually the easy part.

Blogs have the potential to be extremely lucrative, but don’t assume that you’re going to start making money in the first week, or even in the first month. It could take six months to a year to start seeing a steady stream of income. Blogging takes work and dedication, but once you develop a large enough audience, there are several methods you can employ to monetize your blog.

Sell advertising space

Once you have a popular blog, advertisers will be hounding you for the opportunity to advertise. The best way to take advantage of this situation is to use Google Adsense. Google finds the advertisers for you and all you have to do is place the Google Adsense code on your blog to start running ads. Google Adsense takes all of the hard work out of the process and just cuts you a check.

I go into the full details of how to set up Google Adsense for your WordPress blog here .

Sell affiliate products

An affiliate program is a commission-based way to advertise. When one of your readers clicks on a link on your blog, they get sent to an advertiser’s site and you earn a commission if they purchase. Affiliate links are a nice way to earn income through the use of product reviews. However, you must remember to disclose that you are an affiliate for the product.

Sell Products and Services

Selling your own products and services directly on your blog is a great way to increase your income. As your blog grows and you begin to see a wide audience, your products and services will begin to sell themselves.

Use the sidebar of your blog to increase the visibility of what you sell using visual images and a link to your storefront page.

Sell digital downloads

Ebooks, video tutorials, and e-courses are the most commonly consumed digital materials sold by bloggers. With little to no overhead and no shipping costs, you can keep the price low and inviting.

If you are extremely knowledgeable in your field, an ebook can practically write itself. Give it a try, you might surprise yourself!

Sell memberships

Another way to monetize is by creating membership options on your blog. This allows you to offer members more exclusive content only available with a paid membership. For example, you could offer unlimited downloads of digital goods, free consultations, a private network or forum where community members can mix and mingle, and private content available to members only.

There are many ways a blog can capitalize on popularity and traffic. Choosing the way you monetize from your blog depends on your goals and the purpose of your blog. Those who are selling services, physical goods, and digital goods, for example, may not want to participate in affiliate programs where traffic could be lost to another site.

For more information see my full guide to making money blogging here

Need more help?

I hope this guide has answered any questions you had on how to start your blog, but if any of the steps were unclear to you, you can find a more detailed version of each step by using the menu at the top right of this page (or at the bottom of this page if you’re on a smartphone).

More specific tutorials can be found on my blog page . Here are some of the most popular tutorials from my blog:

• How to add custom logos or images
• How to see how many people are visiting your blog
• How to move from WordPress.com to WordPress.org
• How to make a website with WordPress
• How to automatically share your new content on Facebook and Twitter
• How to choose the best website builder
• How to link to other sites from your blog
• How to change text size and color
• How to make your blog private

Contact me if you have any issues at all and I will personally respond to your email. The step-by-step guide on this site should give you everything you need to get started, but if you run into some issues, or just want some personalized advice, please do not hesitate to contact me at any time. Blogging is my passion, and I would love to talk with you about it!

Blogging FAQ

Still have some unanswered questions about blogging?  Below are the most common questions I get about starting a new blog.  If you can’t find an answer to your question here, feel free to send me an email via my contact page , or leave a comment below.

Click on a question to read the answer:

What makes a successful blog?

What do you need to start a blog.

Time, passion, and a clear goal.

Blogging is nearly a full-time operation. A successful blogger commits to posting lengthy and detailed content at least weekly. Promoting the blog must also be done regularly across social accounts and through peer interactions.

Equally important is the passion behind your blog. To come up with great content on a regular basis your blog should revolve around a topic that you are obsessed with. You don’t have to be the leading authority on the subject matter. You only need to possess passion, excitement, dedication, and deeply rooted opinions.

What should my blog be about?

Answer these questions: What are you passionate about? What do you think about daily? What topic do you annoy all of your friends, family, and co-workers with on a regular basis? What do you find yourself dreaming about? What do you find yourself constantly researching? What do you read about?

If there is a common denominator in your answers to these questions – THAT is what your blog should be about.

How do I find a profitable niche for my blog?

If you know the general topic for your blog, a simple way of making your niche more profitable is by narrowing the niche to eliminate competition.

How do I name my blog?

This can ultimately be a fun exercise.

As an example, let’s say your blog will be about custom pet gift baskets. In this instance, let’s list all the main words this blog will be about.

Now let’s list some variant synonyms of these words. Use a thesaurus if need be!

Now list nouns and adjectives that apply to you as the creator.

Now start putting words together, introduce new words, and keep playing around until you come up with a name you like!

What do you do if your domain name is taken?

If the domain name you want is taken and the full web address is your trademarked business name, you can assert your trademark rights and privileges and eventually get this domain handed over to you. It is a lengthy process that will involve lawyers and hefty fees, but as long as the name is trademarked by you, you would likely win the domain name.

If your name isn’t trademarked, don’t attempt to buy the .info or .biz variation of the domain. Instead, try a slight variation of the domain name such as adding a dash between words, or inserting the word “the” or other nominal words.

Where is the best place to create a blog?

How much does it cost to start a blog.

You can make a blog for absolutely nothing. It doesn’t cost one red cent.

But let’s be realistic. If you want your blog to be taken seriously, you can’t just get a subdomain from one of the free blogging sites like Blogspot. You’ll want to pick a custom domain name and register it instead. Domain names cost around $15 per year, on average. So now you’re a whopping $15 in the hole.

But the best way to start your blog is through one of the many web hosting companies. The best web hosting choice is a WordPress hosting account through Bluehost which is $2.75 per month and includes free domain name registration, so your total cost for 1 year is just $33.

Do bloggers make money?

Bloggers have the ability to make a full-time income from blogging alone. Some bloggers make hundreds of thousands of dollars. While it isn’t easy to become a highly paid blogger, it is quite possible. As with any business, it takes a lot of hard work and plenty of time.

Many bloggers give up on their project after just a few months. They become discouraged when the money doesn’t come in right away, and it almost never does without an instant and immediate following that comes from being a high profile persona. Therefore, time and patience are needed to reach “influencer” status. Those who make money online are the ones who stick with it.

There are several ways a blogger can earn money:

• Advertisements : As your blog gains traction and brings in a healthy amount of daily visitors, advertisers may pay good money for a well-placed ad on your blog.
• Contextual Ads: With Google Adsense a small piece of code can be placed on your blog that dynamically shows ads related to your content. When one of your readers clicks on an ad the advertiser pays Google, and Google sends you a percentage.
• Affiliate Programs: Affiliate ads are a very popular way to monetize a blog. These ads lead visitors to a product or service on another website. If a sale resulting from a click on your blog is made, you get a commission, and some commissions can be very high. Affiliate programs can be found on individual stores, or on large-scale platforms such as Amazon.
• Sponsored Posts: Advertisers can pay a smaller fee to sponsor individual posts rather than advertising on the entire blog. This is a great method for making money on fledgling blogs.

How do bloggers get paid?

Bloggers are most commonly paid by advertisers. How the blogger is paid varies depending on what type of ads are used.

• CPC: CPC or “Cost Per Click” ads generate revenue simply through clicks. CPC ads are generally highly targeted and rotational. Ads appear on specific blog posts and are related to the content of that post. The number of clicks you generate, which trends upward as your traffic increases, will ultimately determine the amount you are paid.
• Flat Fee: If a blog’s traffic is high, advertisers may pay a monthly flat fee for ad space on the blog’s website. That ad space could appear all over the website, within a section, or just a few pages. The money comes directly from the advertiser.
• Commission : Ads from an affiliate network use affiliate links. These links track visitors that come from your blog to the advertiser’s site. If a purchase is made by a visitor who originated from your blog, you receive a commission.

Should I start my blog on WordPress?

If you’re new to blogging and you don’t have much experience with HTML or coding, then yes – self-hosting a WordPress blog is the best choice for you! When it comes time to choose a blogging platform, the pros turn to WordPress.  And even though WordPress is used by millions of smaller blogs, it also powers many of the biggest sites on the internet.  In fact, WordPress is the most popular CMS (Content Management System) in the world with over 75 million blogs and websites currently using it. And there are many reasons why:

• Easy to Use : WordPress is remarkably easy to use. Theme customizers help to easily design your blog, change colors, and add images. Once your design is complete, all you need to do is write your content. The internal blog editor records your posts and displays them for you.
• Blog Anywhere : As long as you have Internet access, you can edit your WordPress blog and write new posts. WordPress provides you with an administrative backend where you may log in and work on your blog from anywhere in the world using a PC, Mac, tablet, or smartphone.
• You Don’t Need To Know How to Code : WordPress gives you easy tools to set up a blog that looks stunning without knowing a single line of HTML code or hiring a web developer. This makes WordPress a great option for those who don’t want to deal with technical issues.
• Built-in SEO : Google favors blogs built with WordPress. The out-of-the-box SEO (Search Engine Optimization) which comes packed with WordPress delivers impressive results over time in search engines. This translates to more readers for your blog.
• Free Themes : The WordPress CMS is connected to a repository where thousands of free themes (blog layouts) are available to browse and upload. Directly from the backend of your blog you can browse a multitude of themes with varying styles and functionality. These free WordPress themes can be installed with one click, and then easily customized by a total beginner.

Is WordPress free?

Yes! A self-hosted WordPress blog is a open-source, which is completely free. And there are two different WordPress options, both free, but COMPLETELY different, which you should be aware of.  Choosing between them is one of the most crucial decisions you will make.

WordPress.org : This option is completely, 100% free.  WordPress.org is the blog platform I show you how to use in the tutorial on this page.  While it is completely free to download, it doesn’t run on its own. You will need a web host (see the step-by-step guide ) and you’ll also need to buy a new domain name. Because you need your own web hosting plan, this option is known as a self-hosted WordPress blog. So while WordPress is technically free, there are fees involved with getting your new self-hosted WordPress blog up and running (less than $3 per month).

How often should I blog?

If your goal is to eventually make money from your blog, you’ll want to start blogging as often as possible – at least once per week. Blogging can be casual if your goal is solely for personal pleasure. But if you’re seeking a large audience and wish to become a leader in your field, blogging weekly is a must.

While frequency is important, it should not come at the expense of quality.  Not every piece of content needs be 2,000 words, but all of your posts should be informative and of value to your audience. This is no easy feat. However, if you’re able to stick with blogging on a regular schedule, it will become easier! As with anything else, the more you do it – the more skilled at it you become.

Why do blogs fail?

Almost any blog has the potential to become a success, yet most blogs fail. And there are many reasons why. Here are the most common reasons why a blog fails:

• Giving Up Too Fast – The most common reason why a blog fails is simply that the content creator gives up before his or her blog even has a chance to become recognized. Before you begin a blog, you should realize that most blogs take months and even years to gain traction. It’s quite an investment. If you fail to gain visitors or make money within a month don’t stop!  Continue to focus on creating quality content and getting your name out there via social media and networking.
• Intermittent Blogging – When there are long “silent periods” between posts it is difficult to build a solid following. People looking for information on your topic usually want a steady stream of new information to keep them interested. When a blog fails to deliver fresh and updated content people get bored and look elsewhere.
• Poor Content – Some bloggers think they can beat the system with auto-generated content or with duplicate content that is reworded. Readers know fluff when they read it. They know when an article has absolutely no value or when it is simply clickbait. A blog with poor content will never be successful.
• Too Many Ads – Blogs with dozens of ads obscuring most of the content will deter visitors from returning. People don’t come to your blog to be visually harassed by ill-placed, blinking advertisements. They come for information. While ads a good option to monetize, don’t overdo it.

This was super helpful in getting my blog set up. I was able to get the basics done in a less than an hour, and then took my time over the weekend to tweak the design based on your instructions.

I am pleased with how professional it looks, and now I am starting to work on my content plan. Thank you for making this guide!

Very helpful! I’ve been wanting to create a billingual blog (french and english) but didn’t know where to start. Thanks for the detailed information 🙂

Thank you Scott for writing an excellent blog…I’ve been researching to see if blogging is something I want to get into…I am at a beginner level. I am looking for some guidance on where to start and your blog appeared. Very informative post. Thanks once again.

Hi Scott. Thanks for the valuable information. I’m concerned about the usage of images/licenses. Can we use creative commons images in our blogs if we are unable to take the photos ourselves? There’s a filter on Google when image searching for “Commercial” and then “Creative Commons” images and wondering which is the safest bet of images to use on a blog. Don’t want to get in trouble!

Yes, I would suggest only using images with a Creative Commons license to avoid any copyright issues. You can easily search for images at search.creativecommons.org

Your tutorials have been really helpful so far in getting my blog up and running. WordPress is tricky without someone to walk you through it. Thanks so much!

Hi Scott. I’ve been thinking about setting up a blog for a while now but didn’t really understand how to go about it. Your guide is really informative and has given me the confidence to give it a go. Thanks a lot 😊

Hi Scott, Thanks for the great info on starting a blog. I am about to set up a blog that will be mostly political commentary. I also have numerous papers and presentations I have written over the years that I would like to post and make accessible to visitors, apart from my periodic blogging. Do you have advice as to how I can upload them on separate pages?

If you have them in PDF format, then I would suggest embedding them into your posts. Here is how to do that: https://www.theblogstarter.com/how-to-embed-pdf-files-in-wordpress-posts/

I just found you on the right time. This is all I needed to start a blog. The very best informative tutorial I have found. Thank you Scott.

Thank you for such helpful content. I’m just starting my blog and your insight is greatly appreciated.

Number one for me in a new blog host is if it has autosave. I currently have a wordpress.com blog which has autosave. But I don’t like the ownership of wordpress.com, so I want to start a new home. Do you know of any blog hosts other than wordpress.com that offer autosave? Thanks, Susan

The process I show in the tutorial on this page will help you start a blog that is self-hosted with BlueHost. It has an autosave feature enabled by default.

I have finally started a food blog and I’m excited to learn more from here.

Thanks so much for this info. I am really wanting to start a blog, but I’m concerned about the legal stuff. How do I make sure I am doing everything legal?

You will want to make sure you include a Privacy Policy page on your blog. WordPress provides a Privacy Policy generator by default, so it is very easy to add when starting your blog. Beyond that, just make sure you are being transparent with your visitors if you are collecting any information about them.

You may have specific legal issues depending on the topic you are writing about, but for most people just adding a privacy policy page is enough.

This is wonderful! thank you so much for your helpful advice! I am going to try to do my first blog!

Hey Scott. I always wanted to start a blog but never had a clear idea how to do it. After reading this content, I feel so confident that I would want to start writing now. Thanks a lot.

Glad you found it helpful. Feel free to contact me if you have any trouble.

So far Bluehost is good. My friends told me to use them as well. I used another web host before, but now I see that Bluehost is much better than the web hosting I had before.

I just barely created my blog and I would like to make it organize by categories. How do I add that to my blog page? Ex: Place (one category), Family (one category), Home (one category) etc.?

Thank you so much for your insightful post.

When you are in the post editor screen of the WordPress dashboard you will see an option on the right-hand side to choose a category for the post you are writing. You can also create a new category for your post in that same place.

Let me know if you have any trouble finding it.

I had a suggestion (from my vascular surgeon, believe it or not) to start a blog. I imagine a bio theme (70 years). How would I protect the privacy of those I mention?

The simplest way would be to change their names and remove any other personally identifiable information. You may also want to consider the tips here: https://www.theblogstarter.com/how-to-blog-anonymously/

Thank you… I’ve been having a yearning to write. I am not a writer but when I do especially on my social platforms, people frequently comment that they wished I did it more. I’ve recently decided that I want to start blogging and have been doing tons of research. This is by far the best “how to” I’ve come across. Excited to follow theses steps and give it a try. I appreciate your willingness to be available to those of us ready to give it a GO!

Awesome Shauna! Let me know if there is anything I can do to help.

This is an excellent and very comprehensive tutorial, Scott. One of the best step-by-step how-to’s I’ve seen on the topic. I’ll be recommending it on my newsletter.

Thanks Rick!

Thank you very much Am starting my blog and what I read was helpful thank you

I would like to first of all say thank you for all the wonderful and great information you sent to all of us and this is very useful to me and I will and have been looking at this for a long time now but because of your information I really feel like I’m ready. Unfortunately I have a few very simple questions that you possibly can answer in a second but I need to ask them because of my lack of knowledge. I live in Japan and my blog is meant for Japanese and Europeans and Americans and for everyone really and I will probably be doing some translation at the same time so my question is this. is there a different way to registering a blog in Japan or blogging the rest of the world will my domain name be registered to me even in Japan or other parts of the world. If you have any answers for me please let me know. Yours truly, Yves Gagnon

Domain registration applies worldwide. For example, the domain name for this site (theblogstarter.com) is registered to me and can’t be used by anyone else. No matter where you are in the world, when you go to theblogstarter.com this is the site that comes up. I hope that answers your question.

Thank you so much for your blog. I found your explanations particularly clear, concise, and helpful.

I am setting up a blog right now and chose the plan with the lowest up-front cost.

Should I be concerned that the expiration for my basic web hosting is 12 months? Is there any way to alleviate the issue?

Hi Douglas,

You will have the option to renew before it expires. You can also extend your package for a longer duration at any time from your BlueHost account.

Hi Can you have multiple people belong to one blog And post at any time or is it restricted to a single blogger only, thank you

You can create multiple users for your blog. Just log-in to the WordPress dashboard of your account and then go “Users” on the left sidebar menu. From here you can add new users. You can also give each user different permissions if you so choose. For example, you could be the only administrator of the blog, while still giving other users the permission to write new content.

Hi Scott, can you use the wordpress from your laptop, tablet and phone to write on-the-go?

Yes, you can easily blog from any internet-connected device. For your phone, I would suggest using the WordPress.org app: https://wordpress.org/mobile/

Do I need a privacy policy on my blog if I am just a personal blogger? If so How do I go about doing that?

Hi Shannon,

It’s not strictly necessary if you are not collecting any data about your visitors, but it’s so simple to do that I recommend it for all new blogs. From the WordPress dashboard, go to “Tools” on the left sidebar menu and then click on “Prviacy”. This will take you to the privacy page generator and help you add it to your blog.

Very easy indeed. Thanks Scott. As a web designer, I often get asked how to start a blog. I’m definitely bookmarking this for sharing. 🙂

I would like to thank you for the information on your site. You have included a wealth if helpful information. This is my first search for how to start a blog, I have learned a lot from your presentation. I have learned a lot, I’m not sure that a blog is my interest or i need something different. I am 75 years young, and have never met, or talked with anyone who have experienced a lifetime such as I. I would like to get my story out there for entertainment, and comments from others who may be able to relate. Thank You for your very informative information. I assure you that I will come back to your site if I decide a blog would fit my purpose. Thank you very much for the great education you have served me.

Hi William,

A blog sounds the perfect medium for what you want to do. You can easily write your story and have others comment on it.

Let me know if you have any trouble getting started. I would be happy to assist.

Thank you for this very informative blog. When setting up the comments section of my blog, is it necessary to ask for a piece of personal info such as the email of the address of the person making the comment? If I let people comment anonymously, this may encourage more people to comment.

You can set it up either way. You are correct that you will get more comments if you don’t ask for an email address, but you will also get more spam comments as well.

Fantastic, and very help. Thank you for such a great help and guidance. You made something impossible possible. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thanks for sharing

Can I start a blog with my phone?

Yes, the steps for how to start a blog are the same for phone, tablet, or computer.

Very informative post. I am grad student thinking strongly about starting a blog and wanted to know if you could speak to a respectful posting frequency and how many posts are enough before launching?

Can you point me to some form of blog management information? I am trying to determine if this is something I can commit to.

Thank you in advance

When first starting out I suggest posting once or twice a week. After you have built up a solid readership then you can decrease the posting frequency. Some really popular blogs only post every couple of months.

When you first start a blog I recommend launching it as soon as you finish your first post. This gets you started on growing your readership from day one.

Great synopsis Scott!

Great synopsis of a really BIG subject Scott! Good info for those looking to start blogging.

What an excellent blog… I’ve been researching to see if starting a blog is something I want to get into.. I’m retired and do crafts for friends and family. But ,don’t want to be limited to just blogging about that area. I’m also an author (inspiration-Christian) and wanted to know if you can have sections when establishing a blog?

Yes, the easiest way to do this is to categorize each post. Your post will then automatically go to the correct category page on your blog.

Hi Scott, This is some great help! But I have a question…. If I start a blog is it considered a “side gig”? Or do i have to register a “Business”? How would I report my income?

You can do it either way. Most people just start with it as a side hustle, and then as it grows you can consider setting up a business. It would be best to talk to a tax accountant once you get to that point though.

Hey Scott. I really appreciate the info, however, both you and BlueHost advertise the cost as “monthly.” When I went to sign up, it gave me a total cost which was the total cost for the contract. Before I give my payment information, I’d like to clarify if I’m paying monthly for the service, or if I have to pay a lump sum. Thanks.

Yes, you will pay up front for the full length of your plan. So if you do a 12 month plan then you pay for 12 months up front. You can cancel at anytime and get a pro-rated refund for the unused months on your plan.

Thank you for all of this information. I’m motivated to start blogging. I am confident that things will go smoothly with all the info that you provided.

Thank you Scott. I am so grateful for this enlightening information you have given to me here. I now know how to set up my own blog. But I have a question. Which method of payment does bluehost support when you are paying for the hosting service? And can you choose to pay monthly, or must it be paid yearly? Thanks once again. Please i am expecting your reply.

A one year package is the shortest option. BlueHost accepts credit cards or PayPal. Feel free to contact me if you have any trouble getting started!

Hi, Scott! Wow! I think this just might be what I was looking for. I don’t do social media. No tweeting, no Facebook, none of that…. But, I know many people that do. I think they can help get my blog out into the public. A couple of questions – will the basic set up allow for comments? can I prevent users from leaving comments and delete horrid comments? I am excited and want to be sure I can control some things before I get rolling…. Thanks!!!

Yes, comments are turned-on by default. You have full control over the comments on your blog. For example, you can have comments automatically approved, or you can choose to manually approve only those that you want. Of course, you can also turn-off comments completely if you prefer.

To change your comments setting simply go to your blog dashboard and go to “Settings -> Discussion”

Hi Scott, Thank you. This is very informative. Can you please help me with narrowing down a name and topics please?

Sure, just send me a message through my contact page with more details on the topics you are interested in.

Very informative and easy to follow! I read to the end and then watched video.

Scott thanks, the tutorial was most helpful. It took me a while but I got there in the end. Good stuff. I used the format you show as it seemed good for me.

Hi! Thank you so much for this! Your guide is so thorough that I am working on getting my blog up and running! Quick question: How do you create an email with your domain name? I Googled it, but I don’t see the same options in my side panel. On the WordPress article I read, it says to go to Store > Dashboard > Manage emails, but I don’t see that. Thank you for your help!

Hi Valerie,

Here is a step-by-step guide to creating a custom email address for your blog .

Hi. Thanks for the tutorial.

Can you do this whole process for a blog with your smartphone?

Yes, you can do the whole process with your smartphone.

Hi Scott. Thank you so much for this info. I am very eager to make my own blog but really haven’t a clue where to start or what to blog about. Do you have any recommendations on how to figure out my niche? TIA!

The best niche for you is something you have an active interest in. Think of the things you enjoy spending your time doing and/or learning about. Travel, fashion, fitness, and food are all popular topics. Once you figure out what sounds most interesting to you, your job as a blogger is to provide your unique perspective and experience with that topic. For more detailed info check out this post on finding your niche .

Your tutorial was so helpful and you are so easy to follow and you have a very good speaking voice.

Thank you so much for taking the time to have this website, you tube and making yourself available for questions.

Hi Scott Thank you very much for taking the time to do this. I want to do a blog about fitness and health diet recipes but am not an expert or anything it’s just something i do on daily basis and I feel like I want to start blogging about it even though I know there are tons of fitness blogs out there but I know this is me being me and the routines i go through and I want to know what you think about it. Thanks

Hi Christiana,

A blog sounds perfect for your situation. People enjoy learning about things from someone who is actually doing it, not some armchair expert.

Yes, there are a lot of fitness blogs already, but that is only because there are also a ton of people who want to read great fitness and health content!

Best of luck, and let me know if you need any help along the way.

Newbie question: so what’s the difference between a blog and a website?? Some blogs seem to be “embedded” in a website. Should one create a website first? Then how do you connect the two? Thanks ahead.

A blog is a type of website. You are correct, you can have a traditional website and then have a separate section of the site for a blog. If you are looking for a more traditional website you can follow my guide to starting a website here . If you follow the tutorial on this page you will have a blog. No need to create a separate website first.

Fantastic, and very help. Thank you for such a great help and guidance. You made something impossible possible. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Thank you so much for your blog. I have had so much fun setting mine up and it might never have happened without your blog. I particularly found the video very clear, concise and helpful.

Hey. I want a blog but have so many things it’s like to cover…I need help with a name… Could you help me?

Sure, just send me a message through my contact page with some more details on what your blog will be about.

Hi. I’m thinking I may have signed up for the wrong type of blog. I’ve just created a wordpress.com personal blog site (ancestry). I’m just starting the site but am getting notifications that to use ANY plug-ins I need to upgrade to a business account (yikes not inexpensive!). Should I have signed up for WordPress.org??

Yes, WordPress.org is what you want. Just follow the steps in the tutorial on this page to create a WordPress.org blog using BlueHost.

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Step 1: Get Started >>

How to write a blog post in 2022 - A beginner's guide

There's never been a better time to create your own blog

Blogging is an excellent way to build an online presence and share your passion with the world. However, writing a blog post for the first time can feel like a challenge, especially for those without any prior blogging experience.

It’s essential to have a clear goal and strategy in mind when drafting a blog post – this will help save time, create better content, and reach potential readers faster.

In this article, we’ll guide you through the steps on how to write a blog post and showcase some blog post ideas to get you started. 

• We've built a list of the best blogging platforms available

What is a blog post?

A blog post is a piece of content that you publish on a blog . It can contain various media files which accompany the text, such as videos, images, and infographics.

Blog posts are the most effective form of content when compared to ebooks, email, and white papers. That’s why many businesses place blogs as one of their primary marketing efforts when trying to generate leads with minimal effort and expense.

There are other benefits of creating blog posts, such as:

• Improving writing skills – creating a blog post helps you become a better writer. The more posts you write, the more you hone your blog writing skills. 
• Gaining more knowledge – consistently blogging lets you stay well informed on the topic you’re writing about, as well as slowly establish yourself as an expert in the field.
• Making money – blogging can become a full-time and well-paying job. Pat Flynn, the creator of Smart Passive Income, is a perfect example of a blogger who turned his hobby website into a successful blog, managing to earn over $100,000 in a month. 
• These are the best laptops for writers

What exactly makes a good blog post?

One of the characteristics of a good blog post is that it addresses and solves readers’ problems. In other words, it should provide helpful information and valuable takeaways that motivate readers to take action. 

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Here are some other traits of a good blog post:

• Personalized – a great post has a unique tone that readers can easily recognize, making them feel connected to the blogger on a personal level
• Sparks discussion – a good blog post generates discussion and inspires readers to tell their stories
• Readable – it’s easy to understand and gets to the point quickly

Getting started with writing blog posts

Now that you know the characteristics of a great blog post, it’s time to create informational and engaging content. 

Here’s how to write a blog post in ten simple steps:

1. Pick your niche and understand your audience

The first step of creating a blog post is to choose a niche – it’s a specific area to center your content in.

Many new bloggers overlook this process and write blog posts about different topics. As a result, it can be hard to have the blog stand out from the competition and have readers coming back. 

A Couple Cooks is an example of a blog that uses food as its topic and focuses on sharing knowledge and recipes specifically for home cooks as its niche. 

Consider picking a niche that you’re passionate about . It helps to keep you stay motivated and makes you less likely to run out of ideas.

To pick the right niche, start by making a list of your hobbies and topics you know the best or enjoy learning and reading about. Then, use Google Trends to see which idea is stable or rising in popularity – it’s better to choose one that can stay relevant for years. 

Once you figure out the niche of your blog, it’s time to define a target audience – a group of people who are most likely to resonate with your blog posts. 

If you’re unsure how to determine your target audience, try using social listening tools like TweetDeck and Awario . These websites can help you identify demographics that consistently talk about topics related to your niche on social media.

• We've also rounded up the best social media management tools

2. Choose your domain name

A domain name is the web address that people type in their browser to access a website. It’s also part of site branding, helping your blog stand out from the others.

Your blog domain name will most likely stay the same for a long time and changing it later might affect a site’s search engine optimization ( SEO ). Thus, make sure to choose a name carefully before buying a domain name . 

Here’s how to pick the best domain name :

• Keep it short and simple – a short domain name is more memorable than a long one. Ensure it’s easy to pronounce by avoiding hyphens and numbers. 
• Choose a popular extension – some credible domain name extensions such as .com and .me are easier to remember for most internet users.
• Use domain name generators – take advantage of some online tools such as Nameboy and Panabee to get hundreds of name ideas. 

Once you get a domain name, make sure to check its availability using a free tool like WhoIS . It also lets you see the website address’s history, preventing you from using a domain that might have been linked to a malicious website in the past. 

Before using a domain, you will need to register it with a domain name registrar that ICANN authorizes. The price of a domain can start anywhere from $1.49/year , depending on the extension. 

3. Choose your CMS and hosting platform

Once you find the best domain name for your blog, you will most likely want to pick a CMS to build your site with.

A content management system (CMS) is software with a graphical user interface that allows users without technical knowledge to create, manage, and modify blog content.

WordPress is one of the best and most popular content management systems on the market. This platform is free to use and easy to set up, making it an excellent choice for new bloggers.

Before creating a WordPress blog, it’s necessary to purchase a web hosting service to store its content and make the site accessible online. 

A hosting service should have all of the necessities for running a blog quickly and easily, such as a one-click WordPress installer, intuitive control panel, and a stable and fast server speed.

Some popular WordPress hosting providers to consider are Hostinger , Bluehost , and InMotion Hosting . Aside from providing all features needed to start a blog, these companies also offer cost-effective starting plans and reasonable renewal prices.

 4. Chose your blog's theme

The next step to do is to pick a theme, which is a file that contains a pre-made layout. With a blog theme, users can build a site quickly without having to start from scratch.

Using a fitting and intuitive theme is crucial since it can affect visitors’ first impression of a site. It only takes them 0.05 seconds to determine whether to leave or stay on a blog. 

If you use WordPress, the WordPress official directory has over 8000 free themes to offer. However, some of these templates lack functionality, making premium themes a more attractive choice for websites that require complexity.

There are many third-party marketplaces that offer premium WordPress themes , such as ThemeForest and TemplateMonster .

Choosing one from thousands of WordPress themes can be overwhelming. Thus, it’s good to have specific criteria to look for in a template.

Some of the essential aspects that a blog theme should have are: 

• Responsiveness – since half of the global web traffic comes from mobile devices, pick a theme that can adjust to tablet, desktop, and mobile screen sizes
• Clean design – a blog theme should feature a simple and clean layout to help readers navigate and read an article easily. The Books Across is an example of a blog with a minimalist design that makes its content more readable
• SEO friendliness – a theme can also affect a blog’s performance on search engines. Therefore, look for an SEO-friendly theme that has been developed according to up-to-date coding standards.
• Browser compatibility – it’s essential for a theme to function correctly across major browsers like Firefox, Google Chrome, and Safari
• Updated regularly – using an outdated template can make a blog vulnerable to hacking attempts

After choosing a blog theme, modify the look to match your brand or content. For instance, if your blog posts involve fun or casual topics, consider using a bold color scheme or colorful illustrations and animations to liven your site. 

• These are the best SEO tools for your website

5. Choose a writing topic

Before you write a blog post, it’s essential to determine potential writing topics. This process can prevent writing blog posts about subjects that nobody is searching for.

A great way to find some topic ideas is to do keyword research – this will help find topics that are easy to rank. 

Start by making a list of five to 10 relevant terms based on your blog niche. Then, enter those terms into a keyword research tool like Answer The Public or KWFinder to see each keyword’s search volume and search results number.

Before choosing a keyword as a blog post topic, consider these aspects:

• Search intent – a blog post can only rank for a keyword if it meets the users’ search intent. Thus, verify the user’s intent regarding a keyword by entering it into a search engine and reading the results that come up
• Trend history – use Google Trends to see whether a topic is stable, trending upward, or decreasing over time
• Search volume – the keyword search volume is the average number of times a term is entered on a search engine per month. This number also gives a general idea of keyword competitiveness

6. Work on a headline

Once you find a topic, it’s time to write out a headline or a post title – it’s the first thing in a blog post that people will notice. 

Having a great headline helps convince visitors to click and read your content. It also has a significant impact on SEO.

To make readers interested in your articles, try to avoid vague headlines that are confusing. Instead, make the titles specific and get to the point fast , helping the audience know what to expect from the content.

This Buzzfeed article is an excellent example of a headline that clearly states the essential points the content will be about:

If you don’t know how to start writing headlines, consider, finding, testing, and tweaking different headline formulas to figure out which one works best for you.

Also, make sure to utilize these practices to create a headline that can grab the reader’s attention:

• Include numbers – using numbers in headlines can provide clarity and notify readers how long an article will be. According to Conductor , a headline with a number also performs better than other types of headlines. 
• Use hyphens and colons – a study by Outbrain shows that headlines with hyphens or colons performed 9% better than other titles 
• Choose power words – when trying to come up with a catchy title, include power words that can help trigger emotion and incentivize action.  

7. Prepare an outline

The next step before you can begin writing is to create an outline – the basic structure of a blog post. 

Preparing an outline helps overcome writer's block and allows for the planning out and arrangement of ideas, keeping the article focused and on-point. Having a guide makes the writing process quicker and more efficient than starting from a blank page.

Before outlining, do a Google search on your topic and look at the section headers within the top-ranking articles. Then, pick the most helpful and relevant sections to include in your outline. 

Once you have a list of potential sections, start creating bullet points of all the ideas you want to add under each section. Use a writing tool like Google Docs to write down your notes and complete the outline. 

The last process is to ensure that each of the points is relevant to your topic and eliminate additional information that doesn’t fit the scope of your article. Also, remember to arrange all sections and points into a logical order to make the writing flow better. 

When preparing an outline, place data and facts supporting your ideas underneath each section. Doing this can save you time when writing the article.

8. Write the blog post based on your outline

Now that you have an outline, it’s time to use it as a guide and start writing your first draft. 

When writing a blog post, it’s essential to keep the word count in mind since the length of a post can affect your SEO. Google tends to rank lengthy posts higher on search results, so try to produce an article with at least 2,100-2,400 words . 

To create a great blog post, refer to these blog writing tips:

• Create a compelling opening – use the introduction to grab the readers’ attention by addressing their problem and telling them that your post can help solve it.
• Utilize keywords throughout your post – use SEO tools like SEMrush to find relevant keywords. Place those terms in your article to help search engine crawlers understand what your content is about. 
• Use short sentences and easy words – simplify writing and make a post easier to read. 
• Leverage writing tools – platforms like ProWritingAid and Hemingway Editor help bloggers to write with power and improve their articles’ clarity.
• Utilize bullet points – people tend to skim content instead of reading the whole post. Therefore, try to make the article easily scannable by using bullet points.
• Add relevant images – pictures can make the text easier to understand and boost engagement rates. 
• Include a call-to-action – convince readers to take action, such as signing up for an email newsletter, sharing the post on social media, or leaving a comment.

If you’re stuck on a specific section when writing a draft, feel free to put it aside and move to another section. This process can help you push through the mental block, providing a fresh perspective when you come back to it. 

9. Edit your post 

Editing your first draft is a crucial step of the writing process. You shouldn’t just fix the grammar and sentence structure, but also make the article more engaging and appealing.

However, self-editing can be challenging. Consider asking a friend to do this process – someone with a fresh pair of eyes might help spot any overlooked issues or errors. Alternatively, hire an editor to give you feedback and make edits for you.

If you prefer to do the whole process yourself, use this checklist to start editing the blog post:

• Fact check – double-check all links and research to make sure your content is accurate, and all sources are reputable. 
• Proofread – find and correct any spelling and grammar errors, typos, and repetitive sentences. Consider using tools like Grammarly for this process.
• Visual appearance – ensure that the post has a consistent format and style, from headers to screenshots. Maintaining consistency makes the article look more professional.
• Add a featured image – remember to add an attractive featured image to the post – this can help generate more clicks and shares.
• Assign the blog post to a category and tag – categories and tags tell a search engine how it should treat content in regards to searches and help visitors navigate a blog with ease.
• These are the best free writing software solutions on the market

10. SEO optimize your blog post

The last step before publishing your new blog post is to optimize it for search engines. Blog posts that rank high on search engine results pages (SERPs) can bring more traffic to the website.

There are many important on-page SEO practices that will make a blog post rank high on search results. One of them, for example, is compressing images – reducing the size of pictures can improve page load times, which is one of the ranking factors. 

Here are more tips on how to optimize blog posts for SEO:

• Add a meta description to your article – a meta description is an additional text that appears in SERPs, providing a short description of an article. Meta descriptions let readers know what a link is about and help improve an article’s click-through rate (CTR).
• Create and submit a sitemap of your blog – a sitemap is a file that lists the important pages of a website, ensuring Google can efficiently find and crawl them. 
• Include image alt text – image alt text is a description that helps search engine crawlers understand the context of a picture. It can also improve accessibility and is a factor in search engine rankings. 
• Write a good and relevant SEO title – it’s crucial to create a good title tag as it’s one of the factors that a search engine uses to determine whether a page is relevant to a search query.
• Use Google Search Console – monitor your SEO performance using Google Search Console . This tool can show every keyword a blog currently ranks for in Google.
• Also check out our list of the best onpage SEO tools

Blog post ideas to get you started

There are many blog post ideas to consider for your first article. One of the most common ones is the ultimate guide post , which provides steps to solve readers’ problems.

Below is an example of an ultimate guide post by GamesIndustry.biz , which shares some methods on how to sell indie games.

Here are other content ideas to try:

• The infographic post – this blog format is excellent for presenting visual tips and compiling data and statistics. 
• The comparison post – this blog post idea compares the differences and similarities between two subjects to help readers make a decision. 
• The what post – the purpose of this type of article is to introduce and explain why readers should care about a specific concept.

• The list-based post – a list-based article, or a listicle, is easy to plan, write, and update, since it’s always possible to add extra items without disrupting the flow of the content. Garden Betty’s article is an example of a list-based post.

How to write a blog post

Blog posts can help you reach a wide demographic, turn visitors into loyal readers, and establish yourself as an expert in the industry. 

High-quality content usually comes with valuable takeaways that are able to solve readers’ problems. It also has a unique tone, sparks discussion, gets to the point, and features good flow. 

It’s easy to craft an awesome blog post if you have a clear goal to achieve and a plan to guide you through the writing process.

Here are the steps on how to write a blog post:

• Pick your niche and understand your audience
• Choose your domain name
• Choose your CMS and hosting platform
• Choose your blog’s theme
• Choose a writing topic
• Work on a headline
• Prepare an outline
• Write the blog post based on your outline
• Edit your post
• Apply SEO practices to your blog post

If your goal will be to produce valuable and engaging content for the readers, traffic and high search engine rankings will follow naturally.

• We've also highlighted the best blogging sites

Désiré has been musing and writing about technology during a career spanning four decades. He dabbled in website builders and web hosting when DHTML and frames were in vogue and started narrating about the impact of technology on society just before the start of the Y2K hysteria at the turn of the last millennium.

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How to Write 100 Blog Posts for Beginners: A Comprehensive Guide

Apr 21, 2023 | Online Business | 0

Embarking on your blogging journey might seem daunting, especially when you aim to write 100 blog posts for beginners. But fear not, this expanded and revised guide will provide you with valuable insights and actionable tips to create engaging, informative, and SEO-optimized content for your target audience. With the right strategy, organization, and determination, you’ll be well on your way to a successful blog.

Key Takeaways :

• Develop a content strategy and choose your niche.
• Plan your topics in advance and create a content calendar.
• Master SEO basics and optimize your blog posts.
• Enhance your writing skills to create high-quality, engaging content.
• Promote your blog and build an online community.
• Maintain consistency and perseverance.

Develop a Content Strategy and Choose Your Niche

The importance of a content strategy.

A well-crafted content strategy acts as a roadmap for your blog’s growth, helping you plan, create, and manage your blog content. It ensures you’re consistently producing relevant and engaging material to captivate your blog readers.

Choosing Your Niche

Select a niche that you’re passionate about and possess knowledge in, making it easier to write high-quality blog posts and establish your authority. For guidance on choosing the right niche, read our post on how many blog posts you should write each week to grow traffic .

Plan Your Topics in Advance and Create a Content Calendar

Benefits of a content calendar.

A content calendar keeps you organized and consistent in your blogging efforts, allowing you to plan your blog post ideas in advance and ensuring fresh and captivating content for your audience.

How to Create a Content Calendar

Begin by brainstorming blog post topics relevant to your niche. Organize these topics into categories and assign them to specific dates on your calendar. Include a mix of evergreen and trending content to keep your readers interested. For more information on how many blog posts you need to get traffic, visit this link .

Master SEO Basics and Optimize Your Blog Posts

What is seo.

Search engine optimization (SEO) improves your website’s visibility on search engine results pages (SERPs). By optimizing your blog posts for SEO, you increase the likelihood of reaching your target audience through search results.

How to Optimize Your Blog Posts for SEO

• Conduct keyword research using a keyword research tool to find relevant terms and phrases your audience is searching for.
• Include your main keyword in your blog title, URL, and throughout the content.
• Write a compelling meta description that accurately describes your blog post and entices readers.
• Format your blog post with headings and subheadings to improve readability.
• Optimize images by compressing them and adding descriptive alt text.
• Include internal and external links to relevant resources.

For additional tips on writing SEO-optimized blog posts, read our guide on how to write a good blog post in one hour .

Enhance Your Writing Skills to Create High-Quality, Engaging Content

Why quality blog posts matter.

Quality blog posts are crucial for building trust with your readers, demonstrating your expertise, and boosting your SEO rankings. By consistently producing valuable and engaging content, you can attract and retain loyal readers.

Tips for Writing Engaging Blog Posts

Adopt a conversational writing style that resonates with your target audience.

• Craft compelling headlines that grab your reader’s attention and avoid vague headlines that don’t spark curiosity.
• Incorporate visual elements, such as relevant images, videos, and infographics, to enhance your content.
• Break up lengthy posts with bullet points, numbered lists, and subheadings.
• Include real-life examples, case studies, and personal anecdotes to make your content relatable and engaging.
• Proofread your content to ensure it is free of grammatical errors and typos.

Promote Your Blog and Build an Online Community

The importance of blog promotion.

No matter how great your blog post is, it won’t make an impact if nobody sees it. Promoting your blog posts is essential for driving traffic, increasing your online visibility, and nurturing a loyal audience.

Tips for Promoting Your Blog

• Share your new blog post on social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.
• Engage with your audience by responding to comments and questions on your blog and social media channels.
• Collaborate with other bloggers through guest blogging and content partnerships.
• Utilize email marketing to share your latest blog posts with your subscribers.
• Optimize your blog for search engines to increase organic traffic.

Maintain Consistency and Perseverance

Why consistency matters.

Consistency is crucial for success in the blogging world. Regularly publishing new blog posts helps establish your credibility, keeps your readers engaged, and improves your search engine rankings.

Tips for Staying Consistent

• Establish a realistic posting schedule that you can adhere to, whether it’s once a week or once a month.
• Use your content calendar to plan your blog posts in advance and stay organized.
• Set aside dedicated time each week for content creation and promotion.
• Stay motivated by tracking your progress and celebrating your achievements.

Writing 100 blog posts as a beginner blogger may seem overwhelming, but with the right strategy, organization, and determination, you can achieve your blogging goals. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you’ll be well-equipped to create high-quality, SEO-optimized content that will help you establish your authority, grow your online presence, and ultimately achieve success in the blogging world. Remember, the key to success is consistency and perseverance. Keep writing and promoting your content, and watch your blog flourish!

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17 Easy-to-Write Blog Post Ideas for Beginners

by Contributor | Last updated Jan 8, 2021

The secret to writing a great blog post for the first, second, third, and every other time lies in keeping the content engaging, educative, and possibly entertaining. But if you are at the beginning or your blogging career, you might be wondering what to write about. What are some of the really cool and easy-to-write first blog post ideas for beginners?

The answers lie in the sections that follow, and the only way to find out is to read to the end. Let’s dive in now.

Table of Contents

Common Examples of Good First Blog Posts

Developing a good first blog post may be challenging, but surely not impossible. Your blog posts should be able to engage, educate, and possibly entertain your readers.  

If you can achieve this, you can rest assured that your readers would be impressed with your posts, engage with it, and re-visit your blog for more quality content.

Generally, there are two central first blog post ideas you can start with. They are:

• An introduction to your blog
• The content itself

To be honest, your first blog post does not determine the fate of your blog in the long run (lucky for you). Your follow up posts would be responsible for that.

This is not to say you shouldn’t make your first blog post as fabulous as possible; it just means you shouldn’t have sleepless nights over it!

Let’s expand on the two major examples of good first blog post ideas mentioned above.

An Introduction to Your Blog

This is the most common first blog post among bloggers. Rightfully so too.

This is because you would want your readers to know exactly what your blog is about and the kind of content they should expect to be getting from you on a daily or weekly basis.

The way you introduce your blog would be greatly determined by its name. If your blog is named according to a specific niche (e.g. the food experts blog), your introduction should state what kind of content readers should expect regarding food.

On a similar note, if your blog’s name is “the fitness guru blog”, you should introduce your blog with lines like – “ Welcome to the fitness guru blog. Here, you will get daily content on fitness tips and healthy living, ranging from home workouts, outdoor exercise, and the different fitness programs that will enable you to achieve your fitness goal, etc.”.

Your introduction should also state how long you have been in the business of fitness, your challenges at the beginning, and how far you’ve come.

Stating specific or brief details about your journey through the world of fitness will help build trust among your readers. They’ll be more confident that they would be getting credible content from you later on.

If, on the other hand, your blog is named after you, e.g., Brenda’s Blog, then your introduction should be different.

You would have to start with lines like – “ Hi, my name is Brenda, and I am a…. (state what you do).

You should also tell your readers why you do what you do, how long you’ve been doing it, and give them reasons why they should keep checking out your blog (what value your blog can offer them).

Basically, your introduction should do the following –

• Tell the readers who you are
• Tell them what you do.
• Tell them how long you’ve been doing it.
• Make the reader feel like you are there for them.
• Give reasons why the readers should follow your blog.
• Build anticipation and excitement for the next piece of content
• Build some form of trust

Your introduction should be exciting and have a friendly tone. If it is “cold,” then it would not have the desired effect on the reader!

The advantage of starting your blog with an introduction is that the reader will be absolutely sure of what your blog is about. It will also give them fair knowledge of what to expect if they keep visiting your blog.

The major disadvantage of this is that an introduction on its own isn’t what a reader is looking for from a blog, as this does not help them solve any of their problems or answer any of their questions. They would have to visit again to be convinced that you are credible.

The Content Itself

This is the second example of a good first blog post. Go straight to the point and deliver the content!

While an introduction is ideal, writing the main content itself is another way to go.

The “Fitness Guru Blog,” for instance, instead of kicking off with an introduction, you can start with some informative content as the first post.

Examples include:

• “5 best workouts for first-time mothers”
• “5 best workouts for abs”
• “How to build chest muscles in two weeks”
• “10 foods to avoid when working on your belly”

The advantage of starting with the content itself is that it can help a reader solve his/her problem or answer the questions that led them to your blog in the first place.

If the content is excellent, then you can be sure they will re-visit.

If you’re going to be using content as your first blog post, then the content must do the following to ensure continuity with your readers.

• It must be informative.
• It must answer popular questions in your niche.
• It must be easy to read and understand
• The information provided must be accurate (wrong information will destroy trust among your readers)

If you can achieve all the above mentioned with your first piece of content, you stand a better chance of retaining your readers.

Popular Blog Post Ideas for Beginners

Here are some more blog post ideas for beginners that you should consider for your new blog.

1. Listicles

Readers love scanning through information quickly, and that’s why listicles are great for you.

They are also very easy to research and write, thereby giving you a manageable amount of work to do.

Here are good examples of listicles:

• “ 10 most dangerous roads in Asia”,
• “10 deadliest martial arts techniques”,
• “ 13 cheap online business ideas you can start today ”,
• “Top 10 richest rock musicians in Japan”.

Readers love blog posts like these, as it educates and sometimes entertains them. They are also very intriguing.

2. How-To Blog Posts

This is also very easy to write. All you need to do is research a topic/problem in your niche and describe to your readers how to go about them.

People have many minor problems that they do not know how to handle, and blog posts that teach them how to solve these problems will be warmly welcomed.

It may not even be a problem. Your blog posts could teach them how to do something they weren’t even interested in before. But seeing such posts could prompt them to give it a try.

Examples of how-to blog posts include:

• “How to knit a scarf,”
• “ How to start working remotely ,”
• “How to get girls to like you,”
• “How to properly dress for a dinner party”.

3. Book Reviews

This is another great blog idea for a beginner because many people buy and read books but won’t want to waste their money purchasing a terrible book.

Your reviews will help tell them which books in your niche are a good read and the ones that aren’t.

Any good books on gardening or fitness? On Digital Nomad Soul you can find a blog post that reviews the best digital nomad books.

This would be more tasking than the blog posts idea mentioned above, being that it requires a lot more research. Although if you’re already a book lover, then you can quickly review the books you’ve already read. 

You can also get reviews from trusted sources and originally rewrite them in your blog post.

4. Movie Reviews

Like book reviews, movie reviews for your niche will also help your readers decide which movies they should go and see and the ones they should skip.

Everyone loves a good movie, and the fans will be eager to find out which ones are good and the ones that your readers don’t have to watch.

If your niche is travel, there are plenty of good travel movies out there. If you write about personal development, you might also find a few nice movies or documentaries.  

Keep in mind that your reviews are really just your opinion, and everyone can’t have the same. Nonetheless, you should be unbiased with your reviews so you can remain credible with your readers.

Tips help people solve their day-to-day problems and help them improve the quality of their lives. This is a great blog post idea for you.

Examples of these include:

• “ 5 money-saving tips for newly employed workers”,
• “ 41 Essential Work-From-Home Tips for Beginners ”,
• “10 tips on how to stay motivated in your career”,
• “5 important tips when buying a home”.

6. Reasons Why

Blog posts like these will help give your readers insights as to why XXX is good or bad for them.

We all have daily habits; some are great, while others are simply terrible! Telling your readers why a particular practice is good or bad for them will open their eyes to specific facts they have ignored for years.

Be sure to state only the facts, especially the ones that can be proven. You should also provide references from trusted sources if need be to further prove that the reasons you are giving them are valid.

• “5 reasons you should get a side hustle”
• “ 10 reasons why smoking is bad for you”
• “9 reasons why digital nomads fail”

7. Controversial Topics

For some reason, controversy sells! It is within our nature to be intrigued by controversial topics or events, so you can take advantage of this and concentrate your blog posts around them.

There is a wide range of controversial topics to choose from in several niches.

Examples of such topics include:

• “Is XXX the worst ever American president?”
• “ Why the digital nomad lifestyle is not sustainable ”
• “Marriage isn’t as wonderful as you think”.

As I mentioned before, people love controversy, and such topics wouldn’t just drive traffic to your blog. It will leave your comment section filled with reader opinions.

8. Personal Stories

This is another great blog post idea for beginners: If you’ve lived an exciting life, then why not tell your story? Or write the story of how you find the love for your niche. Maybe you didn’t like cooking before but then something happened and you changed your mind and now are in love with it.

The same goes for others that have interesting stories to tell about your niche. That could be celebrities, politicians, inventors, authors, or your friend next door. Everyone loves a good story.

Keep in mind that writing a personal story other than yours will require a lot of research, and the information must be as accurate as possible.

9. Go Against Popular Opinion

There is so much popular opinion flying around society, many of which you must have been hearing in your niche, too. However, not all of them are valid, and you can focus your blog posts on topics like these.

All you have to do is find the ones that have been accepted by most people and give a different view. 

Don’t be afraid to counter the general belief, because as I mentioned earlier, people love controversial topics, and some may even share the same view as you.

If you’re going this route, you have to give valid reasons for countering what most people agree with. You’ll be doing yourself a favor by backing your opinions with facts and numbers.

10. Mission Statement & Goals

You can continuously keep your readers up to date with what’s happening with your blog or business. And you can do this by regularly putting out press releases, mission statements, and your goals for the coming weeks or months.

This is also a fantastic first blog post idea for beginners – a great way to get to know your blog.

11. Product Reviews

You can also make your blog a review platform for products in your niche.

People shop all the time, and they’d like to know the products’ quality before they buy. Doing a review of several products will also give your readers options, as it will expose them to products they may have never come across before.

If you’re a computer person, you could review new products from several computer manufacturers. For example:

• “ 5 Best travel laptops for remote work ”
• “ Best desktop computers under XXX Dollars”

In your review, be sure to provide your readers with the critical features of each product. You should also list all the pros and cons just to not come off as biased towards one particular product.

12. Motivational Quotes for Your Niche

There is an audience for every niche, and every now and then, your readers would need some motivation. For this reason, you can try publishing motivational quotes around your niche regularly. 

If you’re running a fitness blog, for instance, you could post motivational quotes such as “ no pain, no gain”, or “ pay the farmer to avoid paying the pharma”.

Or check out this list on “ inspirational and rare travel quotes ”.

13. Transcribe Your Podcasts or Videos

If you’re a podcaster or vlogger, then good for you, your job is already half done! The other half would be to transcribe them (convert the visual or audio content into writing).

Go through all your previous videos or recordings, produce them in written format, and then post on your blog. You don’t have to bother about cooking up content ideas because they are already there. Just make them readable.

Check out this guide on how to turn your podcast episodes into blog posts by Sara Bussandri.

14. Question & Answer or FAQs

In your niche of choice, there are many questions to be asked and many answers to be given. This is why a Q & A or FAQ post is great.

This will help your readers quickly find answers to many lingering questions they would have.

If you’re into farming, you could post FAQs like:

• “What are the best tools for harvesting potatoes?”
• “How long do I have to wait to harvest newly planted oranges?”

15. Comparison Posts

This is quite similar to product reviews. The main difference being that a product review might focus on just one product, while a comparison would feature at least two.

Such posts help readers decide which product or service they should go for between two favorites.

Examples of comparison posts include:

• “XXX mosquito repellent Vs XYZ repellant”
• “ Bluehost vs. A2 Hosting – Best Web Hosting Companies for Beginners ”

16. Giveaway Announcements

You may decide to reward your most consistent visitors or new subscribers with a small give away. It could be with a free product you sell or a service.

You could write a blog post announcing the giveaway, as well as what your readers need to do to qualify.

An example of a giveaway announcement includes:

• “ Free e-book on how to earn money while working from home for 10 most active visitors on my blog”. 

17. Guest Posts

You don’t necessarily need to be the only one writing for your blog. You can invite others who are knowledgeable in your niche to contribute their knowledge.

You may be responsible for crafting the topic or you could leave it to them. As long as the posts provide value to your readers, then it’s a great idea.

An example of a guest post includes:

• “ 10 ways to enjoy retirement – written by XXX”.

Blogging is one of several means by which you can earn a living while working from home or even while you’re traveling. Over the past decade, there has been a significant rise in the number of bloggers worldwide, and there is still more than enough room for you!

I trust this article on blog post ideas for beginners has been helpful for you to start your very own blog.

If you’re already in the business of blogging and you have other great blog post ideas, then kindly share your thoughts via the comment section.

Thanks for reading, and good luck!

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10 Comments

“These blog post ideas for beginners are a lifesaver! They provide a fantastic starting point for those new to blogging, making the creative process a whole lot easier. #BloggingForBeginners #BlogPostIdeas”

Outstanding post! Informative and great engaging content. Thanks

Its a Great Important post.Thank You so Much Sharing your post.

really nice tips shared for beginners. thanks a lot

very nice website with good content. will sure visit again. Thanks

Content different from others. Very informative article. Will surely explore again. Thanks .

i love this;

I have been reading posts regarding this topic and this post is one of the most interesting and informative one I have read. Thank you for this!

Great to hear, Newton! :)

Answer the public has been my number 1 go to for content ideas and its been going great ever since plus i just learnt a few good things from this post, thanks a bunch!!!

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