How to Write a Blog- Comprehensive Guide

From the 1990s when blogs were used as online diaries to today, when they have become an integral part of an organization’s marketing strategy, the blogger’s journey has come a long way. Today, there are more than 1.7 billion websites on the internet and almost 600 million of them have blogs.

In 2021, over two billion blog posts were published worldwide which means 5.7 million blog posts per day and 4,000 blog posts per minute.  

So, what is a blog? A blog is a website that publishes new articles on a regular basis. It is a combination of two words, web and log. Mostly the writing style followed for blogs is conversational, however, at times the details in the blog depend on the purpose it is being written for.

They are mostly published in reverse chronological order, meaning, newer content is placed first. Today, blogs are the fifth most trusted source for reliable information and are among the most shared content online.

Additionally, as per statistics, before purchasing a product, 60 percent of people read a blog about it. And 47 percent of customers read at least three to five pieces of content before making a purchase decision. Therefore, several organizations run blogs to market their products better. 

So, what is a blog?

A blog is a website that publishes new articles on a regular basis. It is a combination of two words, web and log. Mostly the writing style followed for blogs is conversational, however, at times the details in the blog depend on the purpose it is being written for.

They are mostly published in reverse chronological order, meaning, newer content is placed first. Today, blogs are the fifth most trusted source for reliable information and are among the most shared content online.

Additionally, as per statistics, before purchasing a product, 60 percent of people read a blog about it. And 47 percent of customers read at least three to five pieces of content before making a purchase decision. Therefore, several organizations run blogs to market their products better. 

Difference between a blog and a website 

People often confuse the content written for blogs and websites. Content published on a blog is done regularly and frequently whereas a website is usually static and the content on it does not change as often.  

Why should someone start a blog? 

The reason for starting a blog varies from individual to individual. A person nursing a family member can start sharing their stories through blogs to advise others who are also taking care of a loved one. A person looking to expand their network for professional reasons can also start a blog. How does blogging help? Blogs can showcase the skills and talents of an individual through their online portfolio that helps them build a brand of their own. They can generate money, raise awareness for a non-profit cause and influence public opinion on a certain topic. 

Using the right words alone will not suffice while writing a blog. Several other factors play a role in making the blog post a success. Apart from words, one also needs to consider how easy is the language used in the blog and will a layman understand it, how visually attractive is the post, does it answer the questions asked by your readers and how will generate more traffic. Here are a few tips and tricks for writing a blog post. 

How to Start Writing a Blog

Let us now understand step by step how to write a blog and what to keep in mind before writing one. 

Understanding the target audience 

It is imperative to have a clear understanding of the target audience before starting a blog. Answering questions like what your target audience will resonate with and wants to know might help. This is where concepts like creating buyer personas aid writers to daft blogs.

For instance, if the readers of an individual are millennials who want to start a business. There is no point in providing them with information about getting started on social media, however, giving them information on how to change their social media approach and make it more business-savvy is the ideal way.  

Competitive analysis 

Before starting a blog, one can glance through highly reviewed and popular blogs to understand their strategy and execution. The rationale behind doing this is not to copy their ideas, but to seek information about what readers appreciate while reading a blog. While doing a competitive analysis, angles like visuals, topics, tone and writing style should be looked at.  

Picking up a topic is crucial before one starts writing. If it is difficult to choose a topic, ask yourself questions like – how relevant the topic to my purpose is, what does my target audience wants to know and how well do I understand the topic. Choose a topic you are knowledgeable and passionate about.  

Choosing your unique angle 

The key to determining the future of blog ideas is dependent on the perspective chosen that makes the blog stand out from the crowd. Ask yourself questions like  

• What problem will your content solve for readers? 
• Are you sharing your opinions on the latest trends and topics? 
• What unique experience of yours makes you a trusted thought leader of the topic chosen? 

Name your blog 

Pick a name that gives readers an idea of what your is about. It is important to keep the blog name easy to pronounce and spell and consider what your target audience is looking for.  

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) 

SEO is an important part of content strategy for blogs. One should never put SEO over the user’s experience (UX) and not ignore SEO either. It is critical to find balance. If you want to maximize your SEO ranking, then you should optimize your blog post for critical SEO ranking factors.  

While optimizing the on-page elements, do not worry about how many keywords to include. Incorporate keywords you are targeting and make the URL shorter and keyword friendly. Things you should keep in mind –  

• Write a meta description that provides searchers with a short summary of the post before opening it 
• Optimize the page title and headers 
• As you interlink to other pages, consider anchor text and select the keywords carefully 
• Write alt text for the images as that can better direct users’ searches to you. Additionally, for page speed, ensure all images are compressed 
• Make your blog mobile-friendly 

Create an outline 

Sometimes the blog can have a large amount of information. The trick here is to organize the information with an outline. Use sections, subheads, lists, and whatever you deem appropriate white writing the content. 

Write a compelling and captivating introduction 

To grab the reader’s attention, it is important to write a crisp and interesting introduction. If you lose the reader’s interest in the first few paragraphs, they will not read the entire blog. You can achieve this by using a case study, statistics, quotes, or telling a joke. Then describe the purpose of your blog in the first paragraph itself so that the reader knows what is coming ahead. 

Elaborating each section of the outline 

Now that you have an outline, start expanding on all points. Write what you already know and if needed, use research reports and information from trusted websites online.  

Add calls to action 

Use a compelling call to action to guide your reader with the next steps. Some examples of call to actions are trying something at a discount or for free to convert readers into customers, learning more about a topic by making the content downloadable, joining an online community in the blog domain, and subscribe to the newsletter to see when you publish the next blog.  

Publishing at the right time 

Once you have finished writing, read your post to yourself. This will help you to identify errors and rectify them before getting published. Carry out research to know when your audience is most active and publish the post at a peak time. 

Examples of bloggers 

• Gary Vaynerchuk helps people build their businesses through his blogs and videos. He is considered one of the leading global minds on what is next in relevance, culture and the internet. Famously known as GaryVee, he is described as one of the most forward thinkers in business. He recognizes patterns and trends to help others understand how these trends can impact markets. He documents his life daily as a CEO through his social media channels and blogs. 

• Neil Patel helps people grow their online presence. Through his paid campaigns, SEO, social media, and content marketing, he helps small business clients grow. He produces free content from webinars to blog posts, conferences, videos, podcast episodes and online digital marketing training courses. He uses simple and conversational language in his blog which is easily understood by a layman. 

• Kulwant Nagi is a digital marketer and blogger who excels in the affiliate marketing niche. 

• Archana Doshi owns her own food business and took home cooking classes. She started writing her recipes and tips on cooking and soon entered the food blogging business. Today, she runs a successful blog that helps people to try new recipes. 

• Varun Krishnan is a technology journalist, mobile industry expert, world traveler and web architect. He founded FoneArena, one of the first mobile-focused blogs in the country to help consumers in developed and developing markets. 

In a nutshell 

What makes a good blog post –

• Brainstorm topics  
• Conduct the research required to gather information 
• Break your blog into different sections 
• Include interesting statistics, facts and quotes on the subject 
• Make the blog more attractive with images, video and graphics 
• Use tools to check your grammar and spelling mistakes 
• Use a conversational language  
• Use short and concise sentences