How to Write a Blog Post People will Actually Read in 2020

What is the job of a blog post? What function does a good blog post achieve and how can you write a blog post that actually fulfils it’s purpose – We’re aiming to answer those questions and more right here.

People write blogs for a variety of reasons but if you’re writing one (or working yourself up to it) for your business, then it’s a given that you’re writing it for marketing purposes.

A well-written business or company blog should perform a number of functions and these functions are as follows:

1. Attract new visitors
2. Introduce the visitors to your products or services
3. Convert the visitors into sales

It’s the how that we’re mainly interested in. How does a blog attract new visitors? How does it introduce your products or services and how does it convert these visitors into sales?

If you’re reading this then it’s very likely you already understand something of why blogging is important for business. You might know a little or you might know a lot.

This article is designed to help everyone who needs to start or reinvigorate a business blog – from the semi-expert to the complete beginner.

You’ve probably heard all about how it’s vital to maintain a well-written blog for your business and that the lack of a blog can have an adverse effect on your website’s SEO (search engine optimization) and therefore, on your profits.

Blogs are the perfect platform from which to boost your website’s SEO. We’re not going to get into the long and short of it here because we want to focus on the actual writing of a blog. If you need guidance on how to optimize your website’s blog, check out HubSpots’ guide here.

Before you learn more on SEO, it’s vital that you understand how to write a good blog – the SEO can be fixed later. The most important thing is that you get your blog up and running.

If you’re not very familiar with blogging then you might want to understand more fully the ins and outs of blogs, what they’re for, how they work and indeed, what is blogging at its core?

We’re going to be looking at answering those questions and more in this article and hopefully, by the end of it, you’ll find that you’re more equipped to get your blog up and running and performing brilliantly.

Let’s get to the point – writing a blog which people will actually read, is a challenge. It’s not something most people can do without a lot of trial and error.

We’re here to help you sidestep some of the common pitfalls when it comes to writing a blog.

Knowing that blogs are important for SEO and for sharing on social media isn’t enough to make your blog shine.

Neither is knowing that you’ve got to update your blog regularly – as often as once a week if possible. There’s a lot more to it than that – for many people, the difficulty lies in creating great content. And it’s great content that matters more than anything.

Before you embark on the journey of learning how to write a great blog post, you need to know that there is a magic ingredient which every good blog needs to include in order for it to be successful.

What has value got to do with blogging? What aspect of a blog needs to be valuable? To find the answer to those questions, you need to ask yourself the question “What’s valuable to my audience?”

The answer to that is always information.

Information on whatever it is that you sell and related subjects.

With each blog post you write, you’re going to offer your prospects a nugget or indeed a whole treasure-trove of valuable information. That information is going to be so interesting, so attractive and timely, that your readers are going to immediately have more trust in your business and so is Google.

The answer to this question will depend on your sector. Before making any purchase, most people do a little (or a lot) research.

When was the last time you made a big purchase? Or even a small one? It’s very likely that you looked at a few options before spending that cash. You may have read reviews, Googled different brands and asked Google some in-depth questions about the features of whatever it was you were going to buy.

It’s these questions that you’re looking to supply the answers to.

If you’re a vet, then your audience will want content which informs and educates them on pet health. They’ll be Googling things like “Should I trim my cat’s claws?” and “Do smaller dogs need fewer walks?” They may also want information about common ailments and conditions as well as price comparisons of different treatment options.

These are the things that people Google. If your blog holds the answers to the questions people are asking, then you’re going to get those all-important hits.

People turn to Google for information and they will read blogs which seem to offer them the answers they’re looking for.

Another example would be the real estate market. If you’re in real estate then your audience wants content based around the pitfalls of buying and selling, of adding value to their property and what the freshest market trends are.

It’s no use sharing content that’s cobbled together in a haphazard fashion. It will have no intrinsic value to your customer and people won’t click on it.

The old adage “content is king” was never truer than in today’s overcrowded and competitive marketplace. People…and Google are extremely savvy. The days of filling websites with keywords to hook people in are long gone and if the content isn’t useful, entertaining or purposeful, Google knows it and most importantly, so does your audience.

Valuable content is at the heart of good blogging and we’re going to look at the process of discovering more about what your audience want to read in addition to learning more about how to get it onto the page. In other words, this is how to write a blog post 101!

This is where most people struggle. It can be tricky to pinpoint the sort of content that your audience will value as well as decide on the best format for it.

Before you begin, you must always know what you’re going to write about. It’s no use thinking of vague topics and trying to wing it. That will only result in a mess.

You need to decide on topics and titles which will offer your customers and potential customers, information that is valuable to them and get these out to your audience regularly.

So how is this achieved?

What you need to do is to put yourself in your target’s shoes. Who is your customer? What do they need? What information are they most likely to search for online?

Most businesses have more than one ‘type’ to target so it’s important to bear this in mind. For example, an organic soap business might sell a lot of their products to ecologically aware women who like to know their personal toiletries have been ethically produced. But they might also appeal to men who have skin problems and who have never considered where their soap comes from – they simply need a product without any nasties in it.

So who do you target?

Both.

You cater to all of your customers by creating a constant flow of content that will appeal to the varied ‘types’ you’re trying to reach. The content that will appeal to your person with skin issues is going to be different to that which will appeal to our other example.

Consider writing Buyer Personas for your business. A Buyer Persona is a fictional character created to help business owners market more successfully. Here’s an excellent resource from HubSpot which offers a template and some good tips on how to create an effective buyer persona.

Above all, keep on top of who your customers are by engaging regularly on social media. Ask questions, run polls and really get to know who’s buying your stuff. In this way, you’ll find that it’s relatively easy to come up with useful content.

An example of a blog which considers all of its potential audience and their needs is Au Lit Fine Linens. They post a wide variety of content with something to appeal to all – they really understand how to write a blog post.

As retailers of good quality bed-linen, they know that at least some of their customers are concerned with the quality of their sleep. So posts like the one below are immediately attractive

Equally, the team at Au Lit Fine Linens understand that their audience care deeply about style. Quality and design are equally important so they run regular blog articles which feature particularly beautiful homes to inspire their followers.

This sort of quality content is just what you should be aiming for if you’re a retailer.

1. Both blogs include keywords which potential customers might search
2. Educational value
3. Both link back to products within the store’s inventory without resorting to the hard-sell

Perhaps most importantly, the subject of your blog should as far as possible, be of interest to you. It’s safe to assume that you’re already interested in the product or service you’re selling so a good tip is to consider the aspects which most fascinate you. Your passion and enthusiasm should shine through in your copy.

So, you’ve decided on a topic. Now it’s time to name that blog post and decide which style of blog post you’re going to write. What do we mean by style? Here are some styles of headline to help you decide which will work best for you.

1. List-style
2. How-to
3. Feature
4. FAQ
5. Interview
6. Thought Leadership

The style you choose will inform the title you select. All of the styles above can be valuable to your audience and all can answer their questions. Let’s look at some of the styles individually with some blog writing examples.

Your website’s FAQ section is actually a mine of potential blog ideas. These are some of the questions which your audience are Googling.

For example. A FAQ for the manufacturers of dog coats might be “Does my dog need a coat”. You can create an entire blog post around this one question by discussing different breeds and sharing images.

Here’s an example of a blog post from online pet retailer Pet Barn that did exactly that

As a retailer for pet products, Pet Barn know that most people do some research before making a purchase. It makes sense therefore to cater to those people and their need for informative, well-researched content.

It’s possible to stretch out one well-chosen question into an entire article if you work out some of the other questions which will naturally follow once you answer the first.

Here’s a blog post from masterclass.com which answers one commonly asked question “How do I get my novel published?” and manages to expand on that question whilst still promoting the website’s services.

If you decide to write a FAQ blog, do choose a FAQ which will easily lead onto further questions so you’ll be able to expand and make your content even more valuable.

The How-To blog is an interesting one. It can be tailored to suit most if not all businesses and many successful blogs even share trade secrets with their readers.

Service providers might feel that they don’t want to share the secrets of their trade or make themselves redundant by providing how-to guides which might mean the customer does the work themselves.

This isn’t a valid concern. Here’s a blog post from Wellness Mama which details how to make homemade laundry detergent from all-natural ingredients. The website actually sells all-natural laundry detergents but Wellness Mama isn’t at all concerned about making their own products redundant because the store which is linked to Wellness Mama is incredibly popular.

People feel confident buying the goods on offer thanks to Wellness Mama’s position as thought leaders who are so confident in their products that they’re happy to share the recipes.

List-style blogs are extraordinarily popular for a number of reasons.

1. They’re easy to read
2. Readers can cherry-pick the information they really want without reading the entire article
3. They’re easier to write than other styles
4. You can choose as many or as few points to make as you like

List-style blogs are a great place to begin if you’re new to writing. There are lots to learn from out there and they work well with all kinds of tones. Here’s a nice example of a short list-style blog from removalist company serenitymovers.com that gets right to the heart of what matters and keeps things lighthearted.

Like many service-related blog articles, this piece answers FAQs too. It’s clearly laid out with strong images and is just the sort of article that will get plenty of hits due to its clear title.

But what about more complicated subjects? Are list-style articles still a good option? The short answer is definitely. In fact, if you’re in a very specialized business, the list-style article could be the best option. Lists are a great way of breaking up complex ideas and offering useful information in a less intimidating way.

Here’s a slightly longer post from financial planning company Lifewise which does a great job of simplifying some of the more mysterious aspects of financial management.

List-style articles are the perfect way to get a lot of information across in a short space of time. But they might not suit all businesses and of course, more in-depth articles will always have a place.

Thought-leadership blog articles are valuable because they help businesses to position themselves as a trustworthy source of up-to-the-minute information and most importantly, unique information.

Look at this post from one of our clients here at Speedlancer. Leslie Barry is an entrepreneur, innovator and investor who offers a unique insight into the world of innovation with this article on ‘Pretoyping’. Pretotyping is a method of testing new products with very little cost.

This piece was popular on LinkedIn because it offered readers some insight into a new way of thinking – which brings us to another important point – a good blog can be shared across multiple channels. So one blog can be used to share on various social media platforms.

One of the most important aspects of starting to blog regularly is to ensure that you have enough time. Rushing a blog out late at night will never result in a great article. A lot of people who are just beginning on their blogging journey ask the question ‘how to write a blog post fast?”

The answer to that is ‘give it time’.

This might seem like a ridiculous answer when you’re looking to save time but in truth, it’s the only way. Practice makes perfect.

Try to set aside some time every week. That time is for research and writing. Once you become accustomed to blogging regularly, it will become habitual and you’ll soon find that ideas pop into your mind without even trying.

If you’re really pushed for time then it could be worth your while to look into content writing services. Writers for hire are a boon to the time-stressed business and you’ll be able to utilise their services as and when you need them. This is something that is appealing to businesses who might not be ready to hire a full-time content writer. Content creation services usually have a stable of writers and will generally choose a writer who is already well-versed in your sector and knows exactly what your audience want to read.

What do we mean by voice? That’s the tone of your blog posts. The imaginary narrator whose voice the reader will hear in their mind when they dip into your brilliant writing.

The voice you decide on should be one you’re comfortable using but it should also be one that gels with your brand. Overtly friendly tones won’t suit a very serious business, whilst an overtly corporate tone will jar with a funny t-shirt brand.

To familiarize yourself with tone and to pinpoint the right sort of tone for your brand, make it your business to read lots of blogs. Concentrate on the blogs of businesses which are similar to your own.

Which ones appeal to you? Which don’t? Can you work out why?

Avoid using slang terms which may offend or be alien to readers who aren’t local to you. This is surprisingly easy to fall into if you’re not a professional writer.

Proofreading isn’t the most fascinating task but it’s absolutely necessary. Poor grammar and punctuation will not lend your business any credibility. Use an online Thesaurus to improve your writing and if possible, have someone read it out loud to you. A fresh pair of eyes can reveal some startling errors which you might otherwise miss.

Watch out for the following no-nos which can make a piece of writing difficult to understand or decrease the value of your work.

Passive voice

Passive voice is used when we want to emphasize the action (the verb) and the object of a sentence instead of the subject. This means that the subject is either less important than the action itself or that we don’t know who or what the subject is.

Here’s an example of passive voice.

“The Colosseum was built by the Romans.”

And active.

“The Romans built the Colosseum.”

Sometimes called flowery language, this is when writers get too fancy. In simple terms, it means to write in an overtly ornate, or fussy way. Too much description and overly complicated language are the hallmarks of purple prose.

Here’s an example of a sentence which gets somewhat carried away with itself.

“The obviously necessary reorganization of our somewhat cluttered and disorganized business premises was deemed extremely vital to the future of the company and to the continued success of the workforce.”

Here’s a version of the same sentence which gets straight to the point.

“Our business premises has undergone a complete transformation.”

It’s easy to get caught up in your own thought process and create gargantuan sentences which make for a tricky read. In blogging, the trick is to convey your ideas without droning on.

Here’s an example of a sentence so long, it loses all meaning.

“Placemaking is a relatively new concept which inspires people to re-imagine and also to reinvent as far as possible, public spaces as the heart of every community, strengthening the connection between people and the places they share, placemaking also refers to the collaborative processes by which we can shape our public realm in order to maximize shared value.”

Here’s a concise version of the same sentence.

“Placemaking is a concept in which people collaboratively re-imagine public spaces as a means to strengthen the connections felt by members of the public and the places they share.”

Here’s an example of a sentence which gets somewhat carried away with itself.

“The obviously necessary reorganization of our somewhat cluttered and disorganized business premises was deemed extremely vital to the future of the company and to the continued success of the workforce.”

Here’s a version of the same sentence which gets straight to the point.

“Our business premises has undergone a complete transformation.”

There’s not much to say about this other than the fact that it’s wrong and you’ll get caught out. Google is watching.

Factoids; those fascinating snippets of information that someone ‘heard somewhere’ have no place in your blog. Some factoids have their roots vaguely in the truth but the fact is that well-researched articles are always the better choice. Check your facts – use multiple, reliable fact-checking sources.

Some good, reliable sources for fact-checking or up-to-date news include the following websites.

Politifact A Pulitzer Prize-winning website which rates the accuracy of claims by elected officials.

Snopes independent, nonpartisan website run by professional researcher and writer David Mikkelson researches urban legends and other rumors. It is often the first to set the facts straight on wild fake news claims.

BBC America A 2018 survey for Research Intelligencer by Brand Keys found that the BBC was the most trusted TV news brand among American viewers, beating out Fox News and PBS.

Other tips for fact-checking include:

1. Checking the source of a quote
2. Looking for reliably researched data – was that survey carried out by a respected organization?
3. Double-checking statistics

False news has been a big issue in recent years and software companies are already working on AI (artificial intelligence) programs which will be able to root out factoids and fake news.

After all those hours spent tapping away at your keyboard, you hit ‘publish’ and sit back to wait for the flood of positive comments right?

Wrong.

You might know how to write a blog post but do you know how to promote it? Promoting your blog is just as important as writing it – knowing how to write a blog post is a big part of your problems solved but promoting your blog is another job entirely and you simply must make sure that it’s done properly. This is where many people turn to content creation services. Content creation services will usually also offer social media marketing services – so if you’re too busy to take on writing and promotion, you’ll be able to pass that on to the experts.

Here at Speedlancer we offer teams of professionals to help your business soar to new heights. If you need help getting your blog started, let us know. We’ll talk through the options and get things happening as soon as you’re ready to begin.