Do you want to learn how to write a killer blog post that attracts your ideal audience?
Blogging has become a great way to connect with potential leads and drive organic traffic to your site. The only problem?
Blogging has become super competitive.
That means you need to create blog posts that capture your audience’s attention, teach them something valuable, and (of course) motivate them to engage with your business.
That’s why, today, we’ll look at 9 actionable tips for how to write a killer blog that people WANT to read.
Why Your Business Needs a Blog
Blogs have become an essential tool for building your business.
If you know how to write a blog post that provides valuable content and connects with people on a personal level, then it’s likely that you’ll see some major benefits from blogging:
- Brands who blog see a 34% increase in customer engagement
- Content is shared more frequently on social media (even if it’s not the brand’s content) when there are regular posts
- Blogs offer an opportunity to create long-form content and publish high quality, engaging articles that can’t be replicated with just 140 characters
- Build stronger relationships with potential leads because of inbound traffic generated by the blog
There are many reasons why a business should blog, but it’s important to keep in mind that blogging is an investment.
It takes time and energy. But the more you put into your posts with valuable content, the more you’ll get out of them. And if done correctly, one blog post can generate enough traffic for weeks or months.
How to Write a Killer Blog Post
1) Plan Your SEO From the START
A lot of bloggers write their content and then worry about optimizing it for SEO later on.
But if you don’t have a blog post title, description, or keywords in your meta tags before the content is written, there’s no chance that your audience will find out about the article (unless they’re specifically looking for something related to what you’ve written).
That’s why it’s best to plan out your SEO strategy in advance and then go back through the content you write.
Add a blog post title, keywords, URL slug (or “permalink”) as well as meta descriptions that will help readers find what they’re looking for faster.
It doesn’t take much effort, but it can have a huge impact on your blog’s SEO.
2) Research the Competition
Before you start writing your blog post, it’s important to know who is already doing well in the space.
Think of this as “competitive research.” It’ll help give you a framework for what readers are expecting from posts on that topic or industry.
That way, you can figure out how to stand out while still providing valuable content.
To make this process more accessible, we’ll break it down into a few quick steps:
- Find your competitors and take note of the types of posts they’re publishing (i.e., how many blog posts are they putting out each month?)
- Look at their social media following to see which topics or formats they’re posting about the most
- Read their blog posts to see which topics or formats resonate with readers
- Find out where they rank in Google search results for your target keyword phrases by checking top pages from Google.com (using a tool like Ahrefs).
This is an excellent way to get ideas and learn how others are operating in your space.
You’ll be able to use what you’ve learned to improve on any weaknesses and create a blog post that has the potential for viral growth.
3) Start With an Outline
Start with an outline and work your way down from there.
You might think that it doesn’t matter how you start, but this is a classic mistake for bloggers because the content can feel disjointed without one.
It’s also important to spend time on research before writing so that you can create informative blog posts rather than just repeating what other people have said.
Lastly, plan how to distribute your post because even though it’s not always possible for every blog post, you want to make the most of each one when you can.
This outline includes:
- Introduction with hook or question that creates curiosity and makes readers keep reading
- Main points, including the blog post’s thesis and an introduction to each point
- Details that support the main points (i.e. quotes, statistics)
- Conclusion with a call to action
Once you have your outline, you’re ready to do a bit of research.
4) Research Your Topic
You may think that you know your topic well enough, but it’s worth taking the time to do some research before writing.
This will help give you a framework for what readers are expecting from posts on that topic or industry so you can stand out in their eyes while still providing valuable content.
To make this process more accessible, we’ll break it down into a few quick steps:
- Find your competitors and take note of the types of posts they’re publishing.
- Look at their social media following to see which topics or formats resonate with readers (i.e., how many blog posts are they putting out each month?).
- Read their blog posts to see what subjects resonate the most.
- Find out where they rank in Google search results for your target keyword phrases by checking top pages from Google using a tool like Ahrefs.
This is an excellent way to get ideas and learn how others are operating in your space. You’ll be able to use what you’ve learned to improve on any weaknesses and create a blog post that has the potential for viral growth.
If you don’t know your topic well enough, do some research on it before writing and see what other bloggers are talking about. By doing this type of competitive research, you’ll have a framework to make sure you’re staying relevant in your industry while also standing out from others who have blogged about the same topic.
That way, you can figure out how to stand out while still providing valuable content.
5) Write the Body of Your Blog First
Once you have your outline, break down the major points and write them in a bullet-point list.
Then go back to each one of those points (keeping it as concise as possible) and add details that support the main point before continuing on with more detail of the next point.
This is called writing “broad-to-specific” and you’ll find it helps your writing flow better.
Many marketers will start writing their blog post with the introduction. However, it’s faster and more efficient if you start with the main points and finish with your introduction.
It leaves you more time to come up with a “hook” (or a compelling/engaging intro). Plus, it’s much easier to introduce a topic when you’re 100% clear on the points you’ll actually introduce.
This leads nicely into our next tip for how to write a killer blog post…
6) Write a Compelling Introduction
A good introduction should be short, but powerful.
It should include a hook that makes readers curious and compels them to keep reading the blog post (e.g., “What’s wrong with chocolate?” or, “Why you’re probably not getting enough sleep”).
Include an intriguing question that leaves readers wondering what will happen next (e.g., “Can you imagine a world without chocolate?” or, “How much sleep do we really need to function at our best?”).
You want to make your readers curious enough about the blog post’s topic that they keep reading and get hooked on what is going to happen next.
This will help them stay engaged with your content and come back for more.
7) Write an Engage Title for Your Blog
A lot of marketers spend hours creating a blog post only to find that no one is reading it.
Part of the problem is that they create titles for blog posts as an afterthought. That means they spend all the time on content creation, but don’t craft headlines people want to click.
After you’ve written your blog post (including the introduction), take the time to craft a compelling title that will get people’s attention.
A good way to do this is by including keywords from your keyword research in the title.
This will help your content get found on search engines and give you a better chance of getting people to click through to read it.
Include keywords that are related to your blog post’s subject matter (e.g., “How Much Sleep Do We Really Need To Function At Our Best?”).
Also, add numbers, a question, or phrases that stand out and draw people in (e.g., “How Much Sleep Do We Really Need To Function At Our Best?”).
A great blog post title should leave readers wondering what will happen next.
So, try to craft an attention-grabbing headline for your content and give yourself adequate amount of time to do so (or rely on a swipe file).
8) Optimize Your Blog Posts With Visuals
There are many ways to optimize your blog posts with visuals, such as charts and graphs.
But if you’re not a graphic designer or don’t have time to recreate these images in Photoshop (or another visual design tool), there’s an easy way: find free stock photos online which will make it easier for readers to visualize what you’re trying to convey.
You can also use these images as a background for your blog post, an image in the sidebar or even include them as a header at the start of each blog post section.
They’re versatile and you’ll find it’s worth spending time on this step because not only will they make your content more appealing, but studies show visuals help readers retain information better.
Plus, visuals and images have been shown to engage the reader and keep them on your site longer. This helps boost your SEO efforts and will get you ranking higher more quickly.
Just remember to compress your image files to it doesn’t slow down your site’s performance (which will be a HUGE factor in how well you rank on search engines like Google).
9) Share Your Blog Post on Social Media
You can’t share your blog post on social media without a title and description.
This is also another opportunity to write an enticing intro, one that will encourage people to click the link you provide in order to read more of what you have written.
For example: “Don’t miss this freebie! Wanting tips for writing killer blog posts?”
Remember to keep your content brief so you don’t confuse people or discourage them from reading what’s inside.
But at the same time, make sure there is enough of an enticing intro that compels readers to click on the link and read more about how they can write killer blog posts too!
That way, you’re not only getting more traffic to your blog, but you’re also building goodwill with those new prospects.
It’s a win-win situation!
And there you have it. These have been 9 actionable tips on how to create a killer blog post!