Best Practices for Writing Blogs
There are countless ways, styles and designs for writing blogs. Blogs can be one of the hardest things to do and one of the hardest things to keep up with. Keep your blogs simple, blogs are meant to be informal yet informative, so have fun with it and see where blogging can take you!
Pick A Topic & Layout
Personally, I like to keep a list of blog ideas that I am continually adding to whenever inspiration strikes. Then, when I need to write a blog, I can go to that list and see what I want to write about next.
There are unlimited styles of blogs to choose from. Whether it be in the style of a letter, a directory of your favourite places, or an informal way of sharing knowledge. Once you have decided on a layout to your blog, then stick with it for every blog, consistency is key! You want the reader to know what to expect when they visit your blog or website.
How Long Should A Blog Be?
Most people get overwhelmed when starting out with blogs with how to do it, and I think that is because many people think they need to write an essay for every blog post, when that is not the case. Yes, we recommend picking 3 to 5 subtopics to include in your blog, but you don’t need to do it with a 7 to 9 sentence paragraph or with credible references. Keep it short and sweet, no need for those fillers words and sentences we all used in school.
We recommend a minimum of 500 words per blog for good SEO rankings, but not too much longer so the reader doesn’t get bored and move on. To help engage the reader, break up your blog into sections to keep the text sections short and not intimidating to the reader. I think we can all agree that if we see a large paragraph, we don’t want to read it.
Include Pictures and Links
A great way to help break up a blog is to include pictures! Pick a variety of pictures and graphics to enhance the content you are trying to share with the reader. Choose bright and engaging pictures to capture the readers attention and encourage them to keep reading and wanting more.
It is also helpful to include references and links to other websites and sources whenever possible. Not only will this help boost your SEO ranking, but it will show your readers that you have done your research and am a credible source of information.
Share, Share, Share!
Now that you have written the blog, be sure to share! Share the link to the blog on all the social platforms you are a part of and be sure to include a link to the full blog. Depending on the topic of your blog, you can share the blog multiple times over days, weeks, months, or even years! Some content never goes out of style.
Recap!
Overall, the most important thing when writing a blog is to be yourself and write in whatever style comes natural to you. Be consistent with how you write, how often you write, and the layout of the blog. Keep it simple. Blogs are for the average Joe, keep it conversational and don’t make it too complicated. You will just stress yourself out if you try to overcomplicate blog writing. Make it personal. People want to read about your thoughts and experiences and see the authentic experience, not the dolled-up version we think people want to see. And remember, to have fun! Writing blogs can be a fun part, so don’t stress over making it perfect, because there is no such thing as perfect in blog writing.