There’s no getting around the fact that blogging takes work. There are so many bloggers out there, and it’s common for those of us who post regularly to feel like we’re not quite keeping up with the Joneses—but don’t worry. If you follow just a few simple steps, your blog can be a great source of information for your readers, free of typos and other writing mistakes. From the Word Counter app to spell checkers, there are a number of resources to help you improve your writing. Here are five tips to get you started!
1. Define Your Purpose
The purpose of your blog is the reason you started it in the first place. If you aren’t clear on your purpose, all of your articles will likely end up being a mishmash of ideas that don’t tie into one another. To keep your blog focused and flowing well, it’s important that you consistently revisit your purpose.
Writing a blog is a great way to share what you know with others, but it isn’t always easy. Because blogging takes time and effort, it’s natural to have second thoughts about whether or not it’s worth it—but when you’re stuck in this position, you can refocus by asking yourself: “What is my purpose for writing this blog?” When you know what you’re trying to accomplish, it makes the process of writing painless instead of torturous.
2. Determine Your Audience
Blogs are fantastic tools for small businesses of all types. They can help you build a community, promote your products and services, and provide useful information to customers or clients. It’s no surprise that more and more people are choosing to use blogs in their marketing efforts. But many of those same people aren’t getting the results they want from their blog efforts, simply because they don’t know how to blog well.
One of the best things about blogs and blog writing is that it can be made to fit the personality and style of pretty much anyone and everyone. You can filter your content based on the needs of a business, or you can rely on general, helpful content that’s still relevant to your readers or customers. Blogs are great tools for marketers who want to create a long-lasting relationship with clients, customers, and potential clients.
3. Create An Outline
Starting with creating an outline for your blog post is one of the best things you can do. It’s the equivalent of outlining a speech you’re going to give. If you have an outline ready to go, then you’ll know what points need to be said, and in what order. You can also use this outline as a way to keep yourself on track—if you find that you’ve veered off topic or if your writing is lacking focus, just use the outline as a way to help get back on track, as well as figure out what else needs to be said. An outline is also a great tool for keeping track of all your facts—just refer back to it when needed so that everything is there where it should be.
4. Conduct Research
A well-written blog relies on good research, and readers can tell when you’re slacking off with your references. Before you can even begin writing, you need to be aware of what your topic is. If you’re doing a satirical piece on the new line of limited edition Prada purses that look like medieval torture devices, you need to know what those medieval torture devices looked like before you can really bring the jokes home.
Your research should be so thorough that you can literally reference it in the body of your blog because that’s what readers expect these days—if they don’t find footnotes or some other indication of where you found the information, they might think that it’s just misinformed conjecture on your part. You want to make sure that everything is cited and referenced so these readers aren’t misled into thinking inaccuracies were intentional or have any other reason to get frustrated with your work.
5. Write, Edit, Write and Edit Again
One way is by editing your piece. A great way to edit is by reading out loud what you’ve written. This helps you catch typos and other errors that might be hard for your eyes to catch on the screen. It also helps you find places where your writing can be more engaging and more interesting. Think about how it will sound when someone else reads it. However, even the best writers can miss things in an edit. That’s where apps like Word Counter can help. Word Counter helps you understand the reading level of your blog as well as how many keywords you have included (which helps drive traffic to your blog). Word Counter is your best resource for refining blog material.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, developing good habits will go a long way toward improving your performance when it comes to writing blogs. Sticking with a schedule will help you develop your routine and get in the habit of producing content on a regular basis, like clockwork. Being able to keep track of what you’ve already covered will save you from repeating yourself and keep your blog posts looking fresh and unique. And finally, it’s important to keep things interesting by trying new writing styles, tools, and strategies, which is the best way to stay engaged with blogging.