5 tips for writing a good blog post

A quick Google search will land you hundreds of articles with tips on how to write a good blog post. Some say the sweet spot is about 500 words; others encourage writing as long as you want, depending on your goals and audience; and some even offer a formula for determining the ideal length. And then there’s the frequency – do you post multiple times a day, or a few times a week or month?

Ultimately, the answers to these questions and more boil down to your goals and your audience. Here are my top five tips for writing a good blog post:

1. Know your audience and write for them. Before putting your eager little fingers to the keyboard, think for a minute about who you’re writing for. What’s in it for them? Is your goal the same as their goal? If you want readers to keep coming back for more, you need to make sure you’re reaching them. Mark Ragan, CEO of Ragan Communications says to “practice refrigerator journalism,” which means you need to write content so compelling your readers will want to print it out and post it on their refrigerators.
2. Write a captivating title. This is your shot to get your readers’ attention. Don’t blow it with boring copy. Numbered lists and tips are one way to attract readers, because people like to skim online articles. Or, use alliteration. You may want to start with a basic headline that explains what the post is about, but then rework it to capture the concept with a title that generates an image in your reader’s head. Then ask yourself, “Would I want to read this?”
3. Use an engaging graphic. Along with a great title, an appealing graphic can grab a potential reader’s interest just long enough to hook them in. Memes, gifs and infographics are a few ways to illustrate your blog post (check out this awesome article that explains these terms – and how to pronounce them!). But make sure the image relevant. You don’t want to mislead your audience into thinking they will learn about one thing, when in fact, it’s another.
4. Think about the takeaway. What do you want your readers to walk away with after reading your post? Was the point to teach, inspire action, motivate, cause a chuckle or something else? Did you accomplish that goal? 
5. Edit. Print out your post. Read it out loud to yourself. Could it be tighter? Delete some words. Are there any spelling or grammatical errors? Correct them. Reexamine your title – is it catchy enough? If not, rewrite it.

Those are my top tips – what are some of yours?

References:

1. Chowning, Kyle, “How to Calculate the Ideal Blog Post Length,” KyleChowning.com, August 22, 2013, accessed February 15, 2014, http://kylechowning.com/how-to-calculate-the-ideal-blog-post-length/.
2. Eridon, Corey, “A Simple Formula for Writing Kick-Ass Titles,” HubSpot, October 11, 2013, accessed February 15, 2014, http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/a-simple-formula-for-writing-kick-ass-titles-ht.
3. Eridon, Corey, “How Long Should Your Blog Posts Be? [FAQs],” HubSpot, November 7, 2013, accessed February 15, 2014, http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/how-long-should-your-blog-posts-be-faq.
4. Gold, Tracy, “Content Strategy: 9 Secrets for Awesome Blog Post Titles,” Content Marketing Institute, January 23, 2013, accessed February 15, 2014, http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2013/01/content-strategy-best-blog-post-titles/.
5. Gunelius, Susan, “Blog Posting Frequency Overview,” About.com, accessed February 15, 2014, http://weblogs.about.com/od/startingablog/qt/BlogPostingFreq.htm.
6. Gunelius, Susan, “The Secrets of Blog Post Length,” About.com, accessed February 15, 2014, http://weblogs.about.com/od/writingablog/qt/The-Secrets-Of-Blog-Post-Length.htm.
7. Newbold, Curtis, “The 5 Best Ways to Capture an Audience’s Attention,” The Visual Communication Guy, September 30, 2013, accessed February 15, 2014, http://thevisualcommunicationguy.com/2013/09/30/the-5-best-ways-to-capture-an-audiences-attention/.
8. Pulizzi, Joe, “What’s the Right Frequency for Blog Posts?” Content Marketing Institute, May 6, 2011, accessed February 15, 2014, http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2011/05/whats-the-right-frequency-for-blog-posts/.
9. Stout, Dustin, “Online Image Terminology: Photos and Gifs and Memes, Oh My!” dustn.tv, January 23, 2014, accessed February 15, 2014, http:// dustn.tv/online-image-terminology/.
10. Strong, Frank, “Interview: Mark Ragan on Brand Journalism and Refrigerator Journalism,” Vocus.com, June 7, 2012, accessed February 15, 2014, http://www.vocus.com/blog/mark-ragan-refrigerator-journalism/.