How to write a blog post that makes an impact

Blogging ain't easy

Creating a blog is easier said than done. I've written articles on Medium on how to set up a blog from scratch and outlined the fundamental steps. However, it is worthwhile appreciating the complexity of the online landscape. The USA is expected to grow to 31.7 million blogs by the end of 2020. Note that this figure only addresses one country.

Survival of the fittest

More than a decade ago, it was a great time for bloggers and online independent publishers. Online visibility was for the taking. The same could be said for YouTubers. As long as a content creator was pushing out content that their subscribers kept returning to, the pot didn't run dry.

Then Google had enough. The algorithms changed, and now solo writers and company blogs are having to re-consider another thing. It begins with S. I spy with my little eye something beginning with S... Guessed it? You betcha! It's S.E.O.

I've written this post for anyone interested in writing posts for the internet. So whether you are a complete newbie or advanced superuser, I'm hoping you can takeaway one strategy that you haven't tried before. The world of SEO is another disciple, or Ph.D., in itself. I may lightly brush on some SEO strategies in this article, but my main goal is to help you write awesome posts. Without further ado, let's dive in.

Strategies to create an awesome blog post:

1. Audience: Before you do anything, make sure you know who you are writing to and for what purpose. Who is your reader? How old are they? What do they like? Where do they live? Get real deep and do your research. It will help you understand your tone of voice and how you approach your writing. I can't stress enough how vital this strategy is. Before you begin to write, clarify this first.
2. Engagement: Ask yourself what you like about your favourite bloggers? Is it the way they write or the way they share information? Whatever they are doing, take note because it managed to grab your attention, and could do the same for your readers.

• Introduce jokes, add memes and include amusing facts or quotes from a book or movie. Where possible add some sparkle to your content through different mediums to complement your information. Technical writing doesn't have to be technical unless you want it to be. It's your blog post after all. So go on. Take the lead.

3. Informative/Factual/Stories: Sass your content up with data, facts, case studies and stories. We're living in a data-driven world and readers like a bit of context when learning lessons. It sets your content up as more than just an opinion piece. It stands out more with juicy facts and backs your argument with clear evidence.

4. Formatting: From a SEO perspective, formatting is pertinent. Use subheadings (H1, H2, H3), alt tags/alt texts to your images and videos that you may want to add. Make sure that the overall order and visual structure makes sense for your reader who is coming to your post for the first time. If they can't see a flow in your writing, they'll lose interest and exit your page fast. And we don't want that, do we?

5. Keyword variation: Keywords is another part of the SEO process. It is worthwhile spending some time understanding what keywords your post falls under and how Google ranks them. Two or three keywords are good enough. Yet, it couldn't hurt to use a variety of keywords that are unique to your blog, especially the post you're writing.

• There are a handful of free sites that identify these keywords instantly, including Google Trends and Keyword Planner. The point is to make an effort to add the keywords, which rank the highest, onto your post as much as possible. But, the trick is to write your content without spraying these keywords for the sake of SEO. No matter what it needs to be subtle in your writing.
• The use of relevant keywords can be seen in your post's meta description. It is important to position the keywords at the beginning of your tag title as this will increase your post's click-through rate. (Below screenshot is a sample from Google Trends after inserting 'carpentry' into the search bar.)

6. Images, videos, podcasts, infographics and more: Jazz up your post with these digital assets. Interaction causes engagement. Engagement creates interested readers. More interested readers equals subscribers. More subscribers are essentially new customers who are keen to see your content again and again.

• You can find free stock images on websites like Unsplash, or you can make your own. Take pictures with your mobile phone or invest in a camera. As an opera blogger, I take photographs of cast members after a show and add them to my posts. I often received DMs from the actors requesting these high quality assets. So there's another benefit to using high quality images.
• Use Canva or Photoshop to create infographics or social media banners. Some provide ready-made templates which don't take long to re-create. Follow the will of the creative inside you!

7. Review: Re-read, edit your work, check the spelling and sleep on it. The worse thing you can do is publish a post with errors. Your readers' attention will drop if you don't bother to show some TLC (tender, love and care).

8. Conversation: Write in an active voice. Stop telling yourself to use jargon and terms only 2% of the world use daily. You could be isolating your core audience by saying something more complicated than it needs to be. So stop trying to write like you're a textbook author because, hello! you're writing for a blog. Keep it simple, stupid!

Hopefully there is something in here that has spurred you to write a post with a new strategy. The internet is filled with unlimited resources. For more information on SEO, I'd suggest checking out websites by Yoast SEO, Hubspot, Backlink, MOZ and SEMRUSH.

If you need help and support with writing a blog for you or your business, please get in touch.

You can check our my portfolio, opera/theatre blog and Medium articles here. Follow me on LinkedIn or email me directly on [email protected].