Author: Judyth Brown, Walkabout Media Enterprises
Good to Know
- Make It Fit: Search engines display 60 characters of title
- Average posts, aim for 500-700 words. Long form posts, 1200-1900 words.
- Create your post in Word, check spelling and grammar then copy/paste into your blog.
- Keep a short list of topics you could write about. This dramatically reduces writing time.
- You may write badly at first. Write whatever comes to mind and fix it
Step 1. Decide on your ‘point’
Decide what you want to accomplish with your article. Maintain your focus by writing a concise goal statement at the top of your post. You don’t have to use it in the final draft.
Step 2. Pick a topic and an eye-catching title
About Topic:
Readers spend an average of 2 minutes reading a blog post, so smaller well covered topics do better than sweeping epics. If the topic is too large for one post, consider a series of smaller posts rather than a long form post.
About Title:
Use a working title to save time while you write and create a final title when you’re done.
How to write an effective title
- Convey an immediate benefit “Generate Sales with LinkedIn”
- Ask a compelling question: “Do LinkedIn Connections Help Generate Sales?”
- Make it personal, use ‘you’: “ Improve Your Sales Using LinkedIn”
- Use keywords like product names “Pair LinkedIn and Salesforce to Boost Sales”
- Use humor or irony: “Are Your Sales A Little Too LinkedIn?”………………………………………………………….
Step 3. Draft an outline, then fill it in
Write between 100 and 200 words per section
- Introduce the topic and the point – Next to the title an interesting first sentence is the best vehicle to get readers. The first 130 characters of your post become its preview.
- Explain why your topic is relevant, use examples, statistics, stories and case studies here
- Explain how the topic can benefit the reader, use ‘how to’ directions or develop your solution here.
- Summarize the topic and restate the point. Include a call to action. Ask your reader to do something as a result of their encounter with your content. Include links to landing pages/ other articles/ websites.
Step 4. Re-read and re-write
Often the difference between good content and poor content is rewrite. Take a little time to re-read, re-write and spell check before you hit the publish button.
Walkabout Media Enterprises partners with small and mid-sized businesses to demystify social media and create best practices. If you’re uncertain about your online presence offer training, planning and outsourcing to help you create a strong, responsive social community to attract qualified prospects, and build brand awareness
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