How to write ALL STAR blogs
My top #5 tips on writing your best blogs
We all know that ‘I’m going to write a blog’ story and how it generally goes… you think of a topic or someone suggests one, you have a sudden burst of energy then NOTHING, it all becomes too hard. That blog has made its way to your to-do list as item #5690.
My experience working in a variety of professional services organisations, is that any kind of writing activity — whether it be a blog, case study or whitepaper — often finds its way to the bottom of the list and stays there for months (I’ve even witnessed over a year).
From a content perspective — and for a new business — we’re already kicking some solid goals. Across the Mantel Group house of brands we’ve had close to 50 blogs over the last 14 months and if we can ramp it up — we’ll be doing even better!
I’ve pulled together my top 5 tips when it comes to writing blogs. It’s not a step by step ‘how to’ guide because I know you’ve all been to school and uni and written essays (it might have been a while but I’m confident you’ve got the basics covered!) My tips serve as a reminder — these are the things that I feel really ADD to your blog and make the writing process easier and hopefully land you with a great outcome you are proud of!
I want to call it out up front… I’m not claiming to share anything you don’t already know. It’s for those who struggle to get started, can’t get back in the writing groove or are put off by how much time they think they need (and don’t have) to get it written. If you keep them top of mind, it will hopefully take away the pain and struggles of writing.
A great place to start (as always) is to take a step back and think about what you’ve been reading online lately — and what you can learn from those authors. We spend most of our time on a device and are constantly consuming content. Don’t know about you but my average screen time per week (thank you Apple for that particular notification) is anywhere from 1.5 hours per day up to a whopping 5 hours .
The point here is that is everyone is always reading, always consuming a STACK of content. So NO ONE should have any issues reflecting on the questions below…
What was it that you read?
AND
Why did it get your attention?
OR
What turned you off reading?
Park those in your mind as we work through the tips — have your latest reads considered these or totally missed the mark?
#1 Know your audience
First things first! WHO are you writing for? Who do you want to read it?
In my experience, going for a one size fits all rarely works — after all, you can’t be all things to all people. My advice is to hone in one topic/area and work out who it will spark an interest with (it’s actually a win for you to keep each topic for a blog of its own — more content options up your sleeve!)
Once you’ve determined who your audience is — and you put that hat on — that’s your starting point!
#2 Your title and image should be all about ‘the sell’
When you’re sharing your blog… your title and image IS the first impression. You will have seen on LinkedIn (when you’re responding to my subtle nudges via Slack and very generously showing the love for our posts) that below is what you see.
It’s also what Medium readers see when they’re on the platform.
Go for something that will entice your reader and grab their attention!
This article from Jessica Powell initially grabbed my attention because I was interested in her perspective as Google’s PR lead (not because I’m looking to leave my job!) but it was actually the title that got me hooked! Her sarcastic tone with the ‘how to quit in 837 easy steps’ was right up my alley — how the hell can 837 steps be easy!?!
#3 Send your reader in the right direction
As the author, it’s your job to send your reader in the right direction— and the end of your blog is the ultimate destination.
But how do you do this? My vote pretty much every time, is with headings.
Headings will break up your content and guide your reader plus it helps keeps the flow of your narrative. For me, headings really are the magic ingredient when it comes to blogs!
Back to the quitting your job article… Jessica Powell also had me with her headings and there’s a strong connection to the title. She’s kept it a bit silly and you discover what she’s on about with the 837 ‘easy’ steps…
…it goes on but you get the idea and you can see how she had me right from the start!
#4 You vs. SHITLOADS of content
Although we’re reading our blogs online, there’s a reason we see a headshot of each author. People want to read from REAL people and hear their opinion or perspective — whether that’s an experience using new software and sharing something useful/ insightful or a write up on attending conference.
You need to have an edge! It might be your topic, your image or the headings — but you need to STAND OUT. There is so much content out there to compete with and there’s no way to read it all — and you’ve got to get your blog to the top of that list!
#5 Optimal length
Your best bet is to aim for a read that’s 6 to 7 minutes long — that’s the consensus from the blog writing world (and official number from Medium) on best length. Some ideas on how to cut the length, drive home your messages and make it an easier read overall include:
· Bullet points work really well
· Images are great to break up content and support what you’ve said (exactly like all the images I’ve chosen for this blog, right?)
· Don’t reinvent the wheel — often we end up using valuable words to explain something or build context BUT can you link to another article/ author to save on those minutes?
· Visuals can also save on words count — such as diagrams and graphs.
★ Structure = game changer
If you’re going to remember one thing from this 7 minute read, remember this: planning ALWAYS pays off.
Start with a plan! A rough structure before you get stuck into the detail WILL absolutely save you time. My recommendation is to determine your structure before you start writing. It might sound basic but it really is a game changer.
Like an essay you’ll need an intro, your key points and a conclusion. Start with your topic and your audience — then map out your headings (each piece you’ll discuss) and what you’ll cover in each paragraph/ section.
I’m sure others can identify with this experience… you get stuck into writing something and before you know it, you have HEAPS of content but you need to spend AGES fine tuning, finding the flow and cutting it down from a 30 minute to a 6 minute read! Also remember that sometimes what comes from your head and ends up on the page (or screen) ONLY makes sense to you.
SO before you get cracking on the keyboard, run your ideas past someone (ideally from your target audience) and sense check that what you’re planning is going to go viral (let’s aim high) with your target audience!
Finally, is there a call to action? Can you offer your reader anything more? Should they also attend the conference you’re writing about? Use this as an opportunity to engage with your readers and give them reason to read your next post.
How’s your next blog shaping up?
Content and its power to convert an insightful and enjoyable read into a genuine business lead is something that will happen (ask Fiona about Melbourne City Council) and I’m seriously passionate about what opportunities there are through content across Mantel Group.
I’m here to help! You can…
· Grab 15 minutes with me to workshop an idea (I’m generally always in the office and up for a content chat anytime or hit me up on Slack)
· Pin me down for a copy edit and I’ll make some suggestions on taking your blog from a 9 to a 10! A set of fresh eyes is GOLD
· Work with me to nail the structure around your chosen topic and brainstorm headings, imagery, structure and etc.
Thanks for reading. Blog ’em dead.
