If you’re hovering, dry-mouthed and sweaty-paled over the ‘publish’ button, or blogging has been tossed in the ‘too hard’ basket, here’s your can’t-mess-it-up checklist to ensure your first blog post is swift, simple and superb.
Your first blog post: set a timer
Set your timer to 50 minutes. In 50 minutes, you’re going to write an almost-complete blog post. So don’t waste precious minutes beating yourself up about how you’re a terrible writer, an unoriginal thinker or a lazy layabout. Get going!
Now, identify your topic
What do people ask you about all the time? What do people compliment you on? What do other people seem to struggle with that you find fairly straightforward? That is your topic. It doesn’t have to grand, or totally original. There’s nothing original under the sun, so don’t get hung-up on trying to uncover ways to reinvent the wheel.
Start with your headline
Headlines make writing flow. There’s countless headline templates out there that are shown to be hugely effective. (We spend a full hour writing headlines using a variety of templates in our Blogging for Business course). ‘How to_______’ is a great start. Numbered lists are always popular. Most of us are struggling to make our lives easier and more simple, so any help you can give with these will be well received.
Think: how can I help?
Too often, we let ourselves get intimidated by imagining our most revered colleagues reading our blog, scoffing at our naiveté and stupidity. Tell this voice, kindly, to leave you alone, because you’ve got work to do and people to help.
It doesn’t matter if you consider yourself a beginner or new to your journey, if you’re able to provide some useful information, insight, perspective or attitude to make people’s lives easier, to make them laugh, pause, think or act differently, you’ve done what you set out to do. Remember, online marketing is about sharing and giving first.
Use stories or data to build expertise and rapport
Not all blog posts need data or research to establish expertise but, particularly when you’re struggling to blog, having a juicy statistic to hang your first paragraph off can be a great way to feel empowered to write. When you’re able to weave in real life stories (from your life or the lives of your clients) with data, research and statistics, you’ve got the ultimate duo – expertise and rapport.
Break it up
Make your writing palatable by breaking it up into short sentences and short paragraphs. Use plenty of subheads, which also helps to give your writing structure and helps readers to digest it and follow your argument.
Edit and polish
Editing is an essential step that a lot of first-time writers skip. Or worse, they attempt to edit as they write, which breaks the flow of thought and makes it far more likely you’ll slide into a pit of self-loathing. Print out your blog post, get up and stretch your legs, have a cup of tea or take a short walk, and return to your writing with fresh eyes. Look to simplify. Look to cut out any unnecessary asides or caveats. Cut out the little words, and look to use one adjective, not three.
Craft your conclusion
Many people trip up here, believing they need some searing, original insight of breathtaking import, to make the post complete. Sometimes, your conclusion simply summarises what you’ve already written, perhaps in the form of a handy, can’t-mess-it-up checklist:
- Set a timer to 50 minutes.
- Identify your topic
- Start with your headline
- Think: how can I help?
- Use stories or data to build expertise and rapport
- Break it up
- Professionals edit
- Crafting your conclusion
Ready to start blogging, easily, quickly and effectively? Join me at my upcoming Blogging for Business course in Melbourne, Sydney, and Adelaide.
