How to write a kick-ass blog post
When I say “kick-ass” I mean a post or an article that’s evergreen, will bring you a ton of views, shares and will eventually help expand your audience.
I’ve been running this blog for a little bit over four years now and when I sit down to write a post, I already have an idea of how well it’ll be received. There are certain types of blog posts that have a potential of becoming very popular and driving a decent amount of traffic to your blog, or even going “viral”.
A great blog post is a post that will stand the “test of time”. It’s a blog post that will always be relevant, one that’s captivating, brings value to your readers, but also one that will continue to bring you traffic even years after it’s been published.
A GOOD BLOG POST HAS A LOT OF VALUE
This is the best thing that you can offer to your audience and it’s something that will keep them coming back. You have to think of it this way: if someone is taking time out of their day to read your post, it’s kind of like them asking themselves “well.. what’s in it for me?” Sure, some people will read your blog because they like you. Some, as loyal readers, will do it daily, regardless of the type of content you publish any given day. Some bloggers are so popular, they’ve become celebrities to some extent – they don’t always have to worry about providing a lot of value because the fact that they share what lipstick they’re wearing or where they bought their shoes already has value in itself. And yes- entertaining someone through your posts also provides value.
HOW, YOU ASK?
Write about something you’re passionate or knowledgeable about- but that doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to be an expert on anything. Am I professional photographer? No. Would I consider myself an expert at blogging? No. Does that stop me from creating the type of content I want to? NO.
You can find many different blog posts on this blog; product reviews, recipes, lifestyle, wellness posts, and photography- but my writing process for each category is very different. Some of the posts take me fifteen minutes to write, some of them take up to a few days. Usually (but not always) the posts that take me longer to write, when I have to do some research or when I’m just so excited that I can’t seem to stop writing, are the ones that are more popular, capture my readers and are engaging. That’s because I write about things I’m passionate about, things I have some knowledge about and that translates through my writing.
When planning to write a valuable post, ask yourself: “WHY?” What do I want my audience to walk away with? How can I help them improve?
I came across some of my now favorite blogs when I was searching for an answer. Whether it be to read a review on a new beauty product that just hit the stores, to find a recipe of some sort, to figure out how to tweak my blog design or to see how those new Zara shoes look liked styled in an outfit. That is also bringing value. It doesn’t matter if you’re a lifestyle, beauty, parent, fashion, tech or food blogger- you have something special and unique to offer and share.
Not every single one of my posts is lengthy and super valuable. Valuable content is often time-consuming to create. If every single one of my blog posts was as involved as some of the most popular articles on TT, writing would consume me and I wouldn’t have time to do other things (like have a life or shower). Because over the years I’ve created a lot of valuable and evergreen content though, I don’t have to worry about my stats plummeting if I can’t post for a day or two. Some days, I want to blog about something fun and light like pretty makeup, which doesn’t necessarily provide extreme value to my readers. Point is, not every single one of your blog posts needs to be perfect or extremely valuable, but it’s good to have a few that bring in a nice amount of traffic on a regular basis.
FORMAT OF A KICK-ASS BLOG POST
I don’t think that a good blog post has to follow a certain structure or format as long as it’s easy to read (and I know that there are some that will disagree with me). I’ve noticed that for me, blog posts that get most traffic are lists (“How-to” posts are a close second). Lists are easy to read and go straight to the point. I find that writing list-type of blog posts is also much easier for me; I start with an idea, a number and a short summary, I list the points that I want to make and the rest is a breeze. I also love adding visuals to my list posts like here and here– they do amazing on Pinterest. My 50 Ways to Practice Self-Care post has over 60,000 repins so far and it still gets a few hundred views every day even though it was published months ago.
Now, when doing this, make sure, once again, that you’re writing about something you like, something you can have fun with. Don’t try to do this just to get some traffic to your blog and go all BuzzFeed on your readers (“number 6 might surprise you!”). When it comes to lists, the possibilities are endless and once again, your niche doesn’t really matter here. You can make a list of best multi-tasking beauty products, a list of easiest weeknight dinners, a list of books you have to read if you enjoyed [fill in the blank], etc. This is an area where you can have a lot fun.
THE VISUALS + THE TITLE
One way to get people to click on your blog post, is definitely a catchy title (usually something short and sweet, or including catchy words like “ass” in the title, like I did here. JK). BUT, at the same time, you have to remember that your title has to correspond with your post. If I click on your blog post because of your title, and come to find that the content doesn’t deliver what the title promises, I’ll leave your blog and probably never come back. Of course, this isn’t a rule and I don’t think that it’s necessary for you to come up with a catchy title in order to get your content read and shared, but I do think it helps. If you’re stuck and don’t have any ideas for a title, browse through some of your magazines or visit bloglovin’s popular page to get some ideas/inspiration. I also go by trial and error, which is pretty much how I learned everything I know about blogging. You have to see what works and what doesn’t, so don’t be afraid to try new things. In the past, I’ve republished blog posts with different titles and they often received a lot more attention and were even featured on different blogs and websites. Same post, same content + different title and better image= better results.
Another thing that is definitely important when it comes to blogging, is the visual aspect. We love looking at esthetically-pleasing content. If you need any help with your photography, you can browse through my Photography section.
Truth is, I follow some blogs just for the photography. Even if the content isn’t the best, when I see great photography, I stick around. When your post has value, the content is evergreen AND is paired with some bright, sharp images– it’s almost guaranteed that your hard work will pay off. And if it doesn’t happen right away, stay patient.
Is there a perfect formula for blog post? No. The awesome thing about blogging is that we’re all different, we all have our own style. A lot of us also talk and write about the same things. In addition to doing all of the above, you have to stop and ask yourself “what’s unique about me?” Think about how you can set yourself apart, even if you happen to write about the same thing or subject 100 different bloggers are talking about.
For more posts like this one, visit my BLOGGING section.
*this is a revised and updated post previously published on Thirteen Thoughts