Hello again, dear Trendsists. Many of you have been expressing interest in writing a blog for your business! We appreciate all the positive feedback we have received, and feel blessed that some of you have found inspiration in our blogs!!
We have now come full circle, as I am writing a blog about blogging! Like many things, the idea of writing can seem a little intimidating at first, but I have your back! Here I will provide you with a go-to guide to use so you can start writing amazing blogs and providing your audience with content that will build brand awareness and grow your audience!
The first successful step to follow for any project is to make a plan, and then stick to it! As we have mentioned before, consistency is always key because it sets clear and realistic expectations.
When creating a plan, you want to create a posting schedule including the day(s) and time(s) you plan to post new blogs. Be sure to also make your audience aware of your schedule whether it's through a post, email, or text! Announcing your blog schedule ahead of time will also create excitement and encourage people to keep an eye out for your first blog post!
After creating a schedule, it is also important to create a plan for the type of content you will discuss in your blogs. A best practice is to use trending/current topics that apply to your business and niche. I personally keep an ongoing list of blog topics to write about. You can organize this list by priority and edit or add to it as time goes on or when inspirations come. If you need help coming up with topics to write about, check out our previous blog: Marketing Content Ideas. You are also more than welcome to reference our previous blog posts for more information!!
Now that you have a schedule and topics planned, it's time to prepare everything you need to write your blog. Preparing your materials for your blog is almost just as important as actually writing the blog.
After selecting a topic from your list, you will want to decide your layout and download/create all images and graphics you plan on using! Images and graphics are important because they directly impact your audience and traffic. Posts with images perform better across all social media platforms. People are also visual creatures, which means we are more likely to remember something when associating it with a visual.
When deciding your layout, it is best to consider the topic you will be writing about and how it can visually be best presented when someone is reading it. As you may have noticed, depending on the information I am writing about, the layout will change. A blog should be the perfect balance of both images and text!
After you have your topic and layout planned, and all your materials prepped, it is finally time to start writing your blog! By this point, you should have a pretty good idea of the message you plan to get across and how you want to portray it.
Regardless of the topic or type of blog you are writing, there are four important elements you should remember when writing:
By ensuring your blog contains these four elements, you can make certain your message is clear, concise, and easy for your readers to follow. Don't be afraid to let your personality show, as blogging is another great way to personalize your brand by sharing yourself and your ideas and opinions with your audience!
Blogs are informal, unlike essays or reports. As with everything you do, the more you write, the more you will find your style! Keep your articles relaxed and friendly. If you are concerned about grammar, I definitely recommend downloading Grammarly! It's free and a great tool to use whether you are writing a blog, email, or even your own product descriptions!
Once you have completed your blog and are happy with the final outcome, it's time to publish your blog and share it with the world!
Most programs used to write your blogs will include an option to schedule it for a specific date and time. Always try to write your blogs ahead of time, so you can schedule it to post at the time you decided when creating your plan.
Regardless of the program you decided to use for your blog, most should have setting options that can be adjusted to increase your chances of your blog post being discovered through popular search engine terms and phrases. By staying on top of your industry's most current trends, you can utilize trending topics to reach your desired audience!
Blogging is a great way to grow your audience, build brand awareness, and become a reliable source in your industry! The biggest piece of advice I can give you is to just have fun with it!! Let your ideas, creativity, and personality shine. Write to your audience as though you would be speaking to one of your best friends! If you enjoy what you're writing, your audience is more likely to enjoy reading!!
Until next time, Trendsists, and as always, keep it classy.