You’ve heard about blogging, and now you want to know how to write a blog post. You’re not alone. So many people have made money off of travel blogs, cooking blogs, golf blogs. You name it, there is probably someone blogging about it.
So how do you start your own? If you’re completely new to blogging, there are some important things you’re going to want to know: how to buy a domain, how to host your blog, and how to write a blog post just to name a few.
We’ll get you headed in the right direction on all of those things. But, since writing is my area of expertise, how to write a blog post is what I’m most-equipped to help you with.
So let’s dive in, and get you out there on the internet!
Choosing a Topic
For the sake of this article, I’m going to assume you already know what you want to write about. If you don’t, take some time to journal or jot down the things that interest you and see where it leads.
The one thing on topics that you will want to consider, though, is to make your topic as specific as possible. Too many people think that starting a blog that caters to everyone is the best way to start blogging for a living. Actually, the opposite is true. You want to focus on one topic, and get even more detailed within that topic.
Becoming the expert on a particular subject puts you in a position to be sought after by other companies and vendors in that space. They’ll want to work with you because of your reputation in your niche, which can lead to some cool opportunities…and free stuff, sometimes.
Choose A Domain Name
Your domain name is the name of your website. For example, Google’s domain name is “google.com”.
There are a couple things to consider when buying your domain name.
Always buy a “.com” domain
The “.com” is what’s known as your domain extension, and “.com” is what everyone is searching. It will also probably land you the most traffic. If a potential reader just remembers your domain, but doesn’t remember the extension, they will most likely add a “.com” by default.
Don’t match your domain name exactly to your keywords
I don’t want to talk too much about keywords in this article, because it’s a little advanced. But, they are an important part of how to write a blog post. Keywords are words/phrases that are popular search terms within your industry. Basically, lots of people type them into Google when searching for your topic.
For example, let’s say you are writing a food blog, and it’s focused on how to save food. When it comes to saving food, “how to store leftovers” is probably a keyword term that’s searched pretty often. Therefore, I wouldn’t want to name my blog “howtostoreleftovers.com”.
When you match your domain exactly to a popular keyword phrase within your niche, Google sees that as cheesy. They don’t like it. When you name your blog make it something memorable and effective.
When naming your blog/domain, keep these 3 things in mind:
- Name it something that sticks in people’s minds
- It should be something that’s easy for people to type
- It should tell people what your blog is about
Purchase Your Domain And Hosting
I know, I know. This sounds super technical. Don’t worry, it’s not. Most sites that you purchase a domain from will also handle your hosting.
Vendors like Bluehost and GoDaddy can get you setup in no time. You’ll even be able to search your domain to make sure nobody owns it already.
The one thing worth mentioning is: make sure your domain has an SSL certificate. This is a form of website security, and it’s important to have. If you don’t have one, when people visit your blog a big, red warning banner will show across the top of the page, and it will suggest to readers that your blog site may not be safe for them to visit. You don’t want that.
Setting up your domain and hosting are both pretty simple. If you hit a roadblock, most companies offer live chat or telephone support.
Choose a CMS
CMS stands for Content Management System. This will be the backbone of your blog site. Once your domain and hosting are purchased, you’ll need to connect it to a CMS in order to write your blog.
To be honest, when you buy a domain and webhosting plan, most companies are pretty standard. I would recommend a domain/hosting plan that allows you to connect your website to WordPress as your CMS.
To accomplish all these goals, my one-stop recommendation would be Bluehost.
How to Write a Blog Post
Ok, so now we’re down to the meat and potatoes of this whole thing: how to write a blog post. Since you’ve used the internet to navigate your way to this post, I’m assuming most of you know how to write (ha ha). But, writing for the internet can be a little bit different.
Writing a blog post is more about communication than your actual writing style. Sure, you want to write with style, and you want to inject your personality into your writing, but it’s more about getting your message across.
Keep things clear and simple
You want to write clearly and concisely. A great question to ask yourself as you write is “Can a 6th grader understand this”? If you happen to be a 6th grader reading this, congrats. You’ve got a leg up on the rest of us. For those of us that have moved on from the 6th grade, I always like to recommend the Hemingway App. It’s easy to use, and very helpful in simplifying your content.
Aside from communicating clearly, you want your blog to be helpful and informative. Give the people what they want! That’s where your keyword research comes in. Find out what people want to learn about in your blog niche, and give them the best darn content they’ve ever seen on that topic.
Paragraphs should be short and to the point. Preferably no more than 3 sentences, 5 sentences at the most.
Use subheadings often. Your blog post should be broken up into sections that are no longer than 300 words. This makes it more readable and quickly scannable for your readers.
How to Write a Blog Post Headline
Last, but not least: Headlines. The key to how to write a blog post headline is making your readers’ click. You need something that gets to the point, grabs your readers’ attention, and has your keyword phrase in it.
Fortunately, you can do a quick Google search for a headline analyzer tool. If you choose to use WordPress as your blog’s CMS, the newest version has a headline analyzer built in. How easy is that?
Do You Know How to Write A Blog Post Now?
What do you think? Are you confident that you know how to write a blog post? The goal was to give a basic overview anyone can use to get started. If you have any more questions, reach out and I will be happy to answer them.
There will be more info about blogging available on the site. If you want to be notified as new posts come out, or if you’d like to work with me, sign up for my email list.
Happy blogging!
