What makes a good blog post?
An article that’s engagingly written, full of useful information, has pictures, etc., etc., etc.
The Internet is afloat with articles that tell you what goes into a good blog post. I turned up 1,160,000,000 results in one search.
But not all of those articles nail it. In my opinion, it’s because few of those articles are written by an editor who evaluates blog articles on a daily basis.
What does an editor wish her writers knew? I’m going to share it with you.
The problem isn’t always your writing
Yesterday, I received a blog post from an up-and-coming content writer. From what I could tell, the writer has a good feel for conversational writing and structuring a blog post. But the article still fell short.
Why?
Because there’s more to writing great content than injecting it with high-engagement ingredients.
In fact, in many cases, it’s not the writing itself that needs tweaking. It’s the writing process.
So let’s look at a smart writing process that will help you write stronger content that actually engages your audience and gets read.
Start here: the foundation of great content
The best articles are narrow in focus, deep in their coverage.
So instead of broadly covering tips for better copywriting, for instance, you could focus on one element, say, headlines, and delve deeply into the ins and outs of writing better headlines.
How do you go deep in a writing project?
To begin, avoid rehashing the information everyone else is sharing. If it’s something you learned from someone else, don’t just repeat it. Expand on it. Here are a few ideas for doing that:
Studies
Look for studies or stats on the topic. Find information on the prevalence of the problem, percentages of people who are prioritizing it now, what solutions they’re considering, etc.
Quotes
Email experts and ask their number-one way of approaching the topic. Or pick one expert and interview him/her. By talking to thought leaders and experts, you could get a fantastic quote or learn of an issue that you weren’t aware of. This could take your article in new, surprising directions. By all means, explore those options.
Find examples
If possible, search the Web for screenshots, examples, samples of your topic. If you’re covering something physical rather than digital (say, soccer or cooking), go to the source. Get original pictures and find real stories or situations that validate your article’s main idea.
Search forums and social media
These days, it’s easy to embed tweets and other social media posts in your article. That being the case, feel free to look for expert quotes in your favorite social media channels. Do hashtag searches to find quotes from thought leaders. Or tweet someone and ask for their input.
Find your topic
Once your research is done, evaluate the information you’ve gathered. Your goal is to:
- say something new
- add your two cents to a trending conversation
- refresh an old topic
Now is when you make that evaluation.
Do you have anything new to say? If so, do you have enough research to support your claim? If not, can you rework the topic to find something new to say?
Often, after researching a topic, I see a trend or a pattern that I hadn’t noticed before. That’s the “something new” I was looking for.
Or I may find a quote from someone that helps me see the issue in a new way. I may shift my focus slightly, focusing on this new angle. My original idea may then become a supporting idea, if it’s still relevant at all.
At this point, you’re ready to define your “nut graf.”
The nut graf is the kernel of truth you want to talk about. In English class, your teacher called it a thesis statement. But I like nut graf better, because it implies a short statement that’s loaded with importance.
The nut graf is your statement of what you’re going to talk about and the value it will give your readers. But it should be nutrient rich:
- tightly focused
- directly on topic
- fascinating
Don’t move forward until you have your nut graf.
Outline your presentation
Content writing is a mix of education, entertainment and inspiration. To achieve these goals, it must be clear.
So rather than thinking about the clever phrases you want to use or how you’ll hook readers with a cute intro, focus on the information you’re presenting.
Ultimately, this is the testing ground: Is your content worth your reader’s time to digest?
If not, go back to your research. Rework your nut graf. Make sure you won’t waste your readers’ time.
Once you’re clear about the information you’re sharing, write out your subheads. They don’t have to be written perfectly. You just want to outline the material you’re covering and verify that the organization is good.
- Your ideas should flow in a logical progression.
- There should be no major gaps.
- At this stage, you should be able to see whether you’re covering all the important points.
Rework your outline or do more research if you see major gaps.
Write the body of your article
This stage is easy. Just fill in the material below each subhead.
As you see the article take shape, you may see more gaps. You may realize you’re covering the same material twice. As you write, tighten up your presentation and clarify your ideas.
- Move or rewrite subheads.
- Add or delete entire sections.
- Rework any section that feels awkward or unclear.
Remember, nothing is sacred. Everything is up for grabs.
Great writers are always willing to kill their darlings. If that’s painful, cut out the sections that don’t fit and paste them into a new document. They may be the seeds of other articles.
Add your intro and conclusion
Don’t try to be cute or clever. Few people have time (or interest). Today, attention is a valuable commodity. Don’t make your readers weed through a lot of chatty fluff.
- Get them hooked.
- Get to the point.
- Then deliver your point.
In the intro, your point is the nut graf. State it directly, then add some reason why learning this information is worth people’s time—possibly the end benefit they’ll gain after applying the information you share.
In the conclusion, summarize what you shared (if you can do it without being repetitive) or give readers action points for applying the information. Then tell them again what they’ll gain for doing so.
The intro and conclusion are similar, but they should never repeat one another.
- In the intro, focus more on what information you share and the intrinsic value of reading.
- In the conclusion, focus more on the value of acting on the information you shared.
Ideally, the conclusion will take readers a little beyond the actual article, not merely summarize. It’s also a good idea to add engagement elements: a question that readers can answer in the comments, for example.
The idea is to go somewhere, not just to circle back to the beginning of your article.
Now adjust the title
A good title has a nearly impossible job:
- It should generate enough interest to earn a click, even if that’s all the reader sees.
- It should be emotion-laden without going overboard.
- It should signal your target audience that they’ll be entertained or learn something they care about.
- It should (hopefully) also be able to earn top ranking in SERPs.
Optimized titles often include keywords. But sometimes, keywords can kill an otherwise healthy title. Don’t be afraid to stray into un-optimized territory. Just don’t stray so far that you resort to hype or curiosity-building.
Two tools I rely on to help me refine titles:
- Advanced Marketing Institutes’ Emotional Marketing Value Headline Analyzer
- CoSchedule’s Headline Analyzer
Both are exceptional at helping you tweak your headline until they can actually earn a click.
