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It’s not as hard as you think
You probably have expertise on hundreds of topics that you’ve developed over the years.
Well, guess what - each of those little nuggets of knowledge can become a blog post that someone else will find useful.
And it won’t take long at all. Even if you don’t like to write, you can create a 500-word blog post in just one hour.
Do you need outside research?
Depending on the topic you choose, you may need to do some research beforehand (though many of the best blog posts come straight from what you already know well).
If you need to find those extra facts & figures to support your argument, set aside time to do that before you write.
Your one hour of writing will go much more smoothly if you have everything you need at your fingertips.
5 minBrainstorm your thesis
Brainstorm your thesis
Your post is going to be a lot easier to write if you have a point of view. Every post, even if it is a how-to tutorial, needs a point of view.
What are you trying to convey to your reader? Can you frame it in a new and engaging way? What’s your argument?
Determine your thesis before you start writing (5 min.) so you can make a real statement with your blog.
5 minWrite an outline
Write an outline
Remember the classic 5-paragraph essay from your school days? It’s the perfect structure for a brief blog post.
Before you write, sketch out your post with the following:
● Introduction● Body Paragraph Topic #1● Body Paragraph Topic #2● Body Paragraph Topic #3● Conclusion
Don’t worry about headlines or section headers yet.
30 minWrite the 3 body paragraphs
Take 10 min. to write each body paragraph
Spend 10 minutes on each body paragraph. No more, no less.
Each body paragraph should be approximately 100 words (that’s only 5-6 sentences). So if you’re counting, that’s 2 minutes per sentence - plenty of time to flesh out your thoughts.
You can go back and edit later, so just get your thoughts on paper.
And remember to write in your own voice. Most blog posts should be in a casual, authentic, and friendly tone (yours!) versus something too formal or academic (there’s a time and place for that).
The good news: writing in your own voice is faster than trying to sound fancy!
15 minWrite an introduction and conclusion
Write your intro & conclusion
Your introduction and conclusion should come easily now that you have the body paragraphs fleshed out.
Tell the reader what they will learn (and why they should keep reading) in the introduction. Keep it short & find your hook so they don’t give up.
In the conclusion, explain why your topic is important, add some outside context, and include a call-to-action if appropriate.
Effective calls-to-action include asking for a signup on your website, a follow on social media, or a visit to your other content, for example.
5 minWrite title and headers
Create an interesting title & headers
Titles are essential. If your title is boring, who’s to say that someone will actually click and read your article in the first place?
The good news is that there are many title generator tools that can help you discover the best title for your piece:
● http://www.title-generator.com/● https://www.portent.com/tools/title-maker
Headlines should be similarly engaging as they help people and search engines learn what your blog is about. (Again, these can always be revised but jot down as many ideas as possible in the 5 minutes allotted).
Boom!You’re done!
If you have some extra time to spend...
● Add supporting quotes and images
Pexels, Unsplash, Death to the Stock Photo are just 3 of many free stock photo resources out there.
Then, add your own spin by editing them and adding text in Canva (https://www.canva.com/).
● Edit for clarity
I love Hemingway (http://www.hemingwayapp.com/) for editing. It tells you right away which of your sentences are hard to read and can be improved for readability!
And last but not least
don’t forget to share your new post!
http://bit.ly/JessicaWeiss
@jweiss44
