Write a blog, they said! It’s easy, they said! Erm, where do I start? How do I write a blog and what do I write about? Having never written a blog (because I’m not of that generation!), I thought I’d write a blog about writing a blog!

So, I’ve done some research and found some helpful tips to guide me along.

I’ve found that you don’t need to be a great writer to write a great blog. People read blogs to get a personal perspective on a variety of subjects and so most blogs are written in a very informal and chatty style. You don’t need to be an expert either as most readers just want to hear the experiences of the writer.

The main point of the blog is about sharing your knowledge and experiences and being passionate about your subject.

So, how do you write a blog? First, pick a subject for your blog. You can write about absolutely anything! But, if you’re not sure what to blog about or where to start, there’s usually something to write about within the following:

Life experiences

Everyone has lessons they have learned through life experience. Sharing this knowledge can be incredibly helpful to others in similar situations.

Personal experiences

You could write a blog all about you and your personal experiences. This can include a variety of topics and is a great way to share your thoughts without having to stick to just one topic.

Hobbies

Hobbies or other interests you are passionate about are a great place to start. Cooking, travel, fashion and sports are all classic examples. But even blogs about more obscure hobbies and interests can be successful, since your audience is literally anyone with access to the internet.

Step 1 – Planning

The process of writing a blog can often take several hours, even days to put together so it’s important to spend time thinking about your blog before you actually write it. Unless you are super-talented, in which case you’ll knock one of these out in no time at all!

Write an outline for your blog and choose a topic that interests you. Make it interesting. The reader needs to be engaged.

Step 2 – Pick a blog name

If you don’t immediately have a name, you might want to write your blog with a working title (or not title at all) and decide on the name when you’ve finished. A good blog name should be descriptive so that readers can instantly see what the blog is about. I think I win on that one!

Step 3 – Write the blog

Use your first paragraph to clearly define the topic and create a blog that draws the reader in. Apparently, longer is better but I have to disagree. Although there is no set length for your blog, I have seen it written that blogs should be between 1,500 to 2,500 words. Personally, I prefer small, bite-sized paragraphs that keep me reading until the end or I will lose interest.

Your content should always be original and come from your knowledge and experience. You can even include photos and graphics to enhance your blog. Perhaps even throw in a few bullet points or paragraph titles.

Step 4 – Review the blog

Review your blog and check for mistakes and grammatical errors numerous times until you are satisfied with the result. Keep tweaking and streamlining, you may want to add/delete/re-word parts of your blog. Avoid repetition. Perhaps have someone else cast an eye over your blog to get their opinion and request some feedback. Avoid repetition!!

Step 5 – Conclusion

Once you’re happy with the content, you’re ready to post.

In principle, writing a blog looks and sounds easy but you do have to put a fair bit of effort in to achieve a good blog.

I think the tips I’ve found when researching have been useful and I will certainly use this as a rough guide or starting point for my next blog (because there will be more!). I’m sure there are some of you out there, who blog regularly, that will tell me I’ve missed something or perhaps you have some tips of your own which would be useful. Any tips or further guidance welcome.

Until next time. Happy blogging!