Blogging is a unique way to tell your story, share your passion and sell yourself all at the same time. It is quickly becoming the newest trend in marketing and therefore it’s fundamental to harness this new vehicle and make it work for you.
Writing an effective blog post is a skill which requires practice. It has taken me over seven years to refine my craft but now I have no problem banging out a one to 2,000-word blog in as little as two hours. My bumps and bruises along the way have helped me to create a finely tuned series of steps; a road map to success.
Let’s now embark on a journey to a successful blog post. Set your timers cause we’re going to do it in under two hours.
Avoid Distractions:
Avoiding distractions simply put means that you will focus all your attention on the task at hand. Carve out space and time where the only thing you attend to is the process of writing. There’s no easy way to put this but to be blunt. You must find a space where you know with absolute certainty that you will not be disturbed. Indicate to friends and family that this is your work time and that it is vital that you focus on your business. Turn off your phone, email notifications on your computer and any other noise that might take your attention away from writing.
What you are doing is setting the mood, getting yourself into the zone. The environment is now set for greatness to occur. You are an expert in your field and you have a vast amount of knowledge to share with your readers. Allow the words to flow through you with confidence and what transpires next will knock your socks off.
Blog on your passion
Writing comes naturally when it comes from the heart. Your audience can tell when you’re being authentic so always write about subjects in which you’re passionate about. Not only will your sincerity be felt by the reader but you’ll find the words will flow quickly from you to the page. When you engage with a topic that intrigues and delights you, your desire to learn more will propel future blog posts and writing will become an exciting part of your day.
Create a list
Research is the next step in your journey. Here you are looking to understand the market and the best way to do this is to keep tabs on popular blogs relevant to your topic. Searches conducted through Technorati can assist you in this process.
Creating a list of popular blogs allows you to stay current and up to date on emerging trends. By perusing them weekly you can get a handle of which ones appear to be soliciting the largest amount of attention.
Now your job is to examine the data. Spreadsheets are wonderful tools which will allow you to chart the information you uncover. Posts that garnish over fifty or one hundred social shares are noteworthy and should be recorded. Include titles in your spreadsheet as well as the specific social media outlet where they were posted.
If you do a quick search online, you’ll be able to find several blogs I’ve written on the importance of creating a list, and what it can do for your bottom line. If you are NOT creating a list then you are missing out on building enormous customer retention, and acquisition.
Spin the title
Discovering your next blog post topic can be as simple as one two three. The data you collected can be your ally in this endeavor. Scan down through the list of popular headlines which have attracted the most attention. Which ones stand out to you? Where do your passions lie and could you see yourself using one or more of the topics listed as subject matter for your next blog post? These are important questions to ask yourself.
I followed this exact process when I was trying to decide the topic of this blog. Copy blogger had listed this title as having received over fourteen hundred tweets. Due to the fact that I myself enjoy blogging and know there is a large market out there that responds to this tool, I decided it was an interesting choice as my next pick. I then began the process of spinning variations on the headline to see which one resonated most with me.
Here are a few examples of the variations I considered.
- A Simple Plan for Writing One Blog Post per Week
- A Simple Plan for Writing One Blog Post per Week in Less Than Two Hours
- A Simple Plan for Writing a Blog Post in Less Than Two Hours
- A Simple Plan for Writing a Powerful Blog Post in Less Than 2 Hours
Spinning variations shouldn’t take you but a few moments and its best to generate anywhere from ten to twenty different options. Choosing the right headline is a very subjective process and it’s up to you to decide which one is the best fit for you.
Outline your post
Outlining your post with subtitles allows you to build the skeleton of your work. This step takes only about ten minutes to complete but can add significant value to your blog. Brainstorming possible subtitles helps you to cover your bases and create the body of your work.
The subsections I created for this article began with Blogging your passion, creating a list and Spinning your title. What follows are the subsequent steps that outline my process and help you to discover a thorough and unique plan to write a blog post in under two hours. Take the time with the bones of what you want to say and the rest will follow.
Fill in the details
The skeleton has been assembled and now you must address filling in the details to make your work complete. The body of your blog is perhaps the longest section but it is the heart of your message and therefore where you must put the bulk of your energy.
A trick here is to just go with it. Let the words flow and speak your mind without giving any consideration to grammar and spelling. Ignore the urge to sound sophisticated or use complicated language to illustrate your points. The main objective is to get the words out in an uninterrupted manner. Editing can occur at a later stage but what you want to focus on is the clarity of your message. Whichever section speaks to you first is where you need to begin.
Writing the details sounds like a tedious endeavor but in fact it is where your passion comes alive so allow yourself to get into the zone and you will find your groove.
Edit, tweak and massage
You’ve made it to this stage. The hard work is finished and you should give yourself a well-deserved pat on the back. All that’s really left to do now is polish the exterior and allow it to shine. Here are a few helpful hints to smooth out the editing process.
- Add or Remove points.
You can strengthen the position of your blog by adding a few additional points which support your perspective. Removing moot points or eliminating unnecessary wordage can clarify your intended message.
- Add facts
Supporting your work with a few well-placed links or statistics adds credibility to your space and helps establish you as an expert in your field.
- Improve the flow
Reading and rereading your work can assist you to feel the flow of your prose and make adjustments accordingly. Effective transitions help your work to become more fluid and encourage the reader to continue on through to the conclusion. Ultimately your blog post deserves to be read in its entirety so improving the flow will bring this goal to fruition.
- Correct grammar and spelling errors
The final step in the editing process is to correct grammar and spelling errors. To be considered as a professional you must ensure that your work is grammatically correct. This step, although simple in nature, is fundamental to your overall success. The more credible your work appears the greater chance your audience will consider your views seriously so seek to correct errors immediately either on your own or with the assistance of someone else.
Post and share
The time has come to post and share. Excitement runs rampant at this point and there is a tendency to jump quickly through this phase of the process.
Take a few extra moments and consider your blog post. Perhaps it might be advantageous to add a creative commons image from Flickr or other sources. Now is the time to ensure that your blog is complete before you post it on the internet.
When you’re all set just copy and paste your blog. If you already have a blogging channel than you’re well on your way!  “What you see what you get†editors exist on nearly all blogging platforms so the format of your blog should remain intact when copying and pasting to a different site.
The final thing to keep in mind is that you want your blog post to garnish a large degree of attention. The best way to do this is to share your post across all your social accounts including Twitter and Facebook. This will help ensure you get the greatest number of hits and likes.
Conclusion
Practice makes perfect! It will take time for you to assimilate this process into your work ethic but the pay-off is well worth the effort. Soon, you too will be writing blog posts in under two hours.
Keep in mind that writing content is the MOST important element in building customer growth, and hitting your bottom line. I’m surprised at the amount of people who don’t write content which is valuable. Here’s the cool thing:
Using this 2-hour rule, and staying focused I have been able to write some of the best content. I know this because it’s ranking high within the SERP’s, received enormous social shares, and continues to build momentum today.