What Makes a Good Blog Post?

by Caroline Tyler of Divine Moon Creative

Do we need blogs?

What is the point of blogs and does anyone really read them? Ok so I’m sure we’ve all read some from time to time on lovely subjects such as food and travel. Taking 5 minutes out of the day to indulge our senses with a mental image of some dreamy locale certainly does serve a purpose for the travel industry. If well written it makes you want to immediately book a holiday. Food blogs are equally escapist making your tummy rumble at the description of incredible herbs and spices infusing your favourite dishes. But blogs can provide much more than just narrative.  

Blogs that earn

Cards on the table, we’ve all wondered how we can make cash from blogging and become an “influencer”. To earn, the writing must be engaging with a clear product or service that people want to read about. You could argue blogging has evolved and we now have podcasts, but they don’t replace blogging, merely compliment the format. It depends on how we get our content so savvy businesses will do both. Content can form a theme across the different platforms but must be tweaked so that it works effectively dependent on where it’s being accessed. With SEO so important now for businesses, it is a must to continually post relevant blogs on your website. So how does that work?

Blogs for business

It’s rare for anyone to go past page one of their search results so the reality is you need a blog to get your website up the Google rankings. This is a chance for companies to give a voice to their brand and incorporate key search words. Is your company young and creative? Let that come through in the blogs. Talk about your staff, customers like to know they’re dealing with human beings. Perhaps you pride yourself on your technical knowledge and many companies thrive on being the go-to for advice. Customers respect and trust expertise and therefore informative blogs generate sales.

Grab your audience

You need powerful images to grab a reader’s initial attention alongside a title that makes the audience want to learn more. Blogs must serve a purpose, impart knowledge to the reader so that they come away with something useful. Who doesn’t love learning a new hack, a way to save money, a short cut to something you have been struggling with? Write your truth. If you know everything there is to know about computer hacks, people want to hear it. Parents struggling with their children appreciate a well written blog that helps them past a difficult developmental hurdle with their little one. Either that or write a blog that makes people laugh or warms their hearts.

The writing process

We’ve all been there, blank page…where do I start? I was fortunate at college to have an English tutor who told me to start wherever I want. By that she meant don’t get hung up on the introduction or the conclusion, just write. For me the process is about getting down every theme or idea I have on to the page and that happens in any random way that I feel. Once on the page, sentences and words naturally form into subjects and I then give headings. My view is that people are inherently lazy in their reading, me included and they will skim read and jump to what interests them. An intriguing sub header will grab the eye and draw your audience in.

Ultimately if you have something to say, don’t be afraid to put words on the screen. If you care about your subject the enthusiasm comes off the page and readers will be drawn in.

Caroline writes blogs and content strategy for multiple businesses with a wealth of experience in sales and marketing. She takes pleasure in listening to her clients and ensuring their brand voice comes across in her writing.

You can contact Caroline via Instagram @writercarolinetyler

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash