How To Write A Great Blog

I find that a lot of people I speak to are quite worried about being visual online, about putting themselves out there. I hear comments such as: 

 

 

These are natural fears and if these thoughts go through your head, believe me you’re not alone. However, if you want to help grow your brands online visibility, blogging is one of the most powerful things you can do. 

 

I find it exciting to offer support to clients and see their reactions to their work. There’s usually a cry of: 

 

 

They feel that they have accomplished something great for their business and when their blogs get views and engagement - that’s when the excitement really begins! 

 

So, first things first, do not worry! Blogging whether it’s text or visual isn’t that scary. People generally are nice, decent human beings and will always support new views, opinions and stories even if their views differ. With regard to the small minority who do throw their toys out of the pram, remember they're dealing with their own issues whilst venting on you. There are ways of dealing with them (legally!) - a topic for another blog! 

 

Be brave! This is your blogging journey and it should be fun! 

 

Create an attention grabbing headline. The headline is the most important sentence of the whole blog. You are directly asking your readers to invest time in your words. Think of it as a tease, something to entice them to read more. 

 

Make sure the rest of the content is engaging. Once you’ve created a killer headline you don’t want your audience to feel cheated - like telling a joke without the punchline. 

 

Write from the heart and write authentically as you. Sure, it’s OK to be inspired by other bloggers or articles that you may have read but make sure you are communicating through your blog as YOU. Make your blog unique to you, even if the idea isn’t. 

 

Mix it up every once in a while and do a video blog. They are simple to do on your webcam or phone. Video is a great ice breaker between you and your ideal clients. Consider these stats: 

 

By 2017, video will account for 69% of all consumer Internet traffic. 

Watching a minute of video is the equivalent of reading 1.8 million words. 

 

Be honest and transparent. Trust is so hard to build in any relationship, it takes time, effort and it can be destroyed in a second. 

 

Ask questions. Everyone loves to be asked their opinion on something. It’s flattering and demonstrates that you respect and value your audiences input. Plus you get to learn things about your ideal clients that could be valuable info when converting leads into sales. 

 

End with a CTA. Your audience needs a Call To Action at the end of your blog. What do you want them to do once they have read it? Call you, email you, comment or dance to Abba? The last one I like! 

 

Never plagiarise. Under no circumstances copy anyone else work. I can’t stress this enough, you will really p**s people off and it will damage your reputation. If you want to use a quote or a sentence from someone else's work - always credit the source. 

 

Make notes in your phone. Note every day observations, conversations, comments from people you meet - these could all lead to inspiration for your future blogs. 

 

Bank the ideas for the future. You should aim to do one blog a week, but if you’re finding the creative juices are flowing, make a note of your ideas. What inspired you to write or record? Log how you feel, emotions, smells and what you see. Getting into the habit of logging this info for future use will help you revisit this time, that will then help you remember how you felt, which will then allow you to write from the heart as if you were still in that moment.