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You would think that a copywriter would have no problem writing a blog post. Well, think again. Every month, it takes great effort for me to write a few simple paragraphs. I find myself spending a lot of time typing, deleting, and starting over again, just to write about various aspects of search engine marketing, an area of which I’m quite familiar since I work in the industry.
It could just be:
a) Nerves mixed in with a little intimidation since I’m not an SEM guru.
b) I’m making this harder than it should be.
c) All of the above.
If you’re like me – trying to write insightful blog posts about your company or your industry, and find you’re making it more difficult than it is, you may be interested in an article I found to be quite helpful on Social Media Examiner, entitled, “How to Write a Great Blog Post in Just 15 Minutes.” I found that it might help me to stop being so blogophobic. In the article, author Nerma Moore offers five tactics that can be applied when writing any blog post :
1. Plan Your Writing - Think about what people are searching for on the Web and consider their interests when you’re writing your post. Also think about what they might want to read. Figure this out and then develop an organizational format for your articles.
2. Create a Headline Bank - Determining the right headline for your post can be the difference between a reader staying or leaving your site. Come up with a list of headlines that include questions, quotes, short stories or statistics. You can always go back and tailor your headline a little more after you write the body of your article.
3. Time Yourself - According to Moore, perfection is not an option. Don’t spend all day trying to craft the “perfect message.” Create short, comprehensible sentences and step away from the computer. Moore suggests setting a timer for 15 minutes and when it goes off, you’re done.
4. Use the Series Approach - Instead of cramming a bunch of steps into one post, create a weekly series by breaking each main topic down and creating a single post for that topic. By doing this, you’ll have developed blog posts for a full week.
5. Get to the Meat of the Problem - Keep in mind that readers want value and not diluted information. So don’t draw your readers in with a great grabber, then neglect the body (being the meat) and skip to the conclusion. If you want people to continue to read your blog, remember to always provide quality and not leave the bigger needs unmet.
So there, I wrote this post in 45 minutes. If I keep Moore’s advice in mind, I should be able to shave that down to 15 minutes in no time. I'll let you know in a month…or two.
Image provided by wwarby on Flickr
About the Author: Comments
6 Comments so far6 Responses to “You Too Could Write a Great Blog Post in 15 Minutes”
Communication has always been a challenge for me. I have always been concerned that no one really cared what I have to say.
Blogging is becoming a part of my personal development process, hopefully one day I will be using most of my own content rather than relying on other people. The points in your post are helpful. Thanks
Is it really possible? Surely it depends on the length of the post?
If I could write a good blog post in 15 minutes I would be doing a lot more posting on my blogs than I do now!
What about the time for the research before writing. I usually have to do some research first.
Sandy
Its very different to see that someone defines how long it should take to write something in 15 minutes. Your points are well taken and I think with the planning and the timing becoming a consistent ingredient it should help. But as you said you still have to deliver the goods Today everyone wants it short and sweet. Unfortunately sometimes more meat is needed. Thank you!
DAuld,
When I saw Ms. Moore's article, I though the same thing. But I see where she was going with her tips. I also agree that sometimes you do need more "meat" if you want to hold on to your audience. Thanks for the feedback!
Sandy, I am the same way. I tend to do a lot of research before I write an article or blog post. I believe Ms. Moore's tips applied more to writing instead of writing and research.
One would think that these tips would only apply to a personal blog, but I can see how they could help with business blogs too. It seems like a lot of people think that a long blog post means a better blog post. The thing is, most people don't have a long attention span so if they have to read too much, they probably won't hang around on the site too long. Moore makes a great point that blog posts "should be value-focused and not length-focused." I'm going to try to keep that in mind for the future.
Ronald, I'm glad this post was helpful to you. Don't be afraid to share your thoughts and ideas. There is always someone out there who just might value your opinions. I write on a regular basis and still get a little insecure every now and then. But if blogging is something you love, don't let anyone or anything stop you from doing it. Good luck!