Have you ever wondered why some blogs are so successful? I am sure you have – we all have. For me, I love reading articles by Jonathan Fields, Chris Brogan and Pam Slim. While your favorite bloggers might differ, I bet I know why you love reading their blogs. In fact, here is the secret to writing great blog posts -
Write something that other people want to read.
I know some of you are saying, “Oh come on Fred. What kind of secret is that?” Well, you’re right – it’s not much of a secret. It is pretty obvious in fact. But sometimes things really aren’t that complicated.
If you don’t have many people reading your blog posts, I guarantee to you have one of two problems: (1) you aren’t writing something that other people want to read or (2) not enough people know that you are writing great blog posts. But, don’t fool yourself into thinking that you just aren’t doing enough promotion. If your content isn’t worth reading, promotion won’t help.
But, this article isn’t about promotion. I want to help you write great blog posts.
The photo above is a photo of E.B. White writing at his desk. You might know E.B. White from his classics Charlotte’s Web
I love Zinsser’s quote. Bloggers entangle themselves in technology – laptops, WordPress, social media, smartphones, etc. But, blogging isn’t really about the technology: its about writing. And, writing hasn’t changed much over that last millennium. Sure our tools have changed, but the task of the writer has stayed the same.
So, let’s delve into a formula that I use to write great blog posts.
The Secret to Writing Great Blog Posts
Interesting Content + Excellent Writing = Great Blog Posts
The above formula is the bedrock of a great blog post. It is a simple formula, but difficult to master.
While the formula is easy, writing is difficult. Great writers don’t automatically produce masterpieces. Great writers write and rewrite and rewrite their sentences and paragraphs to get their words just right.
Interesting Content
The first variable in the Great Blog Post Formula is writing interesting content. Let’s face it, if you aren’t writing about an interesting topic or writing in an interesting way, no one will read your blog post.
The best way to write interesting content is to write about topics that interest you. If you find it interesting, chances are that others will too.
Excellent Writing
The second variable is to write well. Your syntax, grammar and style must coalesce into a well written article that clearly communicates your ideas to the reader.
If you get these two variables right, you will have a great blog post.
Oh, and one more thing. As Stephen King states, “The road to hell is paved with adverbs.”
Hi Fred,
You make a lot of great points about how to write better blog posts. I have found that one of the best strategies is to write usable content. If you can write a post that answers a specific question or solves a problem, readers are going to be more likely to share it as well as come back for more. It can be a little more of a process in coming up with these types of posts, but it will always be beneficial in the long run.
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Fred, excellent advice here. I find that I can both come up with interesting content and write better if I blog less frequently. Not having the pressure to crank out a post on near daily basis helps me a lot.
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Thanks for the much nedded advice. I am glad that i read this post. Now, i know the secret of writing great posts. And now i am looking forward to do something with these amazing tips.