“How do I start a blog?” is a question I’ve been asked a few times recently, so thought it worth putting the tips I’ve shared into a blog post. Hopefully, these will help you get started.
Before getting into the tips, it’s worth – as with every piece of marketing and communication – being really clear about the reason behind it (the objective). For instance:
Are you writing to express yourself creatively?
Are you trying to increase your awareness, and subsequent leads, for a business, brand or organisation?
Are you working on your personal brand? (more on this in a future blog)
Do you want it to start conversations in a community, or within a particular audience?
Or do you want to be considered a thought-leader in a specific area?
Whatever the reason, keeping it front of mind before starting (and when writing every new piece) is very helpful in remaining focused.
“It doesn’t need to be perfect… it just needs to be published”
Here are the tips:
One – Forget word count.
Don’t be hindered by the difference between 300 and 500 words. Great blogs can be anything from 200 to 1,500. Depends on audience, topic, detail, purpose etc. Write until it feels right.
Two – Take notes.
Ideas come from anywhere. Become your stream of consciousness – if you think it, write it down. More than likely others are wondering about it too, so go with it.
Jot down thoughts, murmurings or questions whenever they come to you – toilet, shower, before bed, watching TV, out for a walk. You could use notes on your phone, a notepad by the bedside, or voice recording (recommend Otter.ai, especially if you’re driving).
Three – Speak to one person.
Imagine you’re in a pub (remember those?) and you’re talking one-on-one to a friend. Give them them your ‘elevator pitch’ – a clear, concise explanation, so anyone could understand it.
What would you want them to remember from your conversation – the one takeaway? Focus on that. Wider thoughts can be built into another blog.
Four – Give it time.
Like Rome, blogs aren’t built in a day. Write something. Leave it for a bit. Go for a walk. Sleep on it.
Go back (across a few sittings if needed) and wrap it up. Cut out filler words and phrases, and fluffy descriptors. Try and say it with fewer words.
A great quote from the below Yoast link to keep in mind too:“It doesn’t have to be perfect; it just has to be published.”
Five – content over SEO.
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is increasingly important – again, more in another post soon – but don’t worry so much. A great idea and reasoned thoughts will have as much impact as SEO, if not more, depending on your audience and objectives. Check out these SEO basics from Neil Patel or ahrefs.
Six – Amplify.
Sharing’s caring. Post the link and brief context on social platforms, or send an email/WhatsApp. Lean on colleagues, peers and advocates to help you get the word out. A blog needs to be read.
These tips are by no means all you need, but should help start breaking through writer’s block.
And – of course – Authentic Comms is on hand should you need further advice, or some ghost-written pieces. Get in touch to talk more.
Further advice:
Check out these recommended links for more solid advice and insight on blogging:
Better writing – a great recent Twitter thread from Michael Taggart
What writing 1000 blog posts has taught me by All Things IC (leading internal comms blog by Rachel Miller)
For more advanced content marketers: Neil Patel’s How to write a blockbuster blog post or Yoast’s How to start a blog (love “it doesn’t have to be perfect; it just has to be published” from the latter)
NB: wrote this last night after overthinking it for months. Just do it.