You want to start a blog? Getting started is easier than you think.
Here are 5 easy steps to follow to write a blog post that other people will want to read (and how they would be able to find it!)
Step 1: Pick a topic. Write about something you are interested in, something you know about that others would want to read. Another option is to research a trending topic and write a post that summarizes your research and add your thoughts/opinion to generate some conversation.
Step 2: Write a 5-paragraph essay. The 5 paragraph essay is a good model to use for blog posts because it is succinct.
5 paragraph essays generally follow this format:
- Introductory Paragraph
- First Supporting Paragraph
- Second Supporting Paragraph
- Third Supporting Paragraph
- Closing or Summary Paragraph
Step 3: Find an image to enhance your post. Why are images important? I am sure you have heard the saying; a picture is worth a thousand words. In the case of blog posts, it is true. Using images in your posts actually has several benefits. Tin Dizdarevic, shared 10 reasons to include images in your blog posts. It is important to pay attention to licensing rules for images or you might find yourself in hot water. Read Peg Fitzpatrick’s post, “Oh Snap! Can I (Legally) Use That Photo,” to learn more about finding images you can legally use in your posts.
Step 4: Choose a catchy title. As Darren Rowse points out, “Titles change the destiny of your posts.” Titles matter because titles appear in search engine results, RSS feeds, links, and on other social media sites. Read Darren’s article, How to Craft Post Titles that Draw Readers Into Your Blog, to learn more.
Step 5: Tag and Publish Your Post. Are you familiar with Search Engine Optimization (SEO)? According to Wikipedia, SEO is the process of affecting the visibility of a website or a web page in a search engine’s “natural” or un-paid (“organic”) search results. In general, the earlier (or higher ranked on the search results page), and more frequently a site appears in the search results list, the more visitors it will receive from the search engine’s users. Read more in Beginner WordPress SEO (Part 1): How to Optimize Your Blog Posts.
John Haydon wrote a great explanation about WordPress tags and categories.
Categories are like the aisles in a grocery store and tags are like the ingredients in the various different foods. Chinese chili sauce is located only in the ethnic foods aisles, but garlic (an ingredient) is found in the chips aisle, the frozen dinners aisle, and the vegetable aisle.
Tags (ingredients) link together all of your posts (food items) across your categories (aisles).
Well, there you have it. No more excuses. Share a link to your blog post in the comment section so we can see what you came up with!
