10 Steps to a Great Blog Post

Find the Main Topic

When I’m blogging for someone else, I always ensure we’re on the same page regarding the main idea first. For example, if you are an appliance store owner and ask me to write a post about the refrigerators you sell, do you want me to list all the brands you offer, spotlight a certain one, or extoll the virtues of refrigerator ownership in general? This is the time when narrowing down your ideas will be necessary.

List Subtopics

After you’ve zeroed in on the main topic, you need to expand it. I know it sounds backward but trust me, it has to be done this way if you don’t want a rambling post that leads to nowhere. Pick 3 or 4 subtopics that only relate to your main post. If you’re including SEO in your post, find the keywords you need and get them sorted at this point.

Make Rough Draft Paragraphs

Now that you have a list, write a few sentences that explain each item on it. Don’t worry about grammar or sentence structure yet. Just get the concepts into a sentence-like form.

Rewrite

Once you’ve got all your thoughts worked out you can go back to the beginning and put them all into paragraphs. Try to avoid repeating words. Keep all your paragraphs close to the same length. Watch for common spelling errors and grammar mistakes.

Eyes Off for 24 Hours

One mistake I used to make often was publishing on the same day I wrote a post. It never failed I would come up with more polished ideas (or a better way to communicate one) after I made it public. I’ve learned that my copy gets better when I give myself a day to think about it. Put any new thoughts on a notepad instead of opening the original.

Clean up Content

The next day you can come back to the writing with a fresh take on whatever content you have and add the notepad notes. You can clean up and refocus wherever you veered off course the previous day. You will likely feel better about a post that wasn’t rushed.

Proofread

This is the time to pay close attention to all the grammar such as commas, apostrophes, and subject-verb agreements. Double-check your spelling. Delete extra spaces. 

Eyes Off for (at least) 1 Hour

Once again take your eyes off the print, for at least an hour this time. Even professional proofreaders make mistakes so you (and I) will, too. Taking a break is an effective way to refresh your brain.

Proofread

When it’s time for the final proofreading session, repeat the steps you took in the first one. By now most of your mistakes have already been caught so look for the things you have a habit of getting wrong. (If you’re unsure of yourself at this point, bring in another pair of eyes to give it a once over, I won’t judge.)

Post

You did it! Hit the publish button and share the link to all relevant platforms. Heave a sigh of relief and pat yourself on the back.