How to write a blog post: A step-by-step guide from preparation to publication

googlelink

Writing a successful blog post all comes down to the proper preparations. It starts before you even begin writing: what do you want to say and to whom do you want to say it? You might want to get going right away but remember: writing takes some time. And once you’ve written an awesome blog post, you’ll need to invest time in promoting it and keeping the content up to date.Today, we’ll cover all you need to do to write a successful blog post, from the first inception, to long after publication. So let's dive right in!
Before we get going with our step by step guide, have a quick look at this image that depicts the three phases of a proper writing process:


In total, there are 6 steps you should take when writing and publishing a blog post. Does this sound a bit overwhelming? Don’t worry, at the end of this post, you’ll find a practical (and downloadable) checklist with an overview of these steps!

Step 1: PreparationWhat is the purpose of your post?What is the main message of your post?Who are your readers?What information do you need?What's the best way to structure your text?Step 2: Write your blog post!Step 3: Correcting, editing and optimizingOptimize your post for the search enginesStep 4: Practicalities before publishingDon’t forget to add imagesAdd categories and tagsOptimize for social mediaStep 5: After publishing your postShare your post on social mediaInternal linking to a new post from other postsStep 6: A while after publishing your blog postInclude posts in the newsletterRepost on social mediaAnalyze the post's performanceOptimize where necessaryMore internal linkingPractical checklistConclusion
Step 1: Preparation

Let’s say you’ve taken a good look at your keyword research and decided upon a topic for your next blog post. Don’t start typing just yet. First, it’s time to prepare the post! That means you have to answer a few questions. And trust me, answering these questions will definitely help you write a great blog. So, let's have a look at the questions you should ask yourself:
What is the purpose of your post?

Before you start writing, you should first take some time to think about why you’re writing and what you want to achieve with this specific article. Articles can have different purposes:

You can write because you want to persuade people. You want to convince them to buy your product or adopt your ideas.
The aim of your article could also be to entertain and amuse people. A column is a good example of an entertaining text.
Your blog or article could also be informative. In this case, you want to share knowledge about a certain topic.

Different articles on your website can have different purposes. A blog can be informative as well as entertaining. In any case, it’s important to think about the purpose of your article because it will give you a direction to follow. An article that intends to persuade people should be written differently than an article with a solely informative or amusing function.