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I’m sure you have great ideas for blog posts either for your own website, or your company’s website. Congratulations! But I ask you to put your blog ideas aside for a moment and read the following:
• Pick any blog such as Copyblogger, Boost Blog Traffic, The Huffington Post, Guy Kawasaki, Chris Brogan, Seth Godin, and others.
• Read a blog post from beginning to end, and from end to beginning.
• It took 10 hours or more to create that blog post (the greatest bloggers can spend hours on one blog post).
• The million dollar web traffic question: Do you love your ideas enough to put in 8 hours? 10? 20? Do you love your ideas enough to pay a freelance writer to put in 8 hours? 10? 20?
If you said YES, go straight to the next section.
If you said NO, writing blog posts is not for you. You can hire a freelance writer to put in the hours needed to turn your ideas into golden blog posts, or you can write them yourself. The choice is yours. But remember this: someone, somewhere, with a business, or who works in the marketing and PR department of a business, will put in the time an effort needed to turn ideas into blog posts. They understand that it takes time to create and develop a blog.
How to Go from Ideas to Blog Posts
Here’s the scoop on blog posts:
• There are millions of blogs on the internet. The internet is crowded with blogs. Stand out by writing content that gets shared.
• Your idea may or may not go viral. Your idea may be amazing, but if no one knows who you are, your blog post may not go viral.
• Connect with well-known bloggers. Here’s something you may not know. Connecting with well-known bloggers can make your blog posts go viral. Why? Popular bloggers are trusted sources for informative and helpful content.
How do you connect with well-known bloggers?
1. You connect by reading their blogs and leaving thoughtful comments.
2. Help them out. Whenever you see a typo in a blog post, point it out in a comment. Most bloggers appreciate it when someone points out a typo. Another way to help a blogger out is to make a suggestion that will enhance a reader’s experience while visiting their blog.
3. You can pitch a ‘guest blog post’ that will add value to a blogger’s readers. If your post is amazing, you’ll be asked to be a guest blogger.
4. You can interview popular bloggers and feature the interviews on your blog/website. Share the knowledge.
5. You can network with others who know popular bloggers.
Don’t believe me?
Click here to read a post I wrote for Nascent Digital Press, LLC. That same post was picked up by Ragan.com, “the leading publisher of corporate communications, public relations, and leadership development newsletters.” My post was retweeted more times on Ragan.com than it was on Nascent Digital Press, LLC. Why? Ragan has been around since 1970, and Nascent Digital Press, LLC is an up and coming publisher located in Detroit, MI. People are still getting to know Nascent.
When you’re asked to write a guest post for a well-known blogger’s website, it’s like being asked to join an exclusive club or community. It’s prime internet real estate. And, it’s similar to being touched by Oprah. If she mentions your book or website, your sales and expertism (I made that word up) go way up. Let’s face it; sometimes it’s WHO you know that makes a difference.
• If you can’t write, you won’t be able to write a blog post. This seems obvious.
Blog Post FAQs
How long does it take to write a blog post?
Some writers spend an hour writing a blog post, while others, including me, can spend seven or more hours on one blog post.
How many words should a blog post be?
Try not to stress out about how many words your blog posts should be. I’ve heard people say that longer posts do better. But if you look at Seth Godin’s blog post, they’re short. Some would argue that it doesn’t matter how long or short Seth’s blog posts are because he’s Seth Godin — his blog post will receive many tweets, likes, etc. regardless. But your audience may prefer shorter posts versus longer blog posts. It’s trial and error. Find out what your audience wants and needs by polling and surveying them. Once you have your data, write blog posts specifically tailored to your customers/readers. Remember, it’s not about you.
Does it take more than keywords to make a blog post go viral?
YES!
Should I share my blog post on ALL social media networks?
NO! It takes more than posting to Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Google+, StumbleUpon, Reddit, Digg, etc. to make a blog post go viral. You need to build a following and community. Select a couple of social media networks and connect with people and contribute to discussions. Become a trusted resource.
Should I read and comment on other blog posts?
YES! This is a good way to get to know people. It’s also a good way to study your target market.
Should I take action on my blog post ideas?
Yes, if your ideas have substance and will be of interest to your readers. No, because if your ideas are too broad, they won’t interest your readers.
Over to you. Do you put in the hours and write blog posts that pack a punch? Do you act on your blog post ideas or procrastinate? Let me know in the comments below.
That’s a very well written post Amandah!
I couldn’t agree more with all that you mentioned, being a freelance writer and blogger myself. 🙂
Sometimes I come across clients who want articles written for them that are stuffed with keywords, because they feel that’s what’s going to make their blog rank. However, just as you mentioned, it’s not the keywords but the content you share, the community you build or your readers and those who visit your blogs that matter more and make things work for your blog. And all of this surely DOES take a lot of hard work and commitment – isn’t it?
Speaking of myself, I can never, nor have I ever written a post within an hours time! But yes, just as you mentioned, the length of the post is a topic of discussion because there are many pros and cons about this one. 🙂 You know I have a problem with my post lengths! Or perhaps I know I spend time on them because my aim is always to give it my best, and provide complete information for my readers.
Ah…guest post is something I still haven’t ventured into, though I keep getting a lot of offers for it. I guess it’s lack of time and not a strong will as yet to get started, though I know it’s reach.
Thanks for sharing all these words of wisdom with us. And, wishing you a very Happy Valentine’s Day too. 🙂
Hi Harleena,
Thank you for your kind words. Happy Valentine’s Day to you too!
Sometimes, clients, especially small business owners, don’t understand how to find the right keywords for their website or they use keywords incorrectly within content writing. It’s a conundrum because the internet is filled with different points-of-view on how to use SEO and keywords — people get overwhelmed by the information.
I’m selective when it comes to guest posting. I’ve had some missteps here and there. I’ve learned that it’s important for me to guest post for bloggers and business professionals who understand that I’m a guest blogger, not an employee. I guest blog because I believe I can add value to a business/blog owner’s audience. I’m interested in building a trusting and honest business relationship. Of course, if a friendship is built too, it’s a bonus. Finally, I appreciate blog owners who clearly communicate blog guidelines.
I’m glad you liked the post. Make it a great day!
Hi Amandah,
I have wriiten over 15 guest posts this year because I knew I needed to gain more attention to my blog. I also spend anywhere from 2 to 5 hours writing and editing a blog post too and it show from all the shares it gets.
I get pitched a lot of guest posts and most if them are 600 word list posts that I reject immediately.
Take Care.
Hi Justin,
Thanks for reading and commenting on Savvy-Writer!
You have written a lot of guest posts, and it’s only February! I find myself spending time on Quora and answering queries from Reporter Connection and HARO. This is another way to contribute to a blog, make a connection, and receive a link back to your website.
I do have a guest post to write and need to write it. 🙂
I understand about getting pitched for guest posts. The people that send me offers for guest posts always need to incorporate links to specific websites. To me this is a sign of spam. I never pitched a guest post to someone and stated, “I’ll need to incorporate this link and that link.” This isn’t a guest post, it’s a publicity stunt.
Thanks again for your comment. I hope you have a good week. The weekend flew by!
Hi Amamndah, I just registered with Quora, now I need to have a look around and figure out what I am doing. 🙂
Hi Justin,
Quora reminds me of the “Answer” feature that LinkedIn had. If you want to use Quora strategically, answer questions that directly relate to your business. For example, I began working with non-profits and answered a question about fundraising. I’ve also answered questions about blogging and career. Using Quora is a good way to connect with more people, get ideas for blogs, articles, and books; and share your knowledge.
I hope this helps!
All good points. The best way to distinguish your business in the minds of readers is to advance the conversation, and come up with new ideas. Stop with the stale posts that have been done 100 times before, and give us something new! Good post.
Hi Matt,
I agree that writing stale posts isn’t effective. I admit that I’ve written my share of posts that have been covered more than once on other blogs; it gets old fast.
The time has come to toss out overwritten ideas, and instead, cook up some new ones. Of course, you can always write a post based on your disagreement with a bloggers post. Just be professional about it. 🙂
Thanks for reading and commenting on Savvy-Writer!
I like this! Good, relevant ideas delivered in an effective format. I agree that a great idea for a post needs to be worth the hours it will take to develop that idea into a finished piece. And that if that notion is important to your audience, it deserves all of the work and attention you can put into it.
Hi MaLinda,
I’m glad you liked the post!
Sometimes, a good idea can take a long time to develop and write. I recently found this out when I decided to write a guest post for a personal development website. It became a nightmare of a post because I had too many ideas within the post. Imagine that! Luckily, I’m a member of a guest blogging course, and with the help of the owner and his team, I was able to finally email the post today. The lesson I learned was to make sure you narrow down your idea.
Thanks for leaving a comment and adding to the conversation. 🙂
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