Blogging can feel like an endless cycle of writing, editing, and rewriting—especially when you’re not sure where to start. In many cases, a thoughtful approach to blogging with your audience’s best interests in mind can make all the difference. In fact, these tested tips and tricks can help you write blog posts that not only resonate with your audience but also meet your goals for clarity and impact.
Tip 1: Create an Effective Outline
What is the Purpose of an Outline?
Creating a blog post without an outline is like building a house without blueprints – you might end up with something, but it probably won’t be what you envisioned. An outline serves as your content compass, guiding you through the writing process while ensuring you maintain focus and coherence. It helps prevent the dreaded writer’s block and saves time by organizing your thoughts before writing.
Steps to Create a Detailed Blog Post Outline
Identify Main Points
Start by brainstorming the key topics you need to cover. I recommend using the “brain dump” technique: Write down everything you know about the subject, then organize these ideas into main points. Think about what your readers need to know and what questions they might have. This approach ensures your content addresses fundamental pain points and provides practical solutions.
Structure Hierarchically
Once you have your main points, arrange them logically to tell a compelling story. Each section should flow naturally into the next, creating a seamless reading experience. Think of your outline as a ladder – each rung should help readers climb toward a complete understanding of your topic.
Detail Supporting Information
List specific examples, data, or anecdotes for each main point that will support your arguments. This step is crucial for adding depth to your content. I like to include a mix of statistical evidence, real-world examples, and practical tips to make the content more engaging and actionable. Depending on your industry, though, the details you include may vary.
Tools and Templates for Blog Outlines
While you could use a simple text editor, specialized tools can make the outlining process more efficient. Many of these tools can generate a full outline for your post based on a single starting keyword or keyphrase. Although you may want to alter the outline based on your own industry knowledge, having a direction for your post can save significant time.
Several great paid tools exist for this, such as Jasper or SEOWind. However, several great free tools exist, such as Ryan Robinson’s Blog Post Outline Generator or Surfer SEO Blog Outline Generator.
Regardless of whether you use AI for blogging, you can create a standard template for your blog outlines. Having this template available saves time and brainpower because you can “plug and play” each time you get ready to draft a new post.
Tip 2: Determine an Optimal Length
When new clients begin working with InSync Media, one of the most common questions I encounter is post length. Our clients often do not understand the benefit of long-form posts or how search results work. Typically, I explain to clients that “less isn’t more” when it comes to blogs, but there isn’t a universal goal length. Instead, several factors should be considered when determining the optimal length for blog posts.
Factors That Influence Blog Length
Topic Complexity
The complexity of your subject matter should be your primary guide for content length. Technical topics or comprehensive guides typically require more detailed explanations when sharing blog writing tips. For instance, a post about basic social media strategies might be concise, while an in-depth guide about SEO optimization could extend beyond 2,000 words to cover all essential aspects.
SEO and Competitor Data
Data speaks volumes in content creation. Studies indicate that posts exceeding 3,000 words receive 138% more traffic than those under 500 words [1]. However, this doesn’t mean every post should be a long-form piece.
To determine the length, I recommend analyzing the length of your top-performing competitors’ posts on a similar topic and using that as a benchmark. Similarly, you can evaluate the word count for the top 10 results for the topic in search results or use SEO tools to evaluate the keyword difficulty and competing posts for a topic.
Audience Preferences
Understanding your readers’ habits should also influence the length of your blog posts. Some audiences prefer quick, scannable content they can digest during a coffee break, while others seek comprehensive resources they can reference repeatedly. Monitoring engagement metrics like time on page and scroll depth can provide valuable insights into your audience’s length preferences.
Guidelines for Length
While there’s no universal perfect length, InSync Media tries to write approximately 1,000 to 1,500 words for most of our clients’ blog posts. This typically allows enough space to cover a topic thoroughly while maintaining reader engagement. However, be flexible – some topics might need just 800 words to convey their message effectively, while others might require 3,000+ words to provide complete value.
Remember that quality always trumps quantity. Focus on delivering valuable information concisely, and let the natural requirements of your topic guide the length. The best blog posts thoroughly cover their subject matter without unnecessary fluff, regardless of word count.
Tip 3: Write and Structure Headings Properly
When you write blog posts, headings are more than just larger text – they’re crucial signposts that guide readers through your content. As someone who’s written and edited thousands of posts across a variety of websites, I can tell you that mastering heading structure is one of the most valuable blog writing skills you can develop.
Why Your Headings and Subheadings Matter
Understanding the purposes of headings and subheadings makes formatting them much easier.
So, what is the purpose of headings? Clarity.
At a very basic level, headings and subheadings break long-format content into smaller, digestible segments. This makes it easier for readers to scroll through the content and focus on the sections that they are most interested in, and it gives readers additional context for the post as a whole.
By breaking large sections of text into smaller segments with headings also improves the readability of your post. A well-written heading summarizes the content in each section of your post, which helps readers prepare their brains for what they will learn. They also clearly separate each section, which makes it easier for readers to follow the flow of information.
Headings don’t just benefit your readers, though; they also boost SEO performance. Well-constructed headings and subheadings help search engine crawl bots determine what your post is about and what search queries it aligns with. As AI search becomes the norm, subheadings will become even more important for rankings and search appearance.
Blog Heading Hierarchy & Formatting
Your heading structure should follow a logical hierarchy, much like chapters and sections in a book. You should always start with a post title in H1, followed by H2s for main sections and H3s for subsections. This hierarchy isn’t just about organization – it’s about creating a content flow that makes sense to readers and search engines.
For example, this blog post is organized into hierarchical sections, with each of my “tips” appearing in H2, while subsections (like this information about heading hierarchy) appear underneath the H2s as H3 subheads. Each time I move to a new topic, I place an H2 heading at the start. Then, when I jump to a new idea within a topic, I use H3 (or H4 in some cases) to further break down the content.
Think of it like a recipe: you have sections for ingredients, preparation, cooking, and serving. However, each of these sections includes multiple “steps” or ideas. If we just put everything on a piece of paper, you would have a hard time differentiating between the ingredients (which are necessary for your shopping list) and cooking steps. In my experience, trying to cook without a defined recipe rarely goes well — and the same goes for blog posts without properly organized headings.
Best Practices for Blog Post Headings
Use Descriptive Language
When crafting headings, you should focus on clarity and impact. Instead of vague phrases like “More Information,” use specific headings like “5 Proven Strategies for Better Engagement.” This approach immediately tells readers what value they’ll get from each section.
Incorporate Keywords
While writing blog posts, strategically place your target keywords in headings where they naturally fit. However, avoid keyword stuffing – readers will notice if a heading sounds forced or unnatural. Always prioritize readability over forcing keywords where they don’t belong.
Maintain Consistency
Consistency in your heading style creates a professional look and helps readers know what to expect. Whether you choose title or sentence case, stick with it throughout your post. At InSync Media, we create style guides for each of our clients so we maintain consistency across all of their content.
Remember, effective headings aren’t just about following rules – they’re about creating an intuitive reading experience that keeps your audience engaged from start to finish.
Tip 4: Maximize Engagement and Reach
Engagement should be at the forefront of your strategy when writing blog posts that truly resonate. Research shows that 70% of consumers prefer blogs over advertisements to learn about companies [2], so creating content that captures and maintains reader interest is crucial.
Craft Compelling Introductions
Your introduction can make or break your post’s success. If someone loses interest during the introduction, chances are they will not finish the post (or read anything else on your website). Therefore, you should start each post with a compelling hook that addresses your reader’s pain points or piques their curiosity.
Some good ideas for introductions include:
- Starting with an intriguing question, surprising fact, or bold statement
- Using humor or sharing a relatable scenario with your reders
- Highlighting a pain point or challenge your audience can solve by reading the post
- Share your expertise to establish credibility and authority
Utilize Storytelling Techniques
When you write blog posts, weaving in storytelling elements can transform dry information into engaging content. Share personal experiences, case studies, or relevant anecdotes that illustrate your points. When readers feel like you “get” them, it builds trust and credibility. This trust often leads to repeat visits and, in many cases, conversions from visitor to client.
Add Visual Elements
The impact of visuals cannot be overstated. Blogs receive 94% more views when they include relevant images [2]. I recommend breaking up text with high-quality images, infographics, screenshots, or videos that enhance your message. Each visual element should serve a purpose, like explaining a concept or maintaining reader engagement.
Encourage Reader Interaction
Creating a two-way conversation is vital for building a loyal readership. End sections with thought-provoking questions, encourage comments and respond to reader feedback. Doing this will likely increase your reach, as engaged readers are more likely to share and reference your content.
Create Compelling Calls to Action (CTAs)
Every blog post should guide readers toward a specific action. Regardless of what action you want your readers to take after reading the post, you must make your CTAs clear and compelling. In many cases, this is almost as difficult to write as your introduction, but both are critical components for a successful blog.
Promote Your Content on Social Media
Your work isn’t done once you hit publish. Create a strategic promotion plan across social media platforms. Interestingly, one study found bloggers who update existing posts are 2.8 times more likely to see stronger results [3].
Maintaining a content calendar and synergizing your blog strategy with your social media content planning can help you promote your content and repurpose content in multiple ways, saving you time and energy.
More Blogging Tips & Tricks From InSync Media
As you continue your blogging journey, remember that mastering the craft is ongoing. The blogging landscape evolves constantly, and staying ahead means adapting and growing.
Want to dive deeper into specific aspects of blogging? The InSync Media blog is a great resource to learn more about crafting high-quality blog posts, performing keyword research, and more. You can also book a time to connect with our team so we can help you determine the best content strategy for your business.
Resources
[1] https://www.wpbeginner.com/research/2022-blogging-statistics-trends-data-ultimate-list-updated/
[2] https://www.hostinger.com/tutorials/blogging-statistics
[3] https://meetanshi.com/blog/blogging-statistics/
