All You Need to Write a Blog

If you're already a Bloomtools customer, then you know that we reallllyyyy love blogs, and the value they serve for your business. It builds credibility for prospective clients by showcasing expertise and personality, it's perfect for SEO, and it provides practical content that keeps your customers engaged with your brand.

"We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master."
- Ernest Hemingway

Mr. Hemingway said it best - don't worry about being a perfect writer because no one is. At some point in time, we've all sat down to write, but caught immediate writer's block and stared at the screen for hours unable to write even the first sentence. Don't be discouraged. An expert writer doesn't necessarily make a great blogger - an expert in the business does however!

Getting started is the hardest part about blogging, but once you've answered these questions, you'll be able to hit the ground running.

1. Who's your target?

The most important step to writing a successful blog is to have a solid understanding of who your target audience is. Is it a technologically savvy university graduate, a 70 year old retiree who is just learning how to use a BBQ, or the no-nonsense mother of 3 searching for ways to keep her kids engaged? This affects the content of your blog, and the way you should write it. Make sure to tailor your writing style and content to your target to help them gain the information they seek, and establish your brand as a leading source of information in the field.

Need more help defining your target audience? Find our 5 Easy Steps to Defining Your Target Audience.

2. How much do you want to write?

Setting yourself realistic goals and sticking to them is the only way for your blog to succeed. We recommend starting with one or two per month, then slowly increasing when you're ready. The last thing you want to do is set unrealistic goals for yourself only to capsize and give up. Search Engines love fresh content and you don't need to be Buzzfeed to impress them. Build your article base slowly and focus on providing quality content that's built around your brand offering at a pace that's comfortable to both yourself and your readers.

3. What are you going to write about?

What makes what you do interesting? What will your target audience want to read about? Your first session should feel more like a brain storming session for topics. Write down some ideas and do a little research on topics. Some personal anecdotes or experience always go a long way providing readers with fresh, grounded content that may speak to them directly. And if you're having a hard time generating topics, take a quick peek at what others in your industry are writing about for some inspiration. Maybe you have suppliers who have a blog, or follow other industry leaders. Take a look at the trend they're creating content around and join the bigger discussion!

4. Ready?

Our advice at this point is - WRITE!

It doesn't matter how it reads, it doesn't matter if it's too long or too short. Just write, and if it's not quite up to par, you'll find that later and fix it. Any revisions, additions, shortening or lengthening can be done after the piece is done, and after you've had some time to disconnect from it to re-read it with fresh eyes. When you're done, make sure you have the following elements included:

• A catchy title - this will pull your readers in! 
• A story that people can relate to
• A header image - never underestimate the power of imagery
• Subheadings - organizing your content makes it easier to follow
• Lists - like this one!
• Short paragraphs for ease of reading
• Links, quotes, statistics, etc. - all support your content and help gain trust with your readers

Want more insights? Learn how to write Blog Introductions That'll Keep People Reading.

If you're struggling to keep your blog up-to-date, we can help! We offer blog writing services that are in-depth and tailored to your business. If you are interested in learning more, contact us today to find out how we can help you leverage your blog.