Planning Your Posts
How many times have you sat at your computer wracking your brain for divine inspiration that will enable your fingers to fly magically over the keyboard, your screen to fill with meaningful dialogue and teachings, and will culminate in a blog post that will attract readers, be stumbled/twitted/dugg voraciously, linked to, commented on and hailed as the best blog post that ever existed? Well, this post possibly isn’t going to give you the actual topic for that blog post, because if it was then I’d be writing it myself, however it will help get you on the path to finding that topic.
What I am aiming to do is help you with that feeling of “What am I going to write about? This post has to be published today and I still don’t have a topic” type of writers block. I used to have this regularly, as in nearly every single day.
Plan your post topics in advance.
Simple, yes? But how many people do this? I’m not talking about writing your posts in advance, although that’s a great practice to get into, I’m talking about listing down your future topics.
Why? And what happens when that inspiration strikes and you write your award winning post? Where does that fit in? Glad you asked.
Planning your topics in advance helps with:
- Avoiding writers block when you haven’t a clue what to write about
- Saves the mental angst and energy of having to come up with a topic two hours before the post is due to be published. That mental energy is much better directed towards writing content, not topics.
- You can tie your posts in with other marketing and products that you have. For example, writing a series of posts leading up to the launch of a new product or service. The posts drive interest and curiosity about the product – watch your sales rise.
- It save time, both in creating a topic and writing the post.
- You create a strategic plan for the content of your blog which adds value and interest to your posts. This will increase the quality of your content and help attract and retain visitors to your site.
- If you know your topics in advance, you can mind-map and draft them in odd moments of spare time. I regularly draw mind-maps of posts while sitting in the car waiting for my daughter to finish her dance class.
- And it’s easy. So easy. Try it and see.
How do you plan your topics? Three easy steps, (so easy you’ll wonder why I wrote them out, however I know if I don’t write them out, then someone will email or comment and ask how):
Step 1. Write a list of topics. Write down anything that comes to mind as a potential topic. Brainstorm. Look at comments that have been left on previous posts, emails you’ve been sent, questions you’ve been asked. Go through the list and delete any that won’t work.
Step 2. Take a piece of lined paper, or a Word document, or even a spreadsheet, and write the dates you plan to publish posts down the left hand side. I have posts planned for four to six weeks in advance. Note any holidays, conferences or other activities that could interrupt your writing and posting schedule.
Step 3. The hardest step. Decide what topic you’re going to post on what day and write it in. You can group similar topics together, plan series of topics on a subject, plan topics for product launches and seasonally relevant topics. Remember to include any dates that you plan to use Guest posts.
Now put the list up where you can see it, and start writing. I carry a copy with me in my notebook, so I can refer to it when I have some spare time; you may or may not want to do this.
Have fun planning your topics, and I’d love to hear how you plan and organise your blog posting. Leave a comment and tell us how you do this.
How to Increase Repeat Readers
This is the third of three guest posts brought to you by Marc Pieniazek of Welsh Scribe.
In this final instalment of the 3 part series on writing effective blog posts we take a look at the all important but oft overlooked end of the post. Previous posts in this series discussed the importance of the title of the post and how to structure your copy to keep reader’s attention.
You’ve worked hard to entice the reader in with a catchy title and you’ve managed to keep their attention with compelling copy so the last thing you want to do is to end on a weak note and leave that reader hanging.
Thoughts like “now what?” and “is that it?” do nothing to compel the reader into doing something. They feel unfulfilled, like dining out in a fancy restaurant yet leaving hungry despite having a full course. If that was you would you return to dine there? Then why should your reader’s come back for more if your writing doesn’t fulfil them?
Talking of food. The first and most essential thing you need to do is what’s called sandwiching your copy. Let me explain.
Bringing The Closure
We all know what a sandwich is right? Two slices of bread with something in the middle as a filler. Well what would your sandwich be like if it only had one slice of bread? That’s right it wouldn’t be a sandwich.
By the same token you need to end your post on the same note you used to open it. In traditional teaching the structure is along the lines of telling your students what they’re about to learn, teaching them and then telling them what they just learnt.
Sounds a bit repetitive and redundant I know but this repetition has an important psychological effect. It’s called closure. The easiest way to create this closure is to simply mirror your opening paragraph. If you start with a problem then end with the solution.
When you make a sandwich you probably start with two slices of bread. Do the same with your writing start with your opening and closing paragraphs. Then add the filling.
Take a look at how I sandwich this post.
Beyond Psychology
So you’ve made a nice sandwich and your readers are feeling all the better for consuming it but it doesn’t mean they are going to do what you want them to do.
Sure they’re much more likely to return for more which is always a good thing but there are things you can do to increase those chances.
Promise them something at the end. This 3-part series is one example of enticing readers back to your blog. TV shows like LOST and 24 end on cliffhangers. As viewers we just have to know what’s going to happen next so we tune in again the following week. Can you end your blog posts on a cliffhanger?
The end of your post is also where you insert your call to action; subscribe to RSS for example, use social media to promote the blog post or even get them to buy from you. Whatever it is you want them to do just remember you must explicitly ask for it.
Now you are armed with all the knowledge you need to end your posts. Make that end note a strong one so that you don’t leave your readers hanging.
This also concludes the 3 part series on writing an effective blog post. Time to re-read the previous entries to see just how I integrated all the tips into each of them.
I hope you enjoyed this short series. Please do comment with your thoughts or questions.
Marc is a freelance writer and SEO specialist who helps freelancers build a profitable business. Grab his RSS feed today
How to Write Copy That Keeps Readers Attention
This is the second of three guest posts brought to you by Marc Pieniazek of Welsh Scribe.
This is the second post in a 3-part series. The previous post looked at writing headlines that attract attention and enticed readers to continue reading. In this post we’ll take a look at some of the best ways to maximise that attention once you have it.
Hopefully by now you’ve realised the importance of a great headline, the power it has to draw potential readers in and get them to read your copy. But the battle is far from over.
When structuring a blog post bear in mind that many readers have a short attention span. It’s no-one’s fault, it’s in our nature to filter the information that we’re bombarded with. Still, the last thing we want is to have someone click away from your blog post without reading it.
At the very least you want to give them the opportunity to skim through and take what they can. We can do this by breaking up the text.
Bitesize Chunks Are Easier to Swallow. Start with an excerpt or an introduction, something that gives the reader a quick overview of what to expect from the post. Keep them short, 3 or 4 sentences at most. Consider making them visually distinct from your copy as well by using italics.
Paragraphs need to be shorter than usual. Grammar sticklers forgive me; when it comes to blogging – one sentence does make a paragraph.
Headings and subheadings need to convey what’s coming up next or be intriguing enough to get the reader to slow down if only for a moment. If you can do both then you are onto a winner.
Take the previous post in this series as an example. One of the subheadings was to “Steal From Others”. Quite a provocative statement and one that hopefully had it’s desired effect.
Write lists. They are short and let you get your points across quickly with little effort required on the reader’s part. Lists should contain your most salient points, the ones you want your reader to take away with them even if they ignore every other word you’ve written.
Use bold to make parts of your copy stand out. The trick is to use it sparingly however. Like lists, highlight only the salient points.
Closure. There is one more thing to do with your post content to make it truly effective. Ending it properly. It’s no good leaving your readers hanging wondering what next.
That however is the topic of the next post in the series. 
So now you have a variety of ways to make your blog posts easier to digest. Remember, don’t stop at the title, once you have the reader’s attention don’t let it slip through your fingers.
Marc is a freelance writer and SEO specialist who helps freelancers build a profitable business. Grab his RSS feed today
How to Write For the Web
Today’s post, and the following two this week, are brought to you by Marc Pieniazek of Welsh Scribe.
Marc has the honour of being the very first Guest Poster on this blog! He writes great copy, has a wicked sense of humour and is a lovely guy to know. I hope you all enjoy his posts here as much as I do.
This first post in a 3-part series explores the structure of a blog post, in particular what you need to do in order to draw the reader in and get your message across.
Lets face it. Writing for the web is totally different from any other form of writing you have to do. Take a novel for example. Unless you’re a 3 year old, you don’t care that your book doesn’t have any pictures in it but we all know how important it is to have an image in our blog posts.
The most critical factor however is attention span. Not only do you have to grab a reader’s attention but you have to keep it. A difficult feat in this day and age.
Fortunately there are a few things you can do to increase your reader retention.
Start At The Top
The title is the first thing any potential reader will see and is therefore the most important element in any online writing. Don’t underestimate its power.
You can have the most important message mankind will ever hear, the best product or service guaranteed to solve every one’s problems but if your title fails to attract attention, that message won’t be spread and no-one will buy that super product or service of yours.
Steal From Others
T.S Eliot once said, “Immature poets imitate; mature poets steal.”
Marketers call it a swipe file.
If you want to know what titles get the most attention then copy what works. Not word for word, obviously, The title has to remain true to your post. “Top 10 Fashion Tips From The Celebs” is no good if you blog about dog grooming.
Brian Clark has an entire series on how to write magnetic headlines. Well worth a read but if you’re looking to get off the ground quickly here’s a list of time-tested titles that draw in the most readers.
• The “How To…”: It’s no coincidence that this post begins with the words “How To”. How to articles are the most sought after content online.
• The “Top X…”: Another extremely popular type of article or blog post is the list post and an easy way of creating a list is by compiling a Top 10 or 50 or 100.
• The “X reasons/secrets/ways Why…”: Expanding on the above point about list posts are titles containing a number of reasons or ways why something will work. The best example is Brian’s article 7 Reasons Why List Posts Always Work. On my own blog, the top 3 popular posts are of this format.
• The “[celebrity] Guide To…”: Everyone wants to be successful at something and there’s no better example of success than a celebrity. This is why my post “What the Phantom Of the Opera Can Teach You About Writing” is still getting traffic or why “The Winnie the Pooh Guide To Blogging” received 132 comments.
So there you have it. Next time you write a blog post try fitting the title into one of the above categories. Spend a considerable amount of time on it, your post deserves it.
In the next post in this 3 part series I’ll take a closer look at the body of the blog post and what you need to do in order to get your message across, even to those that just skim through.
Marc is a freelance writer and SEO specialist who helps freelancers build a profitable business. Grab his RSS feed today.
Free Blogathon April 2009 – Come Join Us!
What’s a blogathon you ask? It’s three 15-20 minute calls – like three mini teleseminars – with blogging in between. On the calls we’ll talk about blogging, how to blog, what to blog about, why blog in the first place and any other blogging related questions that you’d like to ask. And it’s free.
So what’s the point of a Blogathon? First off we have a lot of fun. Everything is more fun when you’re working in a group! Being able to talk about what you’re doing, have others’ encourage and motivate you, bouncing ideas and suggestions off other people. All for no cost except your phone call, or use skype and then it’s even free-er! (is that a word?)
A lot of people seem to have trouble with blogging. Thinking up content, writing a post, wondering if other people will read it and like it, putting themselves and their thoughts ‘out there’ in public view. Join in the Blogathon with us and smash through these fears so you’ll feel great about moving ahead and making progress on your blog! How good is that! And it’s free!
It’s motivating. If you’ve been procrastinating starting a blog, or already have a blog and haven’t posted for ages, a Blogathon is a great motivator to get you going. By joining in and being accountable, you’ll get yourself started and moving forward – and that’s the hardest part. And did I mention that it’s free?
We’re having two Blogathons on two different days at two different time slots, to try and cater for everyone. The call timings are planned to make it easier for both hemispheres to participate, however don’t feel limited to either call. Please join in on whichever date and time suits you best!
Australia and New Zealand – Tuesday 14th April
Call timings:
Sydney 10.00am, 11.00am and 12.00 noon
Aukland 12.00 noon, 1.00pm, 2.00pm
New York – Monday 13th, 8.00pm, 9.00pm, 10.00pm
Registration link removed as Teleseminar is over
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USA and UK – Wednesday 22nd April
Call timings:
New York 10.00am, 11.00am and 12.00 noon
London 3.00pm, 4.00pm, 5.00pm
To register for the US Blogathon, please enter your name and email address below
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The web's business planning expert - just for work at home mums. Together we'll find the time for you to make money.