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<\/h1>\n<\/h1>\nThis post is based on <\/span>Episode 186<\/a><\/span>\u00a0of the ProBlogger podcast.<\/span><\/p>\n I\u2019m often asked how<\/span>\u00a0I write a blog post. What does the process look like from start to finish?<\/p>\n ProBlogger readers and podcast listeners have asked about where in the process I do specific things, such as writing the headline and the introduction.<\/p>\n In this post I\u2019ll take you through exactly what I do so you can use my process (or your own unique twist on it) to make creating content much easier.<\/p>\n And this doesn\u2019t apply to just blog posts. You could use the same process for creating YouTube videos or podcast episodes.<\/p>\n The first step is pretty logical: pick a topic. <\/span><\/p>\n With my blogs \u2013 ProBlogger and Digital Photography School \u2013 that normally means identifying one of these:<\/p>\n You may have already thought about some of these if you read my alternative take on New Year\u2019s Resolutions for your blog<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n My blogs teach people how to do things. Ninety-five percent of my posts are \u201chow to\u201d content, so I always start with one of these. They generally define the topic of my post.<\/p>\n If you have a different style of blog (e.g. it\u2019s about entertaining people rather than teaching them), you may have a different process for coming up with topics.<\/p>\n While my topics tend to come out of readers\u2019 problems or questions anyway, at this step I take a moment to imagine my reader\u2019s situation.<\/p>\n As a blogger, you\u2019re so much more effective if you write with your reader in mind. <\/span><\/p>\n I\u2019ve covered how to create a reader avatar before, so if it\u2019s something you haven\u2019t done you may want to take a look at these:<\/p>\n During this step, I write down a sentence or two about who my reader is and how they view the topic I\u2019ll be talking about. <\/span><\/p>\n For instance, if I\u2019m writing about a problem I might think about:<\/p>\n When you put yourself in your reader\u2019s shoes, you can write your article with real empathy and make your post truly relevant to them.<\/p>\n At this point, I\u2019m also thinking about what I want my reader to <\/span>do<\/span>\u00a0after reading my blog post.<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s really important to think about your call to action before you start writing. It will shape your headline, your introduction, how you write the main part of your post, and how you conclude it.<\/p>\n Some bloggers like to write the post first and then come up with the headline (the title) for it. And I totally understand that perspective because it\u2019s what I used to do.<\/p>\n But what I like to do now is come up with a working headline once I have the topic and the reader perspective.<\/p>\n Creating a working headline sometimes helps me come up with a unique angle for the post. <\/span><\/p>\n For instance, I might have an idea for Digital Photography School on how to light a portrait. I\u2019ve done the work understanding my reader: they\u2019re a beginner and they don\u2019t have much lighting gear.<\/p>\n So when I brainstorm headlines I might come up with \u201cHow to light a portrait using lights you find around your home\u201d, or \u201cHow to light a portrait when you only have one flash\u201d. You can see that just by selecting one of these headlines, I already have a much clearer idea of what the post will be about.<\/p>\n But it\u2019s important to understand this is just a <\/span>working<\/span>\u00a0headline (or a working title if you prefer). <\/span>Once\u00a0I\u2019ve written the post I\u2019ll normally go back and tweak it a bit. And sometimes while I\u2019m writing I\u2019ll realise that I need to change that headline a bit.<\/p>\n At this point I list the main points I want to teach someone in my article. (You might come at this from a different perspective if your blog doesn\u2019t focus on \u201chow to\u201d content.)<\/p>\n I don\u2019t write a lot here. Normally it\u2019s just a list of bullet points in a document on my computer, in a notebook, or as a mindmap.<\/p>\n As I do this, I brainstorm answers to the questions or solutions to the problem I identified, outlining the steps the reader needs to follow to learn a new skill or master a process.<\/p>\n It\u2019s like coming up with the bones of the post. I\u2019m not looking to add any muscle at this point.<\/p>\n The bullet points I create often become subheadings in my finished post.<\/span>\u00a0By coming up with the main sections and then sub-points for each section, the post begins to come together.<\/p>\n At this point, I often have more points than I\u2019ll use in the finished post. So I cull the weaker or less relevant points and focus just on the most valuable things I want to say.<\/p>\n Once I\u2019ve got those points, I take some time to arrange them in the best order. <\/span>I don\u2019t think many bloggers do this. But taking a moment to think \u201cIs this a logical order? Are my points building upon one another?\u201d can make a real difference to your finished post.<\/p>\n With the outline finished, I ask myself some hard questions such as:<\/p>\n It\u2019s important to ask these questions <\/span>now<\/span>, rather than after you\u2019ve finished writing the entire post. That way if you realise you do<\/span>\u00a0need to do more research (or that it was actually a weak idea for a post), you\u2019ll be prepared for it.<\/p>\n You might want to invest some time in research. Or you might get help from an expert by either interviewing them or having them write a section of your post.<\/p>\n Some bloggers prefer to write the rest of the post first and then craft the introduction. But writing the introduction upfront works best for me. It helps me get into the flow of my post.<\/p>\n As with the headline, the introduction often shapes the direction of the post itself. My introduction is usually one to three paragraphs long. But again like the headline, I go back to rework the introduction after finishing the post.<\/p>\n As you write the introduction, think about the reader and their situation, question or problem. Show them you really understand how they feel.<\/p>\n If you can show some empathy in the first few lines of your post, you\u2019ll make a deeper connection with your reader.<\/span>\u00a0And they\u2019ll want to read the rest of your article.<\/p>\n This is also a good point to paint a picture of how the reader will benefit from reading your post. What will they be able to achieve (or what will be different) after reading it?<\/p>\n With your outline in place, expanding on each point to create the main part of your content is quite straightforward. You just need to put meat on the bones you\u2019ve already come up with.<\/p>\n As before, keep your reader in mind while you write. <\/span>What worries do they have? What might they be confused by or wondering about at different points in your post?<\/p>\n If you need help with specifics on writing the main part of your post, you might want to check out some of these posts and podcast episodes:<\/p>\n It\u2019s probably clear by now that I write my articles in the order they\u2019ll be read: the headline, the introduction, then the main part of the article. For me, this is really important.<\/p>\n Good blog posts have some kind of conclusion. I create this after writing the main part of my post, and generally try to sum up what I\u2019ve taught the reader.<\/span><\/p>\n I\u2019ll return to the problem or question I set out in the introduction, and remind people what I\u2019ve tried to teach them. I\u2019ll also summarise the main points.<\/p>\n After that, it\u2019s really important to give readers something specific to take action on.<\/span>\u00a0Go back to whatever you identified in Step 2, and clearly state what you want them to do next.<\/p>\n It might be encouraging them to try out the technique they\u2019ve just learned, or to leave a comment or interact in some way.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t give them several different things to do here. And make sure your call to action flows from the goals of your blog and this particular post.<\/p>\n At this stage of the process, I look for things I could add to make a post even better.<\/p>\n For instance, I might look for:<\/p>\n You could even consider interviewing someone else to add their<\/span>\u00a0perspective into your post, even (or especially) if they provide an alternative viewpoint.<\/p>\n This step is about making the post better and deeper, and making sure it looks good with plenty of visual interest.<\/span><\/p>\n In this final step, it\u2019s important to go over your post one final time to make sure you haven\u2019t made any mistakes or typos.<\/p>\n For me, putting a bit of space between when I write and when I edit is really important.<\/span>\u00a0I think we use different parts of our brains for critical thinking about editing.<\/p>\n I talked about editing in detail in Episode 168 of the ProBlogger podcast. So you may want to check it out for a detailed look at the seven steps for editing your work.<\/p>\n The last thing you want is to undo all your good work with a post that\u2019s riddled with glaring mistakes. Quality control really matters, so make sure you build in enough time to edit and proofread.<\/p>\n You could also get someone else in to help you at this stage of the process. It could be a fellow blogger who you swap posts with, or a professional editor or proofreader.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a quick recap of my blog post writing process from start to finish:<\/p>\nStep #1: Pick a Topic<\/h2>\n
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Step #2: Think of the Reader<\/h2>\n
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Step #3: Create a Working Headline<\/h2>\n
Step #4: Brainstorm and Outline the Post<\/h2>\n
Step #5: Take a Critical Look at the Outline<\/h2>\n
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Step #6: Write the Introduction<\/h2>\n
Step #7: Expand on the Main Points<\/h2>\n
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Step #8: Write the Conclusion and Call to Action<\/h2>\n
Step #9: Add More Depth and Appeal to the Post<\/h2>\n
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Step #10: Edit and Proofread the Post<\/h2>\n
A Quick Summary of My Process<\/h2>\n