You’re ready to write and publish your first blog post but are kind of stuck on moving forward. Beginning bloggers often face this problem. What should I write? Will my content attract an audience? So many questions.
If you need help getting your blog started, enroll in my free course here and have your blog started in less than a week! I give you the exact step-by-step instructions to help you get started.
I am going to share with you 10 simple steps for creating enticing content that will turn your first-time readers into raving fans.
How to Write and Publish Your First Blog Post
Pick a Niche for Your Blog
The obvious first thing you need to do is pick the niche for your blog. This will be your overall topic. Examples are lifestyle, cooking, fashion, parenting, finance, business, and travel. There are also tons more.
It’s crucial you first know your niche so focus on this before moving forward.
Once you know the general topic of your blog, let’s move on to step 2.
Pick a specific topic
Your first blog post ever needs to be about a specific topic within your niche. Don’t write a welcome post. Leave your introductions on your About Me page. Have a brainstorming session to come up with blog post ideas and write those down. Think about topics where you have knowledge and passion.
Narrow down the topic. For instance, if you are writing about cats narrow it down to ginger cats. Use Google Keyword Tool or a paid keyword research tool to look up keywords related to your post topic. You will want to use keywords that people are looking for which has reasonable competition and will be easier to rank for. Adding keywords in your blog post will help you rank higher on Google where readers can find your blog.
Continue Researching Your Post Topic
Blogging involves lots of research, prepping, and planning. Make sure your post is giving value to your readers. Think along with the terms of what they would want to know. If you’re explaining how to do something, make sure it is correct and don’t skip any steps. Quora and online communities are also good places to do research and find out what people are looking for.
Draft an outline of your first blog post
Once your research is complete, you want to create an outline. This helps you brainstorm your content and let it flow freely. After your outline is composed the way you want it, you can then start working on the final draft.
Think about the structure of your essays in school. You need an introduction with a catchy phrase that draws your reader in and makes them want to learn more. Detail the points you plan to make in your blog post, lay it all out in the body of your content, and then wrap it together with a conclusion.
The Specifics of Your Post
Your post needs to be between 1000 and 1500 words so Google ranks it as authoritative which means you know what you are talking about and it has lots of useful information. It does not have to be perfect, just run spell-check and scan it for grammatical errors.
Make sure your ideas come off to readers in a way that makes sense and is easy to understand. Think about how you speak and write as if you’re in conversation with a friend.
Edits and Revisions
Editing and revising where needed are equally important. Again, as I mentioned above, nothing will be perfect, and it will be easier as you go but you do want your post to look professional. Grammarly is an awesome tool I use to help keep my spelling and grammar on check as I write.
Additions
Find and add any additional content, graphics, and links you want to add to your blog post. Make sure pictures are clear and https://bossmomblogger.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/pexels-leeloo-thefirst-8970645.jpgp and related to the topic. Also, verify the pictures you use are some that you can legally use. You can use your photos. There are also stock photo websites that offer awesome pictures to bloggers. Some are free sites, and some are paid.
Formatting
Format your first blog post in WordPress or whichever platform you use for your blog. Add headers where necessary. Preview and continue revising your blog post and its format to the way you want it to look.
Some formatting tips are:
Break Up your content into smaller paragraphs, making it easier for people to read and it’s better for SEO.
Be sure your text is dark gray or black. You want to make sure your blog posts are as easy to read as possible so try to stay away from bright colorful texts.
The text should be a minimum of 16 px so it’s big enough to read.
I recommend blue links which is the standard color recognized on the web.
Add spacing as needed so content is not stuffed. You want your sentences to flow easily.
Embed media where needed as well as links.
Center larger photos and media.
Add bullet points, bold, and italics where they would be useful.
Publish Your First Blog Post
It’s time to get your new blog post out in the real world for everyone to see. Be sure the post has a catchy and relatable title. Check that you have a featured image that is clear. Select your blog category, check your URL slug and change where needed to include your keywords. Add a meta description that entices your reader to click through and be sure it includes your keyword.
Share your new post on Facebook. Discuss it on Instagram and create an enticing pin for Pinterest. Pushing your posts on social media helps drive traffic to your blog.
Once all of this is done, hit publish.
Do you need some help getting your blog started? If so, be sure to check out my free course Boss Mom Blogger Roadmap. This course teaches you the exact steps you need to take to get your blog started in less than a week! Sign up HERE!
