What Is a Blog?

What is a blog post?

A blog post is a content that sits on a blog. It’s most commonly associated with articles, but it might not necessarily take that form. Personal stories are also used in blogs (e.g. a company writing “A Day in the Life” posts about its employees). 

Other forms of content that are sometimes used in blog posts include: 

• News updates: Companies sometimes release blog posts when new features are introduced. For example, Apple publishes blog posts with each fall iOS and macOS update. 

• Tutorials: Businesses may write how-to tutorials for some of their products and services. Tutorials might also be about implementing strategies. 

• Reviews: Companies and people may review software, hardware, and other bits of equipment related to their niche. These might be sponsored or affiliated, but that isn’t always the case. 

Blog owners usually update their blogs regularly, but they might not write weekly posts. Some websites publish fortnightly or monthly posts, so it depends on the niche and resources. This is different from other sites, which have static pages like “About Us” and a homepage with content that changes infrequently. 

Compared to other types of writing, blog posts are often more casual and personal. Writing styles will depend on the website. 

What types of blogs are there?

Different blog types include: 

• Personal blogs

• Niche blogs

• News blogs

• Business blogs 

• Technical blogs 

Let’s now look at each of these. 

Personal blogs 

Personal blogs are normally where a person shares their thoughts, and these might not be on one topic. They’re one of the oldest forms of blogging, and you might have seen them on platforms like Tumblr and Blogger. 

When reading personal blogs, you might notice that “I” and similar language is used quite frequently. Effectively, personal blogs were what existed before vlogging became a thing on YouTube. 

Niche blogs

While personal blogs might not focus on one niche, niche blogs normally discuss one topic or industry. Niche blogs can sometimes be online magazines, but they may also have elements of personal and business blogging. 

Niche blogs will normally target a specific audience and are written by someone with experience in their field (whether as a hobby or professionally).

Business blogs

Business blogs are normally used to communicate with customers or generate leads, but they might also be used to demonstrate other aspects. Types of business blogging include company news, industry research, and discussing trends and topics within their field. 

Business blogs can be in different industries. Teams might have one content manager writing their posts, but they may also use agencies to publish at scale. Examples of business blogs are monday.com, Asana, and Todoist. 

News blogs

News blogs are often also niche blogs, and they’ll report news within industries or on specific regions. An example of an industry-type news blog is The Verge, which covers the tech industry. Meanwhile, a news blog example would be the New York Times. 

Sometimes, news blogs have opinion pieces for analysis. 

Where to start with writing a blog post?

Once you know the type of blog that you want to write and whether it aligns with your goals, writing a blog post is formulaic. The time it takes to write a blog post will vary depending on word length and how much first and second-hand research is needed. Generally speaking, the following workflow is used for writing blog posts: 

• Choose a topic 

• Brainstorm ideas

• Create an engaging headline

• Find the necessary media 

• Write your post 

• Edit and proofread

• Publish and reshare 

Choosing a topic

Picking a topic should not be based on what has the most earning potential, but instead, something you have knowledge in or a passion of. You can make money in any niche, but you will not stick with things for the long term if you choose a topic you dislike. 

Since overthinking which topic to choose holds many beginners back, you should start writing and adapt as you go along. 

Brainstorming ideas

You should create a content calendar in advance and brainstorm ideas that you want to write about. Spend some time each week or month thinking of possible topics, and do keyword research with tools like Google Trends and Ahrefs. 

Use a notes app like Notion or Apple Notes to store your thoughts. You should also create a document where you can dump ideas that you may cover someday, but not right now. 

Creating an engaging headline

Refrain from clickbait, but choose a headline that will get attention from readers. Headlines should be 110 characters at most, and they should outline exactly what your blog talks about. Consider creating 2 to 3 headlines and picking the one that you think fits your blog post the most. 

You might also want to add a subheading, which is slightly more descriptive and sits below the heading. 

Finding media

Blog posts often have photos, videos, infographics, and other forms of media – but these cannot be added just for the sake of it. Include visuals that’ll add extra value, and you should ideally avoid using stock images where possible because they’re quite generic. 

Find and create visuals that match your brand’s style. You may need to try different things to see what resonates with your brand and audience. 

Writing posts

Writing posts will consume most of your time, and blog posts can range from 500 to 3,000+ words. There isn’t a rule that you need to follow, but any word count should cover your topic in enough detail without adding fluff for the sake of it. 

Blog posts should have an introduction, and you should also structure them H2s, H3s, etc. – a conclusion isn’t necessary, but you should wrap up your article with at least a closing paragraph. At the end of your posts, you should also include a call to action (CTA) so that users know what to do next. 

Editing and proofreading 

After writing your blog post, you must edit and proofread it. Check for grammatical errors and make sure that all information is accurate. Ideally, you should also have someone else look at your work to catch anything you might have missed. Consider using grammar-checker tools like Grammarly and Writer for checking grammar and spelling. 

Publishing and promoting 

Once you’ve written and edited, you can publish your blog; you should have a regular posting schedule so that users know when to check. Content management systems (CMS) normally have scheduling tools, so you can publish using these. 

Google is only one traffic source; diversify to avoid the pitfalls of algorithmic changes. Social media platforms like Pinterest, X (Twitter), and Facebook are some to try. 

Where can I find ideas for blog posts?

If you’re stuck on where to look for blog post ideas, consider utilizing the following to find ideas: 

• Industry news and trends

• Audience questions and feedback

• Personal experiences

• Keyword research 

• Competitor blogs

Industry news and trends

Reacting to industry news and trends, and offering your own opinions, is one way you can get ideas for your blog. Talk about your thoughts on what’s happening in your niche or sector, and how you think others should prepare for or adapt to these changes. 

Audience questions and feedback

Your audience will often ask questions or leave feedback on what you can do better. Go through your comments on social media and feedback collected in emails, etc., to determine where there are ideas you can expand on in more detail. 

Personal experiences

Personal experiences are another place to look for new topic ideas. For example, if you run a photography blog, you can talk about your experiences with a lens or camera body. If you run a travel blog, you can talk about what you did on your most recent trip. 

Keyword research

Keyword research can help you find new blog topic ideas, but you should be careful not to write generic content. Ahrefs has a free keyword research tool that you can use, in addition to a paid version. When doing keyword research, do a SERP analysis to see what’s already performing and how you can beat that competition. 

Competitor blogs

You can check competitor blogs to see what they’re talking about, but you should never plagiarize. Instead, think about potential spin-off ideas that you can share and publish. 

Some blogs also repurpose content posted elsewhere (e.g. YouTube videos and podcast episodes), so you may want to think about doing the same if you need new ideas. 

What are some best practices for blogging?

While you need to figure out blogging for yourself, you should also adhere to these practices: 

• Regular posting

• Blog promotion 

• Reader interaction 

• Search engine optimization (SEO)

• High-quality visuals 

• Tracking analytics 

Regular posting 

Post on a regular schedule, whether that’s daily, weekly, monthly, or fortnightly. It doesn’t matter which one you choose, but never sacrifice quality for quantity. Experiment to see whether you have the bandwidth for your preferred posting schedule. 

Blog promotion 

Promote your blog to your audience in case they didn’t see it go live. Use emails and social media, and you may want to ask your employees to share the content with everyone else. 

Reader interaction 

Interact with readers via the comments section. You may also want to ask them to leave their own thoughts in the CTA. You should moderate your comments to avoid people being disrespectful. 

SEO

SEO involves keywords, website performance, and other factors. Learning about SEO and implementing different practices is a must for all blogs. Resources include YouTube and the Semrush blog. 

High-quality visuals

Visuals should be relevant to your blog and draw in readers’ eyes; adding pictures for the sake of it will push people away. Use a photographer, videographer, or graphic designer if you have the budget. If you don’t, use high-quality stock images but avoid generic pictures on every other website. 

Tracking analytics

You should track your analytics to determine what’s successful and where you need to improve. Tools include Google Analytics and Fathom Analytics. You should use compliant software depending on where you’re based (e.g. GDPR in the EU). 

Conclusion

Businesses use blogs to communicate with their audience and publish company news, but they aren’t the only types of people to use these platforms. Personal blogs are less focused on a niche and provide human accounts, while niche sites focus on a specific area and audience. 

Blogging takes a long time to get right, but it can be a powerful tool when used correctly. Persistence and learning are both necessary, and you should also post content consistently. Using analytics tools and keyword research is also required to analyze your performance. 

Promoting your blog can be done via social media and emails, and businesses should also consider visuals in their posts. Experiment with your schedule to see what your capacity is, and turn to other resources – like competitor blogs and personal experiences – if you need ideas.