Thank you to Julie Waite of Julie Waite Marketing for this very informative blog on blogging.
Anyone can write a blog, but not everyone can blog brilliantly, and sometimes it’s the little things that people notice – like typos or jargon or a blog that doesn’t look attractive. To give yourself the best possible chance of wowing your audience use this checklist before you hit ‘publish’ and get a perfectly polished blog.
- Structure – take a minute to think about how you have structured your blog. Does it flow well and have a beginning, a middle and an end or does it just ramble randomly? Do you have a call to action and links to other useful content on your website? How do you transition from one subject to another?
- Headings – the use of headings and subheadings can really boost the readability of your blog. So, check firstly whether you have enough and if they make sense, then secondly to see whether they use the same font, size and style. For example, are some bold and small, whereas others are italic and large, or perhaps some are all in capitals and others are lowercase. Keeping your headings consistent presents a professional image that is kind on the eye.
- Spelling and grammar – it is so important to proofread your blog before posting it, poor grammar and typos can put people off and can even affect your reputation. Print off your blog and read it through carefully, if possible get a second pair of eyes to look at it too. If you want more proofreading tips, have a look at ‘how to proofread your blog’.
- Check your links – it might sound obvious but double check that all your links work! You don’t want to disappoint your reader with a broken link.
- Images – are your images attractive and appropriate? Articles with images get 94% more views! They also help your audience to remember information and to recognise your brand. Just be careful that they make sense alongside your content, random images can be distracting.
- Style and sense – finally, check that your blog will make sense to your target audience; just because you understand the latest jargon doesn’t mean that everyone else will. Will it resonate with them? Are you talking in their language? I.e. is your style formal, say for an educational or corporate audience, or is it informal for a young, consumer audience? Does your blog ‘voice’ match your brand?
Once you have completed the checklist and made some changes to improve your blog, go and get a cup of tea, have a break and then proofread your blog one final time before sending it off into the world. This last proofread should pick up any little errors or inconsistencies you might have missed before and will give you a blog to be proud of.
Oh, and if you’d like to read my marketing blog you can visit me at www.jwaitemarketing.com and connect on Twitter @JWaiteMarketing
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