How to get better at writing blogs

You’ve got a business and want to make blogging part of your content marketing. First of all, congratulations on your great decision. Blogs help your business on so many levels. But how do you get better at writing blogs?

The content on your website is a reflection of your brand so you need those blogs to be at their absolute shining best. Whether you’re creating content to help answer customer questions or you want to build up more organic traffic, having a well-written blog is pretty darn important. And getting better at writing blogs is more important now than ever before.

How to write a blog if you’re not good at writing?

Okay, if you’re lacking confidence in your writing then you’ll probably turn to AI to get started. This can give you a good base but you’ll need to understand what “good” looks like to make sure you can turn this starting point into something that works for your business, your tone of voice and your audience.

This means knowing the basics about idea development, research, planning and blog structure. Remember, if you’ve got AI content then it’s collated from elsewhere on the internet. You need a good blog to stand out and not sound like everyone else. That’s why having a well-written blog is more important than ever.

Let’s say you’ve got your base-level blog in front of you and you’ve done your own research. Now you need to work some magic on those words to make them sound like you and speak directly to your audience.

How do I do this?

Start by talking to your ideal customers. Go back to your market research and look at the language people use. Not done market research yet? Take a look at customer emails, listen carefully when talking to people, and watch out for those pesky phrases that pop up a few times.

Then you’ll also want to think about how your brand voice comes across. Are you formal? A bit cheeky? Do you have a more conversational tone? Do you use colloquialisms?

Pepper these throughout your blog to make it sound more like you or your brand.

You’ll also want to add in your own research and expertise. This is more important now than ever as more businesses are using AI to write content. This means your work risks sounding a lot like your competitors and using the same resources.

Your customers come to you because of the unique offerings and insights that you have. Make sure these stand out in your blog content.

And how do I get better at writing?

Most advice is to write more and that’s certainly true. The more you write, the easier it will get but if you’re not making an active effort to see what you can improve in your writing then you may not see the improvement you want.

Here are a few ideas to be active in improving your writing.

1. When you read, be analytical

This means thinking about why you stopped to read something, what was it about the headline or the subject? Does the flow of the copy keep you interested? Is there anything about the way it talks to you that makes you want to keep reading?

It’s not about reading more but instead, looking at why you’re pulled into that piece in the first place.

2. Get feedback

A good copy editor or proofreader will help you get better at writing blogs. They aren’t as close to the work as you are and don’t have an emotional connection to it. All writers at major publications have subeditors look at their work before it goes to print. These lovely people read the work with a new set of eyes and see things that you can’t.

It’s why I have blog reviews and edits as part of my Blog Confidence course. It means that my students get proper feedback and suggestions. It’s not like when you get feedback in school and you’re told something is wrong with a red pen. It comes with a video explaining each suggestion and why it’s made.

It’s a careful balance when looking for feedback that you find someone who can be honest but that you can also trust to give you feedback in a constructive way.

3. Understand the format

Writing for a website and specifically a blog has a particular format. The way people read on a screen is different from how they read a book or magazine. And depending on your business, they may be reading your content on a phone.

This means you need to understand how the words work on the page. It’s about short, sharp sentences and making sure you break up blocks of text. It’s also about how you lead them through the blog and out to the next step.

If you’re more comfortable with academic writing, reports or essays then this is going to feel quite different.

You can, of course, find plenty of templates online that help you write a blog but as with AI, I’d caution that you don’t make your blog look too much like everyone else’s. That whole standing out part again.

4. Get some support and training

The best way to get better at blogs is to learn from an experienced writer. There are plenty of blog courses out there, some of them are even free. Of course, I do have a blog course. It runs three-ish times a year with a live group or you can learn at your own speed through my email course.

The live course includes blog reviews or you can have them as an add-on on the email course. It’s about what learning style works best for you.

Employed in a company? Then you might be able to learn from another team member. If you have a manager with a copywriting background, they may want to give you the support and training you need to get better at writing blogs.

Business founder and doing the content to save on copywriting costs at the moment? Investing in some training is one of the best investments you can make. You can save further costs on blogs if you can turn out the sparkling copy yourself.

What makes a well-written blog?

There is a difference between churning out blog copy and producing a well-written blog. An awesome blog has the following elements:

It’s a great idea that’s been properly developed
You understand the purpose of the blog (and aren’t writing it because you think you should)
The blog is written specifically for the audience
Research is deep and comprehensive
A good structure
A scroll-stopping headline
And an intro that makes you want to read more
It flows well and has an abundance of personality
It’s not boring
And it works well on the page.

Lots of stuff to consider, right? As I tell my course cohorts, much of the above will eventually come naturally as you get more into the swing of blog writing. It’s only at first you need to concentrate on them.

A bit like when you learn to drive, you have to think about what your feet and hands are doing all the time while also making sure you’re not crashing the car. Eventually, that all filters through to your muscle memory and you don’t even think about it.

It’s the same for blog writing. Get the basics right first and then it will eventually go into your muscle memory. Plus, the more you write, the more confidence you build.