New blog? Not sure how to write the first blog post?

Are you blogging for the first time? Congratulations! It's an exciting step in your writing career and one that can make a significant difference to your credibility and visibility.

But where do you begin? I'll discuss how to structure your first blog post in this article, from idea to publication.

Why Should You Blog at All?

Blog posts are prospect magnets. Your posts attract potential customers through organic searches, ultimately saving you money on advertising.

First Blog Post Assessment

Before you even think about starting to write your first blog post, you first need to make an assessment. What topic are you interested in? What are your goals for writing this post?

What Is Your Niche?

Before you can start writing your first post, you must first figure out your niche. Once you've identified your niche, spend some time researching the problems and solutions facing your target audience.

By doing this, you'll be better equipped to write blog content that resonates with them and draws them in.

What Is the Purpose of Your Blog?

Blogging is an excellent way to share your knowledge and connect with like-minded people worldwide.

The first post should be designed to introduce yourself as the author and give readers a taste of what you offer. Once your blog audience knows who you are, they will likely stick around for future posts.

What Is Your Voice?

When it comes to content writing, the first thing to consider is your voice. Are you going for a humorous tone or aim to write in a more formal style?

Will your content be light and casual, or will it be dense and technical? The answer depends on the target audience that you're writing for.

Furthermore, what type of content do you feel most comfortable writing about? You might enjoy writing blog posts that appeal to the general public, or maybe social media campaigns lend themselves better to witty banter!

What Are Your Goals?

Ask yourself what your goals are. If you need help defining your goals, here is some food for thought:

Your first goal might be to attract readers and encourage them to stay engaged with your blog post by offering valuable content. This means providing information on relevant topics, answering questions asked in the comments, and building relationships with your audience.

It's also important to provide regular updates so that readers feel like they're getting value for their time spent reading your posts.

Another goal might be cultivating an audience who not only enjoys your content but also shares it with others using social media platforms or email newsletters.

Doing this will help you reach new people who would otherwise have missed out on what you have to offer – expanding the reach of your message even further!

Who Is Your Audience?

Writing for the web isn't as simple as simply addressing a blog post or article to everyone. You first need to identify your target audience and craft relevant and engaging content for them.

After all, if they don't feel like you are writing specifically for them, they will likely not bother reading what you have to say!

Who Are You and What Do You Know?

When starting out with blog writing, it's important to first identify your niche and target audience.

Once you understand who you are and what you know, the rest is easy – just start writing! You'll impact readers from the get-go by putting your thoughts down in clear, concise language.

First Post Type

Before writing your first post, I suggest choosing the type of post you want to write. This will help you structure and format the post.

List Posts

List posts, also known as listicles are posts in the form of lists. Put simply, list posts are lists of solutions or tips for a given search query.

Listicles are incredibly popular post types and work well on all forms of social media platforms.

How-to Posts

The popularity of how-to posts, like listicles, is also due to their ability to solve problems in easy-to-digest formats.

More important than what you say is how you say it. Readers of all skill levels should be able to follow how-tos logically and efficiently.

Including pictures and media in your how-to posts is critical for visual learners, so don't be stingy with them.

Tutorials and Guides

The purpose of tutorials and guides is similar to how-tos, but they cover a wide range of topics. There is more to them than just solving problems.

Review Posts

The best reviews come from people who know what they're talking about. It would be best if you had a thorough understanding of the subject to review effectively. 

It will be evident to readers if someone is writing from references, so only do this when you are an authority on that subject.

Roundup Posts

A roundup post is usually a collection of topics within a given subject. The collection could include tips for achieving a goal, reviews, or interviews with the same opinion.

Ask influencers in your industry for their opinion on a particular topic, or collect questions on a similar issue from Quora.

Interview Posts

There is a great deal of interest in interview posts. Finding the right questions to ask a popular figure is the main challenge. It is essential that your questions be insightful and exciting, not just your usual ‘how did you get started in…' types.

Infographic Post

Infographic posts are excellent ways to explain complex ideas or concepts in an accessible manner if you understand graphics well or know someone who does. 

The visual nature of infographics makes them appealing to many learners and is generally well appreciated by everyone else.

First Blog Post Ideas

Starting a blog is a great way to share your ideas and thoughts with the world. However, it can be daunting to know where to start. That's why it's important to know what you want to write about before starting.

Write About Something You Know

It's best to write about something relevant to your niche, but if you're just starting out and don't have any experience yet, choose an industry related to something else that interests you and then start researching!

Write About Something You Enjoy

This will help ensure that writing becomes part of your daily routine instead of a chore. The more excited for it, the more excited readers will be when they read your content too!

Write About Something Important

People want their problems solved by reading articles online (especially if they are looking for answers). So make sure whatever problem(s) your audience faces is solved with every piece of content on your site-it could even be as simple as providing helpful information!

Personally, I like talking about writing, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and WordPress because I want to help new bloggers start their blogging journey on the right foot.

First Blog Post Length

When writing your first blog post, it's important to first understand the search engine algorithms. Long-form articles rank higher in the search engines, so start by writing something in the range of 1,800-2,500 words.

First Blog Post Writing Tips

Now that you know what to write about, it's time to start writing. Here are a few tips on how to write the first blog post for beginners:

1. Write for Humans

Remember to write for humans, not keywords. Google loves content that is user-oriented, fun, engaging, and helpful.

As long as you are not keyword stuffing, you shouldn't pay much attention to keyword density or other silly metrics. Instead of keyword research, focus on content creation.

2. Built Trust

It's important to build trust with your readers to keep them coming back for more. Be honest, express your personality, give credit where credit is due, and listen to the needs of your readers.

3. Avoid Filler

Make every word count! Don’t write to reach an arbitrary word count by adding a meaningless stream of useless filler. Every sentence should add value to the post.

4. Use Headings and Sub-Headings

According to recent research, readers are likelier to share an article with headings and subheadings.

Headings also help readers find information, organize their thoughts and break up the copy so that it's easier to read, leading to a better overall user experience (something that Google loves).

And because headings are rooted in HTML, a screen reader can understand the article structure and read them your titles out loud, creating a better user experience for the visually impaired.

5. Create Attention-Grabbing Openings

You've already done half your work by hooking your readers with the intro. You set the tone for the rest of your blog post with your introduction. If the opening is dull, nobody will bother reading the rest of the article.

Asking a question that addresses your reader's issue or creating an intriguing mystery can create an engaging intro.

With that said, the focus of your article should be on clearly presenting the issue without giving out too much info and how you will resolve it.

By using this approach, you'll be able to grab your readers' attention, and they'll eagerly read on to learn what the solution is. Nevertheless, make sure the provided answer is GOOD!

6. Keep Paragraphs Short and Concise

As a rule of thumb, try to keep your paragraphs to three senetences. This will help you write clearly and concisely so readers can easily follow along.

Shorter paragraphs also make it easier for your readers to skim through your posts if they're only interested in certain parts of what you have to say or if they need some time between paragraphs before continuing on their journey through the article.

Writing shorter paragraphs and sentences makes it easier to get your point across. You won't have to worry about losing readers' attention or getting bogged down in too many details, making it easier for you to stay on topic and communicate effectively.

7. Use Metaphors and Analogies

One of the best ways to make your writing more interesting is by using metaphors and analogies. It's a powerful technique that can help you explain complicated concepts in an easy-to-understand way and add some humor or levity to a piece of writing.

A metaphor compares two things that are not literally the same but have some shared characteristics. A good poetic metaphor can help you explain something in a way that makes it more relatable and easier to remember.

An analogy is like a metaphor, but the comparison is more direct and explicit. It's usually used when you want to explain something difficult to understand by comparing it to something else that people already know about.

8. Use Examples From Everyday Life

Use examples from popular culture: Think about how many books and movies are based on real-life experiences or historical events-that means there's plenty of material out there that you can draw inspiration from. You just need to find it!

Use examples from history books/encyclopedias/search results: Just do an internet search for “examples” followed by whatever topic interests you (e.g., “examples of food”). There will be lots of results!

Use examples from everyday life: People love reading about real-life experiences, so draw upon these (or create them) when possible. If you're writing a blog post about how to improve your golf game, don't just talk about how many more putts you sink-tell us how good it feels when the ball finally drops into the hole after all those missed attempts!

Use examples from other people's lives: If they're famous and have told their stories publicly, you can use their experiences as inspiration for your writing!

Use examples that are relevant to your audience, topic, and brand: You should write for people who have the same problems as your problem. For example, if you're trying to sell an app that helps people track their finances better, don't try explaining what “finance” means by using metaphor; just say it outright instead!

9. Repeat Your Key Points Throughout

The most important thing to remember is that you're writing blog posts, not novels. As such, you must keep your word count low and ensure each sentence is packed with information.

It may be tempting to use the same terminology repeatedly so that people can easily remember what the terms mean (like how I used “blogging” earlier). But don't go overboard-it can get boring fast if there are too many words or phrases that are repeated throughout an article.

Instead, try using synonyms for words where appropriate, so readers don't get bored by reading so many similar terms in one place.

10. Use Images and Other Rich Media

You can use graphs, images, and other media to break up the text and show clarity. For example, you might want to include an infographic showing your survey results. Or perhaps you want to show a video of how you made something in your kitchen (like a recipe).

You can also use images to show what you're talking about. For example, if you're writing about getting more traffic from Google searches, you could include a screenshot of your analytics report showing that Google is driving most of your traffic.

Make sure that whatever media you use is relevant and vital for your blog post. You don't want to include a video just to have a video.

For royalty-free images, Unsplash and Pixabay are great places to start. Personally, I use Adobe Stock for high-quality, licensed images.

11. Finish With a Call-to-Action (CTA)

When writing an article, consider what readers want to do next after reading it. If you want readers to take action, you need to include a call-to-action (CTA) at the end of your article.

A CTA is an instruction that tells people what they should do next after reading your blog post. It could be as simple as “leave a comment below” or something more complex like “click here to download our free guide on how to start a blog in 10 minutes or less”.

The CTA should be relevant to the topic of your article, and it should encourage readers to take action. For example, if you're writing an article about getting more traffic from Google searches, your call-to-action might include a link to our free guide on how to get more traffic in 10 minutes or less.

12. Bonus Tips for Writing the First Blog Post

Write a blog post that will make people want to read it. Why bother clicking on the link if the content isn't compelling?

Use keywords in your title and meta description, but don't overdo it. Your title should be short and to the point. It should also include one or two keywords related to your own blog post's topic.

The meta description is like a preview of what people will find when they click on your link. Make sure it's compelling and relevant.

Use keywords in every part of your blog posts, including the URL, page title, and page meta. Don't forget to include your keywords in your post's first paragraph or introduction.

This is an excellent place to start, but you should also sprinkle them throughout the rest of the content. If you want to be more specific with your keywords, try using long-tail keywords instead of short ones.

Ensure your site has an easy-to-understand navigation system so users can easily find what they are looking for without getting frustrated or giving up too soon.

Editing Your First Blog Post

Before publishing your first blog post, ensure you've edited your content appropriately.

Proofread Your Post

It goes without saying that your first blog post should be well-written and informative, but nobody is perfect. We all make mistakes!

Before you publish, re-read your entire post from start to finish to ensure everything is exactly how you want it.

Use a Grammar Tool

Grammar and punctuation mistakes are unprofessional and can lead to a loss of trust, so it's important to ensure you do your best not to let this happen.

The easiest way to check your work is by using a grammar tool such as Grammarly. The extension works in your browser to automatically correct and provides suggestions as you type.

Check Your Links

Finally, ensure all links are correctly formatted (and where you want them) – this will help readers navigate easily throughout your blog posts.

Enhance With NLP Words

Don't forget to use NLP (Natural Language Processing) words to enhance your post and increase your chances of stopping the SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages).

My favorite way to do this is to use content creation tools like Scalenut. Not only will you get NLP-extracted words from Google to boost your page rankings, but tons of additional tools to make all of your content creation a breeze.

Add Citations

If applicable, remember to add citations at the end of each article to further your credibility with your audience.

Conclusion

Writing a blog post can seem overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be. By following these steps, you can write a post that is easy for readers to read and understand. Don't forget about the importance of brevity in writing. Keep things short and sweet!