how to write an awesome blog post

How to Write an Awesome Blog Post

Most of you don’t write because

You don’t know what to write about. You want to publish something

awesome, and that is hard. You don’t have time.

Most of you don’t write because

You don’t know what to write about. You want to publish something

awesome, and that is hard. You don’t have time.

Today, you’ll learn how to eliminate these roadblocks and

write an awesome blog.

What to write about

finish a project.

Write when you

Write when youlook for a good resource

and find NOTHING helpful.

learn something new.

Write when you

develop a strong opinion.

Write when you

create order out of chaos.

Write when you

have an idea that fascinates you.

Write when you

keep asking you to help with something.

Write when people

Now that you have your idea,

how to make it awesome.

1. Audience 2. Structure 3. Style 4. Process

1. Audience

Before you start writing, pick your audience.

How much do they already know about this topic? What do they care about? Why is this topic interesting to them?

ANSWER

Beginners understand different vocabulary and require different

levels of explanation than experts.

FOR EXAMPLE

Know who you’re writing for from the start.

This will help you decide word choice, how deeply

to explain topics, and how you frame them.

2. Structure

I. INTRO pique

interest

III. CONCLUSION

broaden argument

II. BODY

defend thesis

Each section has a job.

Pique interest in the topic.

Quickly share what the reader should expect from the post.

State your thesis, or your main argument, in one sentence.

INTROI.

Make sure every part ties back to the thesis.

Choose a logical order for arguments (chronological, strength 2-1-3).

Support arguments with other research, linking to similar articles.

BODYII.

Don’t just summarize; offer a new idea.

Discuss nuance and caveats.

Broaden the argument, and leave the reader with something to think about.

CONCLUSIONIII.

Keep in mind, great blog posts are

OPINIONATED

HELPFUL

SPECIFIC

Share a view of the world and defend it.

OPINIONATED

Show exactly how to do something you’ve seen work.

SPECIFIC

Make sure readers can apply your ideas to their own situation.

HELPFUL

3. Style

Style Tips

I. PARAGRAPHS

Vary length from 1 to 4 sentences.

III. WORDS

Don’t get fancy. You’ll sound

like an asshat.

II. SENTENCES

Keep them short, with 1

idea each.

Remember, reading on the web is different from reading print.

Think like a designer.

Does the shape make you want to read it or scare you away?

PARAGRAPHSI.

is easier to read than

SENTENCESII.

Because Mary had three little lambs, she had to build an irrigation system to make sure her grass was watered and green to feed them, which was super expensive due to the drought.

SENTENCESII.

Too Many Ideas in One Sentence!

Because Mary had three little lambs, she had to build an irrigation system to make sure her grass was watered and green to feed them, which was super expensive due to the drought.

Mary had three little lambs, but she had trouble feeding them.

The drought had dried up her farm, leaving no green grass for the lambs to nosh on.

Mary looked into buying an irrigation system, but they were expensive due to the high demand in dry conditions.

One Idea Per Sentence.

Don’t get too stuffy.

Write how you’d explain it to a friend.

Read it out loud.

WORDS3

Calvin FO.FTW!

4. Process

Process Tips

I. IDEATING

Start with a conversation, an email, or an

outline.

III. EDITING

Edit first for structure, then

for grammar and style.

II. DRAFTING

Write a horrible first

draft as quickly as possible.

Don’t make writing a big deal. You’ll psyche yourself out!

At the start, it’s just an idea of an idea. No pressure!

IDEATINGI.

Here are some helpful techniques for overcoming

writer’s inertia.

Start with an EMAIL.

Start with a CONVERSATION.

Start with a PROTOTYPE.

Thanks to Kevin Wofsy from Keen.io for this idea.

Next, write an outline.

Don’t think of your outline as an outline. Just quickly jot

down a list of points you want to make in the article.

Block off 3 hours.

DRAFTINGII.

Crank out the shittiest first draft ever. Just get your

thoughts on the page.

Keep your outline at the top, and don’t try to edit while

you write.

Work on the title last.

Don’t pick one. List a bunch of options.

Let it sit for a day.

Block off 1 hour.

Edit for structure: order of arguments, what should be

there or not.

EDITINGIII.

Send to someone for 20% feedback.

We got this idea from 42Floors. Ask for the right level of feedback for the place you’re at in a project. 20 percent feedback should focus on structure of

ideas and merits of arguments. 80 percent feedback is for style and polish.

Block off 1-2 hours. Refine your ideas.

Send to someone for 80% feedback.

Block off 1-2 hours. Refine your ideas.

Check that it’s

OPINIONATED

HELPFUL

SPECIFIC

PUBLISH!!!!

See, that wasn’t that hard.

You can do it!

Let’s get started. BRAINSTORM TIME!

Think of 1-3 ideas you might want to write about.

finished a project? learned something new? created order out of chaos? looked for a resource but couldn’t find a good one? been asked the same question? developed a strong opinion? been fascinated by something?

Have you

Break into pairs, and discuss your ideas with a friend.

Pick one.

Quickly write down the points you want to make in your article.

GO TO YOUR CALENDAR RIGHT NOW.

BLOCK OFF THREE HOURS FOR THE FIRST DRAFT.

And there you have it folks, you’re on your way to writing

an awesome blog post!

I created this deck to inspire and motivate our team to share what they learn through writing.

I hope you find it helpful, too!

If you have any ideas, tips, or suggestions to add, hit me up at @dianahsmith or diana@segment.com.

I’d love to hear them!

Hello there!