The Must-Have Checklist for Writing Blogs and Content

If the essential elements are not present in your content, it does not matter how fancy or the usefulness of the information you provide. The reader will lose interest if they cannot easily find the main points.  Don't make it hard on yourself, it takes following some guidelines each time you write.  Check off these 9 elements to ensure you have the necessary components  for easy reading.

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Use this checklist before you post any content for a blog, email, or social media article. 

​ 1. Know the problem you are solving for the audience. - Your content should be about the customer and what information they need. Not about your business and what products or services you are providing. Know the type of content that fits your buyer persona and write the content to them.
2. Use headings and subheadings – Have an eye-catching heading at the top. Then, create subheadings to break up every 1-3 paragraphs.
3. Use images – One image at the top and another 1-3 images throughout the content. But, make sure each image is relevant and adds to the content.
4. Keep paragraphs short, on average, 4 sentences. – Stay away from a long paragraph, instead break into 2 or 3 paragraphs. Readers tend to lose focus during longer paragraphs
5. Create lists or bullets where possible. - Readers enjoy looking at and reading a list or a set of bullet points instead of ideas separated by commas. Break processes up into steps and use bullet points to summarize a topic.
6. No underlining in your content, use bold or block quotes. – On the web, underlining text makes readers think there is a link.

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​Instead of underlining, use bold, italicize, or use block quotes. You are currently reading an example of a block quote.

​7. Make sure the writing is scannable for main points - People like to look through readings first. If it does not seem easy to read, and the main points do not stick out, they are less likely to read the content.
8. Add a Link – Pick your call to action and add the link to go along with it—a link to your website, email sign up, or social media. But, do not have a link to everything. Decide the one action you want from a specific piece of content.
9. Edit – Don’t rely on your editing technique. Use Grammarly and Hemmingway apps to find errors. Also, read each sentence backward to help draw out errors in sentence structure and wording.

Download the Free Checklist Here

Creating a habit writing with these essential techniques will increase the number of people who read your content.  Get in the habit of including these, then you can start to get fancy and people will notice.

I am often asked my favorite website or blogging platform.  I have tried many different ones and all I needed was wordpress and bluehost.  They make the process easy and affordable to get started.  

Good luck on your writing journey. It's not easy, but nothing worth doing ever is.

Kellie Emrich, DBA
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