BLOG WRITING
BY V. NYONI
OVERVIEW
01 Definitions
02 Main features
03 Types of Blogs
04 Form, Structure & Language
05 Summary
What is A Blog
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• A blog, short for "weblog," is a type of digital platform that
allows individuals or organizations to post regular, informal
diary-like entries about a particular topic or subject matter.
• Blogs typically feature a variety of content ranging from
personal opinions and experiences to informative articles
and news updates.
BLOGGING NICHE 4
Before you build a blog and make it as a blogger, you must select a
blogging niche. In simple terms, a blog niche is a specific topic you
will write about most often, or even exclusively.
• The most popular blogging niches tackle personal finance and
development, health and fitness, beauty and fashion, and
everyone’s favorite – food blog.
• Blogs can be deeply personal and introspective, resembling an
online diary. When written by professional journalists, they
possess enough power to influence business and politics.
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Main Features of a blog: 6
• While websites are mainly presentational, blogs are always intended to
engage.
• Blog posts are like diary entries; they include a publishing date and meta
tags. New entries and regular updates are key to running any kind of blog.
• Unlike a personal diary written in a notebook, blog entries are displayed in
reverse chronological order – the newest posts being on top. The latest ones
push previously published ones down the list until they completely disappear
from the landing page
• Original Content- stand out from the crowd, you need to offer a new
approach to the covered topics. This can be done with your tone of voice,
style of writing, or point of view.
• .
FEATURES CONT’D 7
Clarity and organization . A blog should have a clear and concise message that is
easy for readers to follow and understand with the use of headings, subheadings, and
bullet points to break up the text and to make it more readable
A Blog Is Founded on Personal Touch
Blog are merely means to make private thoughts and opinions public. The personal
touch, remains their vital characteristic to date. If the subject matter requires
utmost objectivity, the personal touch is accomplished through an individualistic writing
style
Posts Should Always Encourage Debate
The comment section is a place for readers to engage in a conversation and leave their
honest feedback. The ability to provoke a response and encourage interaction is held in
the highest regard by all readers.
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Relevance
● to be read at all, blog posts must always deliver upon
their promise.
● Blogs should be written with the target audience in
mind, and should provide information that is useful and
relevant to their interests and needs.
● This means doing research on the topics that are most
important to readers, and crafting content that
addresses their concerns and questions.
- CTA-Call to action
● This means encouraging readers to leave
comments and participate in
discussions and providing opportunities
for them to share their own experiences
and perspectives.
● A good blog should also be visually
appealing, using images and other
multimedia elements to break up the
text and make it more interesting to
readers
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Consistency and well maintained
● This means posting regularly, responding to comments
and feedback in a timely manner, and keeping the site
up-to-date with fresh content and new ideas.
● By following these important features of blog writing,
writers can create engaging and informative content
that resonates with their readers and helps to build a
loyal audience over time.
BLOGS STRUCTURE
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Structure of a blog
Headlines Should Be Attention Grabbers 15
• The blog post headline is most definitely the make/break point on whether
a majority of people will read your post. According to CopyBlogger: On
average, 8 out of 10 people will read headline, but only 2 out of 10 will
read the rest.
• Your blog post is just one of likely hundreds hitting them at any given
time. Your’s must stand out and smack ’em in the eyeballs in order to get
noticed.
• People aren’t even reading your entire headline?! According to KissMetrics,
readers tend to absorb the first three words of a headline and the last
three words. E.g. a lady had wrote a blog post about lighting. The title
was: “Video Lighting”. This was headline fail.
Your headline should contain:
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• An inherent promise of something they’ll get. It should
hold a promise of being useful toward a specific outcome
they want.
• Specifics. Numbers work well. Just don’t be vague.
• Intrigue or curiosity. Can you make them wonder what
you’re about to tell them? Curiosity is the what drives
clickbait. It is why we it’s called “bait”.
8 HEADLINE strategies: 17
Surprise. Take the person off guard by having something unexpected in the headline.
Example: “This post completely sucks. Don’t read it.”
Questions. Pose a question that the audience can empathize with. Make it personal.
Example: “Do You Know How To Write Awesome Headlines?”
Curiosity Gap. It is all about sparking their curiosity by opening up a huge “open loop” that
they need to close. Kind of like leaving them with a cliff hanger. Example: “11 Proven
Headline Formulas To Try On Your Next Blog Post. Number 9 Will Knock Your Socks Off!”
Negatives. People are motivated toward pleasure and away from pain. But, for some reason,
the pain side of it is the stronger motivator. So, headlines which hit a pain point and
provide a path off it can work well. Example: “Avoid Making These 4 Headline Mistakes”
How To. The classic “how to” post. Immediate communication of value, as long as what
you’re showing them how to do is something they want. Example: “How To Write Blog Post
Headlines Which Will Double Your Click-Throughs”
Strategies continued
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Numbers: People love numbers. Makes it seem more specific, less vague. Also, the
more specific the number rather than rounded off, the better. Example: “101
Proven Blog Post Headlines That Worked. Let’s Spot What’s Common Between
Them.”
Audience Referencing: Essentially, you’re calling out the specific target audience
segment and identifying the headline specifically with them. Example: “The
Ultimate Guide To Writing Blog Post Headlines: For Blog Owners Who Aren’t
Professional Writers”
Specificity: This relates closely to the numbers aspect. Again, people value specific
facts that are borne out by data rather than broad theories. Example: “The 3-
Part Headline Strategy That Generated 1,084 More Clicks In 72 Hours”
TYPES OF
BLOGS
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Types of blogs
Although they may many types of blogs .Theses are the 6 common types of blogs :
1. Personal blogs:
● As the name implies, a personal blog is about the person who runs the blog.
● A personal blog is very different from the other types of blogs because it
contains opinions, beliefs and experiences
● Bloggers are documenting their daily lives and experiences
● These could be experiences on travelling the world or opinions on food.
● Personal blogs rarely aim at making money, but at finding and connecting
with people of similar interests and beliefs.
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Niche Blogs 23
• Niche refers to a small section of a larger area. A Niche Blog focuses
on a specific topic that the blogger specializes in and is directed
towards a specific audience.
• Not everyone is interested in finding out ways to pet a cat, right?
That’s a very niche category! This means it caters to the interests of
a very specific group of people.
• A food blogger extensively creating content on healthy breakfasts is a
niche blogger.
• A tech blogger extensively creating content on domain, hosting, and
VPNs is a niche blogger. (Yes, that’s me!)
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2. BUSINESS BLOG:
● A business blog contains content focused on an area of
specialty to attract the attention of potential clients.
● The business or blog owner makes money through the
products and services they offer to the readers.
● For example, to attract more readers and therefore clients,
a dentist could post blog content on all aspects of dentistry.
● Maintaining the blog over time solidifies the dentist’s
expertise while also attracting new clients to the practice.
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8 Key Elements of a Business Blog 27
Though business blogs vary widely depending on the industry, type of company, and product or service, all
great business blogs have a few key features in common, including:
• A well-defined audience so you can target content toward specific needs instead of creating low-
converting, generalized content
• Clear topic authority with content that aligns with your brand, expertise, and audience interests
• Well-organized content pillars to organize content topically and improve user experience, navigation,
and site authority
• Strong navigation for users to easily explore content by need and interest on every page
• Unified brand style to reinforce company branding, build recognition, and add visual interest
• Diverse CTAs on the blog hub and within posts to drive conversions
• E-E-A-T (expertise, experience, authority, and trust) signals from author bios, publish dates, and
other elements that boost authority
• Useful user function with an intuitive design and multiple means of navigation, including organized
blog categories, a site-search bar, and alternate menus
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3. Professional/ Affiliate blogs:
An affiliate blog is a blog that posts content promoting other products and services.
• The blog owner typically writes product reviews or tutorials and includes a link for the
reader to buy the product or service.
• Professional Blogs solely aim towards earning money. A Professional blogger’s income
totally depends on his/her blog and he implements lots of monetization techniques on his
content like displaying ads, promoting other people’s products/services to earn a
commission out of it, etc.
• Professional bloggers either focus on creating content for one website or lots of niche
websites. Their principal goal is to generate huge traffic that would benefit them with
their advertising and sales.
• An example of a successful Professional Blog would be ShoutMeLoud. You’ll find lots of
how-to guides on Blogging and WordPress on their website. Their main purpose is
revenue generation and their major source of revenue is affiliate marketing!
4. Company Blogs
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• Company Blogs are written by companies to provide information
about their own products and services.
• For example, Hostinger has a Company blog that is frequently
updated with informative topics like what is hosting, how to use
it, what is WordPress, etc.
5. Education blogs (EduBlogs)
• Educational Blogs are created for educational purposes and are
an online resource to provide information to students or
learners. These types of blogs contain informative texts, course
content, online courses, etc.
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6. News Blog:
● A news blog is the most intense and expensive type of blog to create.
● Successful news blogs require a massive infusion of content and multiple
posts per day.
● Additionally, readers of news blogs expect a higher level of
professionalism and accuracy.
● News blogs are more formal than the other type of blogs and often
require a massive team and budget to maintain.
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Choose a blogging
platform
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WordPress software is by far the most popular technology
for blogging, with over 90% market share in the U.S.
CAMBRIDGE EXAM REQUIREMENTS
ON BLOGS
Form
oTitle: Start with a clear, engaging and relevant title that grabs
the reader's attention and that reflects the main topic.
oIntroduction: Start with an introduction that hooks the reader
and provides a brief overview of what the post will cover. Remember
to: introduce the main topic or theme. This should be inviting and
set the tone for the post.
oBody: This section should contain several paragraphs that explore
the topic in detail. Each paragraph should focus on a specific
point/main idea and then have supporting details. Use subheadings
to break up the text and make it easier to read (scannable)
oConclusion: End with a conclusion that summarizes the key/ main
points in the post and leaves the reader with something to think
about. Either provide some final thoughts or have a call to action
(if applicable).
oVisual Elements: If relevant, mention the use of bullet points, or
subheadings to enhance readability
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Structure 38
• Paragraphing: Each paragraph should clear and should focus on a single
idea or point. Start a new paragraph when you change the topic, time,
place, or person (remember the mnemonic "TIPTOP" - Time, Place, Topic,
Person). Transition smoothly between paragraphs.
• Logical Flow: Organize ideas logically, ensuring that there is a clear
progression from one point to the next ( i.e. ensure that your ideas flow
logically from one paragraph to the next). Use transition words and
phrases to connect your thoughts.
• Sections: You may include sections with subheadings, especially if the topic
is complex or multifaceted.
• Length: Follow the word count guidelines provided in the question.
Language 39
Tone and Style: The tone and style of your blog post should match the audience and purpose. The
tone should be conversational and engaging, suitable for a blog audience. For example, a blog post
aimed at teenagers might be more informal and conversational, while one aimed at professionals
might be more formal and polished. Avoid overly formal academic language though.
Vocabulary: Use varied and appropriate vocabulary to express your thoughts clearly. Avoid jargon
unless it’s explained.
Technical Accuracy: Pay attention to grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Ensure your writing is
technically accurate and free of errors.
Vivid Descriptions: Use vivid descriptions and sensory details to engage the reader. Show, don't tell.
Sentence Structure: Use a variety of sentence structures and lengths (utilise a mix of short and
long sentences) to maintain interest. Avoid repetitive language. Ensure that your writing flows well.
Personal Voice: If appropriate, share personal anecdotes or opinions to create a connection with
the audience.
Clarity and Brevity: Be clear and concise. Avoid unnecessary fluff and aim to make every word
count.
Additional Tips 40
• Audience Awareness: Keep your target audience in mind and
tailor the content accordingly.
• Editing and Proofreading: If time allows, quickly check your
work for grammatical and spelling errors.
• Engagement: Use rhetorical questions, direct addresses
(e.g., "you"), or calls to action to encourage reader
involvement.
By adhering to these guidelines, you can create an effective and
compelling blog post for your examination.
SUMMARY
To become self-employed or make more money. 42
To network with others and grow a
business/Connecting with others
Building An Online Presence
To establish expertise and build an audience.
To use it as an outlet for creative expression. To enhance writing and thinking skills.
How To Start Your Own Blog
Do your research
Take notes and start an outline
Start drafting your blog post
Hook your readers with a great opening
Write like you talk
Make it scannable
Use Images & Include a CTA
Add A Featured Image
Publish at the right time
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THE END
