Writing your company’s blog, but you don’t particularly enjoy the process? We can’t promise to help you love content writing, but we can offer three tips to strengthen your writing and make the process easier.

Blog-Writing Tip 1: Clarify the Purpose of Your Blog

Homing in on your blog’s purpose will reduce your workload and give your potential clients a clear understanding of who you are as a company.

For example, a blog focused on thought leadership requires that almost all blog posts have a clear opinion. An informational blog will include mostly blog posts with information backed by research and expertise.

However, if you want your blog to drive SEO, your content must be written in a natural voice that seamlessly incorporates your SEO keywords.

Clarifying the purpose of your blog will also tell you how often you need to write. Blogs intended as a resource for current clients can have a monthly publication schedule. More often will get you more results, but monthly is sufficient.

On the other hand, if you’re blogging for SEO purposes, weekly or even semi-weekly is the recommended cadence.

When deciding on the focus of your blog, include how much time you have to actually write it.

Blog-Writing Tip 2: Embrace the Blank Page

Which kind of writer are you?

• professional writer (you get paid to write and you enjoy it)
• amateur writer (you earn very little, if anything, from writing, but you love it)
• grumbling writer (you hate it, but someone’s got to do it, right?)

Writers in all three categories can have a fear of the blank page. Whatever the cause, just embrace the beauty of an all-white surface, begging for your words.

Then write. Just write. Give your internal editor a relaxing tisane, or duct tape their mouth shut. Whatever works. And just write. One benefit of writing is that you can erase anything that doesn’t work.

Blog-Writing Tip 3: Edit to Avoid Writing Chronologically

Once you’ve got all your words down, try to take at least a day off before you edit. Then see if you’ve opened your blog post with some version of this:

The other day, I was in a meeting when an interesting question popped into my head. I couldn’t wait to get to my computer to research the answer and write this blog post. My boss kept asking me for input, but I couldn’t pay attention, the question was holding such a grip on my thoughts.

Once I got back to my computer, I started digging and digging. I sorted through all the clutter. I even managed to delete a few old folders from my hard drive that were just taking up space.

…

Many newer or inexperienced writers often write chronologically, as in the fictitious example above. Some may believe that beginning this way “sets the stage” for a good story.

But readers of your blog aren’t putting their feet up as they settle into a comfy recliner in the living room, a cup of coffee or tea on the table beside them.

They’re at work, looking for information to help them do their job.

Use your title to ask the question, and then dive into the answer.

Settling on a Routine

Writing becomes easier the more you do it. You’ll find a cadence that works for you, and a process that lets you move on to activities you prefer. Let us know a problem you’re having with your writing, and we’d be happy to offer you a tip or two that may help you overcome it.