Would you like an instant way to begin writing that blog? I have a great idea to share—Speech-to-Text. Get your best business blogs published in no time.
Is that you, yes you, sitting in front of a blank Word document in a quandary about what to write? You have picked a topic, found the best search engine optimized (SEO) keyword phrase and an outline of what you want to write, you have your persona and yet you have drawn a blank.
How can you create your best business blogs when you have seized up like a motor out of oil?
I have been where you are. Oh, yes, that was just a few minutes ago. My page started out as blank as yours.
I want you to know that I have come across a novel way to help you start getting unstuck right now.
I am not going to give you standard advice. You can already find a lot of good advice about using an outline, writing about what you know, visuals, etc. on the internet. I know because I have written about some of these for you myself.
But how do you approach actually writing your best business blog post? We are talking pedal to the metal, here.
You will need your topic and persona for this first part.
There is an all-encompassing question that you need to ask yourself and your persona at the start of your process—“Client, what do you need to know about our product or service (or topic) today?” You address this to your persona and then sit back and listen.
Part 1: Holding a conversation
Is it easier for you to talk than to write? Then, by all means, talk.
Get out your outline and start talking to your client, literally. Instead of being threatened by trying to type on the blank page go to Evernote and talk to your client while Evernote takes down your every word (more or less).
You can even use the dictation Speech-to-Text feature on your computer. I want to thank Ginny Soskey at Hubspot for sharing the "Evernote" idea in her article 8 Mistakes Most Beginning Bloggers Make (And How to Avoid Them) although I have tweaked the idea since I like using the speech recognition function on my computer.
Another conversation suggestion along the same lines comes from David Rowse in his article The 4 Pillars of Writing Exceptional Blogs:
Pretend that you’re having a conversation with a friend, and write like that. Then go back and edit out sentences and words that are unnecessary, and revise sentences that aren’t clear.
Don’t forget to use your outline to help you stick to the question you posed to the client (your friend, remember).
Now you have your first rough draft for your best business blog post and you haven’t lifted a finger to the keyboard. Good job. Some of the best writing advice suggests that you develop your voice in your writing. Saying it really puts your voice into it.
Part 2: Begin fixing the article
As you look over the written article several errors are going to jump out at you. The first is that the Speech-to-Text function doesn’t always write the right words. Fix those first while you still remember what you said.
Read your article out loud. I know you already created it that way, but sometimes things are not what they seem.
In doing so, you need to look for grammar mistakes. I am not talking about contractions or current phraseology (slang). I am referring to run-on sentences, using the wrong verb number (“is” instead of “are”), and those times you think that a sentence just sounds wrong.
Related article:
Uncommon "Word Crimes" You Don't Want to Make in Your Best Business Blogs {Infographic}
Part 3: Is your first paragraph an attention getter?
You know that you want readers to read your entire article so you have to grab them fast before they bounce away. What you spoke into Evernote might not be the best first graph. Look through the article for something that wakes you up, makes you do a double-take or looks different from anyone else’s article.
You might not find it in the first draft. Just think about something that would be that great hook, so to speak. I know it’s in there because often I find it after I have clicked the publish button. I slap myself up the back of my head in my best NCIS Gibbs impression and scramble to fix it.
You know what? It’s OK. Every writer who has ever written about writing on the internet admits to mistakes found after the initial publish function has been clicked.
Part 4: Body parts
I am just going to list the information about body parts you need to work on for your best business blogs because everyone else has already written about them.
People skim articles so --
- Use short paragraphs.
- Use subheaders, bullets or numbers to break up text.
- Have pictures, video and other visuals, and use a human face if possible.
- Does your article answer the client’s question? Did you get off track? Take out the tangent.
- Have you tried to be educational, informative and/or entertaining?
- Did you correctly identify sources?
- Is your writing clear and understandable?
Part 5: SEO, titles and anchor text—Oh my
Take a time-out from your article. It needs to breathe as much as a bottle of fine wine or that steak you grilled does. When you return, it’s time to begin the final polish before you post.
Are there some places that you can slip in your keywords without ruining the way your article sounds without hurting your best business blog post?
Remember that you can use synonyms and variety in the keywords since Google is now more aware since Hummingbird. You want to limit the use of the keywords in the original order to no more than 5 occurrences, according to Hubspot’s latest SEO suggestion on their article creation pages. (I used a few more because this is a very long post.)
You are very close to having that best business post.
Next, it’s time to work over your title. You might have created one to get you on target with your topic, but now you need to use some of those titles in your scrape file for a proper send-off. Keep shortening the title to lean it up. Use your action words and your keyword phrase.
Last, before you post or publish the article, as you reread the article for the umpteenth time, see where you can link something in this article with other articles you have written using pages that rank well for your keywords. Along that line Google prefers for you to use complete article titles instead of just a link. Both are fine for the best business blogs.
Final note: The job is not done until the paperwork is done.
Remember as you post the article to make use of the alt text for your pictures using the keywords, write a meta description using the keywords, attach tags using…
Don’t forget a Call-to-Action. Big orange buttons are real show stoppers. If you don’t have any, ask a question that doesn’t call for a “yes” or “no” answer. Mention that your readers are welcome to leave a comment below.
Check to make sure that all these details are done because they can make the difference between one page rank on the best business blogs or a much lower one for those that were not the best.
I hope I have made the process of writing much easier by suggesting that you speak it instead of freaking out over the blank page. Now go and do. If you are already doing this, could you tell us in the box below what you are doing and how it’s working out for you?
And while you are on this page, please press the big orange button to get our free 83-page eBook, An Introduction to Business Blogging.
Jaco Grobbelaar is the owner of BroadVision Marketing. BroadVision Marketing works with business owners to put in place inbound and outbound marketing strategies that consistently secure new clients. The BroadVision Marketing Training Center is located in Petaluma, CA and primarily serves companies in the San Francisco Bay area.
Jaco can be reached at jaco@broadvisionmarketing.com or 707.766.9778 or connect with Jaco on Facebook - www.facebook.com/broadvisionmarketing - and LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/JacoGrobbelaar.