The 7 ingredients of a perfect blog post

We live in an exciting time. For the first time in all of human history, you can write words and instantly share them with the world. You don’t need a printing press or a publisher. You can do it all from a blog. Pretty awesome, right?

I started a blog, because I had a message I wanted to share (primarily about about marriage and family issues), and I was tired of waiting for someone to give me a platform for sharing them, so I decided to just start writing. Through traffic from my Facebook “Marriage” Page, the blog ended up taking off.

Blogging has been a wonderful way for me to connect with new friends all over the world. It’s also been a positive, creative outlet. It could do the same for you. We all have something to say!

I’ve had some success, but to be honest, I’m still trying to figure it all out. More than one million people per month read this blog (which blows my mind), but I still feel like a novice. People often ask me how to do it, and I certainly don’t consider myself an expert,  but I’m happy to share some principles I’ve learned along the way.

I hope this helps you. If I can answer any specific question, please feel free to email me at: [email protected]

1. Whenever possible, open up with a story.

It pulls people in. It shouldn’t be long (sometimes, just a few sentences will work), but it connects with people ahead of the practical application. It makes you real and it makes the practical points even more important because they’re connected to real people.

2. Use a picture.

I know this might seem unnecessary, but people are statistically more likely to share a blog post if it has a picture in it. Make sure you don’t just pull images off of Google images, because there are copyright laws (trust me, I learned this one the hard way). You can find some good stock images at iStock or ShutterStock.com or Getty images (or pictures you’ve taken). You may have to pay a little bit, but it will enhance your content.

Image from Shutterstock.com 

3. Include links to helpful resources that tie into what you’re talking about.

People are most likely to share a post when it contains links to helpful resources (not just helpful points). For some blogging resources to help you get started, I’d encourage you to check out WordPress.com (to create a new, free blog) and also check out Michael Hyatt’s blog and his book “Platform.” Leverage your social media platforms. Here’s a free video where I share some insights about social media.

4. Whenever possible, use inspiration or humor (or both).

People read blog posts to learn something, but they also want to “feel” something. Whenever you can, slip in a quick, inspiring example or funny line. If you can make them smile while they’re reading it, they’re more likely to remember it and share it with others.

5. Be yourself.

Speak in your own voice. Don’t just try to copy someone else. Talk about stuff that matters to you. Your passion will pull the reader in. Don’t worry about being “perfect.” People aren’t looking for perfection; they’re looking for authenticity.

6. Make it practical.

When people read a blog (like the one you’re reading now), they’re usually doing it because they want to learn some practical which can immediately add value to their life or career in some way. Keep the reader in mind with all your posts, and make your blogs as practical as possible.

7. Do it all in 33 seconds.

I’ve had millions of visitors to my blog and the average time a person spends there is consistently around 33 seconds. You’ve basically got the length of a Super Bowl commercial to grab their attention, teach them, and call them to action. Just keep that in mind as you are writing. Put the most important stuff in bold because many people are just skimming for the main points. Make the main points so good they want to read the rest.

What are you waiting for? Get started! Stop making excuses. I look forward to reading your work!

For additional tips and tools, you can connect with me on twitter and subscribe to my email list.

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