If you’re a blogger, I wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest if you told me that you’ve doubted yourself before.
In fact, anyone who creates content of any kind is at risk for doubting themselves and their work. Bloggers are NO exception.
I’ve been blogging full time since 2015, and I still doubt myself to this day.
But why? If we’re so passionate about our work, why are we always doubting ourselves?
I believe it’s because us bloggers want to be 100% sure that we’re writing great blog posts.
Blog posts are the BACKBONE of a fantastic blog. They are what grabs our readers attention. They are the reason why we’re able to earn money through our blogs. They are the most important aspect.
So, if we’re not sure if our blog posts are good enough, it’s safe to say we can easily fall into an endless hole of self-doubt.
If you’ve ever asked yourself any of these questions…
- Am I a good enough writer?
- Is all of this work going to be worth it?
- Will anyone even care about what I have to say?
Know that you are NOT alone.
There are so many bloggers out there, and tons of them are super successful with impressive income reports. Now, don’t get me wrong… Crazy income reports are very inspirational! But I know they can cause small bloggers to feel intimidated as well.
Here’s a little reminder (listen to this, because it’s TRUE). If they can do it, so can you. Yes, there’s a lot of “competition”. Yes, some may consider certain niches to be “oversaturated”. But the internet is a BIG place and you can find your place within it just like they did!
Alright, that’s all well and good. But… You’re a blogger creating original content, so I wouldn’t be surprised if you’re still doubting yourself and the work that you do.
Thankfully, there’s an EASY fix to this. You just have to be sure that you’re writing great blog posts. You can figure out if you’re doing that by asking yourself one simple question:
“Will this blog post HELP my readers?”
This is the most important thing you should be asking yourself before publishing any blog post.
Think about the reasons why people read blog posts in the first place. Typically, it’s because they’re looking for inspiration, tutorials, useful information, ideas, etc. They’re looking for HELP!
Hands down, the best blog posts are the ones that provide value to the readers.
How to make sure you’re being helpful
Always put yourself into your reader’s shoes.
What are they looking for when they decide to click on your post? What questions do they have that you can answer? What recommendations can you give them that they can consider? What is the overall purpose of the blog post you’re writing?
Before you start writing, ask yourself those questions and write down your answers. That way, you’ll have a roadmap for the kind of content you should include in your blog post. You can organize your answers into an outline to make the writing process easier if you want.
When you’re done writing your blog post, be SURE that your readers will get what they’re looking for out of it.
Go above and beyond
You’re well aware of the fact that there are tons of successful bloggers out there. You CAN make it as a blogger as well, especially if you go above and beyond for your readers.
One way to do this is by taking a look at what other bloggers in your niche are writing and trying to fill in any gaps you notice.
Are there certain topics that readers may need more clarity on? Are there any questions that can be answered in an easier-to-understand manner?
You can also try going to forums or online spaces where people are discussing the topics you write about. If you see people heavily discussing a certain topic, asking certain questions or feeling confused about certain things, those would great things to base your next blog post on!
Adding in useful content to your blog posts such as graphs, comparison tables, graphics, etc. can also be a huge help to your readers.
If all of this sounds like an intimidating amount of extra effort… Don’t worry. These are just tips you can keep in mind to help you out.
Just know that any extra research you do or time you spend adding useful content to your blog post is almost certainly worthwhile (as long as you’re actually releasing blog posts and not getting trapped by perfectionism).
Make your blog posts easy to read
The information you provide in your blog posts is the most important thing, but formatting is right behind that.
Who wants to read a blog post that looks bad? Not me!
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been excited to read a post, only to immediately click away when I see that it’s a single, giant block of text.
I have a whole blog post on this topic. You can read it here if you’re interested in getting more details. Otherwise, here are the main tips on making your blog posts easy to read:
- Use headings to introduce important topics
- Italicize, bold and highlight important text
- Break up long posts with photos
- Keep your paragraphs short
- Increase your font size (at least 14 point)
It’s also a good idea to use a grammar/spell checker to avoid any mistakes in your writing. Grammarly is a fantastic option for this. You can try it out for free by clicking here!
Final thoughts on writing great blog posts
The absolute most important thing is to HELP your readers with your blog posts!
Always keep what your reader is looking for in mind. Your blog posts are the key to your success.
This post is all about writing blog posts, so I haven’t mentioned traffic at all. Of course, traffic is extremely important for success as a blogger. BUT if you don’t have great blog posts, traffic isn’t going to do much for you.
So, start with making sure that your blog posts are helpful for your readers. Then, the traffic you get will be valuable for you!