In a world where blogging has become a common practice in content marketing, it's more important than ever to find how to write a blog post that stands out from the crowd.
As a B2B marketer, agency, or copywriter, you may have struggled with creating content that truly resonates with your audience. You may have found yourself in a situation where you've created a piece of content that you're proud of, only to have it fall flat with your target audience.
It's important to remember that content marketing isn't just about creating content for the sake of it. It's about creating content that resonates with your audience and sets you apart from the competition. By sharing your unique perspective and expertise, you can create content that truly stands out and drives results for your business.
Fortunately, there are some tricks that can help you create the best blog post out there.
Table of contents
- Writing the perfect blog post with StoryChief (video tutorial)
- 4 B2B Blog Examples
- 6 Essential Elements of Blog Post Writing
- Can AI Copywriting Tools Help With Blog Post Writing?
- Blog Post Writing Checklist
Writing the perfect blog post with StoryChief (video tutorial)
In this video, you'll discover how to take your article's SEO score to the next level, craft compelling metadata, convert readers into leads, and make your articles modern and interactive.
Examples of B2B Brands That Are Getting Blogging Right
Before diving into the specifics of how to write an awesome blog post, let's take a look at some examples of great work that can inspire you.
We're all familiar with Hubspot, Neil Patel, and Search Engine Land. However, let's not forget about some of the more niche blogs out there, and more importantly, what makes them great.
Userpilot
Userpilot's blog stands out for its insightful and practical articles on user onboarding and customer success. The blog covers a wide range of topics, including product analytics, user research, and user engagement.
Their articles are well-researched and backed up with data, making them highly informative and engaging for their readers. Additionally, their blog has a clean and modern design, making it easy to navigate and find relevant content.
eDesk
eDesk's blog offers practical advice and solutions for common e-commerce challenges, covering a variety of topics such as customer communication, order management, and marketplace integrations. Their conversational tone, real-life examples, and case studies make the content engaging and relatable for the audience.
Hotelchamp
Hotelchamp's blog is an excellent resource for hoteliers looking to improve their direct booking strategy. Their articles cover a variety of topics, including website optimization, guest experience, and personalization.
Their articles focus on data-driven strategies. Additionally, they include beautiful visuals and graphics that enhance the reader's experience and make their content more engaging.
Demodesk
Demodesk's blog is a great resource for sales professionals looking to improve their sales processes and productivity. Their articles cover sales enablement, remote selling, and prospecting. What makes their content great is that they provide practical tips and strategies for sales reps to improve their performance and achieve their goals. Additionally, their blog has a sleek and modern design, making it easy to navigate and find relevant content.
One last thing before we move on to the next section. What do all of these blogs have in common? Well, they are managed with StoryChief, which allows for articles to be published directly to their CMS without having to navigate a complex CMS backend! And don’t they look amazing? 🤩
How to Write a Blog Post: 5 Essential Elements
Having learned what a great blog collection looks like, let's find out how to write a blog post people want to read!
1. A catchy headline
When it comes to writing a blog, a captivating headline can be the difference between readers scrolling past and stopping to read. Use powerful words, numbers, and emotional triggers to grab their attention. Avoid using vague words like "amazing" and "great" that everyone uses.
If you're struggling to come up with a catchy headline because AI is here to help. In fact, we found that AI can often come up with more creative and compelling headlines than a human writer can.
And if AI doesn’t help, there are several tried and true formulas that you can use to create engaging headlines.
1. The How To Headline
Example: ”How to Double Your Blog Traffic in 30 Days”
2. The Ultimate Guide Headline
Example: ”The Ultimate Guide to Starting a Successful Online Business”
3. The Ultimate List Headline
Example: “The Ultimate List of Healthy Snacks to Improve your Well-being”
4. The Mistakes Headline
Example: “5 Mistakes I Made When Starting My First Business”
5. The Authority Headline:
Example: “Top 10 Tips on Leadership According to Simon Sinek”
6. The Start With Why Headline
Example: “Why You Should Start Meditating Today”
7. The Provocative Question Headline:
Example: “Is Your Phone Listening to You? The Truth About Smartphone Privacy”
2. An introduction that hooks the reader
How do you ensure your readers are hooked from the start? It all starts with your introduction!
Your opening sentence needs to be engaging and draw the reader in, leaving them wanting more. Once you have their attention, provide a brief overview of what they can expect to learn from your post. This sets the tone and prepares them for what's to come.
Here are 5 popular formulas you can use to create an engaging introduction for your blog post:
The "Wake-up Call" Intro
Sometimes, readers need a wake-up call to take action. Call out your readers by presenting them with a hard truth or fact that they might not want to hear.
For example, "Are you tired of living paycheck to paycheck? It's time to face the reality of your financial situation and take control."
The "Storytelling" Intro
Everyone loves a good story. Share a personal anecdote or a relatable story that sets the stage for your post. This approach is a great way to connect with your readers and make your post more engaging.
For example, "When I was struggling with anxiety, I tried every trick in the book. But it wasn't until I discovered this one technique that I finally found relief."
The "Surprising Statistic" Intro
Start with an attention-grabbing statistic or fact that will surprise your readers. This approach is a great way to pique their interest and keep them reading.
For example, "Did you know that 80% of New Year's resolutions fail by February? If you're struggling to stick to your goals, you're not alone."
The "Same Boat" Intro
Show your readers that you understand how they feel by acknowledging their struggles and offering support. This approach is a great way to build trust with your readers and make them feel heard.
For example, "If you're feeling overwhelmed and stressed out, I've been there. I know what it's like to juggle a million things at once. But I've also learned some strategies that can help."
The "Controversial" Intro
Challenge your readers' assumptions by presenting a solution that goes against the norm. This approach is a great way to stand out from the crowd and offer a fresh perspective.
For example, "You've been told that the key to productivity is to work harder and longer hours. But what if I told you that working less could actually make you more productive? Research has shown that taking breaks and prioritizing self-care can actually lead to better focus and more creative ideas."
3. Value-packed body content
When it comes to knowing how to write a blog post, the most important aspect is filling your body copy with value. This is where you dive into the meat of your topic and provide value to your readers. To do this effectively, it's important to structure your body copy in a way that is easy to follow and engages your audience.
Here are some tips on what to include in the body copy:
Start with ‘why’
Start by explaining why your topic is important and why readers should care. This is your chance to hook them in and keep them engaged.
For example, if your post is about the benefits of meditation, you might start by explaining how stress and anxiety can impact our daily lives and why it's important to find ways to manage these feelings.
Supporting facts, data, or statistics
Once you've established why your topic is important, it's time to back it up with supporting data. This could be statistics, studies, or expert opinions that add credibility to your argument.
For example, you might cite a study that shows how regular meditation can reduce stress levels and improve overall well-being.
Formulas, step-by-step guide or examples
If your topic lends itself to a formula or step-by-step process, be sure to include it in your body copy. This can help your readers understand the process and implement it themselves.
For example, if you're writing about how to create a successful email marketing campaign, you might include a formula for crafting a compelling subject line, designing an eye-catching layout, and writing effective copy.
Action steps
Finally, be sure to include an action step that readers can take to implement your advice. This could be a specific task, a habit to adopt, or a resource to check out.
For example, if your post is about improving sleep quality, your action step might be to establish a consistent bedtime routine or try a sleep-tracking app.
4. A clear structure
A clear structure is crucial to creating a blog post that is easy to read and understand. One popular writing style that can help achieve this is the Inverted Pyramid.
The Inverted Pyramid places the most important information at the top of the post and then gradually works down to less important details. By implementing this in your blog posts, you can ensure that your readers are getting the most important information right away.
Learn about The Inverted Pyramid in this thread. 👇
5. Conclusion and Call-to-action
Your blog post is almost complete, but before you hit that publish button, don't forget to include a conclusion and call-to-action (CTA) that motivates your readers to take action.
Your conclusion is a crucial component of your blog post. It should summarize the key points of your post, motivate your readers to take action and engage them by asking a question. With a well-crafted CTA, you can encourage your readers to take the next step and achieve your goals for your blog.
Whether it's subscribing to your newsletter, leaving a comment, or checking out your latest product, a well-crafted CTA can help you achieve your goals.
Can AI Copywriting Tools Help With Blog Post Writing?
Writing a blog post can be one of the most time-consuming activities (just take a look at this blog post on ‘how to write one’). It's important to keep up with the current pace and trends, so we need all the help we can get. AI copywriting tools to the rescue!
Where AI can help with AI-written blogs
Once you realize AI copywriting tools are here to help you rather than replace you, your business will change for the better. According to our case study of different AI copywriting tools, here are some ways that AI writing can be helpful:
- Ideation for headlines and subheadlines
- Ideation for outlines
- Creation of paragraphs, sections, and complete blog articles, press releases, job descriptions, social media posts, and more.
- Helping when you get writer's block by spinning up paragraphs and sections.
- Conducting research for you.
Where AI is lacking
Here are the top reasons why AI can’t be responsible for 100% of your blog content:
- AI-written content rarely includes anecdotes or stories unless you add them to the prompt.
- AI writing assistants don’t do a good job of writing within a brand’s style and voice guidelines.
- AI writing assistants can produce incorrect information, and lazy writers might be tempted to just publish it without fact-checking for accuracy.
However, none of these things mean you can’t use AI copywriting tools. You just need to know how. Always remember that the output can only be as good as the input (aka your prompt).
Here’s a 5-min demo showing you how to write a blog post using AI, distributing it across channels and measuring impact.
Ultimate Blog Post Writing Checklist
Here's a checklist you can use to make sure your blog post is awesome:
- Is the headline catchy and attention-grabbing?
- Does the introduction hook the reader and make them want to keep reading?
- Is the content well-structured and easy to read?
- Does the post provide value to your readers?
- Are there visual elements that help break up the text and make the post more engaging?
- Are there headings, subheadings, short paragraphs, and bullet points to break up your content and make it more readable?
- Does the article include a clear call-to-action that encourages readers to take the next step?
- Have you written the article with your audience in mind?
- Is the topic well-researched and relevant for your audience?
- Have you optimized your blog post for SEO by using keywords, writing meta descriptions, and internal linking?
- Share your post on social media, through email marketing, and with other bloggers to increase its reach and engagement.
Tip: You can use StoryChief’s content marketing software for easy multi-channel distribution.
Concluding Thoughts on How to Write a Blog Post
If you want to learn how to write a blog post that engages your audience and sets you apart from the competition, remember to focus on providing value to your readers, using visual elements to make your post more engaging, and including a clear call-to-action that encourages readers to take the next step.
Writing an awesome blog post takes time and effort, but it's worth it in the end. By following the tips and strategies outlined in this article, you can create content that is sure to resonate with your readers. Additionally, you may want to consider whether AI copywriting tools can help with your blog post writing.
