How to Plan the Structure of Your Blog Posts
When you are planning out an online blog, or refining one that already exists, you may reach a certain point in the process where your focus shifts away from the overall direction of the blog, and onto the individual posts.
When it comes to this aspect of your content strategy, a good place to start is to consider the structure of your blog posts – this is crucial if you want your content to stand out, as well as be coherent in the first place. Also keep in mind that structure doesn’t mean a definite formula, as you will want to keep your blog interesting through varying post structures.
Continue reading for some important factors that you may want to keep in mind when planning the structure of your posts.
Effectively Using Headings and Subheadings
In maximising the readability of your content, it is important to effectively use headings and subheadings. This allows readers to skim across your content, focusing on and referring back to sections that they have an interest in.
Not to mention, sub headings are helpful when it comes to SEO (Check out our post on OPTIMISING YOUR BLOG FOR SEO).
Post Length – Deciding Between Long or Short Form Content
The length of your content can vary – you don’t need to stick to any particular length. With this in mind, a more effective strategy may be to stick to a consistency that meets the expectations of your audience.
There are a few factors that can influence post length, including the frequency of your posting schedule, the type of content you are producing, and your personal preferences.
Basic Structuring, with an Introduction, Body, and Conclusion
In many regards, writing a blog post is similar to essay writing; clear structure is crucial in organising your ideas and keeping the reader’s attention.
While there are no hard rules when it comes to the structure and order of your writing, an easy method to take is to follow a basic essay structure: introduction, body, and conclusion. This ensures that your posts begin with an outline of their content, drawing your reader in and immediately letting them know what they are reading. This structure also makes sure that you wrap up your post with a summary of your main points – which can be extremely helpful to readers.
Listing and Bullet Points
Bullet points can be very useful in mapping out your ideas, outlining the content of a post or section, and breaking up the content of a post into manageable chunks. They can also be useful in drawing attention to important points within your posts.
In content that is in the format of a list, the use of bullet points can even comprise the entire post.
Paragraph Length
When it comes to paragraph length, there are various different recommendations, however no real definitive guide. Despite this, there are still some pointers that can keep your writing as effective and coherent as possible.
The length of your paragraphs should be relative to the length of the post – meaning longer posts will be comprised of longer paragraphs. Each paragraph should also be kept to one idea, allowing you to manage your thoughts and writing process.
Including a CTA (Call to Action)
A call to action is an instruction to the audience to take some sort of immediate action, such as leaving a comment, checking out a product or continuing to read other posts. Whatever it is you want readers to do, including at least one CTA in your blog post is a great way of working towards achieving the goals of your blog, as well as building the relationship between you and your audience.
Usually, the best place to put a CTA is at the end of your blog – you can also place CTAs throughout your writing. Do not put too many CTAs within a single post, and make sure that they are short, clear, and do not ask for too much.
The Inclusion of Images and Graphics in Your Post
A comprehensive mix of media can be great in keeping the reader’s attention and breaking up your content. Studies have demonstrated that images are significantly more memorable than text, and blog posts with more images attract more backlinks – an important point for SEO which is explored later on in this guide.
Ensure that the images you include are high quality, relevant, and strengthen your points – this can include infographics, and videos can also be effective.
Conclusion
Ultimately, this post covers the basics of blog post structure, and is a great place to start. However, the most effective strategy regarding blog post structure will come as a result of practice and experience.
Perfecting the structure of your blog posts is just one of the various aspects of creating a successful online blog – to learn more about blogging, check out OUR COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO CREATING A BLOG.
