Now that you’ve mastered the technical and practical aspects, it’s time to compose your first blog article. No, this isn’t the place for you to introduce yourself and your new blog (i.e. “Welcome to my blog!”). This is the subject this RisePath article will be discussing.
Start with “low-hanging fruit,” such as writing on a very particular issue that only serves a small portion of your target audience.
Isn’t that counterintuitive? If more people are looking up a term or a topic, you should get more readers.
That, however, is not the case. It’s doubtful that your post will rank on the first page of search engine results pages if you choose a broad and popular topic that has already been covered by large competitors or well-known brands (SERPs). Give your new blog a chance by picking a topic about which few other bloggers have written.
Let’s have a look at how this works.
1. Pick a topic about which you are enthusiastic and educated.
Choose a topic for your blog article before you start writing. To begin, the topic can be rather broad. If you sell a CRM for small-to-medium firms, for example, your piece can focus on the importance of using a single platform to keep your marketing, sales, and support teams in sync.
Pro tip: For your first blog post, you might not want to start with a “how-to” piece.
Why?
Your trustworthiness has yet to be proven. You’ll want to demonstrate that you’re a thought leader in your area and an authoritative source before teaching people how to do something.
You could start with one of the following four categories of blog posts:
- List (“Listicle”): 5 ways to fix a leaking faucet
- Curated Collection: 10 Faucet and Sink Brands to Consider Today
- SlideShare Presentation: 5 types of faucets to replace your old one (with pictures)
- News Piece: According to a new survey, X% of consumers do not repair their faucets frequently enough.
A solid subject brainstorming session should assist you to come up with topic ideas if you’re having difficulties coming up with them.
This can be accomplished by:
- Changing the scope of the topic
- Changing the time frame
- Choosing a new target market
- Taking a positive or negative perspective
- Introducing a new format.
Let’s look at some initial blog post idea samples if you’re still stuck.
Ideas for Your First Blog Post
- A [Niche Expert] explains the difference between [Niche Topic] and [Niche Topic].
- The Top 10 [Niche Tools] for [Niche Activity] and the Worst
- 8 [Niche Activity] Common Errors (and How to Avoid Them)
- 9 Proven [Niche Activity] Tips
- Why did we (I) change from [Niche Tool] to [Niche Tool]? (Comparison)
- Which [Tool] is Best for You? [Niche Tool] vs. [Niche Tool]: Which [Tool] is Best for You?
- The Ultimate [Niche Activity] Tips and Tricks Guide
2. Choose a keyword with a low search volume to optimise for.
Using Google to find a keyword with a low search volume (we recommend sticking to about 10 to 150 monthly searches). These topics have less competition, which should make it easier for your new blog post to rank.
You can either have a regular brainstorming session or conduct keyword research to come up with a theme. We choose the latter because you can see how many people are searching for that information.
Don’t be put off by the phrase “keyword research.” It isn’t just for marketers; it is also for new bloggers. It’s also really simple to do.
To get a head start on your keyword research, figure out what your blog’s basic topic is.
Then, use a keyword research tool to look for this term.
A list of related keywords will display when you put this term through the tool. Scrutinize the options and pick one with a lower search volume. We’ll use “under sink plumbing” as an example (1.4K monthly searches).
Use the keyword research tool to look for that keyword once more. Take a look at the terms that are similar. Look for one with a smaller volume of searches. Repeat the process.
We’ll use “plumbing troubles under the kitchen sink” as an example (10 monthly searches). That is the subject of our first article.
TLDR: Pick a low-volume, low-competition term for your initial article to ensure it ranks.
3. Google the term to figure out what your audience is looking for.
You’ve chosen your topic; now you must determine whether a blog post will satisfy the user’s search intent.
What exactly does that imply?
If you search for “plumbing troubles under a kitchen sink,” you might find a tutorial, a graphic, an article, or a product that can help you solve the problem. You’re good if they’re looking for the first three — that can be covered in a blog post. A product, on the other hand, is not the same as a blog entry, and it will not rank.
What’s the best way to double-check search intent?
Look up the word on Google and see what comes up. You’re good to go if other articles and blog posts rank for that term. If all you can discover are product pages or listicles from prominent media, you’ll need to come up with a different topic for your first article.
Take the phrase “under sink plumbing bathroom” for example (30 monthly searches). Because it had a low monthly search volume, it seemed like an ideal match.
TLDR: Double-check the user intent by Googling the keyword before producing your first blog article about a low-volume topic. Also, don’t forget to look at who has already published on the subject. If you come across a well-known brand, consider writing about something else.
4. Look for questions and terms that are linked to the topic.
You’ve got a very unusual topic that only a few people have ever heard of. It’s time to fill in the blanks by talking about relevant or adjacent issues.
Make use of the following resources:
- Answer the Public: Enter your keyword into this tool, and it will provide you with a list of questions that are connected to that topic.
- Google: Your best friend is Google. Look under “People also ask” and “People also search for” while searching for the term. Make sure to mention such themes in your post.
5. Come up with a working title for your project.
To assist you focus your writing, you might come up with a couple other working titles — in other words, variations of tackling that topic.
You may limit your topic to “Tools for Fixing Leaky Faucets” or “Common Causes of Leaky Faucets,” for example. A working title is specific and can help you start composing your post.
6. Make a rough layout.
For both the reader and the writer, blog postings can contain an overwhelming quantity of information at times. The key is to structure the information in such a way that readers aren’t intimidated by the length or volume of information. This structure can take a variety of forms, including sections, lists, and suggestions, depending on the situation. It must, however, be organised!
All you have to do now is outline your post to finish this phase. This way, you’ll know which points you want to cover and in what order before you start writing. You can also utilise our free blog post templates, which are pre-organized for six of the most frequent blogs, to make things even easier. Simply complete the blanks!
7. Create an introduction (and make it captivating).
To begin, seize the reader’s attention. They’ll stop reading (even before they’ve given your piece a fair try) if you lose them in the first few pages — or even phrases — of the introduction. Telling a story or a joke, being compassionate, or gripping the reader with an interesting fact or statistic are all methods to do this.
Then, explain what your post’s aim is and how it will help the reader with an issue they might be having. This will entice the reader to keep reading by demonstrating how the content will benefit them at work or in their personal lives.
8. Fill in the blanks in each area of your outline.
The actual drafting of the content is the next — but not final — phase. Of course, we must remember that.
You’re ready to fill in the blanks now that you have your outline or template. As needed, expand on all points using your outline as a reference. Write about what you currently know and, if necessary, perform more research to obtain additional information, examples, and data to back up your views, with correct attribution when using outside sources. When you’re doing so, make an effort to obtain factual and intriguing data to include in your post.
9. Make your first post public and promote it in any manner you can.
You probably don’t have a social media following as a new blogger. Fortunately, you don’t need a large following to develop a promotion campaign.
A promotion strategy is a blueprint for how you’ll generate, distribute, and engage with social media content. It enables you to share your business, or in this example, your content, through social and digital technology. Having a great promoting strategy gives your audience more options to locate your blog content through various marketing platforms.
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