How to Start a Blog if You Cannot Write? 5 Easy Steps
How many times has the internet wowed you with revenue stats, motivational videos, cheat sheets, and other “miraculous cures”? My guess is plenty. What “they” do not tell you is a basic understanding of the language you intend to blog in is crucial to your bottom-line and savings. So we decided to write this article to show you how to start a blog even if you cannot write.
5 easy steps to start a blog if you cannot write:
- Answer interesting questions from social media
- Start with a plan and be patient
- Improve the user experience
- Recognize user pain points and create CTAs that address these issues
- Have fun
Stay with us a bit longer because we will show you how to structure a blog post, or how to outsource your writing to agencies for the right price.
How to start a blog if you can’t write
The basic definition of a blog is a “regularly updated website or webpage”. The word “regularly” means you must dedicate time and resources to this undertaking. For those who already have a page or website up and running, the next important question is.
How do you structure a blog post?
You must understand that there is no right way to structure a blog post. What matters is that the readers get the message and act. That is where the term “call to action” stems from (we will get to that in a bit).
To make work easier, use the checklist below:
| Structure | Yes/ No |
|---|---|
| Did you start with a strong introduction? | Does the headline capture the audience’s attention? Does the first paragraph outline or state the article’s purpose? Are the headline and content relevant to your audience? Does your meta description feature your chosen keyword? |
| Headings and subheading usage. | Are there blocks of text that are hard to decipher? Are your headings and subheadings centered on one subject? |
| Use images, numbers, and bullet points to aid navigation. | Many readers skim, they do not read the entire piece. consequently, you must ensure that you make it easy for them to find what they want without much Hussle. Are the images related to your topic? |
| Strong conclusion and call to action | To aid your readers, summarize your key points at the bottom. It also pays to include a FAQs Page. |
Go to the Professionals/Outsource to a writing agency
Think of outsourcing writing as going into medieval combat wielding a flaming sword or a stick of asparagus. The asparagus wielding combatant is bound to lose because he or she came unprepared, what do I mean? Outsourcing is a powerful tool only when you work with a writer or writers who are well versed in the art of writing. The writer must also understand machine learning and what the reader sees as value.
Value to the reader is actionable content that is easy to follow and relevant to the cause. So, it is not about writing what you want to write, rather, it is about writing for the reader.
What to remember:
- Use a hybrid model to get the best content: many writing agencies have their criteria in matters, cost, time, infrastructure, flexibility, and the breadth of services they can offer. Very similar to hybrid publishing, what you may do is hire an in-house writer/personal assistant who you will have direct control over to help you curate or edit work from an agency. The idea is to get the best of both worlds(freelancer/agency), where, you save money on smaller or easier tasks by handing them to your in-house writer.
- Outsourcing helps you see your business from “outside the box”: We all have biases that we rarely acknowledge. Which makes outsourcing to an agency great in that if you pick the right team, that agency will inject unique ideas not governed by bias.
- Know what others are doing: as mentioned, SEO and content writing practices change based on current algorithms, which means it is vital to hire an agency that keeps up with the times.
- It is also a good idea to look at what your competitors are doing.
Know When to outsource to an agency and when to work with a PA/Freelancer
The topic of this article is how to start a blog if you cannot write. Apart from that situation, there are other reasons to consider outsourcing blog content to an agency including, work, you may hate writing or other reasons.
What is crucial to remember here is:
- If you lack experience in how to run a blog, outsource to an agency.
- With writing agencies, you are getting the best writing for money, with trained and experienced writers.
5 easy writing tips for bloggers
1. Answer interesting questions from social media
According to recent statistics, about three-quarters of American adults use some form of social media. The question is, what are they searching for?
Could be companionship, legal advice, medical advice, or any other topic you can think of.
Based on the volume of searches, you may generate blog posts from these queries and use them to gain followers.
The idea is to find a niche, then take as much time as you need to understand the subject matter and provide the best possible answers.
The point is, understand your audience better than they understand themselves, thus research and communicate.
2. Start with a plan and be patient
It may take months or even years to start seeing results especially if you do not invest in paid ads. Consequently, you must get your finances in order, and have a clear vision of where the blog is heading. On top of that, your focus should be on user experience.
That means:
- Easy navigation.
- Use language that your audience understands.
- Research the competition.
- Set milestones.
3. Improve the user experience
The harder it is to navigate your blog, the higher the bounce rate. Bounce rate refers to the time users spend on your blog or site.
Some ways to improve yours are:
- Optimize images and make sure that each image is relevant to its placement (if it does not serve a purpose, get rid of it).
- Structure your blog for flow/easy navigation and use a smaller visual span to minimize eye movement and prevent strain.
- Breakdown your content into paragraphs or sections depending on the length of the post.
- Use screenshots, infographics, Gifs, videos, quotes, or you can make your own meme to keep the reader engaged.
4. Recognize user pain points and create CTAs (call to action) that address these issues
CTA’s aim to get a reaction from the reader, therefore, it is a good idea to use actionable words and language to give your users that extra push they need to make a choice. You may place your CTAs on social media posts, as anchor texts in blog posts, web page buttons, and so on.
Experts recommend:
- Pick colors that accent your website or blog.
- Make sure that the text is legible.
- Test your CTA design.
5. Have fun
It is not a chore if you are having fun, right?
It is no lie; blogging will consume a huge chunk of your time and money. Furthermore, it can get stressful especially when you are not seeing any return.
For these reasons, it is important to find joy in your work. This will keep your noggin from self-doubting and you will have more drive to pursue your ambition.
Bonus tips:
- Start building an email list from day 1.
- Update your blog regularly (consistency)
- Pick topics that resonate with your target audience.
- Have a long-term plan and treat failure as an opportunity to learn.
Do you have to be a good writer to start a blog?
No, but -and that is a big one. You must be a good coordinator.
If you can coordinate a team of writers, and web developers, then you don’t need to be a good writer. However, you still need a good writer on your team to help you sort quality content from the chaff.
I recommend working with an agency or a freelancer that knows what he or she is doing.