Blogging: 5 tips for getting started on blog writing

Here are my 5 top (practical) tips for blog writing:

“You have to be in the zone to be creative”

I find it’s better to ‘half-write’ 4 or 5 blogs in note form and then save them as drafts, rather than trying to write 1 blog perfectly from the outset.
I can return easily to 4 or 5 half-written blogs ( maybe ditch 1, save 2 for later, and finish off the other 2) whereas I tend to avoid the 1 ‘almost there’ blog….with the result that it never gets finished!

“Have set topics and schedule them in advance”

Don’t worry, this doesn’t mean you can’t be creative, it just helps ‘ease’ you into your thought process

For example, I write blogs for a restaurant in Oxford called Iffley Blue – every 8-10 weeks they change the menu, so that’s one type of blog.
There’s also a Wine of the Month – that’s another set format which can be set up in advance and filled in at a later date.
Any special offers/topical interest/other blogs…etc can then be dropped in as & when.

“Make life easy for yourself – always look to link to other blogs”

Imagine you’re a restaurant and you have a great supplier – tell everyone about it and make it worth for both of you!
It could be that you source your vegetables from a certain company, and a certain crop is about to come into season that will shortly feature on your menu.
Extol your supplier in your 1-off blog (their green production methods, locality…etc) and link with their website & blog.
Invite them to also post this blog (about them) on their website
If they want to write a blog about you in return, you can then post that on your website…..and so the wheel starts to turn for you!

“When you’re stuck for words, start with a headline, quote, or a picture”

Looking for inspiration? A snappy title or an interesting photo can be a great way to start.
For example, I was on the underground the other day, and saw this great advertising poster.
It was for something very standard – an estate agent – but approached from a fresh angle.

“It’s so much easier when you write about what interests you”

Make a note of the things that interest you
Make a note of things you think others will be interested in about your product/services
Where the two cross over, that’s a good place to start writing!