Writing blog posts can be a drag. But what if I told you there's an easier way? My 5-step workflow will have you cranking out awesome content in no time.
When I first started writing blog posts for clients, I was completely overwhelmed. These were supposed to be quick, little 1000-word posts. Other people were writing blogs in an hour and calling it a day.
But I wanted to make sure my blog posts were good. So I spent hours agonizing over every word, in the hopes that these little articles would turn into profit for my clients.
And over time, the money did start trickling in—then pouring in—for clients. I had cracked the code for writing blog posts that actually made a difference!
But eventually, I realized something. The truth is, you can write a powerful blog post that builds your business or organization without spending hours writing it.
That’s because I’ve taken my writing process and summed it up into what’s absolutely necessary. You can follow this 5-step workflow to get your thoughts onto paper, publish quickly, and start reaping the benefits of a consistent blog—without worrying about all the details.
So, without further ado, here’s how to write a blog post—the easy way!
How to Write a Blog Post in 5 Steps
Here’s how I do it every time, and it hasn’t failed me yet!
Step #1 - Zero in on your topic
A good blog post starts with a clear topic. You’re not here to write War & Peace. You don’t need to write an encyclopedia about everything ever uttered about your topic.
Blogs are supposed to be fun to read. With one main takeaway or one problem solved by the time you’re done reading.
So when you plan your post, you want to pick that one single topic it’s going to be about. You might even create a little map of content that shows all the little bite-sized blogs and how they combine to cover your topic in detail.
But for each single post, you want to choose that one single topic that you can cover in 1,000 to 3,000 words (or so).
Often, this is also an SEO keyword that you’ve chosen for the post. It might be something like “how is decaf coffee made” or “best TVs for a dorm room.”
Once you’ve chosen your topic, it’s time to plan out the post.
Step #2 - Plan the bare bones of the post
I don’t know about you, but I hate writing from scratch on a blank document. I just can’t do it, and I think most writers feel the same.
We need a plan to work from (even a simple one) before we can really start to write.
So here’s what you need to figure out before you start writing. (And you can pop this into a Google Doc or wherever you write your posts to save time later.)
- What’s the main topic of the post? (For example, “best TVs for a dorm room.”)
- Who are you writing this for? (Parents of a new college student.)
- What are they hoping to achieve by reading this? (They’re trying to buy a TV for their kid’s first college dorm.)
- Why are you writing the post? (We want to sell TVs.)
- What do you need to cover in the post? (Top 6 TVs for a dorm room, how to choose the right TV for your kid, things to know about setting up a TV in a dorm room, etc.)
- What’s the next action you want them to take? (Buy a TV through our links.)
That’s about it!
By the way, if you’re writing content for SEO purposes, you’ll want to do SEO keyword research first to understand what you need to include in your article for it to rank successfully.
Next, you’ll turn this into an outline.
- Write out a title for the post.
- Create headings for the post (at least 3) for each topic you want to cover. (You can break the sections into more sub-headings as needed.)
- Write a quick description of what you want to include in each section to help you write faster.
Here’s an example:
Once I have the outline ready, I like to put it aside and start writing the next day. But you could start it right away and have it done in an afternoon. Whatever works for you!
Step #3 - Write a quick & ugly first draft
Now it’s time to write! This is the hardest part for most people. (It is for me, too!)
The key to writing faster is to just type out what comes to your mind first. Read through your outline, remind yourself what you wanted to say, and just let it all out.
Don’t stop to edit as you go. Don’t worry about how you sound. Just dump your thoughts onto the page as they come out of your mind. You can think of your first draft as your personal diary entry, for your eyes only. 👀
Does this feel difficult? Think of how you would explain the topic to a customer who came up to you and asked you for help. You wouldn’t stop and choose your words carefully. You would just explain it to them. That’s how you want to approach writing a blog post.
A good blog post sounds like you and is simply helpful. If you try to sound “professional,” you’ll end up sounding boring. (By the way, this is why AI content sounds so bad.)
So type out each section quickly and get it on the page. If you’re writing from experience, this can literally take you 15 minutes or less. But if you need to think a little bit, it can take 30 minutes or more.
You can leave little notes to yourself like (LOOK UP THIS NUMBER) (FIND QUOTE) if you need to do some research later. I like to write (L) to remind myself to go back and add a link.
Pro Tip: You can even use dictating software like Otter.ai or Apple Notes to “speak” out your blog post if that’s more your style!
Step #4 - Edit, edit, edit
Okay, you’ve got your first rough draft on the page. Now it’s time to edit. Again, I like to put a good night’s sleep between my first draft and my first edit. More time is even better, so you can see the post with fresh eyes.
Most writers will edit their posts in 3 stages.
- Developmental Editing: This is where you look at the post as a whole. Did you cover the topic fully? Did you add too much? Should you rearrange anything, or add anything in? Is anything confusing?
- Line Editing: Next, you read through each sentence and polish them up. They should be easy to read, flow well when reading out loud, and sound like your regular conversational tone.
- Proofreading: At this point, your post is pretty much done. You can use Grammarly to catch any little spelling or grammar errors to make sure it’s ready to post.
You could spend hours here (like I used to) agonizing over every tiny word to make it perfect. But with blogs, there’s a balance to strike. It’s better to have a LOT of posts made on a consistent schedule with really helpful information than a few perfectly-written posts. So do your best, get it to 90%, and be done with it!
Step #5 - Add in all the fun stuff
Finally, you want to make your post fun to look at as well as easy to read.
You can do this by:
- Adding in images or graphics throughout the post. (It’s best to use real photos you’ve taken of your business, people, or processes or create colorful infographics in Canva.)
- Breaking up long passages into small paragraphs or sub-sections.
- Adding in other elements like blockquotes or embedded videos.
You want to have a nice mix of visual things to break up the text, plus small, snackable paragraphs to help your readers get through the post.
Final Thoughts
So there you have it—my 5-step process for writing blog posts without breaking a sweat! No more staring at a blank screen, no more agonizing over every word. Just a clear, simple workflow to follow every time.
With this, you can stop worrying about writing and start filling up your blog with authoritative and interesting content that helps your organization or business grow.
Now it’s your turn! Put my workflow to the test with your next blog post. I’m confident that you’ll find it just as helpful as I have. Happy writing!
