How to Write a Blog People Want to Read

By Kate Wolfe Maxlow

So, you have something you want to tell the world. Whether it’s an idea that you’re sure will set the world on fire, or just something you think might help make people’s lives a little easier, the first step to making an impact is getting folks to actually read what you write. And it turns out that the writing style you used in grad school isn’t the same one that’s going to get you clicks.

To that end, here are some easy tips and tricks to get you thinking about WHAT you want to write and HOW you're going to write it.

Content Tips

1. Come up with a snazzy title that either 1) Introduces a common problem and hints at your solutions:

• How to Write a Blog Post that People Want to Read
• Four Fast Hacks for Conquering Your Inbox
• Three Things I Wish We’d Known Before We Went to Online Grading

OR 2) Takes a unique stand against a popularly held belief:

• Homework in the Digital Age Teaches Students All the Wrong Lessons
• It’s the Teachers, Not the Technology
• You’re Better At Your Job When You Don’t Do It As Much

2. Start with a story or situation that is immediately relatable to the reader. Examples: “When was the last time you actually read your district’s AUP agreement?” “I’m finally ready to admit it: I sometimes copied off my friend Diana’s homework in Chemistry.”

3. People love lists and easily scannable headings. It’s the way our brains are organized. After you come up with your title that’s either solving a common problem or breaking down a commonly held belief, find 3-5 solutions/reasons why you’re right. This will be the organizational framework of your blog. Then you just have to write 1-2 paragraphs that explain each heading, and you’re done!

Style Tips

1. Write in first person like you’re having a conversation with someone. Sure, it needs to be a structured conversation with complete sentences and proper punctuation, but using first person helps draw in your reader. You can also lightly sprinkle in some colloquialisms (like “Sure, it needs to be…”) for extra flavor.

2. Be humble. Admit your mistakes. Show your fallibility. Readers like to have a sympathetic narrator...but you have to have learned something, too. Tell everyone a story about how you learned and grew as an educator.

3. Use fewer and smaller words. See, I could have written, “Brevity is the soul of wit; ensure that your prose is sparse and accessible to a multitude of reading abilities,” but people are busy! Say what you want to say with just enough detail to make it meaningful, and get out.

4. Keep your paragraphs short. A large portion of your readers will be checking out your post on their phones; thick paragraphs are hard to read on mobile devices. Try to keep it to 1-4 sentences per paragraph, but make sure to vary the lengths of your paragraphs, too.

Kate Wolfe Maxlow is the Professional Learning Coordinator for Hampton City Schools, Virginia. You can contact her at kmaxlow@hampton.k12.va.us.