Anatomy of a Blog Post
We’re big advocates of storytelling—and we’re familiar with how daunting the blank screen can be. That cursor blinking at you. As if it’s saying, “Get on with it.”
But a blog post is just a series of parts, and we’re going to outline them here in the hope that this makes posting feel a little less overwhelming.
Title
When you work on something, it’s helpful to give it a name so you can think about it. Talk about it. That first name probably contains the seed of the idea.
Don’t get too attached to it. The idea is just the beginning of a post. As the work grows, you might discover a new title for it as you go. Stay open to that.
The best titles are specific while also sparking a bit of curiosity.
Body
This is the bulk of the post—and the work. But let’s unpack what goes into this.
Posts and articles come in all different shapes and sizes. Don’t feel locked in to hit a minimum or maximum word count. We’d go so far as to suggest that having posts of variable length on your website makes it more interesting for your readers. So, say what you need to and then stop.
Search Engine Optimization
This post doesn’t get into Search Engine Optimization (SEO)—not because it isn’t important. If you’re struggling with building momentum on your content, layering in the complexities of SEO is a good obstacle to sharing your story.
When in doubt, just start writing.
Don’t worry. We’ll get into SEO in another post we’re working on.
Keep it direct. Your readers will appreciate your respect for their time. Be clear about what you’ll get into so they can decide if they want to read the whole thing.
Start simple. You’re building a habit. Don’t let perfection get in the way of posting. Early on, it’s more about the process than the post.
Now is probably a great time to talk a bit about the process.
Draft: Just get the idea out. Don’t worry about structure or grammar or anything. If it’s a longer piece, consider a quick outline first. But the point is to get the idea or story out of your head onto paper or screen. Then, let it sit so you can come back to it with fresh eyes. In a hurry? Have a colleague review it and then move on to editing.
Edit: After a bit of time or a review, make your edit pass. Editing is all about tightening up the idea a bit. Does it make sense? Does it flow? You may need to move some things around—that’s fine.
Proof: The last step of writing is to make a pass through it focused on grammar and spelling. There’s some flexibility in grammar—the Oxford, or serial, comma is a great example. When you decide to do something a certain way, make sure you’re consistent.
When you finish your post body, reread it to see if something lends itself to the title. Proofing is also the best time to start thinking about an excerpt.
An Excerpt
This is the blurb that appears in any archive view of the post. It’s the short version that can describe and entice a visitor to read through to the post itself. Excerpts are best right around 50 words, but there’s some flexibility. Any effort here is better than letting your content management system lift the first 55 words from your post and jam them in there.
Categories and Tags
This is about planning for success. Categories and tags are how you keep your content organized, giving you many options for presenting your posts throughout your website. They’re also a core part of HALO 22’s information architecture work in website design.
An old-school way to think about them is like a filing system: Categories are drawers. Tags are folders. But unlike a filing cabinet, you can take all your Resource posts and make them easy to find for your readers.
Bonus: Featured Image
Not all websites plan for a featured image, and fewer require them. But if your website supports them, a featured image is a great way to pique interest in a post. They almost always appear with the excerpt.
Hopefully, breaking down a blog post into its simple parts makes it a little more approachable. If you’re stuck, drop us a line, and we will figure out how to get you rolling together.
