There are three parts to any good blog post.

1. Introduction. Explain what you’re going to be writing about and give a brief overview of the post. Establish your credentials and capture their attention in this part of the post.
2. Body. The main part of the post. This is where you give your information and present images or links. Remember to break up the text with images or shorter sentences so it’s not one long block of wordage.
3. Conclusion. Wrap up the post and reiterate what you’ve told the reader. The conclusion should reflect the primary takeaway you’ve outlined. Your conclusion should also contain your call to action, where you let the readers know what you want them to do, such as click a link or make a comment.

Proofread your post for errors before hitting that “publish” button and add some nice images for flavor.

Here’s some more information on writing a good blog post.

To start with, there are basically five different types of post you can choose from:

1. The List Post. This is exactly what it sounds like: making a list of things. This post is a list post.
2. The How-To Post. Again, just what it sounds like: directions for performing a specific task. How to Write an Effective Blog Post, How to Write Convincing Dialogue, or How to Show, Not Tell.
3. The Curated Collection Post. Gather information pertinent to your blog topic and share it with your readers. Top 10 Websites for Writers, 25 Gifts for Your Writer. Remember to give credit where due when sharing other blogs or images.
4. The SlideShare Presentation Post. Images pertinent to your topic. Best Journals on the Market, Gifts for Writers.
5. The Newsjacking Post. This means using a popular news story to increase your blog’s popularity. It’s harder to do if you’re writing about writing, as I do, but it’s doable with some creativity.

In the next post, we’ll talk more about the specifics of writing a good blog post. What’s your favorite type of post to write?

“Blog” is actually short for “Web Log.” In the early 1990s blogs began as journals, meant more as an online diary than anything else.

I’m going to do a couple of posts on … blog posting. Here are the basics of creating a good blog.

1. Know your audience. Before you even put finger to keyboard, think about who you’re trying to reach. What do they want to know about? What can you write that will resonate with them?
2. Make your domain. If you intend to be a serious writer, you’ll probably want to invest a few dollars and get your own domain, either your author byline (www.jeshays.com) or something related to your books. Some inexpensive web-hosting services include GoDaddy, DreamHost, and HostGator. For a blog, I recommend a WordPress site.
3. Customize your theme. Did you notice how my website reminds you of the Old West? I happen to have a good friend who’s a graphics designer, but even without help, you can pick and choose from the free templates available. Two things people are going to notice right away are your logo and your “about” page (you can also call this a Bio page), so be sure those are consistent with your brand.
4. Pick a topic and title for your first post, then start writing. You might want to make an outline first so you have a good idea where to go. Aim to keep your posts down to around 800 words or so, and break up the text with images so it doesn’t overwhelm your reader. Tag your post with some specific keywords so the reader can browse for topics they’re interested in and end with a call to action letting them know what you want them to do next (subscribe to your email list, buy a book or leave a comment).

In the next post, we’ll dive further into what makes a good blog post. What sorts of posts do you like writing?