Are you sick of staring at a blank screen wondering what to write a blog about?
Or worse, have you ever poured your heart and soul into a blog that no one read?
You’re not alone.
Most business owners know they should be blogging, but very few know how to write in a way that gets real engagement, drives traffic to their website or helps convert readers into customers.
The good news? You don’t have to churn out content endlessly or be glued to your keyboard for days. With a smarter, more strategic approach, your blog can become one of the most powerful tools in your business toolkit.
Why Listen to Me?
I’m in my 12th year of crafting blogs for businesses and Christian websites through Write Wai PR & Copywriting Services. Before that I worked for 20+ years as a journalist, sharing real stories for local, national and international media.
Over the years, I’ve learned what works, and what doesn’t, when it comes to blogging that gets results. So, here are my go-to strategies to help you blog smarter, not harder.
A Brief History of the Blog
Although people have been writing articles for centuries, the modern blog was born in our digital age. Jorn Barger first used the phrase “weblog” on December 17th, 1997. This was shortened by Peter Merholz in May 1999 to the words “we blog” and Evan Williams cut these words to the catchier term “blog” not long after.
By the early 2000s, the terms blog and blogging were mainstream. What began as personal online diaries evolved into powerful business tools, news sources, and marketing platforms. And that’s how you should treat blogs today.
The sad truth is, many business owners know they should be blogging, but few know how to do it effectively. Here are some tips from me.
1) Define Your Objective
Blogging without a clear purpose is like setting off on a journey without a map. Ask yourself what you want your blog to achieve.
Do you want to:
Educate your potential clients?
Build trust and authority?
Increase traffic to your website?
Encourage enquiries or sales?
Define your goal, and shape your content to support it.
2) Understand Your Audience
Who are you writing for?
And what do they need?
The most effective blogs answer the real questions your ideal clients are asking, offering solutions, insights, and value they can trust. Think about the problems they’re facing and how your expertise can help. Be generous with your knowledge and practical with your advice.
You need to know who you are targeting and speak in your viewer’s language. Avoid using any professional or industry jargon. Write as if you're having a one-to-one conversation with a friend.
3) Use a Repeatable Structure
You don’t need to reinvent the wheel every time. I use this simple structure for most of my client blogs:
Headline – Clear, benefit-driven, or intriguing.
Intro – Hook them in with a relatable question, statistic or relatable scenario.
Body – Break it into clear points or sections.
Call to action – Invite readers to comment, download a resource, or get in touch, etc.
Having a framework saves time and ensures consistency.
4) Use SEO
Optimising your blog for search engines is important, but don’t stress about it, your real audience are people, not AI nor search engines/algorithms.
Aim to naturally incorporate keywords in the flow of your blog and avoid keyword stuffing. A well-written, helpful blog will always perform better than one crammed with awkward phrases.
5) Create Evergreen Content (with a Splash of Topical)
Some people run out of ideas for blog topics. But don’t stress, not every blog post needs to follow the latest trends. In fact, evergreen content (posts that remain relevant and useful over time) often delivers the greatest long-term value for your business. Examples of evergreen content include how-to guides, FAQs, and practical tips that address your audience’s ongoing needs.
I would also recommend your blog strategy to include a few timely pieces (news commentary, seasonal advice, etc.) to show you’re current. Always aim to anchor your blog with content that stands the test of time.
6) Promote and Repurpose
Once you’ve published your blog on your website or as a Linkedin Pulse article, now is the time to share it. You can do this by:
Posting snippets on social media
Adding links in your email signature or newsletters
Repurposing it into LinkedIn posts or short videos
Mentioning it while networking, in webinars or while hosting podcasts or workshops.
Treat each blog like it’s a valuable asset that deserves the spotlight treatment.
7) Track What Works — and Do More of It
Smarter blogging means learning from your own content’s performance.
Don’t just publish your blog and forget about it. Now is the time to check your website analytics to see which blogs get the most views, shares, and conversions.
Use your data to decide whether to update and reshare your most popular blogs or create follow-up pieces on related topics.
8) Beware of solely using AI to write blogs
Yes, AI can help with drafting ideas or structuring posts, but don’t hand over the reins completely.
AI-written blogs often lack personality, warmth, and your brand’s unique voice. They can sound generic, miss key nuances and can sound impersonal.
Whatever you blog about, don’t forget to research your topic online and add relevant facts, figures and links to other websites.
AI, like ChatGPT, can also sometimes give misleading, outdated or incorrect facts, so if you don’t carefully tweak AI generated blogs to match your brand and check the facts and figures, you risk damaging your credibility, reputation and any trust you may have gained with your audience.
9) Blog Consistently
When writing your blogs be consistent and be your real self. This will help you to create a rapport with your viewers and encourage them to come back to read your blogs time and time again.
Final Thoughts
Blogging isn’t about shouting into the void - it’s about starting conversations that bring people closer to your business.
So, the next time you sit down to write, remember: blog smarter, not harder.
Need help creating blog content that connects and converts?
Write Wai helps businesses tell their story, attract the right audience, and grow through smart, strategic blogging. Get in touch today!
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