07 October 2014 3 Tips For Writing Better Blog Posts

I really enjoy writing. I particularly like the challenge of writing for digital, where being succinct is critical.

Having written on here for seven years along with a number of freelance articles, here are three things I do before writing a post. These aren’t tips on how to create and source better content but instead how to ensure your writing is succinct as possible.

1. One single thought
Each post should focus on a single idea or thought. If you start getting into a second territory, you are rambling. If it’s a good territory, keep it for a different post. Follow up the original a week later and keep the conversation flowing. It also means you’ll have more to publish and share (great for SEO and social).

2. Remove all unnecessary words
Every word should bring something to the post. If a sentence reads as you intended without a word, remove it. I often run my pieces through the Hemmingway App before publishing to see what can be removed (or reworked).

3. “That” is rarely correct
Review any use of the word “that”. 60% of the time it can be removed completely (see second point) and 20% of the time it would be more proper to use “which”. Try it yourself on an old piece of your writing.

They’re not going to change the world, but they might make make your writing a little punchier. (Short and sweet – see first point.)