Looking for help with your blog writing process? Peek at one blogger's secrets, and discover three more bloggers to follow and learn from their writing process too! Read on for the risque reveal...
Curious about my blog writing process and want to peek "under my hood?"
When my friend Knikkolette tagged me to participate in a blog tour, I thought, "I don't know if I have time for a blog tour, and I think I'll do one of those when I have more to promote."
I thought a blog tour was a planned effort of guest blog posts one did to diversify their audience and promote a book, movie, or other intellectual product. I'm not discounting that for the future, by the way!
But then she described that I should share my blog writing process and encourage others to do so too.
What -- Share MY writing process!??
I mean....... That's very PERSONAL.
It is revealing secrets...
Of how my brain works, and how allll of my published posts ended up on the page.
Like leaving one too many buttons undone on my intellectual blouse!
Yikes!!
On the other hand...
In previous posts I have shared bare knees, a lady's behind, I got naked with Dave, asked if you were seducing your Facebook fans, suggested that porn could help politics, and discussed electile dysfunction. All clever attempts to make specific points.
So, I suppose I can outline my writing process, and hop on this risque, revealing blog tour! :)
To give you an idea of where we're going: My Writing Process tour - By Knikkolette paves our path forward...
4 Questions Answered About MY Writing Process
1. What am I working on?
Confession: I have many blog post ideas sitting in my Wordpress "hopper" waiting to be dusted off and written about. Too many to admit. (I'll say a dozen blogger Hail Marys once this is published).
Among the topics:
- A social media tool kit for a specific business niche
- Optimizing social media at live events
- Benefits of live tweeting
For my business:
- A collaborative option that will serve my online community
- Social Business plans to help green niche franchise owners
- More on Instagram for business
2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?
It purposefully does. I'll touch a bit more on this in the outline of my writing process.
For me, if I'm going to take the effort to put something on my blog, or another blog, it's not published until it is thorough and "done right."
Some would get a reasonable amount of text in the panel and say, "Oh, that's good enough," and hit publish. But I do not opt to publish a post until I know it will be:
- Correct in grammar and spelling.
- Helpful to readers.
- Inclusive of all essential information so the reader is not left confused.
- It helps the blog for topic content and SEO.
Maybe that comes from years of being a performer. The commitment to rehearsing something over and over again -- Honing something -- Until it flourishes.
There was a time when 300-500 words was an admirable blog post. And, to some it still is. However, Google favors quality over quantity so a longer post even contributes to SEO. Plus, I'd rather be known as the well-researched, quality over quantity girl.
I'm also still not excited about using contractions in my writing, but it is the trend, so here I compromise.
All that said, my work is different because my readership is different - I write for my audience and my target audience. That's like fingerprints and DNA.
3. Why do I write what I do?
Most often, I write to answer a question or to meet a request.
Where at one time that meant writing to social media news and current social platform trends, my content is now more evergreen.
Every time, you will find on my blog material that will solve a pain point or curiosity for the community I serve. Within my text you may also find tutorial videos, embedded content curations, and/or graphics to illustrate a point.
In addition, I have to have a passion for the topic.
No like-y, no write-y.
4. How does my writing process work?
Others keep a writing process worksheet that helps them visualize the post. Not me.
It turns out I'm methodical. I tracked my last written post and the writing process that occurred. Here are my writing process steps:
a) Research other information out there on the topic, or content that is similar.
b) Keyword search - How it fits for my blog (or guest blog post).
c) Decide my angle and what I bring to the table to make the material unique and useful.
d) Search for potential images. This sometimes spurs themes within the writing structure.
e) Outline the skeleton components of the post.
- Heading
- Sub-headings
- Basic text and phrases
f) Fill the post out with text, applicable information, key words for on-page SEO, links, trackbacks, and images.
g) Yoast Plug-in check (grade it for SEO), and finesse text if needed.
h) Proofread and preview.
i) Have at least one other individual proofread.
j) Publish when satisfied.
k) Marketing and sharing of the post. (yes, this includes writing too!)
I wish I could just say, "I'm going to whip out a blog post today." But I can't. It never ends up this way. EVER. My posts are like a work of art or piece of music, and I sculpt until it feels like it's done.
Also, if I find myself on a creative wave, I ride it, not to be distracted.
Another confession: I do plan to put some of my posts into another published work, and all of it is warm-up to something bigger and better.
No peeking yet. ;)
Whew! So, that's my blog writing process: My risque, reavealing, blog tour of sorts.
Up Next To Tell You About Their Writing Process
So, I pass the torch on to these three terrific bloggers who will share their blog writing process too...
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Roz Tanner Evans[/caption]
In her words: "I became an unexpected jewelry entrepreneur when I realized I was too young to retire. After all, I'd juggled work as a career counselor, parenting, and community involvement for over 30 years. How could I learn to just sit still? Was I even supposed to? No – that didn't seem right. So a 2 hour beading class led to the creation of [BeadZbyRoZ which was eventually re-branded to] Earth And Moon Design. Joined by my artistic daughter, we show our love of beads in unique, eclectic on-off designs." Reach her website and blog here.
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Frithjof Petscheleit[/caption]
Frithjof is the founder of BlueBird Business Consulting (formerly Tweet4Ok). He is a Social Media strategist and educator. His blog covers topics ranging from how-to social media posts to more general topics of concern for a rapidly changing digital world. You may recognize him from Social Lists: 7 Secrets Revealed By @Listly For Facebook Marketers.
His favourite quote:
“To succeed in the business of the future we have to become the very people we are trying to reach” ~Brian Solis
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Amanda Brazel[/caption]
In Chapel Hill, North Carolina originally from New York is Amanda Brazel. She is a Social Media Marketing Maven and helps small businesses with their social and digital marketing. Amanda specializes in business, marketing and creating a successful mindset for small business owners that really want to take their business to the next level and position themselves as an expert in their niche among their peers.
Amanda writes about marketing, social media marketing, digital marketing as well as creating a successful mindset. She is fun, passionate, direct and full of heart. You may recognize her from 19 Pros Share How To Be A Smart And Savvy Digital Marketer In 2014. See her posts here.
Your Turn To Get Risque And Revealing
Did I reveal enough about my writing process so you are not confused?
Do we share any similarities in style?
What questions do you have about a potential blog writing process?
Please share your thoughts and questions in the comments box below... :)
