How to write a blog post (according to the Buffer Content team)

Hey there 👋🏾

Welcome to September!

Like Kirsti mentioned in last week’s newsletter, we’ve been experimenting with long-form YouTube videos. And it’s been nerve-wracking, to say the least.

I’ve run into a few hurdles — with some being harder to fix than others. Looking off-screen at my script, and blue light reflecting off my glasses are just a couple.

However, I’m glad for the challenge — it’s encouraged me to tackle a format outside my comfort zone.

One solution I’m toying with is starting my own YouTube channel. This will help give me a place to practice and that’s always been a helpful tactic for getting hands-on experience when I’m faced with something new.

It remains to be seen if I’ll be adding YouTuber to my resume, but I know there’ll be valuable takeaways from this experience.

I’m canvassing for advice over on Threads, andI’d love to get your tips as well!

Warmly, 

Tami & the Buffer team

👇 The latest from the blog

• Learn the strategies that have helped this business owner sustainably grow over the past 15 years.

• This B2B company shared 9 tactics that contributed to the 2.5x growth of their following over the past year.

• With these best-in-class social media tools for 2024, you can save time, automate processes, get in-depth analytics, and more.

🖊️ Deep dive: 6 Tips for Writing a Top-Performing Blog Post

Are you looking for simple guidance on writing your first blog post? Or want tips from experienced writers? You’re in luck!

In our latest for the Buffer blog, Kirsti and I break down how we write, which you can read in-depth on the blog. But I wanted to share our top tips here in case you want to jump right in. The best part is that these tips can apply to any form of long-form writing you do in your day-to-day.

1. Plan: Start with a solid plan to stay on track. Choose a topic, knowing that titles may evolve, but having an idea of your intent helps. Define the article's goal by clarifying what readers will gain, like a new skill or inspiration. Identify your audience to tailor your tone, examples, and content to their needs.

2. Research: Do your research to back up your points and make your post valuable. Start with keyword research to ensure your content reaches the right people, even if SEO isn’t the main goal. Collect data, stats, and expert opinions to boost credibility and keep everything organized in one place, like Notion.

3. Outline: Outlining ensures your blog post flows logically. Set up headings to break your content into clear sections and guide your readers. Map out key points under each heading to ensure you cover everything before drafting.

4. Draft: Write without distractions and focus on fleshing out your ideas. Use Google Docs’ fullscreen mode to eliminate interruptions and follow your outline as a guide. Write section by section, using the work you’ve already done in your outline and research.

5. Edit: This is a crucial phase for polishing your article. Take breaks to return with fresh eyes, prioritize cutting over adding to improve clarity, and use tools like Grammarly for style and grammar. The goal is to make sure everything flows and reads smoothly.

6. Distribute: Getting your blog in front of the right audience is just as important as writing it. Besides SEO, repurpose your content across social media platforms. Turn your post into scripts for videos, carousels for LinkedIn, and threads for X to maximize its reach.

⌛ "We save 2 hours per week with Buffer"

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Michael Piperno says: “What used to take me hours now takes me minutes. Easily 2 hours saved per week.”

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📱Mitra's social post trend of the week

“This is Espresso” ☕ (TikTok ver.) (Instagram ver.)

This trend has taken over TikTok after Sabrina Carpenter’s Chicken Shop Date. Use this meme template to poke some fun at yourself!

Side note: CapCut templates are the best because you can create your video in just a couple of minutes without having to be in it or film anything.

You can also repost it to Instagram Reels after creating it in Capcut using the hyperlinked sound!

Check out this example from @truekimchicafe on TikTok. And here’s the Capcut template.

🤳 What's happening in social?

• Instagram’s been making changes at a lightning-fast pace, so if it’s a major platform for you, here are some recent updates to be aware of.
  • You can now leave comments on Stories.
  • You can now enable replies in broadcast channels
  • They’re working on a custom collage creation feature
  • They’ve also added several text-based creative tools
  • And are testing expanding collaborative carousels where anyone can submit content to your post that you would approve
• Shorts creators can now edit their Shorts thumbnail frame post upload, by adding text and filters to the image.
• TikTok now lets you delete and re-edit a video after publishing. However, the video must be edited within 24 hours of being posted.
• They’ve also just cloned Instagram Notes with new ‘Thoughts’ feature.

Thanks for reading! 💟

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