How to Outline Your Blogs
Blog writing is an essential part of marketing one’s business. From how-to’s to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), learning how to format your blog can provide for varied ways of telling your readers about an issue of importance or passion. Here is our guide to using outlines, and also how outlining can enhance your blog writing.
Defining the Outline: Structuring Your Blog Posts
When creating your blog post, it is helpful to understand why outlines are useful. Blog post outlines can help map out the direction of your piece, as well as visualize the story you are trying to tell. Outlines help clarify your writing, specifically emphasizing any points you want to make, organizing paragraph order, and any written formats you want to incorporate into your final draft. This process can also be helpful when writing longer pieces of content or about complex topics.
Traditionally, outlining a blog post will contain a gripping title or headline, a subheading, focal images, body paragraphs, a list of sources, and an author biography at the end. Out of these points found within an outline, body paragraphs are the most important, as this section of your piece dives into the topic at hand that you are focusing on in your writing.
Essential Elements in the Outlining Process
To get starting in outlining, the first essential element to look at is finding a stimulating hook. As you are guiding your reader, an initial introduction or description of a rhetorical question can set the stage for the other sections of your piece. Ask yourself the five W’s (who, what, when, where, and why) to figure out what audience you are catering your subject matter to.
The next thing you should consider in the outlining process is figuring out the purpose of your proposed topic and your angle in the situation. Making your stance clear in the introductory portions of your blog helps gauge where your content is heading.
After finding your angle, it is now time to figure out what main points, and subpoints, you want to highlight in your article. It is suggested to have at least three main points to draw inspiration from and about one or two subpoints for each main point. Planning out the points you want to make helps avoid unnecessary fluff and makes the drive of the piece stay in its lane. Once this is done, wrap up with a conclusion that leaves the reader with something to reflect on.
Let BluShark Digital Simplify the Blog Writing Process for You
Of course, when in doubt, you can always consider letting a digital marketing professional take the lead in curating customized content for your site. Reach out to BluShark Digital to learn how our team of SEO experts can help boost your online presence.