Do you ever feel like you don’t know where to start when it comes to writing a blog? An outline helps with the stress that can come along with the writing process. A blog outline is a general idea of the layout and content of what you’re writing. It provides a road map and sets the foundation for your blog post. An outline is something that should be in your writing toolbox.
Why Create an Outline for a Blog?
So, why is outlining such an important part of writing? Outlines structure your thoughts and can save a lot of time when you’re writing.
They can also help you become a better writer by getting you past writer’s block and preventing a wandering thought process. Another benefit to writing an outline is that you don’t have to rely on your memory to make sure all your main ideas and key points are there.
Without an outline, your blog may seem to flow without a direction. From the reader’s perspective, an outline’s smooth flow helps deliver the main takeaways clearly and understandably.
The primary benefits of writing an outline are:
- Lays the foundation for your blog.
- Organizes your thoughts in a way that makes sense.
- Helps manage your time.
How to Create an Outline for a Blog
Creating an outline for a blog is different than outlining an essay or other forms of writing. The first step to outlining is having a clear concept of the big idea of your blog. The big idea is the main message you are trying to deliver.
When it comes to grasping the big idea, it’s essential to consider the target audience. What will they gain from this blog? What are the readers looking for when they click on this post? It is crucial to keep the reader in mind when planning out a blog because the content needs to be presented in a way that is easy for the audience to follow.
Headers
The best way to organize your outline is to categorize it by headers. This way, you will already have your blog structure established when it’s time to start writing. Think about your blog’s big idea, and write the headers to support it.
The best way to find headers is by researching your topic and looking at keywords. You want to use keywords in your headers if possible because keywords are what the reader is searching for most of the time. Since readers tend to skim blogs, creating relevant headers allows for easy reading and navigation.
Key Points
Creating the key points is where the meat of a blog comes in. Blogs aren’t powerful without any supporting information. Finding content specific to each header ensures that all the information you are including is relevant to the blog.
To find supporting details, you can use things you already know and research your topic. Research is a crucial component to creating an outline because it helps guarantee that you have all the information you may need. Without research, the blog doesn’t have any real substance. Laying out your research in an outline for a blog before you start writing ensures that you’re presenting the information in the most organized way possible.
Having an outline allows you to breeze through the writing process since all you have to do is expand on what you’ve outlined. It will help you become a better writer in the long run.
An outline is a crucial part of creating quality blog content. Now that you understand how to create an outline and why they are so important get to writing. But first, outline!