Raise your hand if you’re a writer.

Now, raise your hand if you have a nice-sized ego.

And now, raise your hand if you lied on that last one and kept your hand down.

The thing is, writing and a big ego kind of go hand in hand. And if you haven’t quit, gone crazy, or offed yourself yet — which I know you haven’t because you were just raising your hand — then like it or not, you have a big ego.

How do I know this? Well:

• On some level (even if you moan and whine about how you aren’t a famous writer yet or how no one is paying for your brilliance yet or you don’t have your blog to book deal yet), you believe that your words are worth something and that other people should be reading them. It’s okay to admit this; it’s a good thing.
• You want people to read your writing. Because you know it’s good and it makes an impact and it feels divine to share it.
• Positive feedback doesn’t just feel good, it’s the ultimate validation of something that you already know: that you’re a writer (dammit).

The Talk

When it comes to writing copy for clients, however, you and your big ego are going to have to have “the talk.” It’s the same talk you had with your kid brother when you were 13.

Yes, you can walk with me to the park, but no, you can’t play basketball with me and my friends.

The fact is, we need our ego to walk us to the park. We need it there when we pitch a client, design a product, write our proposal, name our fee. It gives us confidence, makes us feel like there’s someone (albeit ourselves) on our side that thinks we’re the coolest. It holds our enemies (fear, insecurity and hopelessness) far away.

But when we get on the court — when the contract is signed, the marching orders are given, and we’re sitting down in front of the blank screen — it has to leave, vamoose, go away.

Because . . .

Because it isn’t for you or about you, this writing that you’re doing. It’s for your client. (Or if you’re building a business with your blog, it’s about your audience and prospective customers.)

It’s about them. Always. They really don’t care about you. They only care about what you can do for them.

If you want to be a better writer, you have to get the hell out of the way. Listen to them. Hear them. Make it about them.

We all know that you are wonderful. And it’s great to have creative outlets where we can let our writing personalities shine with enough watts to light up New York City.

Just don’t do it when you’re on the clock, or you won’t get the results you’re looking for. Your client will say your copy just didn’t hit the mark. Your audience will say that there was something missing.

And something was missing . . . they were. They couldn’t see their forest because of your trees.

Some people might rise up in protest at this point and say that each writer has a certain special, creative something . . . something that makes her work so successful.

I agree — it’s called skill. No one would deny the fact that we writers can wordsmith with the best of them, create concepts that defy gravity, know our way around a thesaurus, and can make it all look easy. That’s what makes us writers.

You still have to get out of the way and let your clients or audience shine through.

Yes, even shine all the way through your rock-hard ego. The one that we can’t live without, but sometimes need to put away.

About the Author: Lover of butter, wordplayer, marketing writer, ghostwriter, Julie Roads is the owner/founder of Writing Roads. Follow her on Twitter @writingroads.

Have you ever felt like your blank screen is having a staring contest with you?

And it’s winning?

You want to get that blog post written — you really do — but the words just aren’t flowing. They’re not even dripping.

“But I don’t know what to saaaaaaay!” you protest.

Or, “It won’t be good enough!”

Or the ever-popular, “But it’s not original!”

So you sit there, your mind as frozen as the surface of an icy pond. You just know that whatever you manage to type is going to be the worst piece of writing in the history of . . . well, writing.

But it’s not true. I’m here to tell you why you should go ahead and write The Most Horrible Blog Post Ever. Here are several reasons to stop worrying about the quality of your writing and just publish the darn thing.

1. It’ll Give You Courage

Expanding your boundaries might be unhealthy for waistlines, but it’s great for learning what you’re capable of. Zen teacher and writer Cheri Huber says, “Every time we choose safety, we reinforce fear.”

The opposite is also true. By just writing something and hitting the “Publish” button, you’ll train yourself to overcome your inner demons, and the next time you sit down to write, it’ll be easier. Do this enough times, and you’ll reinforce courage to the point where it comes naturally.

That’s when writing becomes fun.

2. You’ll Fail Faster

This one sounds like bad news, I know. But if you’re going to screw up, you might as well get it over with.

Imagine young Michelangelo: “Damn this marble! That’s the third piece I’ve broken this week! I may as well give up sculpting.” If he had, the world would be missing David and the Pietà.

The truth is, failure is a part of learning. If you ever want to master blogging, then you need to give yourself a chance to fail. The sooner you start, the faster you’ll improve.

So get started.

3. Happy Accidents Happen

When I was in college I took a wheel-thrown pottery class. I loved it, especially the surprises, like the clay that I wanted to shape into a bowl, but ended up becoming a mug instead. The handle looks a bit funky, and the mug will never win any design awards, but it holds heat like no store-bought chunk of stoneware ever has, and to this day it’s my favorite mug to drink from.

Similarly, any popular blogger will tell you some of their best posts resulted in trying to write something else, failing, and then realizing that they had stumbled onto something special. Sometimes genius isn’t so much a result of effort as a happy accident.

Which of your “bowl” blog posts will turn into distinctively funky mugs?

4. Nobody Likes Perfect People

One of the biggest mistakes bloggers make is thinking their writing needs to be perfect.

Perfection is more important for neurosurgeons and auto mechanics. Authenticity is more important for bloggers, even if it means being authentically screwed up.

That’s not to say you shouldn’t know your stuff — authority isn’t something that can be faked. Just express that authority in a personal tone. People like reading a letter from a friend, coffee stains and all, much more than they like reading a textbook that’s flawless from cover to cover.

It’s all about being real. We all crave connection, and I think that’s why blogging has become such a popular medium. Its immediacy and candor provides a great environment for writers to relate honestly with their audiences and to have the courage to be vulnerable.

If you can find that courage, then your readers will love you, imperfections and all. Try it.

5. People Need You

This one is, in my opinion, the most important reason of all.

Right now, there are people searching for the posts that you’ve not yet written. They’re frustrated, they’re hurting, and the only way they are going to get relief is from the information inside your head.

Will you withhold it from them? Will you tell them that you can’t help them because . . . well . . . you haven’t thought of the best way to write it yet?

Or will you set aside your fears, just for the moment, and write The Most Horrible Blog Post Ever, just on the freak chance that maybe it’s not as bad as you think?

Because, you see, your readers aren’t looking for the “perfect” blog post. They’re looking for the blog post that’s perfect for them.

Your job is to write it.

Will you?

About the Author: Michelle Russell is a blogger who explores the perils of perfectionism at Practice Makes Imperfect. If you want to watch her flail imperfectly at social media, you can also follow her on Twitter.

This week on my free Live Webinar we discussed how to write a blog post, and specifically the 7 elements it takes to make a really great post that brings in readers and results in a nice conversion rate.

I have a bit of a system for kicking out blog posts, and I’ll share that with you here in detail. Once you know the elements that should be included, you can simply use that as an outline every time you want to create a really great blog post.

I’ll start by giving you the brief version. Each blog post should have a keyword phrase, good title, image, good content, call-to-action, signature and a PS. Keep reading for the details on each – and a little bonus: the 8th element.

7 Elements of a Great Blog Post

When I sit down to blog I start with an outline, which includes all 7 of these elements. I may not know the content of each element upfront, but I like to put a frame around my work and then basically fill in the blanks.

We’ll walk through these elements in order, but first I’ll show you an example of what that looks like on my screen:

Obviously this is just a basic outline. A placeholder for each of the elements. I find this to be a great starting point as it gives me a structure to work with. And besides, a blank screen can be daunting when you’re under pressure to write! From here, I simply flesh out each of those elements as I go.

1. Keyword Phrase

The biggest part of learning how to write a blog, is learning to write exactly what your readers want. You find that out through keyword research, and you deliver it through keyword optimization.

So choose a topic and then pick a keyword phrase that best suits your topic. Or choose a keyword phrase, and create content around it.

You won’t always find a great keyword phrase to match the topic you want to blog about. That’s okay. Your readers will appreciate a few off-the-wall posts that are written more for “visitor optimization” than search engine optimization.

I chose a longtail keyword phrase for this blog post: “how to write a blog”

2. Title

The title of your blog post is incredibly important. Arguably one of the most important elements of the entire post. The post title also becomes the page title (meaning it is used in the Title Tag and shows up in the Title Bar of the browser window). It also becomes the Anchor Text for the hyperlink in the search results – meaning this is what people will see and read when they are deciding which result to click on. And whammy #3 – your post title becomes the Anchor Text for all of the inbound links pointing to this post that are created automatically through your blog.

Your title needs to be interesting and engaging. It has a big job – it compels people to click through and start reading. Two things go into a really great title: a keyword phrase, and a little copywriting skill.

If you happen to create a really long title for your blog post, consider editing the permalink. You might use a shorter version of the title, that still includes your keyword phrase. Here is an example from the blog post you are reading now:

Permalink: http://www.clicknewz.com/1993/how-to-write-a-blog-post/

Speaking of permalinks, if you want your post links to look as nice as mine see: Smart Permalink Structure. And here’s a bonus tip for you – that permalink structure allows me to use shortened versions of the URL on sites like Twitter.

You may have seen me tweet a link to this post as:
http://www.clicknewz.com/1993/ Try it – it works! Cool, right?

3. Image

Images engage your reader, break up long boring text, illustrate points – and they can also be used to draw the eye in specific directions.

Since my topic is “how to write a blog post” I simply used screenshots, which can be very effective. Other options for images within your posts include:

• Your own images/photos
• Flickr
• Inexpensive stock photos

4. Content

I actually write the content last, after I have outlined the other 6 elements, and simply type in a placeholder to start. But once I have my blog post outlined I sit down to flesh out the content. I often do this in outline format as well, and then go back to flesh out each point into a paragraph or so.

5. Call-to-Action

This element ranks right up there with the Post Title as one of the most important things you can include in your blog post. The call-to-action lets your reader know exactly what they should do next, and why.

Ask yourself: why am I writing this post? Why are they reading this post? What ONE action do I most want them to take after they read my post? (Never assume it’s obvious.)

Don’t leave your reader hanging. You owe it to them to lead them to the next best click. See: Using a Call To Action

6. Signature

A signature serves two purposes. First, it tells your readers who you are and that you care enough to identify yourself and sign off appropriately.

You can do this via plain text, or you can create a signature image like the one that I use. There are free signature makers around the web, or you can sign a piece of paper and scan it into your computer.

Oh, and the second purpose – it is a nice thing to have above a P.S.

See: Dear Mystery Blogger (It might be YOU!)

7. PS

You see it at the end of long sales letters. You see it in email marketing. Start using it in your blog posts, too! This is one last chance to make an important point, or share an important link. It is best used for supporting your call-to-action.

Readers who scan your blog posts will catch the title, the images, the sub-headlines, the bullet points and the PS. Use it wisely!

Bonus: The 8th Element

Once I have my blog post written, but before I publish it, there’s one more thing that I add to top it off.

Links.

I like to link back to posts in my archive wherever relevant, both for internal links (SEO) and for the readers reference. This helps to keep your archived blog posts fresh, and connects similar discussions.

I also link out to other blog posts on the same topic, written by other bloggers. This creates a pingback or a trackback on their blog, usually in the comments area of the post I link to, and is also good for both of the same reasons.

For the best results, link to blog posts that rank well for your keyword phrase – or better yet, a similar more competitive keyword phrase. That way you can benefit from having a link on this high-traffic blog post that is related to the topic of your own blog post.

You can check that post to see if other trackbacks appear before you decide to link to it. Some bloggers don’t allow them, or don’t have a theme that shows them.

Of course, is the blog post is really great – you might want to share it with your readers anyway…

A Quick Recap:

• Do your research, and choose a keyword phrase
• Craft a great title that includes your keyword phrase
• Choose or create images to compliment your topic
• Flesh out your content with an intro, a main point, and conclusion
• Include a strong call-to-action
• Add your signature
• Wrap it up with a well-written P.S.
• Link to related posts, on your blog and others

I hope this has helped clarify some of the points I made on my webinar, and on twitter, about how to write a blog post. As usual, I took this opportunity to create an example of each point in this very post. Scan back over it and you should be able to easily point out each of the elements!

Best,

p.s. While you are reading this PS, I am reading 31 Days to Build a Better Blog by Darren Rowse (aka @Problogger). I’ll post a full review in my next post. Be sure to subscribe in the blue box at the top right so you don’t miss it!