Tips on Writing a Blog: 5 Blogging Myths Busted

Award-winning writer Kathy Widenhouse has helped hundreds of nonprofits and writers produce successful content and has gained 600K+ views for her writing tutorials. She is the author of 9 books. See more of Kathy’s content here.

“I’ve read so many tips on writing a blog and I just don’t think I can do it.”

Says who?

A blog can take many forms and because of that, you can define what your blog will be.

You can treat it like a personal journal (that’s read by others, of course, since it’s online) and write whenever you want, as often as you want, and in whatever form you want. On the other end of the spectrum, you can strive to become a writer who earns an income through your blog. If this is your goal, you will invest more thought into when and what to post. 

Or you can blog in the space in between. There is plenty of room for all sizes of blogs and audiences.

If you want to blog, then blog. With one caveat: yes, writing and posting a blog takes time (see #5 below) ... but as you'll see with these tips on writing a blog, there is a way to get around that.

But along with the misconception about time, there are plenty of myths floating around out there about blogging. That’s why it’s important to test what you read about blogs and bust the myths among them. 

Tips on Writing a Blog: 5 Blogging Myths Busted

1. The Expertise Myth

“I have to be an expert”

Why do people go online? To get information and to connect with others.

When it comes to your blog, the issue is not expertise. Rather, does your blog offer good information or a unique slant? Is it clear and easy to read? Does it provide a way to connect online with others for a conversation and exchange?  The internet has opened up amazing opportunities for you to get insight from people who live all over the globe. Some of those same people need your insight, whether you consider yourself an expert or not. You don’t have to blog in order to be a successful online business owner …. and you don’t have to pass some kind of credibility test to start a blog, either. Anyone can blog.

2. The Technology Myth

“I have to have the most current bells and whistles”

Busted. A blog is not a video game. People read it for content. You can start a simple blog in less than an hour. Dozens of free or inexpensive options are out there - just do a quick search.

3. The Word Count Myth

“I have to write posts that are at least 500 words”

Not really.

That myth took hold years ago when websites were constructed quickly as “get-rich-on-the-internet” schemes with pages containing little content and a lot of ads. Analysts tied low page word counts to weaker search engine results and higher word counts with higher rankings, leading to a recommended 300 words per page minimum. Soon the recommendation crept up to 500 and even 1,000. 

Some bloggers took these particular tips on writing a blog to heart and began producing longer posts with consistent quality content. But others stuffed their posts with more words, rather than clean writing, creating havoc for the rest of us. Boo on them. And Google is smarter than stuffers think. Weak writing doth not your search engine results make. 

On the other side of the word count coin is this: increasing numbers of readers who access content on mobile devices find shorter word counts are more appealing. Plus, the average adult reads 200-250 words per minute. And since 74% of all blog posts are readable in 3 minutes or less (according to online social journalism platform Medium), that means that three-quarters of all blog posts are less than 600 words. 

More important than a must-have or doesn’t-matter word count is this: did you say what you needed to say in your blog post? Write it well – as short or long as needed to accomplish its purpose. (Here's a list of different kinds of blog posts.)

4. The Frequency Myth

“I have to post every day (every week)”

While you don’t have to post at regular intervals, it’s a good idea to do so. But here’s the myth buster: the blogging police don’t make the choice of how often you should blog. You do, whether it’s daily, twice a week, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly …

One benefit of posting consistently is in doing so, you build consistent readers. Another advantage is self-discipline. If you know you must post a new page each week, you continue to produce content. 

If you have subscribers (via a newsfeed or newsletter) and you promised them a publishing frequency, then by all means keep your word. If you haven’t made any promises, then you’re not stuck. But you may want to put yourself on a schedule anyway. 

5. The Time Myth“I have to devote an hour each day (each week) to writing content.”

“I have to devote an hour each day (each week) to writing content”

Yes, creating content that people want to read takes time. But if you want to post on your blog regularly, you can get around that issue a couple of ways.

First, you can repurpose your own content. As tips on writing a blog go, this is a great way to update past posts with the most current information or convert it to evergreen content. (See difference between an article and a blog post.) This approach can be especially helpful if you notice certain posts receive more hits than others or when the facts on past posts need fresh information.

You can also recruit guest contributors to write posts for your site and in return, offer a backlink to their website. (Make sure you create writer’s guidelines for your blog.)  Along those lines, you can request to repost a previously published blog entry, article, infographic, or video from another writer or website. Just make sure to secure permission before republishing.

And naturally, you can devote an hour each day to writing your own, fresh content.

More Tips on Writing a Blog

What Is a Blog … and How Does It Work? 

The 20-Minute Blogger (eBook or paperback) ... 

The 20-Minute Blogger: Take a Writing Course That Saves Time  ...

Free Online Micro-Course: Why Build Your Blog?

How to Write Better Bullet Points  ...

How To Write An Opening Paragraph for Your Blog Post ...

Picture This: Where to Find Free Images for Your Blog or Website ...

Should You Write a Blog?

5 Writing Tips for Bloggers in a Time Crunch ...

Is Writing a Blog Worth It? 

How to Create Writer's Guidelines for Your Blog or Biz ...

Free Download: Top 10 Blog Writing Tips Checklist ....

Blog Copywriting Basics: FAQs ...

Blog Post Length: How Long Should My Blog Post Be?

4 Writing Tips for Starting a Blog or Website ...

Tips on Blog Writing: 3 Kinds of Blogs ...

Blog Writing Template: How One Blogger Writes 5 Quality Posts a Week ...

How to Write a Blog: Tips for Choosing a Blog Post Type ...

Writing Blogs vs. Writing Articles: Is There a Difference?

Top blog and article writing tip: The One Point Rule ...

How to repurpose your blog post into additional pieces of content ...

More tips on our Writing Blogs Pinterest board ...

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