Show of hands.
How many of you experience writer’s block even after you’ve already decided which topic to write about? Or how many of you have heard a content writer talk about how easy and fast it is to write a blog post and have wondered why it takes you hours upon hours to do the same?
Trust me. I know how it feels. Staring at that blank document, trying to write and create content, but somehow unable to find the words.
Dreadful.
But what if I told you that there’s an easy way to eliminate writer’s block? That there’s a way to write a memorable blog post that your readers will love without having to pour hours into it?
The trick is deceptively simple: having an outline.
And in this post, we’ll go over 9 ways you can make writing your next blog post a breeze by drafting the perfect outline. Enjoy!
What is an Outline?
An outline is a way of structuring your blog post so you can organize your ideas and write with ease. Some of the benefits of having one are:
1. Automation/ Systematization
An outline helps ensure that your content will have high quality consistently. This is especially helpful if you’re outsourcing your content.
2. Greater Focus
An outline pulls all of your thoughts together and organizes them so that your audience can easily understand.
3. Concision
An outline helps with removing fluff. It helps ensure that every word in your post is there to help communicate your point as efficiently as possible.
4. Speed
An outline prevents writer’s block and helps you write quickly and eliminate writer’s block.
9 Tips on How to Draft the Perfect Outline
1. Start With One Big Idea
Every good blog post has one big idea.
Every word, image, and element in your post is there to help support this big idea.
Your one big idea is your north star. Without one, it will be tough to write purposefully.
So, the first step to writing your outline is to figure out what your big idea is.
Later you’ll break this idea into several key points and supporting key points.
For instance, the big idea behind this blog post is to help bloggers write faster and better content by drafting outlines.
Everything in this post, from the headline to subtitles, relates to this idea.
2. Draft Your Headline
Next, draft a headline that summarizes your one big idea.
Of course, writing your headline is not something you should gloss over.
Why? Because it is what draws your readers into reading your post.
Write a weak one, and your article will be ignored. Forever.
So, don’t treat it as an afterthought.
Take the time to write and re-write your headline until you come up with something that would move your audience to action.
You don’t have to refine your headline when creating an outline.
In most cases, revising your headline is most productive later once you’re finalizing your edits.
But it’s essential to come up with “filler” headline to anchor you when writing the rest of your post.
Here are a few questions to ask when writing your headline:
- Does my headline target a specific audience?
- Does it trigger an emotion, either positive or negative?
- Does it show a clear specific benefit?
If you can answer yes to all of these questions, then you know you have a strong title.
If you want to learn more about writing a compelling headline, read our article “11 Tips for High Converting Blog Titles.”
3. Be Clear on The Problem You’re Solving
Many bloggers make the mistake of making their blogs about them.
But, your blog is never about you, it’s about your readers.
We live in a world where everyone’s competing for attention.
And the best way to win is by appealing to your reader’s self-interest.
To stand out from all the noise, you need to create content that solves problems, remove pain, and enrich lives.
Once you’ve drafted your headline, ask yourself: what problem are you trying to solve?
Try to answer this in a paragraph or two.
Don’t proceed to write the rest of your outline until you can clearly answer this question.
Otherwise, you will fail to resonate with your audience, and your post will be forgettable.
4. Describe Your Reader in Detail
In a few sentences, describe who your audience is.
Don’t be general with this one.
Because if you’re talking to everyone, you’re talking to no one.
Instead, speak to Sally or Joe.
Here’s an example scenario.
Your big idea is to help your reader find the time to return to and finish college.
Imagine what Sally does, think, and sees.
For example, Sally is a Mom who wants to go back to college and finish her degree.
She knows it can be done because she’s seen and heard stories of others doing it.
You’ll also want to examine Sally’s beliefs about herself.
For instance, Sally’s beliefs may be that it’s too late for her.
Or she could believe that she is not worthy.
The more specific you can be and the more details you know, the better.
All of this may seem like a lot of extra work, but it is what makes the difference between writing a successful post and a mediocre one.
When you understand your readers universal truths, you’ll be able to write a blog post that resonates so deeply, they wouldn’t be able to break away.
5. Describe Your Audience Feelings About the Topic
What are your readers thoughts and feelings about this problem BEFORE they read your post?
Are they frustrated? Afraid? Hopeful?
Put yourself in your audience’s shoes and feel alongside them.
If you have been to a similar situation, think back to your own experiences.
Recall how you thought and felt at that time.
In short, empathize with your reader.
Empathy allows you to respond to your reader’s wants and needs skillfully.
It enables you to anticipate any questions and objections they may have.
But more importantly, it allows you to write an article that will resonate with your readers.
I particularly like highlighting this section of the outline in my introduction.
Of course, you need to empathize with your readers throughout the post.
But, empathy is especially impactful in the opening.
Writing with empathy draws your readers in by mirroring their thoughts back to them.
When you open your post by describing your reader’s worries and concerns, you’ll forge an instant connection. They will immediately feel supported and understood.
Start your with empathy and your readers won’t be able to resist wanting to know more
6. Describe How You Want Your Audience Feel by the End of Your Post
There’s a famous maxim: “If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll never get there.”
The same applies when it comes to writing blog posts.
As a blogger, your goal is to make your audience feel something by the end of your post.
Why?
Because emotions are what will compel your readers to think about what you wrote and take action.
But, if you don’t know what emotion you want your audience to feel by the end of your post, chances are they won’t feel anything.
So before you sit down to write, identify what you want your audience to feel once they finished reading.
This way, you’ll use words and examples deliberately and meaningfully throughout your post.
And by the end, you’ll be able to write something that will make your readers remember you and want to know you more.
7. Write Down Your Main Points
Write down all the main points you want to address surrounding your big idea.
Look up what people are saying about your topic.
What advice are the experts giving?
Are they valid? Have they been regurgitated many times before?
Can you find advice or ideas that your audience may have never come across before?
Doing this type of research beforehand will make it much easier for ideas and words to flow when you write later.
You don’t want to switch between writing and looking up ideas to support your one big idea.
In most cases, this will only you down a rabbit hole of “research” where you get nothing done.
If you find yourself blanking out of ideas while writing, it’s likely because you didn’t do this part of your outline correctly.
Take the time to do proper research before you start writing.
The more knowledgeable you are about a topic, the faster and better you can write about it.
8. Reinforce Your Ideas with Examples
Many bloggers fail to provide examples to support their ideas in their posts.
But including examples is one of the best ways you can improve your writing.
Examples are often easier to understand than generalized explanations.
They help make abstract concepts more concrete, allowing your readers to understand your ideas better.
Write down at least one example to reinforce each piece of advice or sub-points you’ve given from the previous section.
Some examples you can include are case studies, images, narratives, screenshots, research, and links.
9. What Do You Want Your Reader To Do?
All blog posts have one objective: to get readers to take action.
In a few sentences, describe what’s yours.
Let’s revisit our scenario earlier.
What do you want Sally to do so she can get back to school?
Do you want her to buy a coaching call with you so you can help her find the time to get back to school?
Do you want her to start an online business so she can work from home and have more time?
Or do you want her to take baby steps, like have a conversation with her family and friends for support?
Defining your call-to-action is critical because, as a blogger, your job doesn’t stop at providing our readers with solutions to their problems.
It’s also part of our job to give them the courage and motivation to implement those solutions.
I typically use this section of the outline to conclude my post.
What better way to end a post than telling your readers what they’ve been dying to hear the minute clicked on your post: They can do it.
After reading your post, they now have all the tools they need to get what they desire; all they need to do is use them.
Inspiring your audience is a much better way to conclude than the standard summary of the points we see in many blog posts.
Conclusion:
Writing content doesn’t have to be a dreadful and cumbersome task. Creating an outline can remove much of the friction of content writing. This way, you can focus on growing your business and providing value to your readers.