Last Updated on January 26, 2022
Whenever you sit down to write a blog post, I assume your goal — or one of them — would always be to craft a quality post for your readers.
I can’t say every post I’ve published over 17.5 years is what I’d call a “quality post.” I can say, however, that I would hope most of them are.
To put it another way, I try never to post garbage.
Sometimes, I do. Sometimes, you do. We all do. Despite our best intentions, once in a while, a post may just miss the mark. It may have an error. It might even include a broken link you really need not to be broken.
All of these potential blogging pitfalls can turn a good post into a less-than-good post.
What makes a good post?
I think this is a case where beauty has to be in the eye of the beholder. You can search for the secrets to a quality post. You’ll find plenty.
This article features five steps to writing an “awesome” post. This one offers four essential elements to write a “great” blog post.
Would you rather publish an awesome post or a great one? I might take either.
This article, which targets corporate bloggers, lists 10 steps to writing a “good” post. The math seems a little off here. If five steps lead to an awesome post, 10 should lead to a mind-blowing post!
The three articles share some similar gems of wisdom. They urge bloggers to plan, research and fact-check. They strongly urge adding photos and using clever headlines.
All of those are important.
But this step might be even more important.
Doing those things seems to require one more element: staying ahead of schedule. Over the years, I’ve told you why I believe keeping an editorial calendar for your blog can be so important.
I also wrote about trying to stay a few posts ahead at all times. I wish I could say I always manage that feat. I don’t.
But I can tell you that the further ahead you can write your posts, the more time you have to read and re-read. Edit and re-edit. Tighten. Add additional pieces of data.
On top of that, you have more time to consider the direction the post is taking. Will it provide useful information? Will it entertain? Could it potentially do both at the same time?
If you make the time to get ahead, there’s an excellent chance that you’re also making the time to craft a quality post.
