When you are getting started with blog writing, each and every blog can seem like a daunting task. If you have not done a lot of writing or blogging before, it can be nerve-wracking to write something, then put it on the internet for everyone to see. Chances are blogging is not your only job, so you are already running at a deficit trying to learn how to write a blog while doing everything else in your daily life.
Want to learn how to become a better blog writer?
I am here to teach you the hands-down easiest way to become a better writer.
Ready? The secret is to read example blogs. That is it!
Read Example Blogs to Write Better
You may be a little surprised about reading this secret, and that if you read example blogs you will become a better blogger and writer.
We are going to come back to this topic, but I first want to set the stage with some other reasons to read example blogs.
Read Example Blogs to Learn About Your Competition
We all need to face it, we all have competition. Whether we are solopreneur, launching a blog for a company, or building a blog for a startup, we all have competition. One of the best things to do is to learn what our competition is doing, so we can do it better. If our competition is further along in their blogging journey, there is other useful information we can learn from them.
- What people interested in our competition are interested in
- Trade shows our competition are going to
- Webinars our competition are doing
- More about our competition’s products
When we are going to read example blogs, wether they be to learn from our completion, there are a couple of things we should always think about:
- What do we like and dislike about the blog post?
- Was the blog post useful?
- Was the blog post accurate?
- Was the blog post easy to read?
When the answer is “NO” to any of these questions, we can learn a lot of information! Sometimes the most powerful lesson we learn is how not to do something, and in the case of writing blogs it is no different.
Besides learning about our competition, there are some other good reasons to read example blogs.
Read Example Blogs to Do Research
If you are in the research stages of planning a blog post, reading example blogs can help you get in the right mindset, and figure out if what you are writing about is relevant. If you have trouble finding quality blog posts of about a topic, it means something one of two things:
The material out there about this topic is not good, and this is a huge opportunity for you
No one is really interested in this topic
This is another one of the reasons it is important to use a keyword tool to check the search volume of the keywords you are researching. If your topic has a good search volume, and not a lot of good content, you now know this is a huge opportunity. There are many, many keyword research tools out there, but my favorite, and the one I use almost exclusively is Neil Patel’s Ubersuggest. If you are new to Ubersuggest, our post on the basics of how to write a blog has some more information how to use this tool. Spoiler alert: it could not be any easier, so give it a try!
Just like when we were reading example blogs to learn about our competition, we should keep the same things in mind. Here is the same information in a handy graphic:
Read Example Blogs to Understand Your Own Writing Style
We all have our own individual writing style. Just ask every English teacher I have ever had! While some liked the way I write, some did not, which led to some bad grades in high school. None the less, I stayed true to my own writing style.
I have also written a lot of words on my way to where I am today, and developed that style over time. Your writing voice will take time to develop as you write amore and more. Reading only helps this style develop.
Have you ever put down a book or closed an article because you just did not like reading the way the author wrote? I know I have many, many times, however I have also made myself read these things I did not like to further understand why I did not like the writing of that particular blog or book. As we discover what we do and do not like as readers, we will notice our style of as a blog writer also develops. Remember, this is not something that will happen overnight.
Read Example Blogs to Become a Better Writer
Everything we just talked about comes back to what I started this blog article with. Reading example blogs, as well as anything you can get your hands on will help you become a better writer. The more you read, the more writing you are exposed to, and the more you understand some of the fundamental concepts of writing, whether you realize it or not.
When you are reading blogs, keep these things in mind (in addition to what we already talked about) to help your own writhing:
- Was the spelling and grammar correct in the blog?
- What tense was it written in?
- Did you like the voice of the author? Why or why not?
How to Find Example Blogs
Now, how do you go about finding the example blogs you are going to read? This question is easy, and you may already know the answer. Simply head on over to Google.com, and type in what you want to learn about. If you are in the research phase, you may type what you think others are looking for. Whatever the case, head on to Google and go!
It is also nice to note that Ubersuggest also has a SERP Analysis which tells you more information about each search result along with a clickable link to the result itself. This is a great way to continue to be in tune with your research area as well, and I find myself using Ubersuggest more and more!
Do Not Steal Example Blogs
This goes without saying, but example blogs are not there for you to copy and paste into your own blog. You may find yourself tempted to steal a paragraph here and there if you are reading a blog about something you plan on writing about, but please do not ever do this. Example blogs are there to help you develop as a writer and determine what YOU like to read, and perhaps for you to learn something.
On the other hand, if you find a blog particularly interesting and well written, there is nothing wrong with including a link to it within your own article. In fact, many bloggers will find this flattering!
Reading example blogs is a key component of becoming a better writer and a better blogger. The more you read, the better you will write, and the more inspired you will feel, whether it be from reading good content, or reading bad content and wanting to create something better.
Bonus: All Reading Makes You A Better Writer and Blogger!
Don’t stop at example blogs! When it comes down to it, any time you spend reading, whether it be example blogs, books, or magazines will help you to become a better writer. There is also something to be said about reading long form writing like a book versus short form writing like blogs and magazine articles. Even if you spend 1o minutes a day reading a book, you will learn something new and have your horizons widened.
Be sure to check out our complete guide to why reading makes you a better writer!