How to Write a Blog Post: A Step-by-Step Guide [+ Free Blog Post Templates]

Review a step-by-step guide plus useful templates to learn how to write an effective blog post for your target audience and customers.

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6 FREE BLOG POST TEMPLATES

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Computer showing marketers how to write a blog post step by step to start a successful blog website

Updated: 01/31/24

Published: 01/31/24

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Anyone can connect with their audience through blogging and enjoy the myriad benefits that blogging provides: organic traffic from search engines, promotional content for social media, and recognition from a new audience you haven’t tapped into yet.

If you’ve heard about blogging but are a beginner and don’t know where to start, the time for excuses is over. Not only can you create an SEO-friendly blog , but I’ll cover how to write and manage your business's blog as well as provide helpful templates to simplify your blogging efforts.

What is a blog post?

How to start a blog, writing your first blog post, what makes a good blog post, blog post examples, how to write a blog post.

Let's get started with an important question.

Blogging may mean different things depending on your niche — so let’s begin with this definition.

A blog post is any article, news piece, or guide that's published in the blog section of a website. A blog post typically covers a specific topic or query, is educational in nature, ranges from 600 to 2,000+ words, and contains other media types such as images, videos, infographics, and interactive charts.

Blog posts allow you and your business to publish insights, thoughts, and stories on your website about any topic. They can help you boost brand awareness, credibility, conversions, and revenue. Most importantly, they can help you drive traffic to your website.

But in order to begin making posts for a blog — you have to learn how to start one, first. Let’s dive in.

  • Understand your audience.
  • Check out your competition.
  • Determine what topics you'll cover.
  • Identify your unique angle.
  • Name your blog.
  • Create your blog domain.
  • Choose a CMS and set up your blog.
  • Customize the look of your blog.
  • Write your first blog post.

1. Understand your audience.

Before you start writing your blog post, make sure you have a clear understanding of your target audience. To do so, take the following steps.

Ask yourself exploratory questions.

To discover your audience, ask questions like: Who are they? Are they like me, or do I know someone like them? What do they want to know about? What will resonate with them?

Jot down your notes in a notepad or a document. This is the time to brainstorm audience attributes from scratch, no matter how out of left field they may feel. You should also think about your audience's age, background, goals, and challenges at this stage.

example of a blog essay

6 Free Blog Post Templates

  • "How-to" Post
  • "What is" Post
  • Listicle Post

You're all set!

Click this link to access this resource at any time.

Carry out market research.

Doing market research sounds like a big task, but in truth, it can be as simple as accessing a social media platform and browsing user and blog profiles that match with your potential audience.

Use market research tools to begin uncovering more specific information about your audience — or to confirm a hunch or a piece of information you already knew. For instance, if you wanted to create a blog about work-from-home hacks, you can make the reasonable assumption that your audience will be mostly Gen Zers and Millennials. But it’s important to confirm this information through research.

Create formal buyer personas.

Once you’ve brainstormed and carried out market research, it’s time to create formal buyer personas . It’s important because what you know about your buyer personas and their interests will inform the brainstorming process for blog posts.

"Buyer personas aren’t just for direct marketing. They can be a handy way to keep a human in mind while you’re writing. If you’ve got other marketing or sales teams handy, coordinate your personas," says Curtis del Principe, user acquisition manager at HubSpot. "Chances are that your existing customers are exactly the kind of people you want to attract with your writing in the first place. Your sales and service teams can also have great insight into these people’s needs and pain points."

For instance, if your readers are Millennials looking to start a business, you probably don't need to provide them with information about getting started on social media — most of them already have that down.

You might, however, want to give them information about how to adjust their social media approach (for example — from what may be a casual, personal approach to a more business-savvy, networking-focused approach). That kind of tweak is what helps you publish content about the topics your audience really wants and needs.

Don't have buyer personas in place for your business? Here are a few resources to help you get started:

  • Create Buyer Personas for Your Business [Free Template]
  • Guide: How to Create Detailed Buyer Personas for Your Business
  • [Free Tool] Make My Persona: Buyer Persona Generator

2. Check out your competition.

What better way to draw inspiration than to look at your well-established competition?

It’s worth taking a look at popular, highly reviewed blogs because their strategy and execution is what got them to grow in credibility. The purpose of doing this isn’t to copy these elements, but to gain better insight into what readers appreciate in a quality blog.

When you find a competitor’s blog, take the following steps:

Determine whether they’re actually a direct competitor.

A blog’s audience, niche, and specific slant determine whether they're actually your competitor. But the most important of these is their audience. If they serve a completely different public than you, then they’re likely not a competitor. That is why it’s important to define your buyer personas before taking other steps in the blog creation process.

Look at the blog’s branding, color palette, and theme.

Once you determine that they’re your competitor, it’s time to take note of their techniques so that you can capture a similar readership. Colors and themes play a huge role in whether you seem like part of a niche — for instance, a blog about eco-friendly products should likely use earthy tones instead of bright, unnatural colors such as neon yellow or pink.

Analyze the tone and writing style of the competition.

Take note of your competition’s copywriting. Is it something you feel like you can successfully emulate? Does it ring true to the type of blog you’d like to create? What do readers most respond to? For most, creating a tech blog might be an excellent idea, but if journalistic, review-based writing doesn’t work for you, then that might not be a good fit. Be aware of what you can feasibly execute or hire freelance writers.

3. Determine what topics you’ll cover.

Before you write anything, pick a topic you’d like to write about. The topic can be pretty general to start as you find your desired niche in blogging .

Here are some ways to choose topics to cover.

Find out which topics your competitors often cover.

One easy way to choose topics for your blog is to simply learn what other blogs are writing about. After you determine your competitors, go through their archive and category pages, and try to find out which topics they most often publish content about. From there, you can create a tentative list to explore further. You might find, for instance, that a competitor only covers surface-level information about a subject. In your blog, you can dive more deeply and offer more value to readers.

Choose topics you understand well.

No matter what type of blog you start, you want to ensure you know the topic well enough to write authoritatively about it. Rather than choosing a topic you’ll need to research as you write, think about those that come most naturally to you. What has your professional experience been like so far? What are your hobbies? What did you study in college? These can all give rise to potential topics you can cover in depth.

Ensure the topics are relevant to your readership.

You may find that you hold deep expertise in various topics, but how relevant are they to the audience you understood back in step one?

Del Principe suggests checking in with sales and service teams as well. "What kinds of things do they wish customers already knew? What kinds of questions do they get asked a thousand times? What kind of objections come up from potential customers, and how do they address them?"

If you’re not serving their needs, then you’d be shouting into a void — or, worse, attracting the wrong readership. For that reason, after identifying the topics you can feasibly write about, ask yourself whether those are subjects your audience would like to explore.

Do preliminary keyword research.

Keyword research is the process of searching for topics using a keyword research tool , then determining whether there is demand by looking at each topic’s (or keyword’s) search volume. If you found the perfect topics that are the perfect cross between your expertise and your reader’s needs, you’ve struck gold — but the gold will have no value unless people are searching for those terms. Only then can you capture the audience that is waiting out there.

4. Identify your unique angle.

What perspective do you bring that makes you stand out from the crowd? This is key to determining the trajectory of your blog’s future, and there are many avenues to choose in the process.

Here’s how you can find your unique selling proposition in crowded blogging niches:

Write a professional and personal bio.

Knowing your own history and experience is essential to determine your unique slant. To get started, write a professional bio that explains, at length, who you are and which experiences most inform your blogging efforts. While I could write a lengthy exposition about my childhood, that history isn’t essential unless I’m launching a blog about raising children.

What unique experience makes you a trusted expert or thought leader on the topic? You can use your answers to that question to find your angle. Use this information to populate your “About me” page on your blog and share more about yourself.

Determine the special problem you will solve for readers.

Your readers won’t trust you or return to you unless you actively help them solve a problem. As you try to find your angle, think about ways you can help your audience surmount challenges typically associated with the topics you’ve chosen for your blog. For instance, if you’re creating a blog about sustainability, then you might help readers learn how they can compost organic materials in their home.

Choose an editorial approach.

Will you share your opinions on trending debates? Teach your readers how to do something? Compare or share original research? The editorial approach you choose will in part be informed by the topics you cover on your blog and the problems you’re helping your readers solve. If your blog is about marketing trends and your goal is to keep marketers up-to-date on the latest changes, then your editorial approach should be journalistic in nature. This is only one example of how to choose a technique.

5. Name your blog.

This is your opportunity to get creative and make a name that gives readers an idea of what to expect from your blog. Some tips on how to choose your blog name include:

Keep your blog name easy to say and spell.

No need to get complicated at all with your name, though it might be tempting, since there are so many blogs out there. While choosing a unique name is essential, it’s also important to choose one that is easy to memorize for readers. It should also be simple to remember as an URL (which will come into play in the next step).

Link your blog name to your brand message.

The more related your blog’s name is to the topics you cover, the better. For instance, DIY MFA is all about writers doing their own Master of Fine Arts in writing at home. The brand’s message is all about delving deep into one’s writing practice without needing a formal degree. Try to do something similar for your own blog name: Alluding to your blog’s message, value proposition, and covered topics in one sweep.

Consider what your target audience is looking for.

Your blog name should tie directly into what your readers want to achieve, learn, or solve. DIY MFA is about writers who don’t have the money for graduate school, but who still want to develop their writing skills. The HubSpot Marketing blog is — you guessed it — about marketing trends and tips.

It’s okay if your blog name feels “too straightforward.” Straightforward names accurately communicate what you’re about and effectively attract the right audience.

If you still need more assistance, try using a blog name generator . One last tip: Make sure the name you come up with isn’t already taken, as it could lessen your visibility and confuse readers looking for your content.

6. Create your blog domain.

A domain is a part of the web address nomenclature someone would use to find your website or a page of your website online.

Your blog‘s domain will look like this: www.yourblog.com. The name between the two periods is up to you, as long as this domain name doesn’t yet exist on the internet.

Want to create a subdomain for your blog? If you already own a cooking business at www.yourcompany.com, you might create a blog that looks like this: blog.yourcompany.com. In other words, your blog's subdomain will live in its own section of yourcompany.com.

Some CMS platforms offer subdomains as a free service, where your blog lives on the CMS, rather than your business's website. For example, it might look like this: yourblog.contentmanagementsystem.com. However, to create a subdomain that belongs to your company website, register the subdomain with a website host .

Most website hosting services charge very little to host an original domain — in fact, website costs can be as inexpensive as $3 per month when you commit to a 36-month term.

Pro Tip: You can connect your custom domain to free hosting with HubSpot’s free CMS or in premium editions of CMS Hub. This includes access to built-in security features and a content delivery network.

Here are five other popular web hosting services to choose from:

7. Choose a CMS and set up your blog.

A CMS (content management system) is a software application that allows users to build and maintain a website without having to code it from scratch. CMS platforms can manage domains (where you create your website) and subdomains (where you create a webpage that connects to an existing website).

HubSpot customers host web content via CMS Hub . Another popular option is a self-hosted WordPress website on a hosting site such as WP Engine . Whether you create a domain or a subdomain to start your blog , you'll need to choose a web hosting service after you pick a CMS.

Pro Tip: You can get started for free with HubSpot’s free blog maker . Our free CMS offers everything you need to get started– including hosting, a visual editor, and hundreds of free and paid themes to choose from.

Screenshot 2024-01-22 at 3.10.53 PM

Start using HubSpot's Free Blog Making tool to publish blog posts.  

8. customize the look of your blog..

Once you have your domain name set up, customize the appearance of your blog to reflect the theme of the content you plan on creating and your brand.

For example, if you're writing about sustainability and the environment, green might be a color to keep in mind while designing your blog.

we are wildness blog appearance

Image Source

If you already manage a website and are writing the first post for that existing website, ensure the article is consistent with the website in appearance and subject matter. Two ways to do this are including your:

  • Logo : This can be your business‘s name and logo — it will remind blog readers of who’s publishing the content. (How heavily you want to brand your blog, however, is up to you.)
  • “About” Page : You might already have an “About” blurb describing yourself or your business. Your blog‘s "About" section is an extension of this higher-level statement. Think of it as your blog’s mission statement, which serves to support your company's goals.

9. Write your first blog post.

Once you have your blog set up, the only thing missing is the content. While the design and layout are fun and functionally necessary, it's the content that will draw your readers in and keep them coming back. So how do you actually go about writing one of these engaging and informational pieces?

You’ve got the technical and practical tidbits down — now it’s time to write your very first blog post. And nope, this isn’t the space to introduce yourself and your new blog (i.e. “Welcome to my blog! This is the topic I’ll be covering. Here are my social media handles. Will you please follow?”).

Start with “low-hanging fruit,” writing about a highly specific topic that serves a small segment of your target audience.

That seems unintuitive, right? If more people are searching for a term or a topic, that should mean more readers for you.

But that’s not true. If you choose a general and highly searched topic that’s been covered by major competitors or more established brands, it’s unlikely that your post will rank on the first page of search engine results pages (SERPs). Give your newly born blog a chance by choosing a topic that few bloggers have written about.

Let’s walk through this process.

1. Choose a topic you’re passionate and knowledgeable about.

Before you write anything, pick a topic for your blog post. The topic can be pretty general to start. For example, if you're a company that sells a CRM for small-to-enterprise businesses , your post might be about the importance of using a single software to keep your marketing, sales, and service teams aligned.

Pro tip : You may not want to jump into a “how-to” article for your first blog post.

Your credibility hasn’t been established yet. Before teaching others how to do something, you’ll first want to show that you’re a leader in your field and an authoritative source.

For instance, if you‘re a plumber writing your first post, you won’t yet write a post titled “How to Replace the Piping System in your Bathroom.” First, you’d write about modern faucet setups, or tell a particular success story you had rescuing a faucet before it flooded a customer's house.

Here are four other types of blog posts you could start with:

  • List (“Listicle”) : 5 ways to fix a leaky faucet
  • Curated Collection : 10 faucet and sink brands to consider today
  • SlideShare Presentation : 5 types of faucets to replace your old one (with pictures)
  • News Piece : New study shows X% of people don't replace their faucet frequently enough

If you're having trouble coming up with topic ideas, a good topic brainstorming session should help. In the post I’ve linked, my colleague walks you through a helpful process for turning one idea into many. Similar to the “leaky faucet” examples above, you would “iterate off old topics to come up with unique and compelling new topics.”

This can be done by:

  • Changing the topic scope
  • Adjusting your time frame
  • Choosing a new audience
  • Taking a positive/negative approach
  • Introducing a new format

And if you’re still stuck, let’s take a look at some first blog post idea examples.

First Blog Post Ideas

The difference between [niche topic] and [niche topic], explained by a [niche expert].

  • The Difference Between SEM and SEO, Explained by a Marketing Expert
  • The Difference Between Sedans and Coupes, Explained by a Car Mechanic
  • The Difference Between Baking and Broiling, Explained by a Professional Baker

The 10 Best and Worst [Niche Tools] for [Niche Activity]

  • The 10 Best and Worst Writing Software for Fiction Writing
  • The 10 Best and Worst CRMs for Nurturing Prospects
  • The 10 Best and Worst Family Cars for Cross-Country Roadtrips

8 [Niche Activity] Common Mistakes (+ Ways to Fix Them)

  • 8 Non-Fiction Writing Common Mistakes (+ Ways to Fix Them)
  • 8 Salmon Broiling Common Mistakes (+ Ways to Fix Them)
  • 8 Car Maintenance Common Mistakes (+ Ways to Fix Them)

9 Proven Tips for [Niche Activity]

  • 9 Proven Tips for Checking Plumbing Problems under Your Kitchen Sink
  • 9 Proven Tips for Writing a Non-Fiction Bestseller
  • 9 Proven Tips for Doing DIY Car Maintenance

Why We/I Switched from [Niche Tool] to [Niche Tool] (Comparison)

  • Why We Switched from Pipedrive to HubSpot (Comparison)
  • Why I Switched from Microsoft Word to Scrivener (Comparison)
  • Why We Switched from iMacs to Surface Studio (Comparison)

[Niche Tool] vs [Niche Tool]: Which [Tool] is Best for You?

  • Zendesk vs Freshcaller: Which Call Software is Best for You?
  • Air Fryer vs Convection Oven: Which One is Best for You?
  • Mazda Miata vs Toyota Supra: Which Sports Car is Best for You?

The Ultimate Roundup of [Niche Activity] Tips and Tricks

  • The Ultimate Roundup of Novel Writing Tips and Tricks
  • The Ultimate Roundup of Macaroon Baking Tips and Tricks
  • The Ultimate Roundup of Solo Traveling Tips and Tricks

Want some real examples of blog posts? See what your first blog post can look like based on the topic you choose and the audience you're targeting.

2. Target a low-volume keyword to optimize around.

Finding a keyword with low searches in Google (I recommend sticking to about 10 to 150 monthly searches). These topics offer less competition and should therefore allow your new blog post to rank more easily.

To choose a topic, you can either do a traditional brainstorming session or carry out keyword research. I suggest the latter because you can actually see how many people are looking for that topic.

Now, don’t be intimidated by the term “ keyword research .” It’s not just for marketers, but for new bloggers, too. And it’s really easy to do.

To jumpstart your keyword research, first begin by identifying the general topic of your blog.

Say you’re a plumber. Your general, high-level topic might be “plumbing” (67K monthly searches).

Next, put this term into a keyword research tool such as:

  • Ubersuggest
  • Wordtracker

When you run this term through the tool, a list of related keywords will appear. Scan the list and choose one with a lower search volume. For this example, we’ll use “under sink plumbing” (1.4K monthly searches).

Run that keyword in the keyword research tool again. Look at the related keywords. Find one with a lower search volume. Do that again.

For this example, we’ll settle on “plumbing problems under kitchen sink” (10 monthly searches). That’s the topic for our first post.

TLDR ; Choose a low-volume, low-competition keyword that will ensure your first post ranks.

For more help on keyword research, here are more resources you can use:

  • How to Do Keyword Research for SEO: A Beginner's Guide
  • How to Perform Keyword Research and Rank
  • Top Tools For Finding Long-Tail Keywords

3. Google the term to understand your audience’s search intent.

You’ve got your topic — now, you need to check that the user’s search intent would be fulfilled by a blog post.

What does that mean?

If someone is looking for “plumbing problems under a kitchen sink,” they might be looking for a tutorial, a diagram, an article, or a product that can fix the issue. If they’re looking for the first three, you’re good — that can be covered in a blog post. A product, however, is different, and your blog post won’t rank.

How do you double-check search intent?

Google the term and look at the results. If other articles and blog posts rank for that term, you’re good to go. If you only find product pages or listicles from major publications, then find a new topic to cover in your first post.

Consider the term “under sink plumbing bathroom” (30 monthly searches). It seemed like a perfect fit because it had low monthly searches.

Upon Googling the term, I found product carousels, product pages from Home Depot and Lowes, and guides written by major publications. (You’ll also want to avoid topics that have been covered by major publications, at least for now.)

TLDR ; Before writing your first blog post about a low-volume topic, double-check the user intent by Googling the keyword. Also, don’t forget to take a look at who’s written about that topic so far. If you see a major brand, consider writing about another topic.

4. Find questions and terms related to that topic.

You’ve got a highly unique topic that’s been covered by just a few people so far. It’s time to flesh it out by covering related or adjacent topics.

Use the following tools:

  • Answer the Public : When you place your keyword into this tool, it will give you a list of questions related to that term.
  • Google : Google is your best friend. Search for the term and look under “People also ask” and “People also search for.” Be sure to touch upon those topics in the post.

You can also use these keyword research tools we mentioned above in step one.

5. Come up with a working title.

You might come up with a few different working titles — in other words, iterations of approaching that topic to help you focus your writing.

For example, you may decide to narrow your topic to “Tools for Fixing Leaky Faucets” or “Common Causes of Leaky Faucets.” A working title is specific and will guide your post so you can start writing.

Let's take a real post as an example: " How to Choose a Solid Topic for Your Next Blog Post ."

Appropriate, right? The topic, in this case, was probably “blogging.” Then the working title may have been something like, “The Process for Selecting a Blog Post Topic.” And the final title ended up being “How to Choose a Solid Topic for Your Next Blog Post.”

See that evolution from topic, to working title, to final title? Even though the working title may not end up being the final title (more on that in a moment), it still provides enough information so you can focus your blog post on something more specific than a generic, overwhelming topic.

6. Create an outline.

Sometimes, blog posts can have an overwhelming amount of information — for the reader and the writer. The trick is to organize the info in a way so readers aren‘t intimidated by length or amount of content. This organization can take multiple forms — sections, lists, tips — whatever’s most appropriate. But it must be organized!

Featured Resource: 6 Free Blog Post Templates

blog post template

Download These Templates for Free

Let's take a look at the post, " How to Use Snapchat: A Detailed Look Into HubSpot’s Snapchat Strategy. " There‘s a lot of content in the piece, so it’s broken up into a few sections using descriptive headers. The major sections are separated into subsections that go into more detail, making the content easier to read.

To complete this step, all you really need to do is outline your post. This way, before you start writing, you'll know which points you want to cover and the best order to do so. And to make things even easier, you can download and use our free blog post templates , which are pre-organized for six of the most common blogs. Just fill in the blanks!

7. Write an intro (and make it captivating).

We've written more specifically about writing captivating introductions in the post " How to Write an Introduction ," but let's review, shall we?

First, grab the reader‘s attention. If you lose the reader in the first few paragraphs — or even sentences — of the introduction, they’ll stop reading (even before they've given your post a fair shake). You can do this in a number of ways: tell a story or a joke, be empathetic, or grip the reader with an interesting fact or statistic.

Then, describe the purpose of your post and explain how it will address a problem the reader may be experiencing. This will give the reader a reason to continue reading and show them how the post will help them improve their work or lives.

Here‘s an example of an intro I think does a good job of attracting a reader’s attention right away:

“Blink. Blink. Blink. It's the dreaded cursor-on-a-blank-screen experience that all writers — amateur or professional, aspiring or experienced — know and dread. And of all times for it to occur, it seems to plague us the most when trying to write an introduction.”

8. Build out each section of your outline.

The next step — but not the last — is actually writing the content. We can't forget about that, of course.

Now that you have your outline or template, you're ready to fill in the blanks. Use your outline as a guide and expand on all points as needed. Write about what you already know, and if necessary, conduct additional research to gather more information, examples, and data to back up your points, while providing proper attribution when incorporating external sources. When you do, always try to find accurate and compelling data to use in your post.

If you‘re having trouble stringing sentences together, you’re not alone. Finding your “flow” can be challenging for a lot of folks. Luckily, there are a ton of tools you can lean on to help you improve your writing. Here are a few to get you started:

  • HubSpot's AI Blog Writer : Tools like HubSpot's AI Blog Writer can be a valuable asset for beginners and seasoned bloggers alike. It simplifies the process of creating SEO-friendly and engaging blog content, which is crucial for connecting with your audience and enjoying the benefits of blogging.
  • Power Thesaurus : Stuck on a word? Power Thesaurus is a crowdsourced tool that provides users with a number of alternative word choices from a community of writers.
  • ZenPen : If you're having trouble staying focused, check out this distraction-free writing tool. ZenPen creates a minimalist “writing zone” designed to help you get words down without having to fuss with formatting right away.
  • Cliché Finder : Feeling like your writing might be coming off a little cheesy? Identify instances where you can be more specific using this handy cliché tool.

You can also refer to our complete list of tools for improving your writing skills . And if you're looking for more direction, the following resources are chock-full of valuable writing advice:

  • Copywriting 101: 6 Traits of Excellent Copy Readers Will Remember
  • How to Write Compelling Copy: 7 Tips for Writing Content That Converts
  • How to Write With Clarity: 9 Tips for Simplifying Your Message
  • The Kurt Vonnegut Guide to Great Copywriting: 8 Rules That Apply to Anyone
  • Your Blog Posts Are Boring: 9 Tips for Making Your Writing More Interesting

9. Publish and promote your first post any way you can.

As a new blogger, you likely don’t have a social media following yet. Thankfully, you don’t need a huge following before you can create a promotion strategy.

A promotion strategy is your master plan for how you create, post, and engage with your social media content. It helps you take advantage of social and digital technologies to share your business, or in this case, your content. Having a solid promotional strategy offers your audience from different marketing channels more ways to find your blog posts.

Here are more blog post promotion resources:

  • 12 Tried-and-True Ways to Promote Your Blog Posts
  • 10 Sites You Can Use for Free Blog Promotion
  • 9 Link Building Email Outreach Templates That Actually Work
  • Inbound Link Building 101: 34 Ways to Build Backlinks for SEO
  • 11 Creative (But 100% White Hat!) Ways to Earn Backlinks

Before you write a blog, make sure you know the answers to questions like, “Why would someone keep reading this entire blog post?” and “What makes our audience come back for more?”

To start, a good blog post is interesting and educational. Blogs should answer questions and help readers resolve a challenge they're experiencing — and you have to do so in an interesting way.

It‘s not enough just to answer someone’s questions — you also have to provide actionable steps while being engaging. For instance, your introduction should hook the reader and make them want to continue reading your post. Then, use examples to keep your readers interested in what you have to say.

Remember, a good blog post is interesting to read and provides educational content to audience members.

Want to learn how to apply blogging and other forms of content marketing to your business?

Check out HubSpot Academy's free content marketing course .

Now, let's dive into some formatting guidelines to use before you publish your blog posts.

Blog Format Guidelines

  • Include H2s to arrange ideas.
  • Center your Images.
  • Add alt text.
  • Keep your sentences clear and concise.
  • Use media with purpose.

1. Include H2s to arrange ideas.

When you begin typing your blog content, it’s important that you divide paragraphs into sections that make it easier for the reader to find what they need.

If you’re just starting out, then focus on the overarching H2s you want to talk about, and you’ll be able to branch off into subheaders and more naturally as you continue.

2. Center your images.

This is a simple practice that can help your content look more professional with little effort. Centering your images keeps the reader’s attention drawn to the subject — not searching for elsewhere.

Centering also looks better when translating from PC to mobile devices. As formatting transitions to small screens or windows, a centered image will remain the focal point.

3. Add alt text.

So those images you centered earlier, make sure you have descriptive alt text for them, too.

Image alt text allows search engines, like Google, to crawl and rank your blog post better than pages lacking the element. It also leads readers to your blog post if the keywords included are what they searched for in the first place.

Besides SERP features, image alt text is beneficial to readers by providing more accessibility. Image alt text allows people to better visualize images when they can’t see them, and with assistive technology, can be auditorily read aloud for people to enjoy.

4. Keep your sentences short and concise.

When you begin working on the body of your blog post, make sure readers can clearly understand what you’re trying to accomplish.

You shouldn’t feel pressure to elongate your post with unnecessary details, and chances are that if you keep it concise, readers will derive more value from your work.

5. Use media with a purpose.

Break up the monotony of your blog post with some multimedia content where seen fit.

Your reader will enjoy visiting a blog page with images, videos, polls, audio or slideshows as opposed to a page of black and white text.

It also makes it more interactive and improves your on-page search engine optimization (SEO).

Now, do you want some real examples of blog posts? See what your first blog post can look like based on the topic you choose and the audience you're targeting.

  • List-Based Post
  • Thought Leadership Post
  • Curated Collection Post
  • SlideShare Presentation
  • Newsjacking Post
  • Infographic Post
  • How-to Post

1. List-Based Blog Post

List-based post example: 17 blogging mistakes to avoid in 2021, according to hubspot bloggers.

list based blog post example

List-based posts are sometimes called “listicles,” a mix of the words “list” and “article.” These are articles that deliver information in the form of a list. A listicle uses sub-headers to break down the blog post into individual pieces, helping readers skim and digest your content more easily.

As you can see in the example from our blog, listicles can offer various tips and methods for solving a problem.

2. Thought Leadership Post

Example: how hubspot's customers are shaping the next normal.

thought leadership blog post example

Thought leadership posts allow you to share your expertise on a particular subject matter and share firsthand knowledge with your readers.

These pieces — which can be written in the first person, like the post shown above — help you build trust with your audience so people take your blog seriously as you continue to write for it.

3. Curated Collection Post

Example: 8 examples of evolution in action.

An example blog blog post featuring a curated collection

Curated collections are a special type of listicle blog post. Rather than sharing tips or methods for doing something, this type of blog post shares a list of real examples that all have something in common in order to prove a larger point.

In the example post above, Listverse shares eight real examples of evolution in action among eight different animals — starting with the peppered moth.

4. Slide Presentation

Example: the hubspot culture code.

Example slides presentation, HubSpot Culture Code

HubSpot Slides is a presentation tool that helps publishers package a lot of information into easily shareable slides. Think of it like a PowerPoint, but for the web. With this in mind, SlideShare blog posts help you promote your SlideShare so that it can generate a steady stream of visitors.

Unlike blogs, slide decks don't often rank well on search engines, so they need a platform for getting their message out there to the people who are looking for it. By embedding and summarizing your SlideShare on a blog post, you can share a great deal of information and give it a chance to rank on Google at the same time.

Need some slideshow ideas? In the example above, we turned our company's “Culture Code” into a slides presentation that anyone can look through and take lessons from, and then promoted it in a blog post.

5. Newsjacking Post

Example: ivy goes mobile with new app for designers.

An example of a newsjacking blog post

“Newsjacking” is a nickname for “hijacking” your blog to break important news related to your industry. Therefore, the newsjack post is a type of article whose sole purpose is to garner consumers' attention and, while offering them timeless professional advice, prove your blog is a trusted resource for learning about the big things that happen in your industry.

The newsjack example above was published by Houzz, a home decor merchant and interior design resource, about a new mobile app that was launched just for interior designers. Houzz didn‘t launch the app, but the news of its launching is no less important to Houzz’s audience.

6. Infographic Post

Example: the key benefits of studying online [infographic].

An example from an infographic blog post

For example, when you're looking to share a lot of statistical information (without boring or confusing your readers), building this data into a well-designed, even engaging infographic can keep your readers engaged with your content. It also helps readers remember the information long after they leave your website.

7. How-to Post

Example: how to write a blog post: a step-by-step guide.

For this example, you need not look any further than the blog post you‘re reading right now! How-to guides like this one help solve a problem for your readers. They’re like a cookbook for your industry, walking your audience through a project step by step to improve their literacy on the subject.

The more posts like this you create, the more equipped your readers will be to work with you and invest in the services you offer.

8. Guest Post

Example: your bookmarkable guide to social media image sizes in 2021 [infographic].

Example of a guest blog post

Additionally, these posts give your blog variety in topic and viewpoint. If your customer has a problem you can't solve, a guest post is a great solution.

If you begin accepting guest posts, set up editorial guidelines to ensure they're up to the same standards as your posts.

So we’ve gone through the different types of blog posts you can make, but how do you consistently make quality blog posts that your viewers will enjoy?

How to Write a Blog Post Graphic

  • Draw from your buyer personas and what you know about your audience.
  • Pull from your content strategy and/or brainstormed topics.
  • Identify what's missing from the existing discourse.
  • Choose what type of blog post you're writing.
  • Generate a few different titles and choose the best one.
  • Create your outline and designate keyword-rich H2s and H3s.
  • Write your blog post!
  • Proofread your post.
  • Add images and other media elements to support your ideas.
  • Upload your post into your CMS.
  • Determine a conversion path (what you want your audience to do next).
  • Add calls to action to guide your audience to take action.
  • Link to other relevant blog posts within your content.
  • Optimize for on-page SEO.
  • Publish and promote the blog post.
  • Track the performance of the blog post over time.

1. Draw from your buyer personas and what you know about your audience.

Before you start writing your blog post, make sure you have a clear understanding of your target audience.

Ask questions like: What do they want to know about? What will resonate with them?

This is where the process of creating buyer personas comes in handy. Consider what you know about your buyer personas and their interests while you're coming up with a topic for your blog post.

For instance, if your readers are millennials looking to start a business, you probably don't need to provide them with information about getting started in social media — most of them already have that down.

If you haven’t developed buyer personas yet, I’ve found that it’s easiest to get started by gathering the information you already have about your audience and looking for trends. Sending out feedback surveys and interviewing followers can also be helpful.

Does your blog attract a specific age group? Does your audience live in a certain region? How do readers typically discover your content? Finding answers to these questions can help you get a better idea of who your buyer persona is.

2. Pull from your content strategy and/or brainstormed topics.

If you already have a pre-existing portfolio to look back on, it would benefit you to pull from those brainstormed post ideas or previous content strategy.

One thing that’s been helpful for me is specifically looking at content performance data when brainstorming ideas. In doing this, I’ve discovered which topics tend to resonate with my audience (and which ones don’t) and created content around them.

By focusing on your core blog topics, or clusters , you can establish yourself as a thought leader, gain the trust of your audience, rank better on search engines, and attract new readers.

3. Identify what’s missing from the existing discourse.

Fill in the gaps of the existing discourse in the topic of your choosing.

You want to meet a need that hasn’t already been met in your topic cluster. Otherwise, you run the risk of writing content for topics that are already over-saturated.

It’s hard to beat saturated search queries when you’re trying to rank against high authority publications — but not impossible if your content is answering the queries the competition hasn’t.

To discover what’s missing within a topic, I conduct a competitive analysis to see what my competitors offer in their content and how I can make my blog post better. Here are some things to look out for:

  • Unanswered user queries
  • Content depth
  • Content freshness
  • Media richness
  • User experience

If your competitors are lacking in any of these areas, you can use that to your advantage and focus on them when writing your blog post.

Another way to differentiate your blog is by offering original data, quotes, or perspectives. Some of my best performing posts have come from getting a unique quote from an industry expert.

4. Choose what type of blog post you’re writing.

There are several types of blog posts you can create, and they each have different formats to follow.

Six of the most common formats include:

  • The List-Based Post
  • The “What Is” Post
  • The Pillar Page Post (“Ultimate Guide”)
  • The Newsjacking Post
  • The Infographic Post
  • The “How-To” Post

Save time and download six blog post templates for free.

5. Generate a few different titles and choose the best one.

Your blog title should tell readers what to expect, yet it should leave them wanting to know more — confusing, right?

This is why when you’re coming up with a blog post title that you should brainstorm multiple ones instead of just one. I find it helpful to share these titles with a couple coworkers to get their feedback and see which one is most engaging to them.

I’ve also enlisted the help of ChatGPT to generate sample blog post titles by inputting a prompt like, “Write a list of blog titles about [topic].” Even if it doesn’t give you exactly what you want, it can still get ideas flowing.

6. Create your outline and designate keyword-rich H2s and H3s.

When outlining, you need to center your main ideas with keyword-rich H2s and H3s. These are going to be your headers and subheaders that readers typically search for, and the information that Google crawls when indexing and ranking content.

I use keyword research tools, like Ahrefs and Semrush , to find the best words for my blog post. To find the right keywords, I focus on the following elements:

  • Relevance to topic and search intent
  • How authoritative my blog is on the topic
  • The amount of search traffic my blog could gain

Remember, your outline should serve as a guide to make writing your blog post easier, so make sure you include all the important points you want to discuss and organize them in a logical flow.

7. Write your blog post!

I already told you how to build out your outline earlier in the post, so we'll quickly go over the main points once more.

You‘ve already outlined your main headings and subheadings, so now’s the time to add the body.

Write about what you already know, and if necessary, conduct additional research to gather more information, examples, and data to back up your points, while providing proper attribution when incorporating external sources. When you do, always try to find accurate and compelling data to use in your post.

This is also your opportunity to show personality in your writing. Blog posts don‘t have to be strictly informational, they can be filled with interesting anecdotes and even humor if it serves a purpose in expressing your ideas. It also factors into creating and maintaining your blog’s brand voice .

Don‘t be discouraged if you’re having trouble stringing sentences together, you're not alone. Finding your “flow” can be challenging, but there are many tools to ease the process. Software such as HubSpot's Free AI Blog Writer can help you generate copy for your blog post. You can even use it to outline and generate title ideas.

8. Proofread your post.

The editing process is an important part of blogging — don't overlook it. I tend to self-edit while I write, but it’s essential to get a second pair of eyes on your post before publishing.

Consider enlisting the help of The Ultimate Editing Checklist and ask a grammar-conscious co-worker to copy edit and proofread your post. I also really enjoy free grammar checkers, like Grammarly , to help proofread while I’m writing.

If you're looking to brush up on your self-editing skills, turn to these helpful posts for some tips and tricks to get you started:

  • How to Become a (Better) Editor: 13 Editorial Tips
  • How to Become a More Efficient Editor: 12 Ways to Speed Up the Editorial Process
  • 10 Simple Edits That'll Instantly Improve Any Piece of Writing

9. Add images and other media elements to support your ideas.

When you're finished checking for grammar, shift your focus to adding other elements to the blog post than text. There’s much more to making a good blog post than copy, here’s some following elements to add in support of your ideas:

Featured Image

Choose a visually appealing and relevant image for your post. As social networks treat content with images more prominently, visuals are more responsible than ever for the success of your blog content.

An example of a featured image on a blog post

For help selecting an image for your post, read " How to Select the Perfect Image for Your Next Blog Post " and pay close attention to the section about copyright law.

Visual Appearance

No one likes an unattractive blog post. And it‘s not just pictures that make a post visually appealing — it’s the formatting and organization of the post, too.

In a well-formatted and visually-appealing blog post, you'll notice that header and sub-headers are used to break up large blocks of text — and those headers are styled consistently.

Here's an example of what that looks like:

Visual appearance example in a blog post

Screenshots should always have a similar, defined border so they don‘t appear as if they’re floating in space — that style should stay consistent from post to post.

Maintaining this consistency makes your content look more professional and easier on the eyes.

Topics and Tags

Tags are specific, public-facing keywords that describe a post. They also allow readers to browse for more content in the same category on your blog. Refrain from adding a laundry list of tags to each post. Instead, put some thought into a blog tagging strategy.

Think of tags as “topics” or “categories,” and choose 10-20 tags that represent all the main topics you want to cover on your blog. Then stick to those.

10. Upload your post into your CMS.

You filled out your blog post with all the optimized content you can, now is the time to publish it in your content management system.

I also use this step as an opportunity to double check my post for any errors that were potentially missed during the proofreading process. It’s especially important to preview your post before publishing to make sure there aren’t any formatting issues.

You can opt to post your content immediately, save it as a draft, or schedule when you want it to be posted live in case you adhere to a posting schedule.

11. Determine a conversion path (what you want your audience to do next).

A conversion path is a process by which an anonymous website visitor becomes a known lead. It sounds simple enough, but creating an effective conversion path requires a clear understanding of your target audience and their needs.

Having a conversion path is important because when you share your content on the web, you should have an idea of what your audience should do next, or in other words, provide them with a path forward.

The HubSpot Flywheel model is a great example of this as it shows how our organization gains and maintains leads.

HubSpot Flywheel Model

12. Add calls to action to guide your audience to take action.

Call to action (CTA) are a part of a webpage, advertisement, or piece of content that encourages the audience to do something. You can add them to your blog post to guide your reader with “next steps” or a conversion path.

Different types of call to actions include asking readers to:

  • Subscribe to your newsletter to see when you publish more content.
  • Join an online community in your blog domain.
  • Learn more about a topic with downloadable content.
  • Try something for free or discount to convert readers to customers.

To get a better idea of how to make a CTA that readers want to click, we have a whole list of effective call to action examples for you to check out.

13. Link to other relevant blog posts within your content.

When you’re completing your blog post, you should link relevant content throughout it. An effective way to do this is to link within the same content cluster.

One thing I do to make finding relevant links easier is going to my search browser and typing “site:website.com: keyword.” By doing this, you can find all the posts you have published on that topic.

Keeping relevant content throughout your post can provide your readers with more helpful information, and potentially boost search engine rankings with corresponding longtail keywords .

But we’ll talk more about how to improve your ranking in the next step.

14. Optimize for on-page SEO.

After you finish writing, go back and optimize the on-page elements of your post.

Don‘t obsess over how many keywords to include. If there are opportunities to incorporate keywords you’re targeting, and it won‘t impact reader experience, do it. If you can make your URL shorter and more keyword-friendly, go for it. But don’t cram keywords or shoot for some arbitrary keyword density — Google's smarter than that!

Here's a little blog SEO reminder about what you should review and optimize:

Write your meta description.

Meta descriptions are the descriptions below the post‘s page title on Google’s search results pages. They provide searchers with a short summary of the post before clicking into it. They are ideally between 150-160 characters and start with a verb, such as “Learn,” “Read,” or “Discover.”

While meta descriptions no longer factor into Google‘s keyword ranking algorithm, they give searchers a snapshot of what they’ll get from reading the post and help improve your clickthrough rate from search.

Optimize your page title and headers.

Most blogging software uses your post title as your page title, which is the most important on-page SEO element at your disposal. But if you've followed our formula so far, you should already have a working title that will naturally include keywords or phrases your target audience is interested in.

Don‘t over-complicate your title by trying to fit in keywords where they don’t naturally belong. With that said, if there are clear opportunities to add keywords you‘re targeting to your post title and headers, feel free to take them. Also, try to keep your headlines short — ideally, under 65 characters — so they don’t get truncated in the search engine results.

"The first component of a good title is that it needs to be scannable. People aren’t reading every word of your thoughtfully crafted headline. If you’re following a search-focused strategy, make sure to include the keyword at the beginning," Del Principe says.

Consider anchor text best practices as you interlink to other pages.

Anchor text is the word or words that link to another page — either on your website or on another website. Carefully select which keywords you want to link to other pages on your site because search engines take that into consideration when ranking your page for certain keywords.

It‘s also important to consider which pages you link to. Consider linking pages that you want to rank for a specific keyword. You could end up getting it to rank on Google’s first page of results instead of its second page — and that isn’t small potatoes!

Write alt text for all of your images.

Alt text conveys the “why” of an image as it relates to the content of your blog post to Google. By adding alt text correlating to the topic clusters and keywords of the post, Google can better direct users’ searches to you.

Check that all images are compressed for page speed.

When Google crawls different websites, a page’s load speed holds weight in page ranking. Make sure the images you include throughout the page aren’t unnecessarily large to shorten the duration it takes to load.

Use apps like Squoosh to minimize the size of your images without losing the quality.

Ensure that your blog post is mobile friendly.

More than 60% of organic visits are carried out on a mobile device. As such, having a website with a responsive design is critical. In addition to making sure your website‘s visitors (including your blog’s visitors) have the best experience possible, optimizing for mobile will score your website some SEO points.

15. Publish and promote the blog post.

Share your post across all the marketing channels in your repertoire. The further the reach, the more of a possibility that readers will find it.

Channels to expand your blog post promotion strategy include:

  • Social Media Marketing : Sharing your content on the most popular social media networks like Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, etc.
  • Email Marketing : Sharing the newest post with your email subscribers to find.
  • Boosted Posts or Paid Ads : Allocating budget toward advertisement on search engines inorganically.
  • Word of Mouth Marketing : Actively influencing people to read your content organically.

16. Track the performance of the blog post over time.

Your post is published for the world to see, make sure you’re keeping an eye on its performance over time so you can see if your blog post strategy is working well enough for your goals.

Here are some blog KPIs I like to keep track of:

  • Total traffic per post
  • Average CTR
  • Average SERP position
  • Traffic source breakdown
  • Number of search queries per post
  • Average comments per post
  • Social shares per post
  • New blog leads
  • Conversion rate

There’s a plethora of website traffic analysis tools that you can take advantage of to better understand your audience’s behavior on your blog posts.

Quick Blog Writing Tips

If you’re feeling stuck as a new writer, don’t give up. It gets easier with practice. Whether you’re struggling with writer's block or wanting some ways to add depth to your content, here are some quick tips I compiled to help take your blog writing to the next level:

If you don’t know where to start, start by telling a story.

When you’re facing writer’s block, start with what you know. Not only will sharing personal anecdotes help you get ideas flowing, but it can also keep your readers engaged with what you’re saying.

Stories can simplify complex concepts and make your content more relatable. Plus, they add a human touch and help set the tone for the rest of your blog post.

Include interesting quotes or facts for emphasis on the subject.

When you back up your ideas with unique, expert quotes or share facts from reliable sources, it shows that your blog post is well-researched and trustworthy.

If you don’t know where to start with finding quotes, think about the people you know and their expertise. For example, I’m lucky enough to have incredibly knowledgeable coworkers here at HubSpot that I can reach out to if I need a quote.

I’ve also reached out to connections on LinkedIn to see if they can provide a quote or know someone who can. HARO can also be a great resource if you need a quote in a pinch.

Make your content skimmable; break it into digestible chunks.

There’s nothing that turns readers off more than opening an article and seeing a large wall of text. Think about it: most internet users have a short attention span and tend to skim through content rather than reading every word.

That’s why I recommend breaking up your blog post into smaller chunks to make it more digestible. You can do this by utilizing subheadings (H2s, H3s, H4s, etc.), bullet points, and short paragraphs.

Not only does breaking up your content make your blog post more visually appealing, it also helps readers quickly find the information they’re looking for without getting lost in a sea of text.

Paint a full picture with images, graphics or video.

Aside from aesthetic appeal, visuals can help convey complex ideas in an easier way and help readers remember the information you share.

I recommend reading through your blog post and putting yourself in your reader’s shoes. Is there anything you wrote about that would be better explained with the support of an image or graphic?

For instance, whenever I write about the pros and cons of something, I like to create a graphic that shows those pros and cons in a side-by-side comparison.

I also look at search engines results when determining what images to add to my post. Does the SERP for the keyword you’re targeting have an image pack? See if you can add in images and optimize them with alt text to increase the chances of appearing in those results.

Each sentence should convey a single idea.

Keep it simple, stupid. There’s no reason to write overly complex sentences that confuse your readers. Instead, opt to convey your message in a simple and accessible manner. At the end of the day, readers just want to find the answers they’re looking for, and writing in a straightforward manner can effectively meet this need.

I like to use the Hemingway App to make sure that my writing doesn’t get too dense.

Use active voice.

Although your writing should captivate the reader, you should avoid overwhelming them with fluff. Using active voice can help keep your writing clear, concise, and energetic while still getting your point across.

For example, instead of saying something like “the product was loved by customers,” write “customers loved the product.”

Ready to blog?

Blogging can help you build brand awareness, become a thought-leader and expert in your industry, attract qualified leads, and boost conversions. Follow the steps and tips we covered above to begin publishing and enhancing your blog today.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in October 2013 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

Don't forget to share this post!

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Writing an Effective Blog Post

Use the guide below to learn about the elements of a blog post and how to gain an audience.

What blog posts can do Elements of a blog post Why having an audience matters and how to get one

What blog posts can do

Blogging, or writing short entries on a website, can allow you to offer opinions, share ideas, or do independent reporting, but most importantly, blogging can help writers have conversations with readers. What makes blogs so different from journalism, as the authors of The Elements of Blogging: Expanding the Conversation of Journalism suggest, is the discussion between writer and reader. Blogs can be a forum for writers to get feedback on half–formed ideas and emerging stances, and through comments, readers can talk with and back to writers and build communities. But what draws readers in? Read through the material below to learn how paying attention to a range of blog elements (including clear headlines, engaging pictures, and distinctive ledes) will help you build an audience.

Elements of a blog post

In The Elements of Blogging, Mark Leccese and Jerry Lanson dissect blog posts in order to identify and examine their key parts. Below are some of the elements they highlight as well as some examples from local blogs.

Headlines (Titles)

A headline or title not only helps draw in readers’ attention with an interesting hook, but by containing keywords that Google and other search engines use, the right headline can bring anyone to your blog. As Leccese and Lanson note, search engines work by creating indexes of the words they find on the web. By using keywords in your headline, there is a greater chance that more browsers will find your blog. Headlines, however, are more than just keywords. They need to be short, 10 words or less, and intriguing. Look at the headline on this article from University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Center for Limnology’s blog .

example of a blog essay

Through this blog, the Center for Limnology communicates with university colleagues, Madison residents, and students about current fresh water research and reflections. In this post center staff member Adam Hinterthuer writes about the presence of an invasive species in Lake Mendota. The post’s clear, engaging title uses keywords so that this post appears in the first several search results for anyone looking for information about “zebra mussels” and “lake mendota.” When possible, your headlines should be in the present tense, and you shouldn’t repeat the headline in the first lines of the post.

The first sentence of a post should have a conversational tone and articulate the main point of the blog post. Internet readers can easily navigate away from a post, so making your lede interesting and to the point is important. Look at the opening lines from University of Wisconsin–Madison Antrhopology professor John Hawks’ blog post “Bringing together climate and ancient DNA to look at a micro–instance of extinction”:

Ed Yong describes the results of a cool new study of mammoth extinction on Saint Paul Island, in the Bering Strait between Alaska and Russia: “The Lonely, Thirsty, Final Days of the Doomed Alaskan Mammoths”.

Hawks’ post opens with his main point: how scientists determined when and how mammoths went extinct on the island and why it is a interesting case study of extinction. The assessment of the study as “cool” is conversational, and immediately mentioning this study suggests to the reader that this post will both summarize and highlight the methods scientists used. The title of the study itself is intriguing, invoking a dramatic scene. Even though both the study’s title and the content of the post could easily be in hyper scientific jargon, Hawks’ opening sentence previews his particularly accessible approach for talking to the public about science.

Pictures not only break up text on a page, but they can also help make your point clearer. Pictures tell stories, but they need to be part of the discussion. Include captions by your images that explain how the image adds to the point you are making. For example, look at these two images from Professor Elizabeth Hennessy’s post “Global Visions: Rethinking the Globe and How we Teach it” published by University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Edge Effect digital magazine:

example of a blog essay

The blog post is an instructor’s reflection, summary, and analysis of an environmental humanities course and the resource website developed by the students as a final project. These images effectively communicate what the blog is saying about our knowledge of the world, which in greatest part is from maps. In teaching this class, Hennessy strove to have her students consider that “global space is a historical product rather than a planetary scale,” and thus, global space needs to be understood from the stand point that the “global” is produced by “histories of exploration and imperialism, uneven economic development, scientific inquiry, and environmental change.” The 17th century map that opens the blog and the telegraph cable map embedded further into the text emphasize history and imperialism’s role in thinking about what “global” means.

Hennessy’s caption for the telegraph map not only connects the image to her point, but it also provides copyright information. If you use photos on your blog you must give credit to the source. The Creative Commons on Flicker and Wikimedia Commons both have public domain images you can use while giving the photographer credit.

The photo on the above Center for Limnology post is interestingly composed and serves as an object lesson for the post as a whole.

Links give extra information to your readers. In Hennessy’s post, she often links to the site her students created and to the specific syllabi that encompass each of the four frames for understanding “the global” that her class analyzed. Having links that provide a direct route to information and resources allows your blog to make the most out of being on the web.

Block quotes

Block quoting gives readers’ eyes a break and bolsters the author’s credibility. Using a source’s words instead rephrasing shows that your points are well supported.

Final Words

Writing a good take–away can, as Leccese and Lanson point out, help readers remember and engage with your post. For the most part, Hawk’s blog summarizes and applauds the study of mammoths on Saint Paul Island, but he ends the post by saying:

However, I hesitate on one point. I would not so quickly assume there was never a short or intermittent presence of humans on the island, and that humans may have been involved in the mammoth extinction.

Questioning the study and the impact of humans is a provocative alternative view. It makes readers think more critically about the study and develop their own opinion, and in doing so, Hawk’s post invites a conversation.

A Note on Organization

Effective posts make at most two or three focused points and provide evidence to support them. Each of the three examples offered exemplify clear, brief points. “Global Visions” reflects on the class and the four frames of understanding “the global” the class used. Numbering in your post can help you as a writer limit your points and can help your reader understand the organization of your post. By clearly identifying what you want to analyze or argue and by providing support for your main points with research, anecdotes, or examples, you can establish a clear focus.

Why having an audience matters and how to get one

Blogs have the unique capability to allow readers and writers to interact. Thinking carefully about how to not only get readers to your blog, but also how to foster community and conversation are important elements of writing a blog. People often find blogs on the web through social media. UW–Madison student Ashley Hampton’s Raw in College lifestyle and food blog has reached nearly a million hits in part because it is linked to Hampton’s twitter, Instagram, and YouTube accounts. Once readers have found a blog, they might check it once a week to see what’s new, but posting on Facebook about recent entries will help establish an audience.

Allowing comments on your blog will bring readers back because by engaging in conversation you build a network of people who are interested in your blog’s topic and want to continue thinking about it with others. Sometimes it can be hard to build up your comment section, so don’t be afraid to ask friends or family members to comment and get the discussion going. You could also end your post in a question.

Happy blogging!

Works Cited and Consulted

Lanson, Jerry. Writing for Others, Writing for Ourselves: Telling Stories in an Age of Blogging. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2011.

Leccese Mark, and Jerry Lanson. The Elements of Blogging: Expanding the Conversation of Journalism. Focal Press, 2016.

example of a blog essay

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  • Example of a great essay | Explanations, tips & tricks

Example of a Great Essay | Explanations, Tips & Tricks

Published on February 9, 2015 by Shane Bryson . Revised on July 23, 2023 by Shona McCombes.

This example guides you through the structure of an essay. It shows how to build an effective introduction , focused paragraphs , clear transitions between ideas, and a strong conclusion .

Each paragraph addresses a single central point, introduced by a topic sentence , and each point is directly related to the thesis statement .

As you read, hover over the highlighted parts to learn what they do and why they work.

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Table of contents

Other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about writing an essay, an appeal to the senses: the development of the braille system in nineteenth-century france.

The invention of Braille was a major turning point in the history of disability. The writing system of raised dots used by visually impaired people was developed by Louis Braille in nineteenth-century France. In a society that did not value disabled people in general, blindness was particularly stigmatized, and lack of access to reading and writing was a significant barrier to social participation. The idea of tactile reading was not entirely new, but existing methods based on sighted systems were difficult to learn and use. As the first writing system designed for blind people’s needs, Braille was a groundbreaking new accessibility tool. It not only provided practical benefits, but also helped change the cultural status of blindness. This essay begins by discussing the situation of blind people in nineteenth-century Europe. It then describes the invention of Braille and the gradual process of its acceptance within blind education. Subsequently, it explores the wide-ranging effects of this invention on blind people’s social and cultural lives.

Lack of access to reading and writing put blind people at a serious disadvantage in nineteenth-century society. Text was one of the primary methods through which people engaged with culture, communicated with others, and accessed information; without a well-developed reading system that did not rely on sight, blind people were excluded from social participation (Weygand, 2009). While disabled people in general suffered from discrimination, blindness was widely viewed as the worst disability, and it was commonly believed that blind people were incapable of pursuing a profession or improving themselves through culture (Weygand, 2009). This demonstrates the importance of reading and writing to social status at the time: without access to text, it was considered impossible to fully participate in society. Blind people were excluded from the sighted world, but also entirely dependent on sighted people for information and education.

In France, debates about how to deal with disability led to the adoption of different strategies over time. While people with temporary difficulties were able to access public welfare, the most common response to people with long-term disabilities, such as hearing or vision loss, was to group them together in institutions (Tombs, 1996). At first, a joint institute for the blind and deaf was created, and although the partnership was motivated more by financial considerations than by the well-being of the residents, the institute aimed to help people develop skills valuable to society (Weygand, 2009). Eventually blind institutions were separated from deaf institutions, and the focus shifted towards education of the blind, as was the case for the Royal Institute for Blind Youth, which Louis Braille attended (Jimenez et al, 2009). The growing acknowledgement of the uniqueness of different disabilities led to more targeted education strategies, fostering an environment in which the benefits of a specifically blind education could be more widely recognized.

Several different systems of tactile reading can be seen as forerunners to the method Louis Braille developed, but these systems were all developed based on the sighted system. The Royal Institute for Blind Youth in Paris taught the students to read embossed roman letters, a method created by the school’s founder, Valentin Hauy (Jimenez et al., 2009). Reading this way proved to be a rather arduous task, as the letters were difficult to distinguish by touch. The embossed letter method was based on the reading system of sighted people, with minimal adaptation for those with vision loss. As a result, this method did not gain significant success among blind students.

Louis Braille was bound to be influenced by his school’s founder, but the most influential pre-Braille tactile reading system was Charles Barbier’s night writing. A soldier in Napoleon’s army, Barbier developed a system in 1819 that used 12 dots with a five line musical staff (Kersten, 1997). His intention was to develop a system that would allow the military to communicate at night without the need for light (Herron, 2009). The code developed by Barbier was phonetic (Jimenez et al., 2009); in other words, the code was designed for sighted people and was based on the sounds of words, not on an actual alphabet. Barbier discovered that variants of raised dots within a square were the easiest method of reading by touch (Jimenez et al., 2009). This system proved effective for the transmission of short messages between military personnel, but the symbols were too large for the fingertip, greatly reducing the speed at which a message could be read (Herron, 2009). For this reason, it was unsuitable for daily use and was not widely adopted in the blind community.

Nevertheless, Barbier’s military dot system was more efficient than Hauy’s embossed letters, and it provided the framework within which Louis Braille developed his method. Barbier’s system, with its dashes and dots, could form over 4000 combinations (Jimenez et al., 2009). Compared to the 26 letters of the Latin alphabet, this was an absurdly high number. Braille kept the raised dot form, but developed a more manageable system that would reflect the sighted alphabet. He replaced Barbier’s dashes and dots with just six dots in a rectangular configuration (Jimenez et al., 2009). The result was that the blind population in France had a tactile reading system using dots (like Barbier’s) that was based on the structure of the sighted alphabet (like Hauy’s); crucially, this system was the first developed specifically for the purposes of the blind.

While the Braille system gained immediate popularity with the blind students at the Institute in Paris, it had to gain acceptance among the sighted before its adoption throughout France. This support was necessary because sighted teachers and leaders had ultimate control over the propagation of Braille resources. Many of the teachers at the Royal Institute for Blind Youth resisted learning Braille’s system because they found the tactile method of reading difficult to learn (Bullock & Galst, 2009). This resistance was symptomatic of the prevalent attitude that the blind population had to adapt to the sighted world rather than develop their own tools and methods. Over time, however, with the increasing impetus to make social contribution possible for all, teachers began to appreciate the usefulness of Braille’s system (Bullock & Galst, 2009), realizing that access to reading could help improve the productivity and integration of people with vision loss. It took approximately 30 years, but the French government eventually approved the Braille system, and it was established throughout the country (Bullock & Galst, 2009).

Although Blind people remained marginalized throughout the nineteenth century, the Braille system granted them growing opportunities for social participation. Most obviously, Braille allowed people with vision loss to read the same alphabet used by sighted people (Bullock & Galst, 2009), allowing them to participate in certain cultural experiences previously unavailable to them. Written works, such as books and poetry, had previously been inaccessible to the blind population without the aid of a reader, limiting their autonomy. As books began to be distributed in Braille, this barrier was reduced, enabling people with vision loss to access information autonomously. The closing of the gap between the abilities of blind and the sighted contributed to a gradual shift in blind people’s status, lessening the cultural perception of the blind as essentially different and facilitating greater social integration.

The Braille system also had important cultural effects beyond the sphere of written culture. Its invention later led to the development of a music notation system for the blind, although Louis Braille did not develop this system himself (Jimenez, et al., 2009). This development helped remove a cultural obstacle that had been introduced by the popularization of written musical notation in the early 1500s. While music had previously been an arena in which the blind could participate on equal footing, the transition from memory-based performance to notation-based performance meant that blind musicians were no longer able to compete with sighted musicians (Kersten, 1997). As a result, a tactile musical notation system became necessary for professional equality between blind and sighted musicians (Kersten, 1997).

Braille paved the way for dramatic cultural changes in the way blind people were treated and the opportunities available to them. Louis Braille’s innovation was to reimagine existing reading systems from a blind perspective, and the success of this invention required sighted teachers to adapt to their students’ reality instead of the other way around. In this sense, Braille helped drive broader social changes in the status of blindness. New accessibility tools provide practical advantages to those who need them, but they can also change the perspectives and attitudes of those who do not.

Bullock, J. D., & Galst, J. M. (2009). The Story of Louis Braille. Archives of Ophthalmology , 127(11), 1532. https://​doi.org/10.1001/​archophthalmol.2009.286.

Herron, M. (2009, May 6). Blind visionary. Retrieved from https://​eandt.theiet.org/​content/​articles/2009/05/​blind-visionary/.

Jiménez, J., Olea, J., Torres, J., Alonso, I., Harder, D., & Fischer, K. (2009). Biography of Louis Braille and Invention of the Braille Alphabet. Survey of Ophthalmology , 54(1), 142–149. https://​doi.org/10.1016/​j.survophthal.2008.10.006.

Kersten, F.G. (1997). The history and development of Braille music methodology. The Bulletin of Historical Research in Music Education , 18(2). Retrieved from https://​www.jstor.org/​stable/40214926.

Mellor, C.M. (2006). Louis Braille: A touch of genius . Boston: National Braille Press.

Tombs, R. (1996). France: 1814-1914 . London: Pearson Education Ltd.

Weygand, Z. (2009). The blind in French society from the Middle Ages to the century of Louis Braille . Stanford: Stanford University Press.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

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An essay is a focused piece of writing that explains, argues, describes, or narrates.

In high school, you may have to write many different types of essays to develop your writing skills.

Academic essays at college level are usually argumentative : you develop a clear thesis about your topic and make a case for your position using evidence, analysis and interpretation.

The structure of an essay is divided into an introduction that presents your topic and thesis statement , a body containing your in-depth analysis and arguments, and a conclusion wrapping up your ideas.

The structure of the body is flexible, but you should always spend some time thinking about how you can organize your essay to best serve your ideas.

Your essay introduction should include three main things, in this order:

  • An opening hook to catch the reader’s attention.
  • Relevant background information that the reader needs to know.
  • A thesis statement that presents your main point or argument.

The length of each part depends on the length and complexity of your essay .

A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . Everything else you write should relate to this key idea.

A topic sentence is a sentence that expresses the main point of a paragraph . Everything else in the paragraph should relate to the topic sentence.

At college level, you must properly cite your sources in all essays , research papers , and other academic texts (except exams and in-class exercises).

Add a citation whenever you quote , paraphrase , or summarize information or ideas from a source. You should also give full source details in a bibliography or reference list at the end of your text.

The exact format of your citations depends on which citation style you are instructed to use. The most common styles are APA , MLA , and Chicago .

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Bryson, S. (2023, July 23). Example of a Great Essay | Explanations, Tips & Tricks. Scribbr. Retrieved February 22, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/academic-essay/example-essay-structure/

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Shane finished his master's degree in English literature in 2013 and has been working as a writing tutor and editor since 2009. He began proofreading and editing essays with Scribbr in early summer, 2014.

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Blogging Your Passion

Blog Examples for Beginners: How to Write Your First Blog Post

first blog post

Back in 2009, with fingers shaking, I hit publish on my very first blog post. I was fearful of what people would think. Would I get a negative comment? That left me with many questions.

It was hard enough figuring out how to start a blog , but now I had to find a way to share my thoughts consistently.

Would anyone find what I had to say valuable? Was I just contributing to the noise online? Did my message matter?

Maybe you have some of those same fears and doubts. If so, you’re in the right place. I have a simple first blog post template you can use. Follow these four simple steps and launch your blog to the world.

First Blog Entry Examples (with Template)

Before we get into the 4-step first blog post template, we need to answer two important questions first:

  • Question 1. What tool will I use to start writing my blog posts?
  • Question 2. How can I come up with a good idea to make a great post?

Where to Write Your Blog Posts

So, let’s talk about some blog writing tools you can use. It doesn’t matter where you write your blog posts as long as you have a simple repeatable process to follow. Here are six of my favorite writing tools.

1. Directly in WordPress

If your blog is powered by WordPress , you can always write your blog articles there. It keeps things easy and less complicated for you. Regardless of which writing tool you use, you’re going to need to eventually copy it into WordPress. Since you are just getting started, WordPress might be the best tool to begin with.

blog writing in WordPress

2. Google Docs

The nice thing about writing in Google Docs is that you have another place where your content is stored. That way if you ever lost your work , you have a backup. I also like to use Google Docs because it makes it easy to collaborate with others.

Google Docs is a great writing tool if you want to use add-on tools to make your writing easier. For example, I personally like to use two add-ons. The first one is Grammarly , which will check your grammar and spelling as you write. Even though I have an editor that combs over every blog post, it’s nice to have a built-in grammar checker as you write your draft post.

The second add-on is the SEMrush SEO Writing Assistant.

While outside the scope of this post, learning SEO (search engine optimization) is a great skill to learn as a blogger. It can give you a competitive edge over your competition. SEMrush’s add-on offers keyword suggestions I might want to include in my article to get more search engine traffic.

Using Google Docs to Write Blog Posts

3. CoSchedule

I’ve been a fan of CoSchedule for a few years now. I even wrote a blog post review on my experience with it. Basically, it’s an all-in-one calendar for content, social media, email marketing, and more.

It can be a bit expensive for bloggers just starting out, but if you want to manage all of your projects in one place, it’s a great tool.

CoSchedule writing tool

Have you heard of Kajabi ? It’s not just a blog writing tool but has many other powerful functions to support your blog business. I primarily use Kajabi to host all of my online courses, membership site, landing pages, and online store. If you want to sell digital products and build a blog, you can do both with Kajabi.

Kajabi would replace your monthly hosting cost and WordPress. Blogging on Kajabi is straight forward. As you can tell from the image below, you have a title and body section. Create your headline, write your blog entry, and hit publish.

Writing blog posts in Kajabi

5. Microsoft Word

This is the tool of choice for many bloggers when starting out. Most people are familiar with Word since it was the tool they used to write their papers in school. One word of warning: be careful about using copy and paste into WordPress. Sometimes the formatting doesn’t transfer correctly. Always paste your text into the text side (or HTML side) and not on the visual editor.

6. Evernote

Another popular writing tool is Evernote . The benefits of Evernote are two-fold. First, you can access it online and offline. If you are flying on a plane, you can work on your blog post even without internet access. Later, your document will automatically sync with the cloud.

Secondly, you can easily share it with others. Similar to Google Drive, you can share a link to your note or notebook in Evernote and collaborate together.

How to write blog posts in Evernote

Remember this. Writing your post can happen anywhere. You can start with one of the six tools mentioned above, or go with your own. It comes down to personal preference. Whatever tool helps you be consistent with your writing is what matters most.

Blog Post Ideas for Beginners

Maybe your challenge is not where to do your writing, but what to blog about . Regularly coming up with blog post topics doesn’t have to be difficult. I believe your first blog post ideas should come from a place of passion.

Set a timer for five minutes. Write out as many answers as you can think of to the following series of questions:

  • Why am I starting this blog in the first place?
  • Who do I most want to help?
  • What lessons from my own life can I share with others?
  • What are the top three to five things someone should know in my niche in order to be successful?
  • How will this blog help others?

The 4-Step Blog Post Template for Your First Blog Entry

After working with thousands of new bloggers, I’ve created a simple 4-step template to help you write your first blog post fast. Those four steps are:

  • Step 1. Create a catchy headline
  • Step 2. Write the outline before you start writing
  • Step 3: Edit your blog post draft
  • Step 4: Promote your blog post to the world

Step 1. Create a Catchy Headline

Post titles are super important for any blogger. Treat them like newspaper headlines. A headline on a newspaper makes or breaks the sale of that paper. Your headline should be catchy, interesting, and leave just a bit of curiosity.

When it comes to deciding on a headline, choose one of the following three strategies:

  • The magic of list posts
  • The power of “how-to” posts
  • The blog announcement post

The magic of list posts. It’s been proven over time that we love lists. We want to know not only what’s on the list but what didn’t get included. We click on the headline because we know the article is scannable and we can see what is included in the list.

Here are a few examples you can use to create your own headline:

  • 5 Quick Tips for __________
  • 10 Things You Should Never Do When _________
  • 5 Ways to __________ (without being pushy)
  • 5 great things to do with __________
  • 7 ways to be a ________ ninja
  • 10 Reasons Not to _____
  • 7 _____ Danger Signs
  • 7 things _____ Should Never Do
  • 21 Secrets the _____ Experts Don’t Want You to Know
  • 10 ______ Facts You Need to Know

The power of “how-to” posts . Another strategy that will give you tons of blog post ideas is to cover the most important “how-tos” in your niche. Readers love practical posts that lead them to action. It feels like time well spent if I can take concrete action on something I just learned.

A few examples might be:

  • How to recover from a _____________
  • How NOT to get ____________
  • How to Get _____ in Half the Time
  • How to Beat the Fear of _____
  • How _________ Will Save You Time, Money, and Stress
  • How to clean ____________
  • How to maintain _____________
  • How to take care of _____________
  • How to repair the __________________

The blog announcement post. The last strategy I want to share with you is a post you would typically only write once. This post will be a foundational article you will refer back to for years to come.

The two early strategies (list posts and how-to posts) are the formats I use 90% of the time week in and week out. You’re welcome to start with one of them to get your first post published if you would like.

The blog post announcement post is easy enough to write because it doesn’t require much guesswork. In a moment, I will share with you a simple writing outline you can use.

As far as a headline, go with something like: “How (name of your blog) Will Help You (insert the goal, promise or purpose of your blog).”

If you are still at a loss of how to create a catchy headline, then consider using the headline analyzer tool from CoSchedule. This tool will analyze your headline and give you a score. Don’t worry about trying to score a 100 on your headline. I usually try to get at least a 70.

Step 2. Write the Outline Before You Start Writing

Many aspiring bloggers are excited until it’s time to sit down and write. Why does it feel like all of my energy and creativity gets sucked about when it’s time to write?

See Post: 4 Proven Ways of How to Start a Blog Post

Other bloggers say they just want for inspiration to strike before they sit down to write. If that was true for me, I’d be waiting a long time.

Don’t wait till you feel like writing. Most writers I know don’t like writing, they like having written . There’s a big difference. Never forget the words of Harvard psychologist Jerome Bruner who said:

“You’re more likely to act yourself into a feeling than feel yourself into action.”

If you’ve successfully accomplished the last step of deciding on a headline, it makes writing much easier. The headline creates the outline for you. Once you’ve nailed down the outline, all that’s left is to fill in the text.

Let’s look at how to create an outline from each of our three examples above.

Create an outline for your list post. If you’ve chosen a list post headline, then you must first decide how many make your list. You can do as few as three or as many as 101. It really comes down to the purpose of the post.

I usually start by opening up my writing tool of choice and brainstorming as many examples as I can think of. Once I’ve created the list, I have my number and I have my outline.

Create an outline for your how-to post . If you decided to go with a how-to post, then the process will be slightly different. First, start with a beginner’s mind. It’s easy to skip a few steps because you think they are assumed.

We all have the curse of knowledge. We simply forget what it’s like to be a beginner.

When outlining a how-to post, you want to think in terms of steps. What’s the very first step I should take? Once I complete that step, what’s next? Repeat the same process until all of the steps are out of your head and on paper (or screen).

Now, you may end up combining steps and that’s okay. A how-to post will have a minimum of three steps. The maximum number of steps depends on the topic you have chosen.

Create an outline for your blog announcement post. If you chose option number three, then there is a specific format you should follow.

WARNING : Be careful not to make your first blog post about you .

Yes, you will be introducing yourself and maybe even sharing your story. But never forget that your blog is for others. You want to help, serve, or inspire.

The good news is that I already have an outline you should follow. The body of your blog post will include these subheadlines:

  • State the goal of your blog
  • How this blog will help
  • Who you are

The opening of your blog post should state the goal of your blog . Why are you starting this blog in the first place? Is there a mission or cause behind your desire to start this blog?

Next, talk about how your blog will help the reader. What are some of the specific ways you plan to help others? Will you be publishing a weekly blog post? Will you launch a podcast? Will your blog include videos?

Finally, fully introduce you and your story. Always remember that you are not the hero of the blog. Your target audience is the hero. You are just the guide. Because of that, we don’t lead by touting our credentials or why we are qualified to help.

Still, people will want to know who is behind the blog so feel free to share your story. But lead with serving and helping first.

Once your outline is ready, just focus on writing a paragraph or two for each point in your outline. Once you do, you have a rough draft ready to go. Now, it’s time to edit.

Step 3. Edit Your Blog Post Draft

Blogging is a different way of writing than when you were in English class. It’s more conversational for starters. Also, we break a few of the rules along the way.

Follow this list of basic guidelines and you’ll be a pro in no time:

  • Use bullets – My number one tip is to break up your content to make it easy to consume on the computer or mobile device.
  • Subheadings – We already covered this in the outline section, but add lots of subheadings
  • Short sentences – Keep your sentences short. Enough said.
  • Short paragraphs – Notice how many of the paragraphs in this blog post are two or three sentences, max. Make your content easy to scan.
  • Relevant Images – Add images to your post to make it more engaging
  • Look for grammar errors – I like to use Grammarly to help me with my grammatical construction.
  • Add a call to action – Add ways for readers to join your email list sprinkled throughout your blog posts.
  • Publish your post – Get your blog post out to the world! Don’t worry about mistakes! You can always come back and fix them later.

Step 4. Promote Your Blog Post to the World

Once your post is live, it’s time to share your post with the world. I know this can be a scary feeling when first starting out.

My best tip is to not focus on yourself, but focus on how your blog will help others.

An ideal place to start is social media. What social media accounts are you already using? Share your blog post there first. Remember, you can do it in a non-pushy way.

If you’re not sure what to write, a have a sample script below you can use:

“Hey friends, I’ve decided to start a blog with the goal of helping others. I’ve just published my first post!

It would mean the world to me if you would click the link, read this post, and then come back here and share your thoughts with me. Thanks!”

Now, you don’t want to hit up your social media newsfeed daily to push people over to your blog post. We want to be helpful, not annoying.

You can also enlist some friends to help get the word out. Come up with a list of 10-20 friends who you would consider to be supportive. Be sure this list includes friends and not just acquaintances. Otherwise, this exercise will not work.

Send them a message on Facebook Messenger. Let them know you recently launched a blog and it would mean the world to you if they would share it on social media.

To make this easy for them, you’ve already typed up a script they can post. It goes like this:

“Hey, guys! My friend Sally, just launched a blog designed to help overwhelmed moms claim back control of their lives. You should check it out here: LINK”

The point of all of this is to get referral traffic to your site. They have friends you don’t have. They can reach people you cannot reach.

Blog Post Examples

Congrats on getting your first blog post published! Would it be helpful to see a few examples? Let’s take a look at a few first blog post examples.

Example #1: CPA Career Coach

My first blog was launched in 2009 and it was designed to help accounting and finance professionals find meaning in their work. My first post had three parts.

Part 1. An Opening Story

begin with a story

Part 2. The List Post Outline (4 Major Points)

map out your outline

Part 3. How This Blog Will Help You & Who I Am

Share your bio

Let’s take a look at one more example.

Example #2: Personal Branding Blog

A few years later, I launched JonathanMilligan.com. The goal of the new blog was to help people discover their purpose and be more productive. Here’s the outline I used:

Part 1. Who This Blog is For

Create an opening hook

Part 2. How This Blog Will Help You

Describe how you will help in the body of the post

Part 3. Who I Am

add a conclusion to your blog post

There you have it! You should now be well on your way to blogging your passion and sharing your message with the world. You got this!

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Georgetown University.

Sample Essays

The breadth of Georgetown’s core curriculum means that students are required to write for a wide variety of academic disciplines. Below, we provide some student samples that exhibit the key features the most popular genres. When reading through these essays, we recommend paying attention to their 

1. Structure (How many paragraphs are there? Does the author use headers?) 

2. Argument (Is the author pointing out a problem, and/or proposing a solution?) 

3. Content (Does the argument principally rely on facts, theory, or logic?) and 

4. Style (Does the writer use first person? What is the relationship with the audience?)

Philosophy Paper

  • Singer on the Moral Status of Animals

Theology Paper

  • Problem of God
  • Jewish Civilization
  • Sacred Space and Time
  • Phenolphthalein in Alkaline Solution

History Paper

  • World History

Literature Review

Comparative Analysis 

Policy Brief

  • Vaccine Manufacturing

White Paper

Critical Analysis

  • Ignatius Seminar

How To Write An Essay Style Blog Post

example of a blog essay

As the Virtual Marketing Officer predicted in an  early 2009 post , social and digital content marketing  has become a very important—even critical—marketing investment for you and your law firm marketing team.

Publishing to the web is easy, writing well is not.

It’s easy to publish to the web. All you need is a blog or social media account. It is not, however, easy to write well. Writing well means not only avoiding spelling and grammar mistakes, it includes not BORING readers to death. Luckily there is a fairly straightforward fix for boring content: learn to write a basic essay. (Or, refresh your memory…)

If you work these 8 steps below you will have a better chance of producing something people will read. And, you’ll get better in the process. The more often you write, the more natural it becomes, and you won’t even have to think twice about writing an excellent post or article that connects and communicates with your audience.

How to write an essay in 8 steps

(1) Pick the topic: Preferably the topic is something you are genuinely interested in writing about. If you like the topic, others will “feel” your interest and be interested. The topic should also have a human angle. Even if you are writing on a piece of legislation, ruling, or other dry topic, you must conjure up the human side. For example, a cyber security topic could include a story about a business owner or IT director. A new employment law might allow you to fictionalize a workplace scenario. Or, a television show episode might illustrate a pertinent topic related to your practice.

(2) Be the expert: If you’re not an expert on the topic, do the research and become familiar with the issues. Think about the common problems or objections people have with this topic. Then ask yourself a dozen questions about the topic and answer them in writing. This activity will lead you to exactly what is important and what is humanly relatable.

(3) Pin down the main point: Your thesis, hook, or main idea captures the essence of why readers should care, why they should read your content. You must write this in one sentence, summing up concisely where you’re going to go with your essay and why. It’s practically impossible to write a good blog post or article without this type of anchor. The sentence you write does not necessarily make it into the article, rather it serves you, the writer, as you develop your article. When you feel yourself getting side tracked, e.g., introducing a B or C plot line, you go back to the thesis statement. Does the extra plot line help readers understand your main point, probably not. I’m an experienced writer and I do it all the time. As I write, I think of one or two other things to “add.” Yet, they rarely aid understanding. In most cases they would confuse the reader. But, if it’s something really good, I make a note and use it for another day, another topic.

(4) Build your outline: Make a list of facts, ideas, and examples that support your main point. Don’t worry about writing paragraphs, just write a simple statement on each. A series of single ideas that support your thesis. Then play with their order. Move them around: What is most important or least important? You’ll fill in the details later.

(5) Write the introduction: Now that you have the key pieces in place, its time to write. Start with the opening paragraph, or lead. The opening is where the reader will decide whether or not your article or post is worth their time. Is there a story that illustrates what you are writing about? That will be your best lead. It can be a personal anecdote—a short account of a particular incident or event, especially of an interesting or amusing nature—that illustrates your main point. Or, for a legal topic, you could use a case study, a current news story, a business example (it can be fictitious) or, use the results of a recent survey to illustrate your opening. The idea here is create human drama, something the reader might relate to. Avoid simply reporting details in the first paragraph. In cases where the topic is current, the media has already reported on it. Don’t waste your time rehashing. But, if you must get the details front loaded, try describing the situation in conversational terms. Honestly, there is nothing less inviting than an opening paragraph that reads like this:

On January, 7, 2016, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, the court held that (add more legal jargon here), which reverses the U.S. Circuit Court’s ruling in the case that applies the Foreign Sovereign Immunity Act (“FSIA”) (case site here), on behalf of (full name of company) (full name of county where incorporated) (Date/Year).

Obviously, if your only audience is the legal profession, then go for it. But don’t expect a client to read it.

(6) Fill in the details: Each of the points in your outline (step 4) is a paragraph, or two. Use sub headings that tell the reader in one or two words the main point of each section.

(7)  Cut: Remove non-essential words. There are dozens of books and educational videos on how to do this. I’m not suggesting that you take out your personal voice, which for lawyers can involve legalese or flowery language, rather, look at every word and decide if it adds or detracts from the understanding and clarity of what you are attempting to communicate.

(8) Review your work: The best way to ensure you’ve written something worth reading is to read it aloud. Does it flow? Have you made your point? Is it free of spelling and grammar errors? Don’t depend on spell check. After you’ve done that, ask someone else, with a fresh set of eyes, to review it for you.

You may also want to read this post: Content Ideas for Lawyers 

Signing off for now…

Jayne Navarre, VMO

Law Firm Branding: Hocus Pocus or Results?

You may also like, a blog without categories what's up with that.

example of a blog essay

You survived the recession, but your [law] blog is in foreclosure.

Mass communicators stare-down with mass communications.

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The part “How to write an essay style blog post in 15 steps” is very interesting and helpful. Please, don’t get offended, but in such a bulky article you didn’t mentioned different types of essays. As we know different types of essays and essay-like blogs have their own definite features that differentiate them out of all the other genres. In this article https://abcessays.com/en/essays describes almost all the types of essays and given tips as to their writing. For me it was very helpful, I hope you will like it also))

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example of a blog essay

Is That Chat Bot a Better Lawyer Than You? Artificial Intelligence in Practice

  • 50+ Best Examples of Popular Blogs in 2023

Ogi Djuraskovic

We’ve created this article with a simple mission, to share with new bloggers some examples of successful and popular blogs on the web. 

Hopefully, these niche blog examples will motivate you to start your own blog .  

The best blogs share similar properties that make them successful: 

  • These bloggers post engaging and useful content that attracts visitors.
  • Popular blog writers know how to communicate with their target audience.
  • Top-rated online blogs have plenty of traffic and build a community around them. 
  • Many blogs can become a lucrative source of income for talented bloggers.

However, the quality of the content itself is sometimes not enough, meaning that most popular blogs also pay attention to design.

If you’re looking for the best blog examples to inspire you, you’re on the right page. We have covered a wide variety of top personal blogs and sorted them by niches. Read on!

52 examples of the most popular personal blogs in different niches

We chose some of the most currently popular niches and selected several blog examples for each niche. We researched every blog to learn more about CMS’es and the themes that they’re using.

Finally, we included the sources of income for every blog, which can help you to understand how blogs make money .

This list should inspire you to create your own personal blog in a niche that you are passionate about. This is an opportunity to learn from the best in the online business .

If you feel like your blog deserves to be on this list, contact us .

Best lifestyle blog examples

Best mom blog examples, best health and fitness blog examples, best food blog examples, best fashion blog examples, best travel blog examples.

  • Best tech and gaming blog examples

Best eco and green blog examples

Best relationship blog examples, best education and career blog examples, best diy blog examples, best photography blog examples, best marketing and social media blog examples.

Best lifestyle blog examples

1. Apartment Therapy Apartment Therapy is a blog focusing on interior design. It was launched by Maxwell Ryan in 2001. Ryan is an interior designer who turned to blogging (using the moniker “the apartment therapist”). The blog has reached 20 million followers and has expanded into a full-scale media company.

Main topics covered: Lifestyle and interior design, design tips, DIY how-tos, shopping guides. Built with: Next.js The main source of income: product sales, affiliate links

2. Say Yes Say Yes is an award-winning blog created by Liz Stanley in 2006. Although it could be classified as a mom blog as well, since Liz is a mother of three, it goes beyond that, offering useful advice about other topics, including food, and travel.

Main topics covered: Family, travel, food, lifestyle, DIY Built with: WordPress – custom theme The main source of income: sponsored articles, affiliate links, social media

3. Bright Bazaar Bright Bazaar was created by Will Taylor, a journalist-turned-interior designer in 2009. Apart from wonderful home tours and design findings, Will shares other exciting details about his lifestyle, including his outfits, recipes, and life in New York City.

Main topics covered: Interior design, fashion, food, NYC life, travel Built with: CheerUp Child (WordPress theme) The main source of income: affiliate links, book sales

4. A Cup of Jo A weekend hobby for Joanna Goddard turned into a full-time job. She started A Cup of Jo in 2007 and became a superstar lifestyle blogger. In fact, the site is barely a personal blog anymore, as Jo now has a team of professional writers who share her interests, such as style, design, food, and motherhood.

Main topics covered: Style, design, food, motherhood, travel, relationships Built with: A Cup of Jo (custom WordPress theme designed for this site) The main source of income: product sales, affiliate links

Best mom blog examples

5. Megan the Vegan Mom Megan, the founder of “Megan the Vegan Mom”, blogs about her daily life as a vegan mom. She is a strong advocate of veganism as a former veterinarian who shares an immense love for pets. Along with topics about motherhood, Megan likes to write about parties, lifestyle, and fashion.

Main topics covered: Vegan parenting, vegan recipes, restaurant reviews, lifestyle. Built with: Squarespace The main source of income: affiliate links, sponsorships

6. Rookie Moms Rookie Moms focuses on various products and activities for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers. Like the name says, the site is aimed at new moms who don’t have much experience with parenthood.

Main topics covered: baby gear, pregnancy, babies, toddlers, mom life Built with: Pretty Lifestyle (WordPress theme) The main source of income: product sales

7. Tech Savvy Mama Tech Savvy Mama was founded in 2008 by former teacher and technology specialist Leticia Barr, who also happens to be a mother of two. She mostly focuses on aspects of parenting that are related to the digital age and technological development.

Main topics covered: technology, lifestyle, education, causes, gift guides Built with: Foodie Pro (WordPress theme) The main source of income: affiliate links, product sales

8. At Home With Natalie Natalie is a lifestyle blogger from North Carolina. More importantly, she is a mother of six, meaning that she has a lot of parenthood experience that she likes to share. Her blog is also an eCommerce site where you can shop for various Etsy products, courses, and books.

Main topics covered: motherhood, party themes, DIY projects, recipes Built with: Redwood (WordPress theme) The main source of income: product sales, brand collaborations

Best health and fitness blog examples

9. My Fitness Pal My Fitness Pal is an online platform that helps people lose weight. The site also offers a great set of mobile apps that allow users to keep track of their weight, exercise regularly, and more. The site also has a lively blog section where users can learn more about all things related to fitness.

Main topics covered: weight loss, fitness, nutrition, recipes, inspiration Built with: WordPress, custom theme by Matthew Woodard The main source of income: product and subscription sales

10. Nerd Fitness This site targets “nerds, misfits and mutants,” and helps them to get in shape through home workouts and private coaching. Nerd Fitness has 25 team members led by Jim Bathurst, an award-winning personal trainer. The site also comes with an educational blog where you can learn more about working out.

Main topics covered: weight loss, working out Built with: WordPress (custom theme) The main source of income: products and subscription sales

11. Love Sweat Fitness Created in 2014 by Katie Dunlop, LSF focuses on providing fitness services to women. The site also features an app with fitness plans, workout plans, and more. There’s also a blog section where you can read more about fitness, nutrition, and participate in the community of LSF members.

Main topics covered: lifestyle, fitness, nutrition, travel Built with: WordPress (custom theme) The main source of income: product sales, subscription sales

12. Fit Bottomed Girls Fit Bottomed Girls started as a blog in 2008, only to expand into other mediums, including a book, a podcast, and more. This blog nurtures body positivity, and it was founded by two certified fitness professionals — Jennipher Walters and Kristen Seymour.

Main topics covered: fitness, motherhood, food, philosophy Built with: WordPress (custom theme) The main source of income: coaching, ads

Best food blog examples

13. Smitten Kitchen Smitten Kitchen is an award-winning blog by Deb Perelman. The blog revolves around one place — Deb’s kitchen, where she experiments and comes up with unique recipes that she shares with the world. Her site has a nice feature called “Surprise me!” where a random recipe is suggested. Great for people wondering what to eat!

Main topics covered: recipes, food, travel Built with: WordPress (custom theme) The main source of income: ads, book sales

14. Rainbow Plant Life Nisha was a lawyer who wanted to focus on her other interests, so she decided to start a blog where she shares all kinds of vegan recipes. Apart from this successful blog, Nisha also boasts more than 400,000 followers on social media (including her YouTube channel).

Main topics covered: recipes, food, photography, lifestyle Built with: Squarespace The main source of income: ads, product sales

15. Our Food Stories Laura Muthesius and Nora Eisermann decided to start a blog after Laura discovered her food allergies. That’s why Our Food Stories features plenty of innovative recipes. The Berlin-based duo mixed their passions (food styling and photography) to make a successful and original food blog.

Main topics covered: recipes, travel, interior design Built with: WordPress (custom theme) The main source of income: book sales, sponsorships, ads

16. Cookie and Kate Named after Kate’s dog Cookie, the popular food blog features vegetarian recipes. Kate decided to pursue her passion for food in 2010 when she started her blog. The recipes are divided into several categories, making her blog very intuitive. She also wrote a cookbook that you can purchase on her site!

Main topics covered: recipes Built with: Magazine Pro (WordPress theme) The main source of income: ads, book sales

Best fashion blog examples

17. Sincerely Jules Sincerely Jules was created in 2009 when Jules started writing inspirational posts, daily thoughts, and more. However, she became famous for sharing her fashion ideas, turning her blog into a top international fashion sensation. Jules is now one of the leading influencers in the fashion industry.

Main topics covered: fashion, lifestyle Built with: Sage Starter (WordPress theme) The main source of income: product sales

18. Color me Courtney Courtney Quinn is a fashion and makeup blogger from NYC. She shares her colorful world in her blog called Color Me Courtney, where you can also find various makeup tutorials, lifestyle posts, and more.

Main topics covered: fashion, makeup, lifestyle, travel Built with: WordPress (custom theme) Main source of income: product sales

19. Camila Coelho Camila Coelho is a Brazilian travel and fashion blogger (her blog is in English as well). She is the founder of Elaluz perfumes and the Camila Coelho collection.

Main topics covered: fashion, beauty, travel, wellness Built with: WordPress (custom theme) The main source of income: affiliate links, product sales

20. Style and Error Style & Error is a men’s fashion blog by Thomas Stubbs, a famous stylist, editor, and writer. Apart from his blog, he also works as a Fashion Editor with British GQ and is an Editor at Large for The Rake magazine. Also, Stubbs is the main man behind the styles of many male celebrities.

Main topics covered: fashion for men Built with: Squarespace The main source of income: stylist for celebrities

Best travel blog examples

21. PS I’m on my way Trisha is a Philippines-born blogger who shares her adventures from travels around the globe. Being a digital nomad, she always has an interesting story to tell or impressions to share about various places. Moreover, the blog has useful information for people who want to travel, including posts about visas, travel budgets, solo travel, and more.

Main topics covered: travel, living abroad, female wellness Built with: Wanderland (WordPress theme) Main source of income: travel coaching, travel courses, retreat sales

22. Travels of Adam Adam is a professional gay blogger who likes to share his travel stories. Many of them are useful for gay men wanting to travel to different places in the world. Apart from traveling, he also writes about a wide array of topics, including festivals, art, films, music, and books.

Main topics covered: travel, gay life, languages, festivals, books, films, music, fashion, op-eds, tech, art Built with: The Bootstrap (WordPress theme) The main source of income: ads, featured posts

23. Helen in Wonderlust Helen is a travel writer and adventurer. She is also a professional Yogi. Although she has traveled all over the world, Africa seems to be her favorite continent, and it’s the main focus of her writing. Helen also owns a tour company called Rock My Adventure.

Main topics covered: travels, travel tips Built with: 15Zine Child (WordPress theme) The main source of income: selling trips to Africa

24. Hand Luggage Only Hand Luggage Only was created in 2014 by UK duo Yaya and Lloyd during their college years at the University of Cambridge. They already had a lot of experience sharing their travel stories separately, so they decided to join forces and make a great blog about their adventures.

Main topics covered: photography, travel, food, life hacks Built with: Applique (WordPress theme) The main source of income: ads

Best gaming blog examples

gaming blog examples

25. Wolf’s gaming blog Scottish-born gamer Baden Ronnie shares his game reviews and opinions, focusing on Xbox One, PS4, PC, and VR games. He promises honest reviews with no “PR bulls**t.” Ronnie has been an active gamer since the age of seven and now uses his experience to help people choose what games to play.

Main topics covered: game reviews, interviews, gaming gear Built with: Chronicle (WordPress theme) The main source of income: donations

26. What’s Eric playing Eric is a software engineer who loves board games, and his blog mainly focuses on that type of entertainment. He mostly reviews board games and uses BGG’s rating system to share his opinion about the titles that he covers.

Main topics covered: board games, reviews Built with: WordPress (custom theme) The main source of income: donations, contributions

27. Ask Dave Taylor Dave Taylor is your “tech guy.” Whenever you stumble upon an issue with your tech equipment (hardware or software), he is the one to ask. The site was started by Dave but now features an entire team. The blog section mainly focuses on providing useful pieces of advice for common tech problems.

Main topics covered: tech support Built with: WordPress (custom theme) The main source of income: donations, book sales

28. Tech Crack Founded and managed by Romit Sharma, TechCrack covers all things related to technology, including gadgets, apps, gaming, business, news, and more. There’s even an attractive how-to section with useful advice for tech lovers. Romit has been an active blogger since 2012 when he started the TechCrack blog.

Main topics covered: tech, gaming, apps, gadgets, business Built with: Blogger The main source of income: ads, guest posts

Best eco and green blog examples

29. Eartheasy Eartheasy is actually an online shop that sells various gardening products. However, it also comes with a fantastic blog section where you can learn more about the latest trends in gardening. The site was founded by Greg Seaman who is now accompanied by a team of professionals with one goal in mind – to improve quality of life with useful advice and products that offer sustainable living options.

Main topics covered: gardening, green home, food Built with: BigCommerce The main source of income: product sales

30. Going Zero Waste Going Zero Waste is an eco-friendly blog started by Kathryn Kellogg, an advocate for a plastic-free and sustainable lifestyle. She blogs about zero waste, and her site is a perfect place to start if you want to join this movement. The site also features a book called 101 Ways to Go Zero Waste.

Main topics covered: eco-friendly and sustainable living Built with: Gutentag (WordPress theme) The main source of income: product sales, affiliate marketing

31. My Plastic-Free Life Beth Terry started her blog after learning more about the terrible consequences of plastic pollution. She advocates plastic-free living and provides useful information on how to reduce plastic use in our lives. The blog also focuses on various eco-friendly services, such as restaurants, green businesses, and more.

Main topics covered: plastic-free lifestyle, eco-friendly products and services Built with: Twenty Twelve Child (WordPress theme) The main source of income: book sales

32. Tree Hugger Tree Hugger is the ultimate blog for an eco-friendly lifestyle. It offers advice and inspiration for green and sustainable life. The site was established in 2004 and has more than 20,000 articles on the topic, written by 100+ industry experts.

Main topics covered: eco-friendly & green lifestyle, home, garden, environment, business & policy, news Built with: from scratch (no CMS) The main source of income: ads through articles

Best relationship blog examples

33. The Gottman Institute The Gottman Institute was founded by John and Julie Gottman, a married couple and professional PhD’s with a successful marriage and 40+ years of research experience. The Gottman Institute is the ultimate blog for everyone seeking relationship advice. The site features a blog section where you can read more about relationships, parenting, dating, and more

Main topics covered: relationships, parenting, dating Built with: WordPress (custom theme) The main source of income: product sales, workshops, courses

34. Created With Love Tyler and Michelle are a married couple and founders of Created With Love. Every relationship experiences ups and downs, and the couple decided to share their experience and give advice by starting the blog in 2014.

Main topics covered: relationship tips, date night Built with: WordPress (custom theme) The main source of income: product sales, subscriptions

35. Love in 90 Days Dr. Diana Kirschner offers useful relationship advice on her site Love in 90 Days. She has helped thousands of couples find and establish great romantic relationships. The site features a free masterclass, coaching sessions with Dr. Kirscher, and a useful blog where you can get tips on dating, finding a soulmate, and dating advice for women.

Main topics covered: love, relationships, dating, online dating Built with: WordPress (custom theme) The main source of income: coaching, book sales

36. Love and Life Toolbox Love and Life Toolbox is an ultimate blog/guide for people seeking useful advice about relationships and emotional health. The site was founded by Lisa Brookes Kift, a marriage, and family therapist. Lisa has significant experience in MFT and has contributed to popular media, including CNN, Men’s Health, Shape, and Huffington Post.

Main topics covered: relationships, emotional health Built with: WordPress (custom theme) The main source of income: ebook and course sales

Best education and career blog examples

37. Teach Thought Teach Thought offers posts that focus on innovation in K-12 education. Teachers interested in growing and improving their skills can find useful pieces of advice in this blog. The blog was founded in 2012 by Terry Heick, an author and a former teacher interested in reshaping K-12 teaching.

Main topics covered: education, learning, critical thinking, technology Built with: JNews Child (WordPress theme) The main source of income: ads, workshops

38. Teach Junkie Teach Junkie is a blog founded by Leslie, who is the main author on the site. However, she allows content contributors, meaning her blog is actually a community of teachers who want to improve and learn new techniques. The blog is categorized into grades and different subjects, including science, languages, math, art, and more.

Main topics covered: education, teaching, DIY Built with: WordPress (custom theme) The main source of income: guest posts

39. Corporette Corporette is actually a fashion and lifestyle blog, but it focuses on women with corporate career paths, such as bankers, lawyers, and consultants. The site was founded in 2008 by Kat Griffin, a professional litigator for a Wall Street law firm.

Main topics covered: fashion, career, lifestyle Built with: WordPress (custom theme) The main source of income: affiliate links

40. Penelope Trunk Penelope Trunk is a founder of four start-ups and a writer. She uses her free time to write about career advice and her personal experiences as a part of every company she has worked for. Trunk also focuses on writing educational and op-ed pieces.

Main topics covered: career, education Built with: Enfold Child (WordPress theme) The main source of income: coaching, courses

Best DIY blog examples

41. Remodelaholic Cassity and her family are a creative bunch that doesn’t leave anything in their house untouched. She shares plenty of DIY projects that can help you to remodel your house and make it more stylish and comfortable.

Main topics covered: DIY, interior design, holidays, recipes Built with: WordPress (custom theme) The main source of income: ads, product sales

42. Collective Gen Collective Gen is a blog founded in 2008 by the owner and Editor-in-Chief Geneva Vanderzeil. She is a photographer, maker, stylist, and, above all, an author sharing her thoughts and ideas regarding style, home, life, and travel. The blog also features plenty of DIY projects for creative minds!

Main topics covered: DIY, interior design, travel, life Built with: WordPress (custom theme) The main source of income: book sales

43. Addicted 2 DIY The name says it all! Addicted 2 DIY is a blog that focuses on all kinds of do-it-yourself projects. Working on a small budget, ex paramedic/firefighter Katie decided to share her DIY work with the world. These days, her husband and kids also help her with all kinds of projects around the house. Apart from useful blogs, Katie also shares printable plans and writes reviews for all kinds of tools.

Main topics covered: DIY, tool reviews, recipes Built with: WordPress (custom theme) The main source of income: product sales, ads

44. Vintage Revivals Vintage Revivals was founded by Mandi, a creative soul with plenty of ideas to share. She focuses on filling entire spaces with DIY stuff, meaning her whole house is one big, innovative, and beautiful playground.

Main topics covered: DIY, interior design Built with: WordPress (custom theme) The main source of income: product sales

Best photography blog examples

45. Joe McNally’s Blog Joe McNally is a superstar among photographers. This award-winning artist has worked in 70+ countries and is often considered the best of his generation. Moreover, he has worked with many popular companies, including ESPN, Adidas, Sony, and more. His blog mostly consists of various photographs and stories from his work. McNally covers different spheres, including fashion, portraits, sports, dance, healthcare, and industrial.

Main topics covered: photography Built with: PhotoShelter The main source of income: product sales

46. 1x 1x is a popular photography site featuring hundreds of contributors. What makes it stand out from the crowd is a great blog section that focuses on everything related to the industry. You can read about various photographers, techniques, and contests.

Main topics covered: photography Built with: from scratch (no CMS) The main source of income: book sales

47. Light Stalking Light Stalking is a site that focuses on photography. It has been proclaimed a top-10 photography blog by Wefollow, Klout, and Feedspot. The blog was founded by Rob Wood, who is currently the Main Editor and has a team of professional photographers/writers who share unique content with site visitors.

Main topics covered: photography, videography, gear Built with: WordPress (custom theme) The main source of income: product sales

48. The Phoblographer The Phoblographer is an ultimate photography blog that contains everything amateurs and professionals need to know. The site features useful gear reviews, inspiration, educational articles, and more. It was established by Chris Gampat, an experienced photographer who has worked as a paparazzi, photojournalist, as well as a portrait and wedding photographer.

Main topics covered: photography gear reviews, tips, inspiration, education, news Built with: WordPress (custom theme) The main source of income: ads, affiliate links

Best marketing and social media blog examples

49. Jon Loomer Loomer launched JonLoomer.com 11 days before he was laid off in 2011. At that time, he didn’t realize that he was building what would be one of the most successful social media marketing blogs in the world. His site focuses on training advanced Facebook marketers and showing various tips and tricks for running successful SMM campaigns.

Main topics covered: social media, marketing Built with: WordPress (custom theme) Main source of income: courses, membership fees

50. Awario Awario was created in 2015 with the goal of helping businesses and individuals improve their presence on social media. Awario is actually a tool that helps thousands of customers reach their SMM and analytics-related goals. The blog section offers a wide array of topics, including market research, marketing, competitor analysis, and SMM.

Main topics covered: marketing and analytics Built with: from scratch (no CMS) The main source of income: membership fees (for Awario services)

51. Mari Smith Mari Smith is an experienced marketer with a professional team around her. This team helps businesses grow using digital marketing techniques. The site also features a blog where Mari writes about Facebook and Instagram as marketing tools.

Main topics covered: marketing, Facebook, Instagram Built with: WordPress (custom theme) The main source of income: marketing services

52. Ask Aaron Lee Aaron Lee is a social media expert whose work has been featured on sites such as Inc, Forbes, Success.com, and The Huffington Post. This young entrepreneur from Malaysia wanted to share his knowledge via his blog for free. The blog currently has more than 60,000 subscribers.

Main topics covered: social media, marketing Built with: Wellness Pro (WordPress theme) The main source of income: marketing services

What makes a blog successful?

All of the blogs shared above have one thing in common — they are widely successful.

That’s because the majority of them follow the same formula. Moreover, they were able to adopt new trends and adapt to their readership.

So, what’s the secret formula to success? Here’s a short overview.

Having an engaged readership and an online community

Imagine having a very expensive car that runs on fuel but has no fuel tank.

That’s what a great blog would look like with no engaged readership. Your readers are the ones who drive the success of your blog by reading, commenting, sharing, and more.

Being active on social media

Connect your blog to social media and post engaging content to attract new followers and readers.

You don’t have to be active on all media. Instead, try using analytics tools to see where your potential readers could be the most active. For example, photographer bloggers will focus on platforms such as Instagram.

Properly selected niche

If you select a niche that’s not too broad or too narrow, you’ll be able to attract just the right amount of readers to whom you’ll be able to sell targeted products and services.

Publishing consistently

With tens of thousands of blog posts published daily, your blog can fall into oblivion if you don’t update it regularly with fresh content. In fact, consistency is often a stumbling block for many new bloggers who want immediate fame and fortune.

Having a good blog design

Unintuitive and cluttered design can become a real obstacle in attracting new visitors and readers. A strong design , on the other hand, will help you to gain trust as soon as someone lands on your blog.

Starting your personal blog

Starting a personal blog has never been easier. It’s actually a three-step procedure that you can complete even if you don’t have a single clue on how to set up a blog or make a website .

Choose a name for your blog

This will help you find a suitable domain name , which is pretty important for SEO . Keep in mind that you’ll be able to attract readers with an attractive name that targets your niche.

Think of your blog name as a business name .

Recommended quick domain search tool:

Open an account on a blogging platform.

There are plenty of blogging platforms out there that can help you to create your blog quickly and easily using various presets. The current leader is WordPress.org, which we recommend for first-time bloggers.

Find a web hosting provider

You’ll need a web hosting service for your blog, and we recommend that you use Bluehost as the safest and most popular option at the moment.

Bluehost offers a free domain for one year, as well as a free SSL certificate. Most importantly, there’s professional 24/7 customer support, which makes it very beginner-friendly. -> Learn more about Bluehost .

Bluehost website

  • Free domain name
  • 63% off regular price
  • 30-day money-back guarantee
  • Set up a blog with a one-click 

Feel free to write about anything that you are knowledgeable about. However, make sure that your niche is wide enough to attract a lot of visitors who share your interests.

There are several ways to monetize your blog , and the most popular are: 1. Offer coaching services. 2. Sell products related to your niche. 3. Sell online courses related to your niche. 4. Set up Google Ads to allow banners on your blog. 5. Write an ebook and sell it. 6. Use your blog for affiliate marketing and sponsorships.

Right now, the most profitable blog niches are technology, digital marketing, finance and investment, fashion, travel, movies & music, health, food, news, and personal development. However, even if you’re not interested in these niches, it doesn’t mean your blog is going to be a failure. You just have to be sure that your blog can reach and engage enough readers to be a success.

There’s no ultimate formula for choosing a name. However, there are several tricks that can help you to narrow down your decision, and we have covered them in our post dedicated to naming blogs .

Content planning plays an essential role in creating a successful blog. We’ve covered the entire process here , so make sure to check it out.

The 50+ blogs included in this article met all of our content and design standards. If your goal was to find inspiration for your new blog, we hope that our list helped you to achieve it.

Ultimately, it’s important to remember several key rules that’ll make you a successful blogger, so let’s review them:

  • Choose a profitable niche.
  • Be consistent.
  • Make sure your blog has an attractive design.

The last rule is truly what matters when it comes to blogging. As long as you have a real desire to write about the things that you love, people will feel the energy you have invested in and appreciate your work!

24 comments on “50+ Best Examples of Popular Blogs in 2023”

Thanks for writing such an informative blog which will surely be a great help for the students.

Thank you John!

Thank you for such a detailed introduction.

You’re welcome Dawn!

Awesome stuff !

Thanks Sophie!

Thank you for the list and tips! I’m always trying to improve my newborn photography blog. It takes time and practice to produce more quality content people can connect with.

Thanks Isabel…all the best with your new blog!

Thanks for the information!

You’re welcome Rose!

Hello! That’s what we focus on, definitely niche marketing and we love writing blogs!

Glad to hear that Emma!

Wow, I really loved this page. As a beginner, it really empowered me a lot.

Glad you like it Cynthia. Thanks!

Hey! Thanks for this list. There are some amazing blogs. Btw. Thanks for your free guide on how to start a blog. I Will probably make a blog about cooking in the next week 🙂

Hey I’m so happy to hear that you find our blogging guide useful!!!

Cooking blog sounds great! We even have a guide specifically for those who want to start a food blog – check it out here . But also if you’re busy or simply don’t feel comfortable with a whole DIY thing, we can create a blog for you (see more here ) without any charges! If you’re interested in learning more about this free offer write to us at [email protected]

Thanks for sharing information, its going to help me a lot in Academic Blogging. I really appreciate it.

Love these tips on starting a niche blog. That’s what we focus on, definitely niche marketing and we love writing blogs!

Thanks, you have made a wonderful post. I love and appreciate your commitment.

This is such a cool list! I especially love Jeff Goins’ articles because his marketing ideas will surely help you become better in your niche. There’s so much to learn from him! 🙂

Thanks Mr. Black! Jeff does have some great marketing strategies which will come handy to any new blogger.

It’s great to see you guys mentioned Jasmine Star! I’ve been following her blog for the last two years – I particularly like her photography, and I dare to claim that her ideas influenced a lot the way I do my Instagram

Thanks Lory! Jasmine is one of our favorites too 🙂

yeah its great that you mentioned her

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15 Best Student Blog Examples

As a student, starting a student’s blog has so many benefits attached to it.

A blog can serve as an excellent platform to share your ideas, discuss specific arguments that relate to a student’s life, keep other students informed, and generally influence.

Individually, you can grow your writing, communication, analysis, and interpretation skills by steadily writing on your blog. 

However, starting a blog isn’t always straightforward. You’ll have to choose topics you want to blog about, pick a blog title, purchase a domain, web hosting, and whatnot.

If you’re considering starting a blog as a student, here are the 15 best student blog examples to draw inspiration from . 

Best Blog Examples For Students

1. college info geek.

example of a blog essay

College Info Geek is a blog started by Thomas Frank to help students become better students.

The blog covers four major subjects which are; studying effectively, becoming more productive, starting a career, and living a better life as a student.

Some of the most read articles on the blog include; the ultimate college packing list, how to stay organized and productive in college, and the best online jobs for students. 

There are two full courses offered on the blog; a productivity masterclass and habit building essentials course.

A new post is published on the College Info Geek blog at least once a week. 

To inspire students, Thomas Frank publishes an “Impossible List” on his blog. This is a list of things that aren’t technically impossible but just somewhat difficult for students to achieve. For every task complete, Thomas rules it out on his list. 

College Info Geek also offers a podcast that is presented every Monday. Students can listen to this podcast on Apple Music, Google Play , YouTube, or Spotify. 

Furthermore, the blog features a music playlist with ideal songs that can help students study. The playlist is featured on Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube.

You Might Find it Useful: Blogger Vs WordPress

2. School Habits

example of a blog essay

This is a blog about habits and hacks to help students get through school. This personal blog was started by Kathryn Azevedo, a teacher and private coach.

She has previously taught in private and public school systems and now, she teaches students how to learn via her blog.

The School Habits blog covers time management, study skills, test anxiety, self-advocacy, improving grades, homework management, procrastination, focus, note-taking, and more topics.

Kathryn Azevedo also offers some particular services to her blog readers. This includes Standardized test preparation, Executive function coaching, Study skills coaching, Application essay help, School essay help, and Writing instruction.

This blog features a shop with several helpful materials that students can purchase. This includes homework planners, daily schedule and task list, weekly work planner, weekly homework planner, etc. These materials are sold for as little as $5. 

As a School Habits reader, you can sign up for the newsletter and get a free copy of the 25 School Habits and Hacks ebook.

If you wish to book a special appointment, you can reach the blog owner via phone or email. Furthermore, you can follow School Habits on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, etc.

3. The International Students Blog

example of a blog essay

The International Student’s blog is a blog that targets students that intend to or are already studying abroad.

Particularly, it targets international students in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and the Caribbean. International students studying online are not left out.

This student blog is one of the oldest you’ll find as it was started in 2005. It works as a forum too such that students can sign in to drop comments amongst others. 

Registered users get to enjoy Free Amazon Prime for students with Deserve Edu Mastercard approval, a $20 Flight Discount Code with StudentUniverse, 5% Eurail Discount, 50% off an ISIC Discount Card, and Free Sim card with an accompanying mobile plan.

Aside from the informative posts constantly published on the blog, there are lots of resources for students to utilize.

One of these is the School Search that lets you search for ideal schools to study in any of the aforementioned countries. 

Simply select your country of choice, a field of study, school location, degree level, and search.

The International Student’s blog is not one for students alone. Educational professionals can also register as admins to list scholarships amongst others.

4. Save The Student

example of a blog essay

One important aspect of a student’s life is money management and that’s what the Save The Student blog covers. 

The blog covers topics on how students can make money, save money, find jobs while studying, pay bills, get accommodation, and manage finances in general.

This blog was started in 2007 by Owen Burek who was a University of Manchester student at the time.

It has recorded significant success since its launch as the blog has been featured in top sites like BBC News, The Guardian, The Times, HuffPost, and Independent.

One thing that keeps this blog going is that they accept story submission. Students can send in their stories and experiences about finance in school and see them published for other students to read.

On this blog, a student can find some hot shopping deals that help him/her save money.

There are lots of other resources for students on the Save The Student blog. There’s a student loan repayment calculator to help students keep track of their student loan debt. 

Furthermore, there’s a Parent’s Guide To University to educate parents on all the expenses there are when sending their children to a university.

5. FlashLearners

example of a blog essay

FlashLearners is an educational blog for students in Nigeria. The blog covers news and updates on university admissions, examinations, scholarships, and more; it’s more a blog for graduating secondary school students than university students. 

FlashLearners was founded by Isaac Inegbenehi and the blog has been around since 2016.

To aid students to prepare for their examinations, this blog features online quizzes. These quizzes feature past questions of the individual examinations and they are presented the same way as the actual examinations.

Furthermore, students can sign up and study for free from an online class. The online class covers all the major subjects taught in secondary schools including Mathematics, English, Physics, Chemistry, Economics, etc. 

To make it easier for students to study with and stay updated with the blog’s information, FlashLearners features a mobile app that can be downloaded for free. From the app, students can access everything there is on the online website.

Other resources students can access on the FlashLearners student blog include scholarship and internship programs, study guides, student jobs, etc.

Furthermore, the blog covers tech updates with reviews to help students get the best gadgets for learning.

6. StudentUniverse

example of a blog essay

Launched in 2000, StudentUniverse is a unique blog for student travelers. It covers travel destinations in Europe, Asia, South America, Central America, Middle East, Africa, South Pacific, and New Zealand.

It is a US-based blog but has other sites for the UK and AU.

This blog is resourceful for international students that have to travel. Students who wish to travel for adventure, holiday, summer break, etc. will also find this blog’s content worthwhile.

On the StudentUniverse blog, students can find cheap flight deals for domestic US, UK, or AU flights and international flights. Students can get up to a 30 percent discount when they search for flights using this website. 

This is possible as StudentUniverse is a part of the Flight Centre Travel Group – one of the world’s largest travel companies.

Furthermore, the blog partners with more than 200 world airlines including Air China, British Airways, and United Airlines.

Similarly, students can search for and book cheap hotel lodging, tours, and car rides. With the Group Travel service, students can search for and meet with other students traveling to the same destination so they can travel together. 

7. StudentLife Network Blog

example of a blog essay

StudentLife Network is a Canadian-based website where students can get resources on everything about school. The blog aims to help students find the right school to study, improve their grades, reduce debt, and get their dream job.

Most of the blog’s content is about students’ life but there are more than articles for students to access on this blog. Students can search and apply for scholarships via the StudentLife Network 99 Scholarships platform.

However, the scholarship opportunities are only to Canadian schools and Canadian students.

Nevertheless, as a StudentLife Network member, students get access to several giveaways where they can win cash, gifts, and other deals.

Similarly, students can participate in Canada’s Luckiest Student drawing where there’s up to $150k.

Using the StudentLife Network promo code, registered members can get 10 percent off when they shop for merch from WeGetReal. Also, students can get $150 off their trip on the Contiki website.

The StudentLife Network features a student to student podcast. The podcast is presented on Apple Podcasts.

StudentLife Network is open to comments and suggestions from students as they can send in their opinions via a contact form.

8. Stay Informed Group

example of a blog essay

This blog is all about motivational content for college students . It’s a very simple blog but with highly valuable content. Initially, the blog was eglobalscholarships.com and just focused on scholarships but was rebranded in 2019. It was founded by Bassey Chimezirim James.

The Stay Informed Group blog features how-to guides, general schooling tips, and tech information. Students can get information on the best schools to study and why they should study there.

Some of the most popular posts on the Stay Informed Group blog include: how to be successful in college, how to write a scholarship essay, best boarding schools, etc.

With the “Motivation For The Week: Achieve Anything” post, students are encouraged to start their week on a good note and give their all every week.

As a reader, you get access to international scholarships. This includes Ph.D. scholarships, Masters’ scholarships, and Undergraduate scholarships. These scholarships can be sorted by school.

Students can follow up the Stay Informed Group blog for updates on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

9. The Student Newspaper

example of a blog essay

This is one of the oldest student blogs and the oldest student newspaper in Europe.

Started by the University of Edinburgh, the blog was launched in 1887 which makes it over 130 years old. Notably, this student blog is independent of the university. 

The Student Newspaper doesn’t particularly publish posts about student’s life or much about college.

It simply aims to keep students informed by bringing them updates on the latest news from far and near. However, most of the information published is about happenings in the UK.

Nevertheless, it covers not just news but also reviews, lifestyle, opinions. voices, sports, and most importantly science. The opinions category features more articles on schools and studying.

One thing to notice about this blog is that it’s almost like a physical newspaper. The pages don’t load like other blogs, they open at once when clicked.

To follow up on The Student Newspaper blog, you can simply join their Facebook group. Also, you can join the weekly writers’ meeting on Microsoft Teams .

If you happen to be a student of the University of Edinburgh or close, you can get a physical copy of the newspaper.

10. Student Privacy Compass

example of a blog essay

As a student, it is critical to keep your personal data private. The Student Privacy Compass blog is focused on helping you achieve that.

On this blog, students can learn about student privacy laws, school data, internet privacy, technology privacy, security, etc.

The blog isn’t for students alone but also parents, educators, education agencies, higher institutions, policymakers, and LEA lawyers. Similarly, the blog looks at student laws from different perspectives.

This includes the student perspective, state perspective, lawmakers perspective, legal perspective, LEA perspective, educator perspective, advocate perspective, parent perspective, FPF perspective, etc. These are the various categories of the Student Privacy Compass blog.

The blog is a very consistent one. About two or three new posts are published every week. Student Privacy Compass is a US-based blog and it features the state laws of all US states.

There’s an on-site FAQ with answers that informs readers about the blog and how to use it. Specific questions can be sent in via the contact form.

Other available resources include an FPF resource, student privacy training, and a train-the-trainer program. Consequently, law students will benefit most from following the Student Privacy Compass blog.

11. The Student Blogger

example of a blog essay

This is a UK-based student blog that discusses daily student experiences in the university. It was started to help students focus more on their education and worry less about other things while in school.

The blog covers various topics including lifestyle, fashion & beauty, recipes, student discounts, money-saving, student jobs, academic competitions, and more. For students just starting a university, there’s so much to learn from the Student Blogger blog.

To make content easy for students to digest, several posts are made featuring infographics.

The Student Blogger blog is open for contributions from any student. Also, you can join the Student Blogger Collection.

The Student Blogger Collection is a group of student bloggers. Posts from these bloggers are featured in the Student Blogger blog, irrespective of the niche.

When you join the collection, you get a Student Blogger Selection badge on your blog.

Furthermore, the blog does PR advertising to help brands introduce their products/services to students. Students who run businesses in school can benefit from it as well.

12. MyUCD Blog

example of a blog essay

The MyUCD blog is a blog for University College Dublin students. It provides insights on courses offered at the school, campus life, careers, and more. The blog has been around since 2014.

There are so many featured categories in this blog. Popular ones include preparing for college, college life, UCD societies, campus, and veterinary. In 2015, the MyUCD blog was a finalist at the Blog Awards Ireland.

Posts published in the MyUCD blog are all written by UCD students. Although the blog isn’t updated very frequently, each post is lengthy and covers a lot.

Aside from the categories, readers can sort the posts by academic levels, faculties, and departments.

Interestingly, this student blog features the UCD Campus map to help students navigate around the school. There are also transport links and course lists for graduate and undergraduate students.

On the main MyUCD portal, you can find resources for school fees, funding, scholarships, guidance & counseling, etc.

The MyUCD Blog is an ideal student blog example that targets a particular school. You can follow up the blog on top social media sites .

13. Worcester Student Life

example of a blog essay

Worcester Student Life is a blog launched by students of the University of Worcester to share their university experiences and student life tips.

It is targeted at international students who are interested in living and studying in Worcester. 

Nevertheless, content published on the Worcester Student Life blog doesn’t relate only to the University of Worcester. Students from any university will find them beneficial too.

The blog covers several topics: accommodation, university application, course selection, settling in, money, food and recipes, sports, student jobs, studying abroad, etc.

It also covers graduates with posts on PGCE application, virtual internships, etc.

Posts published on the Worcester Student Life are from multiple authors. Hence, this is an ideal student blog example if you plan on starting up a student blog with partners.

Notably, the blog features a “Random Act of Kindness” publication every week. That way, students are encouraged to show kindness to someone at least once every week.

Readers can follow the Worcester Student Life blog and stay updated on any new post on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

14. Celestelili

Celeste Lili, a UC Davis Managerial Economics graduate, created the student blog “Celeste Lili” with the goal of sharing her undergraduate knowledge, particularly for first-generation college students who may lack familial guidance in navigating college.

This blog addresses a wide array of student life topics, including productivity tips, lifestyle advice, and insights into UC Davis student life. Posts maintain an engaging and conversational tone, making them accessible and relatable. Personal anecdotes and experiences are often woven in to connect with the audience.

What sets Celeste Lili’s blog apart is its emphasis on practical advice drawn from her own experiences. For instance, she offers time management strategies rooted in her journey of balancing coursework, exams, a part-time job, and home responsibilities. This hands-on guidance proves invaluable for students facing similar challenges.

Beyond the blog, Celeste Lili maintains a presence on Pinterest, where she shares additional resources on student life, productivity, content marketing , and personal development.

Celeste Lili’s blog stands as an excellent student blog examples due to its commitment to delivering practical, experience-based advice in an engaging and accessible style.

15. Yearist

example of a blog essay

The Yearist blog is a recent student’s blog as it was launched in 2020. It was launched by Michael Fray who is an engineering student.

This blog was launched for three main purposes.

The first is to connect students so they can share knowledge and experiences. Secondly, the blog was launched to promote entertainment and information that’s relevant to student’s lives.

The third reason is to provide a sense of connection that doesn’t involve the use of social media .

The Yearist blog focuses on two main categories which are Study and Life. The Study category features content like study motivational videos, tips to get good grades, writing tips, ways to reduce school-related stress, etc. 

The Life category features content like ways to get ahead in life, motivational quotes, and more.

All posts featured on the Yearist blog were written by the blog owner, Michael Fray. In most of them, he’s sharing his personal experiences as a student which makes it easy for other students to relate to the content.

Students can share their own opinions by dropping comments after each post or submitting a contact form.

Best Student Blogs Examples – Conclusion

If you intend to launch a student’s blog, it’ll turn out to be an advantage in the long run. Your readers get to benefit from the insightful stuff you post and you get to share what you know. 

Not to mention, you could even monetize your blog and make some money off it. 

example of a blog essay

Tom loves to write on technology, e-commerce & internet marketing. I started my first e-commerce company in college, designing and selling t-shirts for my campus bar crawl using print-on-demand. Having successfully established multiple 6 & 7-figure e-commerce businesses (in women’s fashion and hiking gear), I think I can share a tip or 2 to help you succeed.

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, 177 college essay examples for 11 schools + expert analysis.

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College Admissions , College Essays

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The personal statement might just be the hardest part of your college application. Mostly this is because it has the least guidance and is the most open-ended. One way to understand what colleges are looking for when they ask you to write an essay is to check out the essays of students who already got in—college essays that actually worked. After all, they must be among the most successful of this weird literary genre.

In this article, I'll go through general guidelines for what makes great college essays great. I've also compiled an enormous list of 100+ actual sample college essays from 11 different schools. Finally, I'll break down two of these published college essay examples and explain why and how they work. With links to 177 full essays and essay excerpts , this article is a great resource for learning how to craft your own personal college admissions essay!

What Excellent College Essays Have in Common

Even though in many ways these sample college essays are very different from one other, they do share some traits you should try to emulate as you write your own essay.

Visible Signs of Planning

Building out from a narrow, concrete focus. You'll see a similar structure in many of the essays. The author starts with a very detailed story of an event or description of a person or place. After this sense-heavy imagery, the essay expands out to make a broader point about the author, and connects this very memorable experience to the author's present situation, state of mind, newfound understanding, or maturity level.

Knowing how to tell a story. Some of the experiences in these essays are one-of-a-kind. But most deal with the stuff of everyday life. What sets them apart is the way the author approaches the topic: analyzing it for drama and humor, for its moving qualities, for what it says about the author's world, and for how it connects to the author's emotional life.

Stellar Execution

A killer first sentence. You've heard it before, and you'll hear it again: you have to suck the reader in, and the best place to do that is the first sentence. Great first sentences are punchy. They are like cliffhangers, setting up an exciting scene or an unusual situation with an unclear conclusion, in order to make the reader want to know more. Don't take my word for it—check out these 22 first sentences from Stanford applicants and tell me you don't want to read the rest of those essays to find out what happens!

A lively, individual voice. Writing is for readers. In this case, your reader is an admissions officer who has read thousands of essays before yours and will read thousands after. Your goal? Don't bore your reader. Use interesting descriptions, stay away from clichés, include your own offbeat observations—anything that makes this essay sounds like you and not like anyone else.

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Technical correctness. No spelling mistakes, no grammar weirdness, no syntax issues, no punctuation snafus—each of these sample college essays has been formatted and proofread perfectly. If this kind of exactness is not your strong suit, you're in luck! All colleges advise applicants to have their essays looked over several times by parents, teachers, mentors, and anyone else who can spot a comma splice. Your essay must be your own work, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with getting help polishing it.

And if you need more guidance, connect with PrepScholar's expert admissions consultants . These expert writers know exactly what college admissions committees look for in an admissions essay and chan help you craft an essay that boosts your chances of getting into your dream school.

Check out PrepScholar's Essay Editing and Coaching progra m for more details!

example of a blog essay

Want to write the perfect college application essay? Get professional help from PrepScholar.

Your dedicated PrepScholar Admissions counselor will craft your perfect college essay, from the ground up. We'll learn your background and interests, brainstorm essay topics, and walk you through the essay drafting process, step-by-step. At the end, you'll have a unique essay that you'll proudly submit to your top choice colleges.

Don't leave your college application to chance. Find out more about PrepScholar Admissions now :

Craft Your Perfect College Essay

Links to Full College Essay Examples

Some colleges publish a selection of their favorite accepted college essays that worked, and I've put together a selection of over 100 of these.

Common App Essay Samples

Please note that some of these college essay examples may be responding to prompts that are no longer in use. The current Common App prompts are as follows:

1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story. 2. The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience? 3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome? 4. Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you? 5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others. 6. Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

7. Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

Now, let's get to the good stuff: the list of 177 college essay examples responding to current and past Common App essay prompts. 

Connecticut college.

  • 12 Common Application essays from the classes of 2022-2025

Hamilton College

  • 7 Common Application essays from the class of 2026
  • 7 Common Application essays from the class of 2022
  • 7 Common Application essays from the class of 2018
  • 8 Common Application essays from the class of 2012
  • 8 Common Application essays from the class of 2007

Johns Hopkins

These essays are answers to past prompts from either the Common Application or the Coalition Application (which Johns Hopkins used to accept).

  • 1 Common Application or Coalition Application essay from the class of 2026
  • 6 Common Application or Coalition Application essays from the class of 2025
  • 6 Common Application or Universal Application essays from the class of 2024
  • 6 Common Application or Universal Application essays from the class of 2023
  • 7 Common Application of Universal Application essays from the class of 2022
  • 5 Common Application or Universal Application essays from the class of 2021
  • 7 Common Application or Universal Application essays from the class of 2020

Essay Examples Published by Other Websites

  • 2 Common Application essays ( 1st essay , 2nd essay ) from applicants admitted to Columbia

Other Sample College Essays

Here is a collection of essays that are college-specific.

Babson College

  • 4 essays (and 1 video response) on "Why Babson" from the class of 2020

Emory University

  • 5 essay examples ( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ) from the class of 2020 along with analysis from Emory admissions staff on why the essays were exceptional
  • 5 more recent essay examples ( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ) along with analysis from Emory admissions staff on what made these essays stand out

University of Georgia

  • 1 “strong essay” sample from 2019
  • 1 “strong essay” sample from 2018
  • 10 Harvard essays from 2023
  • 10 Harvard essays from 2022
  • 10 Harvard essays from 2021
  • 10 Harvard essays from 2020
  • 10 Harvard essays from 2019
  • 10 Harvard essays from 2018
  • 6 essays from admitted MIT students

Smith College

  • 6 "best gift" essays from the class of 2018

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Books of College Essays

If you're looking for even more sample college essays, consider purchasing a college essay book. The best of these include dozens of essays that worked and feedback from real admissions officers.

College Essays That Made a Difference —This detailed guide from Princeton Review includes not only successful essays, but also interviews with admissions officers and full student profiles.

50 Successful Harvard Application Essays by the Staff of the Harvard Crimson—A must for anyone aspiring to Harvard .

50 Successful Ivy League Application Essays and 50 Successful Stanford Application Essays by Gen and Kelly Tanabe—For essays from other top schools, check out this venerated series, which is regularly updated with new essays.

Heavenly Essays by Janine W. Robinson—This collection from the popular blogger behind Essay Hell includes a wider range of schools, as well as helpful tips on honing your own essay.

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Analyzing Great Common App Essays That Worked

I've picked two essays from the examples collected above to examine in more depth so that you can see exactly what makes a successful college essay work. Full credit for these essays goes to the original authors and the schools that published them.

Example 1: "Breaking Into Cars," by Stephen, Johns Hopkins Class of '19 (Common App Essay, 636 words long)

I had never broken into a car before.

We were in Laredo, having just finished our first day at a Habitat for Humanity work site. The Hotchkiss volunteers had already left, off to enjoy some Texas BBQ, leaving me behind with the college kids to clean up. Not until we were stranded did we realize we were locked out of the van.

Someone picked a coat hanger out of the dumpster, handed it to me, and took a few steps back.

"Can you do that thing with a coat hanger to unlock it?"

"Why me?" I thought.

More out of amusement than optimism, I gave it a try. I slid the hanger into the window's seal like I'd seen on crime shows, and spent a few minutes jiggling the apparatus around the inside of the frame. Suddenly, two things simultaneously clicked. One was the lock on the door. (I actually succeeded in springing it.) The other was the realization that I'd been in this type of situation before. In fact, I'd been born into this type of situation.

My upbringing has numbed me to unpredictability and chaos. With a family of seven, my home was loud, messy, and spottily supervised. My siblings arguing, the dog barking, the phone ringing—all meant my house was functioning normally. My Dad, a retired Navy pilot, was away half the time. When he was home, he had a parenting style something like a drill sergeant. At the age of nine, I learned how to clear burning oil from the surface of water. My Dad considered this a critical life skill—you know, in case my aircraft carrier should ever get torpedoed. "The water's on fire! Clear a hole!" he shouted, tossing me in the lake without warning. While I'm still unconvinced about that particular lesson's practicality, my Dad's overarching message is unequivocally true: much of life is unexpected, and you have to deal with the twists and turns.

Living in my family, days rarely unfolded as planned. A bit overlooked, a little pushed around, I learned to roll with reality, negotiate a quick deal, and give the improbable a try. I don't sweat the small stuff, and I definitely don't expect perfect fairness. So what if our dining room table only has six chairs for seven people? Someone learns the importance of punctuality every night.

But more than punctuality and a special affinity for musical chairs, my family life has taught me to thrive in situations over which I have no power. Growing up, I never controlled my older siblings, but I learned how to thwart their attempts to control me. I forged alliances, and realigned them as necessary. Sometimes, I was the poor, defenseless little brother; sometimes I was the omniscient elder. Different things to different people, as the situation demanded. I learned to adapt.

Back then, these techniques were merely reactions undertaken to ensure my survival. But one day this fall, Dr. Hicks, our Head of School, asked me a question that he hoped all seniors would reflect on throughout the year: "How can I participate in a thing I do not govern, in the company of people I did not choose?"

The question caught me off guard, much like the question posed to me in Laredo. Then, I realized I knew the answer. I knew why the coat hanger had been handed to me.

Growing up as the middle child in my family, I was a vital participant in a thing I did not govern, in the company of people I did not choose. It's family. It's society. And often, it's chaos. You participate by letting go of the small stuff, not expecting order and perfection, and facing the unexpected with confidence, optimism, and preparedness. My family experience taught me to face a serendipitous world with confidence.

What Makes This Essay Tick?

It's very helpful to take writing apart in order to see just how it accomplishes its objectives. Stephen's essay is very effective. Let's find out why!

An Opening Line That Draws You In

In just eight words, we get: scene-setting (he is standing next to a car about to break in), the idea of crossing a boundary (he is maybe about to do an illegal thing for the first time), and a cliffhanger (we are thinking: is he going to get caught? Is he headed for a life of crime? Is he about to be scared straight?).

Great, Detailed Opening Story

More out of amusement than optimism, I gave it a try. I slid the hanger into the window's seal like I'd seen on crime shows, and spent a few minutes jiggling the apparatus around the inside of the frame.

It's the details that really make this small experience come alive. Notice how whenever he can, Stephen uses a more specific, descriptive word in place of a more generic one. The volunteers aren't going to get food or dinner; they're going for "Texas BBQ." The coat hanger comes from "a dumpster." Stephen doesn't just move the coat hanger—he "jiggles" it.

Details also help us visualize the emotions of the people in the scene. The person who hands Stephen the coat hanger isn't just uncomfortable or nervous; he "takes a few steps back"—a description of movement that conveys feelings. Finally, the detail of actual speech makes the scene pop. Instead of writing that the other guy asked him to unlock the van, Stephen has the guy actually say his own words in a way that sounds like a teenager talking.

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Turning a Specific Incident Into a Deeper Insight

Suddenly, two things simultaneously clicked. One was the lock on the door. (I actually succeeded in springing it.) The other was the realization that I'd been in this type of situation before. In fact, I'd been born into this type of situation.

Stephen makes the locked car experience a meaningful illustration of how he has learned to be resourceful and ready for anything, and he also makes this turn from the specific to the broad through an elegant play on the two meanings of the word "click."

Using Concrete Examples When Making Abstract Claims

My upbringing has numbed me to unpredictability and chaos. With a family of seven, my home was loud, messy, and spottily supervised. My siblings arguing, the dog barking, the phone ringing—all meant my house was functioning normally.

"Unpredictability and chaos" are very abstract, not easily visualized concepts. They could also mean any number of things—violence, abandonment, poverty, mental instability. By instantly following up with highly finite and unambiguous illustrations like "family of seven" and "siblings arguing, the dog barking, the phone ringing," Stephen grounds the abstraction in something that is easy to picture: a large, noisy family.

Using Small Bits of Humor and Casual Word Choice

My Dad, a retired Navy pilot, was away half the time. When he was home, he had a parenting style something like a drill sergeant. At the age of nine, I learned how to clear burning oil from the surface of water. My Dad considered this a critical life skill—you know, in case my aircraft carrier should ever get torpedoed.

Obviously, knowing how to clean burning oil is not high on the list of things every 9-year-old needs to know. To emphasize this, Stephen uses sarcasm by bringing up a situation that is clearly over-the-top: "in case my aircraft carrier should ever get torpedoed."

The humor also feels relaxed. Part of this is because he introduces it with the colloquial phrase "you know," so it sounds like he is talking to us in person. This approach also diffuses the potential discomfort of the reader with his father's strictness—since he is making jokes about it, clearly he is OK. Notice, though, that this doesn't occur very much in the essay. This helps keep the tone meaningful and serious rather than flippant.

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An Ending That Stretches the Insight Into the Future

But one day this fall, Dr. Hicks, our Head of School, asked me a question that he hoped all seniors would reflect on throughout the year: "How can I participate in a thing I do not govern, in the company of people I did not choose?"

The ending of the essay reveals that Stephen's life has been one long preparation for the future. He has emerged from chaos and his dad's approach to parenting as a person who can thrive in a world that he can't control.

This connection of past experience to current maturity and self-knowledge is a key element in all successful personal essays. Colleges are very much looking for mature, self-aware applicants. These are the qualities of successful college students, who will be able to navigate the independence college classes require and the responsibility and quasi-adulthood of college life.

What Could This Essay Do Even Better?

Even the best essays aren't perfect, and even the world's greatest writers will tell you that writing is never "finished"—just "due." So what would we tweak in this essay if we could?

Replace some of the clichéd language. Stephen uses handy phrases like "twists and turns" and "don't sweat the small stuff" as a kind of shorthand for explaining his relationship to chaos and unpredictability. But using too many of these ready-made expressions runs the risk of clouding out your own voice and replacing it with something expected and boring.

Use another example from recent life. Stephen's first example (breaking into the van in Laredo) is a great illustration of being resourceful in an unexpected situation. But his essay also emphasizes that he "learned to adapt" by being "different things to different people." It would be great to see how this plays out outside his family, either in the situation in Laredo or another context.

example of a blog essay

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Example 2: By Renner Kwittken, Tufts Class of '23 (Common App Essay, 645 words long)

My first dream job was to be a pickle truck driver. I saw it in my favorite book, Richard Scarry's "Cars and Trucks and Things That Go," and for some reason, I was absolutely obsessed with the idea of driving a giant pickle. Much to the discontent of my younger sister, I insisted that my parents read us that book as many nights as possible so we could find goldbug, a small little golden bug, on every page. I would imagine the wonderful life I would have: being a pig driving a giant pickle truck across the country, chasing and finding goldbug. I then moved on to wanting to be a Lego Master. Then an architect. Then a surgeon.

Then I discovered a real goldbug: gold nanoparticles that can reprogram macrophages to assist in killing tumors, produce clear images of them without sacrificing the subject, and heat them to obliteration.

Suddenly the destination of my pickle was clear.

I quickly became enveloped by the world of nanomedicine; I scoured articles about liposomes, polymeric micelles, dendrimers, targeting ligands, and self-assembling nanoparticles, all conquering cancer in some exotic way. Completely absorbed, I set out to find a mentor to dive even deeper into these topics. After several rejections, I was immensely grateful to receive an invitation to work alongside Dr. Sangeeta Ray at Johns Hopkins.

In the lab, Dr. Ray encouraged a great amount of autonomy to design and implement my own procedures. I chose to attack a problem that affects the entire field of nanomedicine: nanoparticles consistently fail to translate from animal studies into clinical trials. Jumping off recent literature, I set out to see if a pre-dose of a common chemotherapeutic could enhance nanoparticle delivery in aggressive prostate cancer, creating three novel constructs based on three different linear polymers, each using fluorescent dye (although no gold, sorry goldbug!). Though using radioactive isotopes like Gallium and Yttrium would have been incredible, as a 17-year-old, I unfortunately wasn't allowed in the same room as these radioactive materials (even though I took a Geiger counter to a pair of shoes and found them to be slightly dangerous).

I hadn't expected my hypothesis to work, as the research project would have ideally been led across two full years. Yet while there are still many optimizations and revisions to be done, I was thrilled to find -- with completely new nanoparticles that may one day mean future trials will use particles with the initials "RK-1" -- thatcyclophosphamide did indeed increase nanoparticle delivery to the tumor in a statistically significant way.

A secondary, unexpected research project was living alone in Baltimore, a new city to me, surrounded by people much older than I. Even with moving frequently between hotels, AirBnB's, and students' apartments, I strangely reveled in the freedom I had to enjoy my surroundings and form new friendships with graduate school students from the lab. We explored The Inner Harbor at night, attended a concert together one weekend, and even got to watch the Orioles lose (to nobody's surprise). Ironically, it's through these new friendships I discovered something unexpected: what I truly love is sharing research. Whether in a presentation or in a casual conversation, making others interested in science is perhaps more exciting to me than the research itself. This solidified a new pursuit to angle my love for writing towards illuminating science in ways people can understand, adding value to a society that can certainly benefit from more scientific literacy.

It seems fitting that my goals are still transforming: in Scarry's book, there is not just one goldbug, there is one on every page. With each new experience, I'm learning that it isn't the goldbug itself, but rather the act of searching for the goldbugs that will encourage, shape, and refine my ever-evolving passions. Regardless of the goldbug I seek -- I know my pickle truck has just begun its journey.

Renner takes a somewhat different approach than Stephen, but their essay is just as detailed and engaging. Let's go through some of the strengths of this essay.

One Clear Governing Metaphor

This essay is ultimately about two things: Renner’s dreams and future career goals, and Renner’s philosophy on goal-setting and achieving one’s dreams.

But instead of listing off all the amazing things they’ve done to pursue their dream of working in nanomedicine, Renner tells a powerful, unique story instead. To set up the narrative, Renner opens the essay by connecting their experiences with goal-setting and dream-chasing all the way back to a memorable childhood experience:

This lighthearted–but relevant!--story about the moment when Renner first developed a passion for a specific career (“finding the goldbug”) provides an anchor point for the rest of the essay. As Renner pivots to describing their current dreams and goals–working in nanomedicine–the metaphor of “finding the goldbug” is reflected in Renner’s experiments, rejections, and new discoveries.

Though Renner tells multiple stories about their quest to “find the goldbug,” or, in other words, pursue their passion, each story is connected by a unifying theme; namely, that as we search and grow over time, our goals will transform…and that’s okay! By the end of the essay, Renner uses the metaphor of “finding the goldbug” to reiterate the relevance of the opening story:

While the earlier parts of the essay convey Renner’s core message by showing, the final, concluding paragraph sums up Renner’s insights by telling. By briefly and clearly stating the relevance of the goldbug metaphor to their own philosophy on goals and dreams, Renner demonstrates their creativity, insight, and eagerness to grow and evolve as the journey continues into college.

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An Engaging, Individual Voice

This essay uses many techniques that make Renner sound genuine and make the reader feel like we already know them.

Technique #1: humor. Notice Renner's gentle and relaxed humor that lightly mocks their younger self's grand ambitions (this is different from the more sarcastic kind of humor used by Stephen in the first essay—you could never mistake one writer for the other).

My first dream job was to be a pickle truck driver.

I would imagine the wonderful life I would have: being a pig driving a giant pickle truck across the country, chasing and finding goldbug. I then moved on to wanting to be a Lego Master. Then an architect. Then a surgeon.

Renner gives a great example of how to use humor to your advantage in college essays. You don’t want to come off as too self-deprecating or sarcastic, but telling a lightheartedly humorous story about your younger self that also showcases how you’ve grown and changed over time can set the right tone for your entire essay.

Technique #2: intentional, eye-catching structure. The second technique is the way Renner uses a unique structure to bolster the tone and themes of their essay . The structure of your essay can have a major impact on how your ideas come across…so it’s important to give it just as much thought as the content of your essay!

For instance, Renner does a great job of using one-line paragraphs to create dramatic emphasis and to make clear transitions from one phase of the story to the next:

Suddenly the destination of my pickle car was clear.

Not only does the one-liner above signal that Renner is moving into a new phase of the narrative (their nanoparticle research experiences), it also tells the reader that this is a big moment in Renner’s story. It’s clear that Renner made a major discovery that changed the course of their goal pursuit and dream-chasing. Through structure, Renner conveys excitement and entices the reader to keep pushing forward to the next part of the story.

Technique #3: playing with syntax. The third technique is to use sentences of varying length, syntax, and structure. Most of the essay's written in standard English and uses grammatically correct sentences. However, at key moments, Renner emphasizes that the reader needs to sit up and pay attention by switching to short, colloquial, differently punctuated, and sometimes fragmented sentences.

Even with moving frequently between hotels, AirBnB's, and students' apartments, I strangely reveled in the freedom I had to enjoy my surroundings and form new friendships with graduate school students from the lab. We explored The Inner Harbor at night, attended a concert together one weekend, and even got to watch the Orioles lose (to nobody's surprise). Ironically, it's through these new friendships I discovered something unexpected: what I truly love is sharing research.

In the examples above, Renner switches adeptly between long, flowing sentences and quippy, telegraphic ones. At the same time, Renner uses these different sentence lengths intentionally. As they describe their experiences in new places, they use longer sentences to immerse the reader in the sights, smells, and sounds of those experiences. And when it’s time to get a big, key idea across, Renner switches to a short, punchy sentence to stop the reader in their tracks.

The varying syntax and sentence lengths pull the reader into the narrative and set up crucial “aha” moments when it’s most important…which is a surefire way to make any college essay stand out.

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Renner's essay is very strong, but there are still a few little things that could be improved.

Connecting the research experiences to the theme of “finding the goldbug.”  The essay begins and ends with Renner’s connection to the idea of “finding the goldbug.” And while this metaphor is deftly tied into the essay’s intro and conclusion, it isn’t entirely clear what Renner’s big findings were during the research experiences that are described in the middle of the essay. It would be great to add a sentence or two stating what Renner’s big takeaways (or “goldbugs”) were from these experiences, which add more cohesion to the essay as a whole.

Give more details about discovering the world of nanomedicine. It makes sense that Renner wants to get into the details of their big research experiences as quickly as possible. After all, these are the details that show Renner’s dedication to nanomedicine! But a smoother transition from the opening pickle car/goldbug story to Renner’s “real goldbug” of nanoparticles would help the reader understand why nanoparticles became Renner’s goldbug. Finding out why Renner is so motivated to study nanomedicine–and perhaps what put them on to this field of study–would help readers fully understand why Renner chose this path in the first place.

4 Essential Tips for Writing Your Own Essay

How can you use this discussion to better your own college essay? Here are some suggestions for ways to use this resource effectively.

#1: Get Help From the Experts

Getting your college applications together takes a lot of work and can be pretty intimidatin g. Essays are even more important than ever now that admissions processes are changing and schools are going test-optional and removing diversity standards thanks to new Supreme Court rulings .  If you want certified expert help that really makes a difference, get started with  PrepScholar’s Essay Editing and Coaching program. Our program can help you put together an incredible essay from idea to completion so that your application stands out from the crowd. We've helped students get into the best colleges in the United States, including Harvard, Stanford, and Yale.  If you're ready to take the next step and boost your odds of getting into your dream school, connect with our experts today .

#2: Read Other Essays to Get Ideas for Your Own

As you go through the essays we've compiled for you above, ask yourself the following questions:

  • Can you explain to yourself (or someone else!) why the opening sentence works well?
  • Look for the essay's detailed personal anecdote. What senses is the author describing? Can you easily picture the scene in your mind's eye?
  • Find the place where this anecdote bridges into a larger insight about the author. How does the essay connect the two? How does the anecdote work as an example of the author's characteristic, trait, or skill?
  • Check out the essay's tone. If it's funny, can you find the places where the humor comes from? If it's sad and moving, can you find the imagery and description of feelings that make you moved? If it's serious, can you see how word choice adds to this tone?

Make a note whenever you find an essay or part of an essay that you think was particularly well-written, and think about what you like about it . Is it funny? Does it help you really get to know the writer? Does it show what makes the writer unique? Once you have your list, keep it next to you while writing your essay to remind yourself to try and use those same techniques in your own essay.

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#3: Find Your "A-Ha!" Moment

All of these essays rely on connecting with the reader through a heartfelt, highly descriptive scene from the author's life. It can either be very dramatic (did you survive a plane crash?) or it can be completely mundane (did you finally beat your dad at Scrabble?). Either way, it should be personal and revealing about you, your personality, and the way you are now that you are entering the adult world.

Check out essays by authors like John Jeremiah Sullivan , Leslie Jamison , Hanif Abdurraqib , and Esmé Weijun Wang to get more examples of how to craft a compelling personal narrative.

#4: Start Early, Revise Often

Let me level with you: the best writing isn't writing at all. It's rewriting. And in order to have time to rewrite, you have to start way before the application deadline. My advice is to write your first draft at least two months before your applications are due.

Let it sit for a few days untouched. Then come back to it with fresh eyes and think critically about what you've written. What's extra? What's missing? What is in the wrong place? What doesn't make sense? Don't be afraid to take it apart and rearrange sections. Do this several times over, and your essay will be much better for it!

For more editing tips, check out a style guide like Dreyer's English or Eats, Shoots & Leaves .

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What's Next?

Still not sure which colleges you want to apply to? Our experts will show you how to make a college list that will help you choose a college that's right for you.

Interested in learning more about college essays? Check out our detailed breakdown of exactly how personal statements work in an application , some suggestions on what to avoid when writing your essay , and our guide to writing about your extracurricular activities .

Working on the rest of your application? Read what admissions officers wish applicants knew before applying .

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Anna scored in the 99th percentile on her SATs in high school, and went on to major in English at Princeton and to get her doctorate in English Literature at Columbia. She is passionate about improving student access to higher education.

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  • Essay on Literature

Blogging Essay Samples

Type of paper: Essay

Topic: Literature , Journalism , Blogging , Audience , Media , Public Relations , News , Information

Published: 03/02/2020

ORDER PAPER LIKE THIS

A blog is an informational or a site of discussion that is published and appears on the World Wide Web. A blog comprises posts, arranged in a chronological order. The word blog means to add or maintain content to a blog. An example of a blog is twitter. On the argument, “blogging and commentary on new stories provides a useful, narrative source of essential information”, one can barely oppose (Vivian, 2012). Many blogs are useful sources of information. The majority of the blogs are interactive and give an allowance of visitors to post comments and also text each other via GUI widgets that are on the blogs (Rowse 2012). In this sense, blogging is seen as a form of a Social Networking Service. Bloggers not only produce content to post on certain blogs, they help build social relations with other bloggers and readers. Some blogs provide commentaries on particular subjects, while others act as personal online diaries (Stone 2002). Typically, a blog brings together images, texts and links to other blogs. The fact that bloggers are able to comment on interactive formats is important as it also adds up as a source of information. On the second argument, “blogging is an annoying exercise and takes away from legitimate discourse regarding issues, and is typically riddled with bias”, there is a partial truth (Vivian, 2012). Many institutions see blogging as a mean of pushing information to the public directly. Other critics worry that bloggers neither respect the copyright, nor the role the mass media plays in presenting society with quality news. Blogging is not full of biases suggested by the second statement since one can decide what to post on a certain blog. Usually, a blog allows someone to vent their feelings by typing in the text where everyone can read what is going through one’s mind (Stone 2002). Of these, two statements, the second fails in expressing the demerits of blogging completely. Blogging is not annoying; on the contrary, it may be a way many people use to unwind when they are under stress. It may only be annoying since it may take long to post and update an entry on the blog (Vivian, 2012). The first statement is true since blogging is essential, especially when it comes to providing information. Employers can update their employees and even students can get help with their studies.

Print Media:

A number of issues like internal and external pressures affect the decisions a journalist makes on the stories to cover ways of interpreting certain issues and the emphasis to be placed on them (Cho 2012). It is these pressures that sometimes lead to unethical reporting, or bias. Journalists have to achieve relevance in the information they provide, and therefore, are forced to go for ways that apply news values that are attractive and can maintain an audience. Factors such as negativity, where people find bad information being more newsworthy than good information. Moreover, the fact that unexpected news has more impact than an event out of the ordinary makes news-gathering impose certain effects on the audience. The nature of certain pieces of news is an event that is beyond the control of a journalist. Journalists and editors, therefore are faced with the challenge of being the best in their code of ethics (Vivian, 2012). Researchers have suggested that the audience may interpret news as a risk signal. The news value of a story is determined by the amount of change it can cause and the relevance of the change for an individual or group. Certain factors as these, much as journalists would want to manage them affect news and the receptiveness of the news to an audience (Rowse 2012). Journalists are captives of the personal values and biases they bring to work. The value of a journalist is proven by their personal attributes and attitudes. Journalists have a responsibility to inform the crowd, and put to passion what they do. Journalism has many hurdles and is being said to come to a decline (Cho 2012). Journalists are naturally expected to be role models and to have good values. However, they are enslaved by these values at their work places. For example, a journalist may have to cover an investigative story that tackles a certain vice in society. It means that that journalist may have to use a fake identity to get through with the investigation and adapt into the lifestyle of that vice being investigated (Cho 2012). One journalist may find it easier to let go of his values and consider covering the story with more ease (Rowse 2012). Another may find it hard to let go of his values and let the story go. It may be inconveniencing since it may mean giving up one’s career as a journalist. On the other hand, if the career is kept, a journalist will feel that his values have been demeaned. Such a factor would qualify journalism to be a task since the values may enslave a journalist making them ineffective at their workplace (Vivian, 2012). There are concerns, however, that there is a need to work in journalism, research, as well as to apply stronger sociological reviews on the work journalists do (Rowse 2012).

References:

Cho, J. Blog, Inc. (2012) Blogging for Passion, Profit and to Create Community. San Francisco. Rowse, D. (2012) Pro Blogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income. John Wiley and Sons, New Jersey. Stone, B. (2002) Blogging: Genius Strategies for Instant Web Content. New Riders Publishing, Indianapolis. Vivian, J. (2012) The Media of Mass Communication. Allyn & Bacon, Incorporated, Boston,

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  1. Our 8-Step Guide for How to Write a Pro Blog Post

    The blog you're currently reading is an example of the former, while The Pioneer Woman is an example of the latter. Both are composed of blog posts, pieces of content that each cover a single topic and may (but don't have to!) include images and videos alongside the written content. Written content is a key component of a blog post.

  2. How to Write a Blog Post: A Step-by-Step Guide

    Blog Post Examples How to Write a Blog Post Let's get started with an important question. Blogging may mean different things depending on your niche — so let's begin with this definition. What is a blog post? A blog post is any article, news piece, or guide that's published in the blog section of a website.

  3. Sample Blog Entries

    Sample Blog Entries Sample Blog Entries Blogs are everywhere! This can be both wonderful and overwhelming. If you have an interest in a topic, all you have to do is search for that topic plus the word "blog," and you're likely to find some excellent blogs out there.

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    Ledes. The first sentence of a post should have a conversational tone and articulate the main point of the blog post. Internet readers can easily navigate away from a post, so making your lede interesting and to the point is important. Look at the opening lines from University of Wisconsin-Madison Antrhopology professor John Hawks' blog ...

  5. Example of a Great Essay

    This example guides you through the structure of an essay. It shows how to build an effective introduction, focused paragraphs, clear transitions between ideas, and a strong conclusion. Each paragraph addresses a single central point, introduced by a topic sentence, and each point is directly related to the thesis statement.

  6. 4 Simple Blog Post Templates (And When To Use Them)

    In this post, we'll cover four blog post templates to help you write great content faster, and when to use them. The List Post. The Step-By-Step Guide. The Expanded Definition. The Beginner's Guide. 1. The List Post. List posts, also known as listicles, are lists of tips, tools, techniques, myths, mistakes—anything that makes sense as a list.

  7. Blog Examples for Beginners: How to Write Your First Blog Post

    1. Directly in WordPress If your blog is powered by WordPress, you can always write your blog articles there. It keeps things easy and less complicated for you. Regardless of which writing tool you use, you're going to need to eventually copy it into WordPress. Since you are just getting started, WordPress might be the best tool to begin with.

  8. How to Write a Blog Post in 10 Steps

    How to Write a Blog Post in 10 Steps. Written by MasterClass. Last updated: Dec 15, 2021 • 5 min read. Writing blog posts can help an entrepreneur promote a business or help novelists supplement their creative writing. Therefore, the time spent learning how to write a blog post can serve as an investment in your broader career.

  9. How to Develop a Blog Writing Style (Create a Blog Style Guide)

    You might like to try out a few different ones to see what you enjoy writing—and what seems to resonate with your readers. 3. Keep Your Paragraphs Short. Blog posts are read on screens—and increasingly on tiny mobile screens. To make your posts as easy to read as possible, keep your paragraphs short.

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    Example + 5 Steps to Create One Creating blog posts that perform can seem like a game of roulette: sometimes you win, most times you don't. But by employing the right strategies, you can increase performance consistently and turn gambles into sure bets. See how we do it in this blog post example. Joey Hoelscher Rock Content Writer

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    Sample Essays The breadth of Georgetown's core curriculum means that students are required to write for a wide variety of academic disciplines. Below, we provide some student samples that exhibit the key features the most popular genres. When reading through these essays, we recommend paying attention to their 1.

  13. How To Write An Essay Style Blog Post

    The part "How to write an essay style blog post in 15 steps" is very interesting and helpful. Please, don't get offended, but in such a bulky article you didn't mentioned different types of essays. As we know different types of essays and essay-like blogs have their own definite features that differentiate them out of all the other genres.

  14. How To Write A Travel Blog: The Professional Travel Blog Writing Guide

    Every good blog post is like an essay. It needs to have a well-defined beginning, middle, and end. The intro to your blog post should be no more than 3-4 paragraphs and in the first paragraph, you should clearly outline what your post will be. Ideally, you should also mention why you're an authority on the topic.

  15. 20+ Blog Post Examples That You Can Use For Inspiration

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  16. How to Write a Five-Paragraph Essay, With Examples

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  17. 50+ Best Blog Examples (2023): Popular Blog Writing Examples

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  18. 15 Best Student Blog Examples

    Best Blog Examples For Students. 1. College Info Geek. College Info Geek is a blog started by Thomas Frank to help students become better students. The blog covers four major subjects which are; studying effectively, becoming more productive, starting a career, and living a better life as a student.

  19. 27 Outstanding College Essay Examples From Top Universities 2023

    27 Outstanding College Essay Examples From Top Universities 2023 One of the best ways to write a successful college essay for your college application is by learning from real college essay examples that worked. I've compiled a few of my favorite essay examples here that cover a variety of college essay topics. Need help writing your college essay?

  20. 14 College Essay Examples From Top-25 Universities (2023-2024

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  21. 177 College Essay Examples for 11 Schools + Expert Analysis

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  22. Essay Structure: The 3 Main Parts of an Essay

    Here are a few examples of thesis statements: In the final scene of The Awakening, Edna Pontellier's decision demonstrates that it was impossible for her to have the lifestyle she truly wanted in the society in which she lived. Due to its volatility and lack of government regulation, Bitcoin cannot become a viable currency for everyday purchases.

  23. Blog Essay Examples

    An example of a blog is twitter. On the argument, "blogging and commentary on new stories provides a useful, narrative source of essential information", one can barely oppose (Vivian, 2012). Many blogs are useful sources of information.