There’s the common misconception that you need to be a journalist or an expert in a specialised field to write an article or a blog; I’m here to confirm to you that this is not the case.

The beauty of the modern-day tech world is that everyone has the opportunity to have a voice on a global platform and present their thoughts and opinions to an audience pool with differing opinions.

Blog posts allow you to voice your viewpoint on topics you choose to share with likeminded individuals and as a way to share your passion.

Here at Box Legal, we love a good blog post and with that in mind, we want to enable you to explore your creativity and give you the building blocks to flourish in your own writing space. 

Choose your subject area

Before writing your blog, you need to determine what you want to write about. It’s important to choose something that you feel passionate about, so that you can hold a strong point of view in the thoughts and opinions you may share on the topic.

There are a wide range of subjects that you may be interested in and its up to you to choose whether you have enough to say on the matter that you can put out there in the ‘writer-sphere’.

Despite this point, you may choose to write about something that you’ve never really explored before; the beauty of blogging is it is what you make it.

For example, many topics can interlink with other subject areas in weird and wonderful ways – it’s how you use your viewpoint and writing style to put an interesting twist on topics in your subject area.

Research

Research is quintessential in developing a blog post, as you discuss something that as the potential to go in depth. Through researching your chosen topic, you can build a stronger opinion and understanding about what you are discussing.

You may even learn a thing or two that you didn’t know about before, which could generate some more writing content for you to use at a later date.

It is important to note that readers may use your content as a source of information and research for themselves, too. If you want your blog to establish yourself as someone who is knowledgeable within the field you are discussing, it is imperative that the information you are relaying is factual.

In providing information that can be widely damaging for yourself and anything/anyone discussed, which can lead to significant consequences, including damaging legal risks. 

So, make sure to check, check, and check again!

Establish your structure and tone

Writing tones vary from person to person – it’s the element that gives writing personality. Readers can determine a lot about you from this and could be factor in whether they choose to continue to read your post. However, your tone is completely within your control, therefore you need to establish how you want your post to read. Do you want a friendly, light-hearted tone or do you want a formal tone?

Your tone also relates to the language you use within your writing. For example, deciding to use specialised jargon can determine whether your content is targeted towards people who are already within the field you are writing about or whether you are using it as an educational piece. Therefore, ahead of this, it is important to choose what audience you want to direct your content to.

It is also imperative to mention that when composing your blog post that you are need sensitive in the opinions and tone that you share throughout. Using the wrong language or sharing strong opinions runs the risk of offending readers. This could lead to detrimental consequences that have the potential to be career damaging.

Pick your platform

You don’t need to be a tech-whizz to set up a page to give yourself a voice; There are a wide variety of website development sites nowadays, offering a wide range of functions and features to support you on your blogging journey to grow your platform and make you look professional without doing all the heavy website development work.

Here are a range of blogging platforms that we can recommend:

• WordPress

WordPress is the best platform for bloggers who want to have complete control over their websites. With its endless customisation options comes the requirement for some level of coding knowledge, or the ability to follow a technical tutorial.

• Wix

Wix is a great platform for bloggers who want a simple, easy-to-use platform with drag-and-drop functionality. It’s perfect for beginners, and you can create a website or blog for free with Wix.com. There are also many paid plans available if you want to add more features to your website. It also has a mobile app, so you can easily update your blog on the go.

• SquareSpace

SquareSpace is a website builder and hosting platform that allows users to create and edit websites. It’s known for its sleek designs and easy-to-use features; choose from a variety of templates and then customise the design with your own content.

Best Blogging Platforms Of 2023 – Forbes Advisor UK

However, if long writing styles are not your forte there are alternative routes. Blogging can come in shapes and forms of untraditional formats, like social media, whilst still fulfilling a blogging-like function.

• Twitter/X

Twitter is widely renown for being a platform where people share their opinions and … . Many journalists and academics use it to share comments on current affairs, but also to interact with others sharing their opinions.

Once again, there is no requirement for you to be a journalist or an academic, but this is a great place where you can test the waters for your writing style and provides you with the opportunity to see what other people are discussing in an easy way.

• Instagram

If you wish to have a bit more to say and do not want to limit yourself to a word count, Instagram could be a strong route for you to choose.

Instagram holds the reputation to be the place for food bloggers, influencers, etc. – all people who have something to share and say. The platform is becoming more appealing for bloggers across all different sectors, including construction, law, and business.

The platform can also allow you to explore your creativity in photography, video, and graphics to make your content look appealing to read, too.

• LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a hybrid version of a blogging platform, being widely known for functionality it has in connecting likeminded individuals.

When pushing content out to your existing following, you will already be somewhat established. Your connections will be interested in what you have to say, due to a likely shared passion or understanding about the subject you discuss.

But additionally, you can direct your content to reach the audiences and specific people you want to reach. It all depends on how you wish to market your content.

Write your first post

Now you’ve got all of your building blocks to create your first post, it’s time to put fingers to the keyboard and get typing.

By piecing this advice together, you have a baseline to work with in starting your online writing journey.

The important thing to carry throughout starting your writing journey is that you define your own content, and you can make it whatever you want it to be.