7 Not-so-Unique, but Effective Ideas for Your First Blog Post

So, you’ve set-up a blog and is now ready to publish your first blog post.

If you’re like many of the blogger colleagues I know, you’d probably been stuck on draft writing and editing and deleting words like a mad man, unable to finish even just one paragraph.

Believe me, even seasoned bloggers fall under the spell of a writer’s block every now and then.

If this sounds like you, don’t be ashamed. All big-named bloggers started feeling a bit lost, unsure what topics to write about, and how to deliver information that could entertain, educate, or engage readers.

Issues You May Have Writing Your First Blog Post

Whether you’re in it as a hobby or for the passive income blogging can bring, crafting the first blog post can be challenging because of several reasons. For some people, the reason may be personal (for example: writing is their biggest fear). For others, it may be due to simpler reasons such as:

• You’re not a writer by trade – Not all bloggers took up Journalism. Not all successful bloggers know the difference between passive and active voice. Don’t worry about all the technicalities – there are tools that can guide you through spelling, grammar, and even content flow (more on this later). 
• You don’t have a voice yet. – How do you want to be heard? Do you want to be an authority figure within your niche? A friendly guide to both experts and newbies? Or just someone who out to entertain? Writing the first blog post is hard because getting a voice takes time and more than one post to develop.
• You’re unsure of your goals – Is blogging a hobby? Are you planning to monetize it? Having no goals can be a reason why you’re having issues with your first blog post.

All your reasons and fears are understandable, but just like many things in life…in order to reach established-blog status, you have to start somewhere.

7 First Blog Post Ideas

When I say “first blog post,” this doesn’t include the About Me, Q&A or any similar pages. It should be just like any ordinary blog post, except this one will mark your first-ever post, which will probably haunt you in years to come.

Considering you’re still working on your voice/persona, writing skills and personal blogging goals, these first blog post examples can give you enough ideas to begin your online adventure:

1. Success stories/Inspirational

What or who inspired you to blog?

Readers love the underdogs, rags to riches, and other success stories. Since you’re just starting out as a blogger, the success story doesn’t have to be about you.

Just make sure the story is real and unique enough to hook your readers.

2. Lists

The recommended blog post word count is at least 1,000 words. If you are overwhelmed by the number, lists help break down your post to smaller chunks.

And since this is a first post, you can list down “things you plan to do with the blog (contests, annual meet-up, workshops, and the like,” “blogs you follow and why,” “topics you wish talk about,” and so on.

3. Add Shock Value

If sensationalism is your thing, use it to your advantage.

Get inspiration from your go-to tabloids, but keep it tasteful. First blog post examples that add shock value include:

• a shocking, but real, news (such as the headless chicken who lived for 18 months)
• impressive statistics
• cool historical tidbits (like Nintendo starting out as a card game company in 1889).
• unbelievable trivia (Google was willing to sell under $1 million)

Of course, the shock value you add should at least be connected to your niche.

4. Start with a Question

One of the quickest ways to grab the attention of a reader is to make them answer a question. 

If you’ve been a follower of other blogs before starting your own, you’ve probably read quite a lot of reader questions. They’re great because questions are conversation-starters.

And since blogging is a lot like a never-ending conversation between you and your readers, there’s no better way to get the conversation going than putting yourself out there on your first blog post.

You can ask readers for advice, recommendations, even complaints or scams (like what I do here on IveTriedThat.com). You’d be surprised how many people are willing to share what they know about a subject, product or service.

5. Be Funny

Start with a joke…or a funny story.

Making people laugh always leaves a good impression, as long as the joke is classy and on-topic.

Writing your style of humor into a blog post may seem hard, but as you develop your blogging voice, it’s easier to bring your humor into the writing as well.

6. Share Wisdom

Maybe your grandparents have given you plenty of wise words through the years. Maybe you’re wise beyond your years and have a lot to share.

Readers can easily differentiate bloggers whose words have substance. Begin your first blog post with a quote, a conventional saying that you’ve modernized, recently updated psychology tidbits, and so on.

Be careful in going overboard with this one, some readers may mistake your wisdom with arrogance or being a know-it-all.

7. Tease Your Readers

In some cases, teasing your readers with intentionally-incomplete information can hook them into reading your first blog post.

Introductions like:

• How do you like to learn the secrets of mind-reading?
• What if I told you that your smartphone can earn you $100 today?
• Do you want me to show you how to reach your goal by attracting positive energy?

…and so on can make readers curious and stay on your blog to learn your “secret.” Just make sure to make their stay worthwhile by actually sharing something of value. That’s how you make a repeat site visitor.

How to Write Your First Blog Post

Now that you’ve got some tried-and-tested, first blog post examples, it’s time to implement them into an actual post.

If you’re starting blogging from scratch with no knowledge of WordPress, keyword research, search engine optimization, and so on, I recommend you join Wealthy Affiliate and take part in their free training.  

Wealthy Affiliate’s Level 1 training is perfect for beginners, since it guides through building your first blog, preparing your keywords, and actually writing your first few pages and posts. Level 2 and beyond are geared for people with a bit of experience. Whichever skills-level you’re in, I bet you’ll appreciate the tasks-based training that make it easier to digest all the information you’re going to learn without getting overwhelmed.

Use the following steps as a to-do list with every blog post you craft (not just the first one):

1. Make an outline

Creating an outline helps you break down the number of words for every section of the post.

While you shouldn’t restrict your writing within these wordcounts, the estimates do help in squeezing everything into your blog post. This way, you won’t forget all the important stuff and at the same time, you’d avoid adding fluff. 

2. Research your keywords

Keywords make it easy for search engines to “find” your blog and the posts you publish.

Sprinkling your posts with keywords tell search engines (like Google, Yahoo and Bing) that the post is about that specific keyword.

For example, keywords like “investing for beginners” tells your readers and search engines that your post is about investment and your blog has elements of finance in it.

If you’re joining Wealthy Affiliate, you’re lucky because the built-in Jaaxy is one of the most advanced keyword tool out there and it’s free for all WA members. (FYI: Non-Wealthy Affiliate members pay $49 (Pro) or $99 (Enterprise) a month).

3. Write

Start big, start small, as long as you start writing today, everything will be okay.

The point here is to bring your ideas into text. Don’t fuss on grammar and article flow too much during this stage. Just write away.

Plus points if you’re a member of Wealthy Affiliate, since its SiteContent writing platform works like magic – it was designed with over 100 spelling/grammar checks, built-in with duplicate content checker, SEO analysis, structure analysis, and even vocabulary enhancement suggestions.

4. Attach Media (photos, videos, charts, etc.)

Insert photos, videos, infographics, charts, and other media you have into your blog post. Make sure it adds something to your content.

If you’re getting photos and videos online, be wary about copyright.

5. Proofread once, twice, or more

Proofreading separates the pros from the beginners.

This is where you should get fussy with typos, grammar and structure.

You don’t need to be a professional editor to do this. Just read your first blog post aloud, and you’ll hear it if something doesn’t sound right.

Read your draft as much as you can until you’re happy with the final draft. You can also ask somebody else (like a partner, parent, friend, etc.) to read it for you – having a second set of eyes won’t hurt.

The Bottom Line

Learning how to write your first blog post is just the first step. Actually publishing that post is a more challenging step, but you’ll need to go through it if you’re serious about blogging.

I hope these first blog post ideas can guide you through this exciting, money-making journey of blogging.

If you need more assistance, I recommend you join Wealthy Affiliate (I’m an active member there, too!). Ask the community about anything anytime, and you’ll receive answers from people all over the world.