Why You Need to Write A Blog Series, and How to Do It

By Megan Hicks

There’s much more to blogging than just writing articles. You already know that you can provide readers with infographics, videos, and more. Creating a blog post series is one way you can show readers that you’re a blogging rockstar. Here’s why you should consider creating a series, and how to do it the right way.

7 Reasons to Write a Series of Posts on Your Blog

Writing more than one post on a single topic comes with many benefits. Here are seven reasons you should write a series for your readers:

When visitors read sequential posts, your traffic is boosted. If readers are engaged by your first post in a series, they will wait, in anticipation, for your next one.

1. When visitors read sequential posts, your traffic is boosted. If readers are engaged by your first post in a series, they will wait, in anticipation, for your next one.
2. You will easily tie content together in a deliberate way.  
3. A series can become your website’s most attractive content (and increase ROI).
4. You will intentionally be planning new content.
5. Authority will be developed about the topic at hand.
6. A series will provide you with strong keyword association within your site, increasing SEO value.
7. An effective blog series can later be repurposed into a podcast or even a course.

When you write a series, your current readers are the first to see it. If they like what you’re saying, their mouths will water for more. As they read the following posts, they’re more likely to share, and boost your traffic. Later, as new visitors reach your site, they will read more than one post in your series before moving away. The longer they are on your site, the more likely they are to convert. Series are a great way to build a following, authority on a given topic, and increase your conversions.

Here’s How to Get Started Writing Your Series:

There’s a set of easy, actionable steps that will help you create an engaging blog post series, and start increasing site conversion. Here it is:

1. Choose a Main Topic, and Create an Outline of the Most Important Points

Once you have your topic set, you need to come up with an outline of what each post will cover.  The main points within your topic will each take up an entire post, so make sure you’ll be able to find enough information to elaborate upon each item.

2. Create a Table of Contents for Your Series

Once you have your topic and outline created, you can transfer the points to a table of contents. Rather than using the table for content within a single post, you can link out to each post from within the table, and use it for easy navigation to the pages. Include your table on a landing page, and on each post within the series. For those posts that haven’t been published yet, be sure to trigger a subscription form, rather than a blank page.

3. Choose What Format You Will Use for Each Post

Just because your first post is text, this doesn’t mean that all of them have to be. You may be better able to get your point across video, infographics, or something else. If you aren’t sure, you can learn how to choose the right format for a blog post (you’ll want to know what has engaged readers in the past, and more).

4. Write a Draft of Each Post

Before you ever publish your first post in a series, make sure that you have first drafts of each post. Note: as a content creator, editing will make all the difference in the world. You want to write everything out in the beginning so that you can look at the entire body, initially, making sure it flows well, and makes sense. If you skip this step, you will miss out on a world of value for your reader.

5. Plan Your Posting Schedule and Outreach Strategy

Once you have the drafts in place, you are ready to choose the best dates for your content to go out, and your strategy for getting it out to the public. Ask yourself what your emails should include, which social media platforms you are going to use, and if you should reach out to any authorities for help with sharing. Planning will optimize the results of your reach.

6. Make Final Edits, and Execute Your Plan

Once the planning is complete, you’re ready to go through each post, make final edits, and execute your outreach strategy. The only advice you should heed here is to make sure to check in on your plan to see how well it is working. The reality is that changes have to be made to marketing strategies to fine-tune them for each audience.

“Writing, painting and eating cakes are among Megan’s passions. She is working at Write This Essay as a content marketer right now.”