We all know that Be a Freelance Blogger is the place to go when you want to learn how to become a better freelance blogger. There are articles on how to get hired, how to “stay sane” while working, and how to get paid what you deserve.

Most importantly perhaps, BAFB is great about sharing how to write pitches that “sell” your blog posts. The quarterly Pitchfest contests are great for that – showing freelance bloggers exactly what needs to be said in order to get an idea accepted by an editor or potential client.

However, writing the best pitch in the world won’t do you any good if you can’t deliver on the final product.

As strange as it may sound, a lot of “freelance bloggers” out there simply don’t know how to write a great blog post!

We’ve gotten so caught up in what comes next – getting a raise, or what have you – that we’ve ignored the most basic element of our jobs: Writing blog posts that captivate our audiences and please our clients.

So, whether you’re a complete newbie or an established blogger, let’s go over the basics. Here are eight elements each of your blog posts needs in order to succeed:

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The hours of diligent studying have paid off; you’ve got your first gig as a freelance blogger!  You know you should be excited, and you have a great idea for a post.

But your head is full of doubts. Is it enough to just write a post? Will my client’s audience be able to find it? What happens if no one reads it?

You’re scared your client will think you’re an amateur. But there is good news! Improving the visibility of web content in search results is no secret, nor will it take you weeks to learn how to do it.

In fact, you can optimize your blog posts and make them search engine friendly in six steps using some simple SEO techniques.

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Lean in closer, because we’re about to embark on a journey into the human mind to discover what makes people tick.

No, this is not whackadackary stuff. This is a deep dive into the science of our brain matter.

You see, we may think we’re captain of the ship “Me.” But science shows that, more often than not, we’re driven by mental scripts, urges, and subconscious cues.

This is interesting because as bloggers we need to continually challenge ourselves to improve our writing. We want our clients to say “WOW your writing pops,” right?

Well, one of the reasons psychologists rely on theory rather than common sense is that common sense isn’t common. That, and because theory is more reliable in producing a consistent result.

If you want to create content for your clients that always gets consistent, reliable results — but right now you lack the skills, ideas, and structure to do it — these principles could provide the answer.

Let’s delve into some brain matter and explore what science says about reaching people on a deeper level. And to make this as practical as possible, along the way I’ll share examples to demonstrate how to use the principles to create fresh, interesting and more compelling content. 

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Are you one of those bloggers who wants to bury your head in the sand on hearing how VISUAL the online world is these days — who wails inwardly, “But I’m a WRITER!”?

Does your knowledge of “adding visuals” stop at copying and pasting clip art?

Do you envy magazine-article and picture-book writers who can leave the whole task of finding visuals to the publisher?

I understand; I could answer “yes” to all the above. But let’s face it: you can’t be an entrepreneur and expect the market to make all the allowances for taste. So here’s a simple guide for word-brained writers to get to grips with creating visual media for their blog posts. 

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We modern humans have very little tolerance for crappy business ethics.

Companies that choose to exploit human labor, ruin the environment, do business with shady suppliers, or adopt creative financial practices pretty much get a death sentence.

And we have one specific entity to thank for that: the internet.

For better or worse, we have a torrent of information available to us 24/7. As with any type of news, business wrong-doing spreads like wildfire; our social media feeds are bursting with the latest corporate scandal within minutes.

Business is changing for the better because we now demand and expect better. And this wouldn’t have happened without the spread of information and transparency made possible by the internet.

OK, great. But what does all this mean for you, a freelance blogger? 

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