How to Write a Blog Post … for Pastors: 6 Ideas
[ Read all the previous posts in the ‘I Help Pastors Blog’ series here ]
Enough though I’ve been trained in journalistic writing and worked as a professional newspaper reporter and copy editor, I admit … I still have a hard time writing blog posts — which could be labeled “blogger’s block.”
Writing in general is hard work. But writing blog posts is also drastically different from, say, writing an exegetical paper for seminary! Or an objective news story! Or manuscripting a sermon! (Although I think it might be close to that if you manuscript like I have in the past.)
To help you with writing your blog posts, here are a couple of thoughts on how pastors should approach writing blog posts:
1. Write with a specific audience in mind
Writing to a specific person helps me to get my blog posts going. If I really get stumped or can’t find the right tone or voice or words to express what I want to say, I simply think about one person in particular — whether it’s my wife, mom, a colleague, or lost person, etc. — and write the post in the same way I’d write an email to that particular person.
2. Write personally
What I mean is write to a specific person. Am I restating what I just said? Yes.
But I think it’s vital to write to people and not like you would in a sterile academic environment.
It’s a wierd community medium — blogging — and it requires a different style altogether. And if you’re having problems writing personally … here’s some advice:
Go to your email program, create a new email, and pretend you are writing to a specific person on whatever subject you’ve chosen. Write a subject line. And type the email as if you were writing to THAT specific person you want to reach with your post.
Then after you’re done, copy and paste into a blog post, using the subject line as your headline.
I’ve found this approach really helps me — especially as I’ve been writing this series.
3. Write for a ‘glocal’ audience
For a blogging pastor, you can think, in general, about two audiences: your congregation and the world (which, of course, includes your local community).
If you plan to blog JUST for the sake of your congregation, you’ll still get visits from all over the world too. It’s still amazing to me how Google and other search engines continue to push traffic my way — in a sometimes quirky way.
That’s why I suggest you blog with these two audiences in mind. With some effort, you can write for both.
4. Write casually, conversationally
Again, writing blog posts is different than writing for the newspapers I’ve worked for in the past. Blogging purists will tell you that blogs are to be conversations between people.
So here’s my advice: Write your blog posts like you talk to people in casual conversation at your Wednesday night fellowship dinners, or on the phone. Like your best friends. How do you talk to them? Relaxed and honest …
5. Write in your unique ‘voice’
A lot has been said in the history of writing about finding your unique writing voice. It’s a constant struggle for any writer.
It just takes time to find your blogging voice. I’ve been writing this blog since July and I’m still honing in my blog tone!
But whatever voice you end up writing in … make it readable and approachable.
Reading other blogs — especially some of the top 100 blog sites — is a great way to see good blog writing, and emulate them. With your own distinct flavor, of course!
6. Write short, concise posts
Some pastors write a lot … others post short, pithy entries 2-3 times a day.
I suggest pastors who are just starting in the blogosphere to keep their posts to between 100-200 words, and I remind them that that is about the size of most emails they already send.
MORE WRITING RESOURCES:
- William Zinsser’s book “On Writing Well” — it’s a classic. Even if you never get a blog or even say the word “blogging,” this is a must read for everyone!
- ProBlogger.net — Darren is a believer and worth the time. He writes on the topic of professional blogging, but it’s ALL applicable for blogging pastors. I’ve learned a lot surfing his awesome site
- CopyBlogger — Again, ProBlogger and CopyBlogger are two must-read blog sites.
- MicroPersuasion — He’s a PR professional and an “A-List” blogger … you can learn a lot by reading his posts and following his links.
Editorial Note: