Follow this tutorial to make your own Blog Post Template and save TONS of TIME drafting blog posts.
Why You should Use a Blog Post Template
The idea here is that you want every blog post that you write to have the same look and feel. Do this for several reasons:
(1) You want you reader to know what to expect. You (should, I hope) use the same fonts and color theme in your graphics, because it is part of your brand. This is also true with your blog post format. I recently heard someone say that your brand is a promise to your readers that you will be the same no matter when or where they see you. My using a post template, your readers know what to expect, making reading your blog easier and more enjoyable.
(2) You will save TIME. Why waste time reinventing the wheel for every single blog post? When you use a template instead, drafting a blog post becomes more like “filling in the blanks” – saving you TIME and BRAINPOWER! Save both of those things for generating great content and ideas.
DISCLAIMER: This does NOT mean that you get to enter “autopilot” mode when you write a blog post. You still want to generate quality content. But instead of focusing time and energy on a creative post layout, focus that time and energy on editing beautiful pictures and writing entertaining copy.
How to make your own Blog Post Template
At this point in my blogging journey, I have 4 basic Blog Post Templates:
- DIY Tutorial
- Roundup or Shopping Guide
- Slide Show (I know these are super controversial, and I will share my opinions on them in a later blog post!)
- Recipe
I am going to run you through my basic “DIY Tutorial” blog post. This is the basic format of my standard DIY Tutorial blog post. Depending on your blog’s niche, this will likely look different for everybody.
If you want to see this template in action, check out my tutorial for DIY Image Transfer Candles.
If you have been blogging for a while, you probably have an idea of the basic structure you use for a regular old blog post – you know the disclaimer that you copy and paste into each post when using affiliate links, the supply list, perhaps an image or two that go into every single post. Here’s how to pre-populate these items into every blog post:
Step 1: Enter your blog post “skeleton” into a new post. Alternatively, if you have an existing blog post that perfectly follows your post format, you can copy it and scrub out the post-specific information.
Step 2: Click from the “Visual” tab to the “Text” tab. Highlight all of the text (CTRL+A). Paste the text into a work document that is in a handy location. I use my Google Drive, but a folder on your computer’s desktop is another great idea.
Step 3: When it is time to write your next blog post, open this Word document. Copy and paste the text into the “Text” tab of your new blog post. Click back over to the “Visual” tab, and fill in the blanks – so to speak.
That’s it!
It may not seem like much, but trust me: using templates has saved me so much time and really helped keep me on track when drafting blog posts. When you want to be an Efficient Blogger, every minute counts!
For more Efficient Blogging tutorials, click here.
I recently started blogging few weeks ago and this tutorial gives me a great insight on how my DIY Tutorial should look like.. Exactly what I was looking for… Thank you so much!!
So happy you found the tutorial helpful!