Have you ever wondered what makes a blog great? What do the most read blogs have in common with each other? What is it that your readers really want? My name is Brad, I’m one of our Creative Pastors in Australia. I also love running, grew up in Alaska, and am an avid blog enthusiast. I’m going to share three keys to writing great blogs that can help you share your wisdom and expertise with the people who want it most.

1. Great blogs are personal.

Include a splash of yourself. An intro is a great place to tell the readers who you are and why they should listen to you. Write with your voice. To a certain extent, it should sound like you! The more that you can find your voice in your writing, the more believable your writing will be.

2. Great blogs are practical.

It’s true that as Christians we should love people. But if you can give practical ideas on how to show love for others in their place of work at Christmastime… THAT will be a great blog! The more specific and the more actionable the better. Your readers know that worship is important. But why? And what should they do about it? Our blogs that have the highest engagement on Hillsong Collected are those that are the most practical. Writing about how fun photography is… that’s ok. Writing about what settings to use on your Canon 5D to take great photos of a starry night sky in October… that’s GREAT!

3. Great blogs are point based.

Sorry if you’re more of a free spirit… The people want points. This ties into being practical but again, the blogs that generate the highest engagement are those with points. Three paragraphs about writing songs is ok. But “10 Tips on Writing Great Choruses” will attract readers through the title and be memorable in the content. Points should give the reader specific things to learn and specific things to do.

So now it’s over to you. You’re the expert. Your readers want to read what you have to write. Write what’s personal, practical, and include points and you’re well on your way to writing a great blog.