Synthesis of a blog post in steemit (and beyond)

The most common questions of someone starting their blog on steemit are: (a)What to write about; (b) How to research for my topic and (c) how to format my text in my blog? I have tried giving my point of view for the first two and I still owe you the third part of my series.

Before we start, you need to have your text written down, a short summary – introduction, main body (split in paragraphs) and a short outro (conclusion).

I will be getting into details immediately, but please take a moment and look at those three screen shots of previous posts by me.

The evolvement of my posts

The second image is of a very recent post of mine. It might seem nice, it has paragraphs but it has no headlines. This makes it difficult for someone to identify what interest them or what it is about. The third image is a more clear one. You understand almost immediately what it is about and the headlines help in identifying which part you wish to read.

My very first post in the first image is pure text, I did not even know anything about formatting then so it is normal.
When you look at it, it might seem intimidating to read it all at once! No introduction, no headlines, no formatting whatsoever. I am surprised it even got some attention back then.

STEP 1 - Choose your image, headline and first words wisely

Take some time and pick a representative image for your blog. The image + headline are the primary reasons someone will click or not your blog post.
_{(The other reason someone will upvote your post is that you are a whale, so you will get upvotes and clicks any ways – but if you are reading this, then I guess you are minnows like me :P)}
Note that 23 characters appear as a snippet when someone checks their feed on steemit on desktop and appx 27 on mobile.
You can check this post about how to create a catchy headline

STEP 2 - Write a short introductory paragraph about the topic of your post.

Take a few moments to craft a short paragraph of 2-3 sentences for your readers. This should be the most important points of your topic. It should be concise and easy to read. Do not be afraid to use bold text if necessary.

STEP 3 - Create Headlines

You are creating a post to be read. Headlines provide easy information to the readers about the contents of the post and about each of your paragraph. Sometimes they can even help you understand if you have a 'gap' in your text and where you can add or you should eliminate information

STEP 4 - Keep the paragraphs short

Paragraphs should be kept short and somewhere I have read that it is best if they have different sizes (I am not sure about this, you should come up with the best solution for you).

Each paragraph should have its own subject and when necessary, leave an empty line between them.

STEP 5 - Proof read and correct any grammar or spelling issues.

Grammar, spelling and punctuation are very important for your blog. Pay extra attention to them. After a comma, dot, or any other punctuation mark you should add one space.

This is not very correct,what do you think?Would you write it this way?
This is a bit more correct, do you agree? There should be spaces between the punctuation and next word.

Αν γράφετε Ελληνικά, προσοχή στους τόνους!

STEP 6 - Enhance with photos or videos

You may enhance your post with photos, videos, gifs but do not over do it! The images or videos should be relevant, it is best if they are not too big, if possible keep them centered or justified.
Remember that their main goal is to add information or rest the eye between too much text.

_source

STEP 7 - Craft a catchy closure

Whether it will be a conclusion, an outro, a synopsis, an assessment of your story, it is useful to craft it.
This paragraph should be pointing out what you have included in your body text, what you expect from others and anything else you find useful in order to make it stand out for your reader. Usually the ending is our conclusion and what the reader will remember most.

Note You do not know how someone landed to your blog. Steemit's original content comes high in the search engine's result page. I have seen blog posts that in the end write a small 'about me', that include social media accounts to follow. You can include anything suits you or even a 'Call to Action'¹ for people who read your post.

STEP 8 - Be Water .. my Friends; Be Water

As I had written down in one of my favorite posts, that I enjoyed so much crafting ... How to make the most out of steemit

Be consistent & Keep Writing. With every post improve your style, your quality of writing, your posting themes.
Bruce Lee has said "Running water never gets stale. So you just got to keep on flowing".. Be water :)