For me, I always start out with a question:

Can my reader learn one important point by reading this post, with no more than three supporting sub categories?

And I start writing from there.

People don’t want to read through pages and pages of information to learn all about one subject. That’s what we have books for. Instead when they come to your blog, they come with one question in mind. Your blog post should be the answer to that one question.

If they wonder, “What’s the best macaroni and cheese recipe for kids” your post entitled, “The Best Mac N Cheese Recipe For Kids” will surly get them what they need.

If they search for, “Using Twitter For My Consulting Business” and your blog post is titled, “4 Ways Consultants Can Use Twitter To Bring In Clients” they know what they’ll quickly learn by reading your post.

If your title is clear, chances are the content will be as well.

From there, I make sure I don’t drift off into territory that’s not directly related to my title. People come for one reason only. They get what they came for and move on. To provide more in that one post dilutes your message, and doesn’t allow your reader to develop a relationship with you in their own time.

If they want to learn more, they’ll click around. If they like what you have to say, they’ll do more research. Or sign up for your offers. The key is they’ll do it in their time and in their manner, not yours.

Related posts:

1. The 5 Stages Of Writing The Perfect Blog Post
2. Do You Write A Blog Post For The Search Engines Or Your Reader?
3. Reusing Your Blog Posts