Hi There.: How To Use These Blog Post Templates
Hi There.: How To Use These Blog Post Templates
Hi There.: How To Use These Blog Post Templates
Copy and paste the template of your choice into a new document.
↓↓↓
How to Use These Blog Post Templates
1) Select the blog post template type you want to use for your assignment (there is a table
of content below).
2) Copy the contents of each template into a fresh document in case you need to access
the template again.
3) Fill in the [bracketed] copy with information about your blog post, and delete italicized
instructions after reading them.
4) Delete, add, or alter any headings, section, or content that you see fit. Remember these
templates should be adjusted for your audience.
5) Review the checklist, upload your blog post into your CMS, and hit publish!
Table of Contents
1) “How to” Blog Post Template
2) Infographic Blog Post Template
3) List Blog Post Template
4) Newsjacking Blog Post Template
5) Pillar Page Blog Post Template
6) “What is” Blog Post Template
“How to” blog posts provide your readers with a step-by-step guide to doing, well, anything. These blogs
are also an amazing opportunity for your company to position itself as customer-focused and selfless, as
you’re laying out a tactical approach to fixing a problem or addressing a need without asking for anything
in return. This helps to make your brand synonymous with trust.
Writing these posts can also help your blog rank for Google’s featured snippet – the box that appears in
Google search results with a few dozen words answering the question. You can see an example of this
below.
“How to” blog posts are best for the following blog posts:
● Math and equation explanations [i.e. “How to Calculate Net Promoter Score”].
● Providing a way of thinking about or approaching an obscure task [i.e. “How to Set & Achieve
Marketing Objectives”].
● Outlining step-by-step instructions to an easily addressable task [i.e. “How to Block Websites on
Chrome Desktop and Mobile”].
Outline: [Blog Post Title]
Keyword: [Enter Targeted Keyword]
Keyword MSV: [Enter Targeted Keyword’s Monthly Search Volume]
Author: [Enter Author Name]
Due Date: [Enter Due Date]
Publish Date: [Enter Desired Publish Date]
Buyer Persona: [Enter Targeted Reader and/or Buyer Persona]
Introduction
Lead into the post with a short 100-200 word introduction. Be sure to highlight:
After defining the term, explain why it’s important for the reader to understand the idea and/or know how
to do what you’re writing about.
How to [Task]
This section should make up the bulk of the writing in your blog post. It’s enormously important for each
step to have its own section header for optimal organization, clarity for the reader, and search engine
optimization. Additionally, breaking instructions up by sections also lets you include visual aids for each
step as needed in the form of a GIF, image, or video.
It’s important to remember to be clear, concise, and accurate in the steps you provide your readers. Any
extra “fluff” to the article may confuse them, resulting in some readers not achieving the results they
intended.
If what you’re explaining how to do is solve an equation (i.e. “How to Calculate Break Even”), provide a
step-by-step explanation and example of how to calculate the rate, point, or number you’re explaining
how to reach. Show all of your work so the reader can follow along easily.
If you feel the step-by-step approach is sufficient, you can choose not to include this section.
Closing
Wrap up your amazing new blog post with a great closing. Remind your readers of the key takeaway you
want them to walk away with and consider pointing them to other resources you have on your website.
Call-to-Action
Last but not least, place a call-to-action at the bottom of your blog post. This should be to a lead-
generating piece of content or to a sales-focused landing page for a demo or consultation. For example,
if your product or service helps your readers do what it is they searched “how to” do, or if you have a
template in your content resource library that does what they searched “how to” do, that would be a
perfect CTA for this post.
For infographic blog posts, the infographic itself should do most of the talking and take up the bulk of the
real estate in the blog body. However, there’s still the need for copy before and sometimes even after the
infographic to help set up and elaborate on the ideas within the image, and to help the post rank on search
engines.
Below is a template outline for you to plan the copy for your infographic post. If you’re looking for
templates to help you design your actual infographic, click here for 15 free infographic templates.
Outline: [Blog Post Title]
Keyword: [Enter Targeted Keyword]
Keyword MSV: [Enter Targeted Keyword’s Monthly Search Volume]
Author: [Enter Author Name]
Due Date: [Enter Due Date]
Publish Date: [Enter Desired Publish Date]
Buyer Persona: [Enter Targeted Reader and/or Buyer Persona]
Introduction
Lead up to the infographic with a short 100-200 word introduction. Be sure to highlight:
Infographic
Upload the image of your infographic. Make sure the alt-text for the infographic image is your desired
keyword.
If you feel it’s necessary, copy the wording from the original infographic into this section and add more
context, backlinks, sources, and information. You can also use this as an opportunity to help the post
rank, as search engines can crawl the text in the body of a blog post.
However, if you feel your infographic gets the point across on its own and doesn’t need elaboration, feel
free to skip this section.
Closing
Provide some closing context pertaining to the infographic and summarize its implications.
Call-to-Action
Last but not least, place a call-to-action at the bottom of your blog post. This should be to a lead-
generating piece of content or to a sales-focused landing page for a demo or consultation.
List blog posts are exactly what they sound like – a blog post listing off examples, resources, or tips
pertaining to a topic your readers will love, are interested in, or would benefit from knowing more about.
List posts can range from as low as three to as high as 100+, though the sweet spot that most bloggers
gravitate towards tends to be between five and 20.
Another perk of the list approach to blog posts is that it is appropriate for every stage for the buyer’s
journey. As an example, a digital marketing agency could see success with an awareness post titled “The
10 Social Media Trends Your Company Can’t Ignore” and with a decision stage post titled “3 Qualities to
Look For in a Marketing Agency.”
Need some suggestions for your list post? You can list out any of the following:
● Examples [8 of the Best Professional Bio Examples We've Ever Seen [+ Bio Templates]]
● Steps [3 Steps to Do Your Best Work, No Matter Where You Are in Your Career]
● Tips [19 Tips to Leave the Perfect Sales Voicemail]
● Ways to Do Something [10 Impressive Ways to Start a Cover Letter [+ Examples]]
● Ideas [31 Secret Santa Gift Ideas Your Coworkers Will Love]
● Statistics [23 Remarkable Twitter Statistics to Be Aware of in 2019]
● Facts [9 Interesting Facts About List Posts]
● Myths [The 20 Most Dangerous Sales Myths You Shouldn't Fall For]
Outline: [Blog Post Title]
Keyword: [Enter Targeted Keyword]
Keyword MSV: [Enter Targeted Keyword’s Monthly Search Volume]
Author: [Enter Author Name]
Due Date: [Enter Due Date]
Publish Date: [Enter Desired Publish Date]
Buyer Persona: [Enter Targeted Reader and/or Buyer Persona]
Introduction
Lead into the post with a short 100-200 word introduction. Be sure to highlight:
If you feel the topic is universally understood and respected, you may not need to include this section and
could benefit by going right to the list.
If your list is made up of examples from real people or businesses, take the opportunity to embed
evidence of the example with an image, a video, or a social media post of that example. This adds
additional context as to why you’re including each example on your list and helps break up an otherwise
text-heavy blog post with other types of content.
Closing
Wrap up your amazing new blog post with a great closing. Remind your readers of the key takeaway you
want them to walk away with and what everything on your list has in common or suggests to the reader.
Call-to-Action
Last but not least, place a call-to-action at the bottom of your blog post. This should be to a lead-
generating piece of content or to a sales-focused landing page for a demo or consultation.
Newsjacking refers to the practice of capitalizing on the popularity of a news story to amplify your sales
and marketing success. The term was popularized due to David Meerman Scott's book Newsjacking: How
to Inject Your Ideas into a Breaking News Story and Generate Tons of Media Coverage .
There are two different approaches to newsjacking: the immediate rundown of what’s happening and the
look back of what happened (alongside what to expect after the initial news break settles). Alternatively,
you could publish an initial post to alert readers of the breaking news, and then edit once more details
arise.
One thing to note with newsjacking: if the topic is or could be perceived as sensitive, be very careful with
your writing and positioning. Your decision to cover the story and/or the approach you take in your post
could be controversial and negatively impact your brand.
Outline: [Blog Post Title]
Link to Original Story: [Insert Link if Available]
Author: [Enter Author Name]
Due Date: [Enter Due Date]
Publish Date: [Enter Desired Publish Date]
Buyer Persona: [Enter Targeted Reader and/or Buyer Persona]
Introduction
Lead into the post with a short 100-200 word introduction. Be sure to highlight:
● The quick facts as they are known, with a link to the original story if available.
● The reason why what you’re talking about is important.
● Who, what industry, or what sector of the industry this applies to.
● What you’ll be covering [i.e. “in this post, we’ll explain what has reportedly happened, how it
may affect your company, and provide four tips for what to do next.”].
What Happened
Flesh out the story in more detail than in the intro with more background, information, and sources. Keep
the first part of this section factual, and if you feel compelled to, input your opinion on the story
afterwards.
Inserting your opinion can be a questionable move, so make sure you get the okay from appropriate
stakeholders before publishing opinions – particularly on sensitive news stories.
If you do wish to provide your own opinion on what to do next, make it clear that these next steps are
suggestions as to what a reader may consider doing – not requirements.
Closing
Wrap up your amazing new blog post with a great closing. Remind your readers of the key takeaway you
want them to walk away with and remind them to check back in to this page with any updates if the story
is ongoing.
Call-to-Action
Last but not least, place a call-to-action at the bottom of your blog post. This should be to a lead-
generating piece of content or to a sales-focused landing page for a demo or consultation. For a
newsjacking piece, consider putting a CTA for your blog subscription so readers can stay up-to-date with
related stories that you cover.
You can support a pillar page with other related blog posts that link out to this pillar page, known as
“cluster” posts. (Quick note: if this pillar-cluster model is new to you, learn all about what it is and how
the HubSpot team rolled it out it on our blog here.)
Your pillar pages should be the most in-depth writing you’ve ever compiled on a subject on your blog to
date. This is because you’ll have multiple places on the post to work in your keyword and backlink from
reputable sources, showing search engines you’re the place to point to for a given topic.
If you think the pages will be longer than your usual posts, you’re right – one of HubSpot’s pillar pages
takes an estimated 45 minutes to read! However, that’s definitely an outlier. Your pillar page length,
pending on the depth of the subject matter, can range anywhere from 2,000 - 5,000 words. Because of this
length, it’s recommended that you include at least one piece of interactive content in your pillar page –
such as an embedded video or social media post – to break up this text-heavy post.
Here are a few examples of pillar pages we’re proud of here at HubSpot. You may notice that we linked
to all of the other blog posts we wrote in this topic cluster – something you should do, too.
Introduction
Lead into the post with a short 100-200 word introduction. Be sure to highlight:
Note: Choose the Sections from the Bank Below That You Think
Will Fit Well in Your Pillar Page
Below are a few sections that would do well in a pillar page. Depending on your topic, pick the sections
that you think would do best on your page.
Keep in mind – the bank below contains suggested sections. If you believe your pillar page needs a
section that is not listed below, you should absolutely include it.
You’ll also notice a prompt at the end of each section to link to a supporting cluster post. For example, if
you’re writing The Ultimate Guide to Cooking and include a section about cooking pizza, you may want
to link to your blog post about Italian food in that section to strengthen your on-page and website SEO.
These pages should be hyperlinked naturally at some point in the body of that section.
What is [Term] (and Why Does it Matter)?
Some readers might be new to what you’re writing about. Obviously, if what you’re writing about is well-
known, you can skip the definition and head straight to why it matters.
Explaining why the term or concept matters is important for the reader to understand how to do or use
what it is you’re writing about. Talk about the personal and/or business implications of understanding,
employing, or using the topic you’re writing about.
Terms to Know
List out and define a few of the key terms pertaining to your topic, especially if they’re mentioned
elsewhere in the post.
# Examples of [Term]
Proof points are immensely helpful for readers. Let’s say you’re covering the topic of product placement.
This section could include 5 - 10 videos of product placement in film and television so readers can see the
idea of it in action.
How to [Task/Term]
If your pillar page is dedicated to a concept that requires or benefits from a step-by-step process, outline
those steps in this section.
It’s important to be clear, concise, and accurate in the steps you provide your reader. Any extra “fluff”
to the article may confuse someone, resulting in some readers not achieving the results they intended.
If what you’re explaining how to do is solve an equation (i.e. “How to Calculate Break Even). provide a
step-by-step explanation and example of how to calculate the rate, point, or number you’re explaining
how to reach. Show all of your work so the reader can follow along effortlessly.
Analyzing [Term]
If your topic pertains to business or businesses, give an overview of how and why to analyze your topic
and how to differentiate between good and bad in the results of that analysis.
Closing
Wrap up your amazing new blog post with a great closing. Remind your readers of the key takeaway you
want them to walk away with and consider pointing them to other resources you have on your website.
Call-to-Action
Last but not least, place a call-to-action at the bottom of your blog post. This should be to a lead-
generating piece of content or to a sales-focused landing page for a demo or consultation.
Checklist Before Publishing
❏ Did you provide a thorough, all-encompassing rundown of the topic you’re writing about?
❏ Did you provide relevant examples and accurate facts and stats to prove your understanding of
the concept?
❏ Did you properly cite and backlink your sources?
❏ Did you link to all of your supporting blog posts in the cluster?
❏ Did you go back to those posts and link to this pillar page?
❏ Did you spell check and proofread?
❏ Are there at least 2-3 images?
❏ Is the post 2,000 words at minimum?
❏ Is there at least one piece of interactive content embedded in the body (video, social media post,
calculator, podcast, audio file)?
How to Write a “What is” Blog Post
How often do you find yourself typing “what is [blank]” into Google? Weekly? Daily? Hourly?
Sometimes, your readers just need a quick answer to a question. Enter: the “what is” blog post. This is the
opportunity for you to answer that question – and provide further details on the topic for the readers that
want them (and, of course, to help your post rank better).
Writing these posts can also help your be chosen for Google’s featured snippet – the box that appears in
Google search results with a few dozen words answering the question people search for. You can see an
example of this below.
As you may be able to tell from the example above, the “what is” blog post can also take the form of a
“when is,” “who is,” or “why is” blog. You can follow the same general guidelines for these posts as you
would for a “what is” post.
“What is” blog posts are best for the following blog post ideas:
● Defining a term and/or a concept [i.e. “What is Marketing?”].
● Math and equation explanations [i.e. “What is First Call Resolution?”].
Outline: [Blog Post Title]
Keyword: [Enter Targeted Keyword]
Keyword MSV: [Enter Targeted Keyword’s Monthly Search Volume]
Author: [Enter Author Name]
Due Date: [Enter Due Date]
Publish Date: [Enter Desired Publish Date]
Buyer Persona: [Enter Targeted Reader and/or Buyer Persona]
Introduction
Lead into the post with a short 100-200 word introduction. Be sure to highlight:
What is [Term]?
Answer the question posed by the title of this post directly below this header. This will increase your
chances of ranking for the featured snippet on Google for this phrase and provide readers with an
immediate answer. Keep the length of this definition – at least in this very basic introduction – between
50 and 60 words.
After the brief definition, dive further into the concept and add more context and explanation if needed.
Provide a step-by-step explanation and example of how to calculate the rate, point, or number you’re
providing a definition for.
Remember, this post is not a list post – so try to keep this list between three and five examples if you do
decide to include it.
Closing
Wrap up your amazing new blog post with a great closing. Remind your readers of the key takeaway you
want them to walk away with and consider pointing them to other resources you have on your website.
Call-to-Action
Last but not least, place a call-to-action at the bottom of your blog post. This should be to a lead-
generating piece of content or to a sales-focused landing page for a demo or consultation.