Turn your idea into a blog post

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Our blog posts are generally between 300 and 800 words. 300 is the minimum because it will make your page easier to find via a search engine, and also ensures that adequate detail is provided in the post. If the content is shorter than 300 words, it may not need to be a blog post. 

We try to keep our posts below 800 words because the LX blog is intended for quick reads. Making sure that posts don’t go longer than this helps to keep them simpler and more accessible.

Finding a precise focus is very helpful for writing an engaging, interesting post. Rather than trying to explain multiple complex concepts, choose one to focus on. If your topic is broad, hone in on a specific aspect of it. Managing the scope of your idea in this way means that you can use the limited space of the post to provide detailed information on your topic, rather than attempting to jam too much content into one post. If your idea is too big for one post – make it a series.

All posts should use subheadings throughout. There are a few of reasons why this is needed: 

• Subheadings allow readers to quickly skim-read the post and pick up on the central points. 
• Subheadings break up long sections of text and make posts visually easier to read. 
• Appropriate subheadings make it easier for readers to find your post via search engine. 

The title is likely to be the first part of your post a reader will see, and so it’s a good idea to make it something that will hook your reader in and make them want to click through. Your title should also provide a clear indication of what your topic is. 

Ultimately we like blog posts to be written in your own voice. There is a diverse range of writers from around the UTS community who contribute to the LX blog and we love being able to feature different points of view and forms of expression.

Where we try to advise writers in regard to tone of voice is to avoid making posts overly formal, as can sometimes be the case for academic writing. Making your blog both personal and personable helps to make it more engaging for your reader. It may help to try to emulate the style of speech you might use if you were explaining the same concept to another person in conversation – say a friend, or a student. Your goal should be to make your post accessible and understandable for a broad audience, including people who may be entirely new to your topic.

All blog posts should contain at least two links to other sources, either to related content on the LX site or external sites. Links provide support for your message, opportunities for further reading, and better visibility in search engines. 

All blog posts require a feature image. Check our Images in blog posts resource for more advice on using media. While it’s not essential, adding visual media such as images or videos to the body text of your post can help to flesh out and further support your message. If you decide to add visual media to your post, try to stick to a few examples for your reader to focus on. Check our Images in blog posts resource for more advice on using media.

LX at UTS has an editorial team made up of staff members with strong experience in:

• Forming your idea into a concise blog
• Providing feedback and suggestions for improvement so it is accessible for the audience and consistent with its style
• Formatting the blog in WordPress
• Sourcing images & links
• Making your post easy for prospective readers to find