I once spent almost an hour trying to write the first paragraph of a blog.

I had the topic. I had done the research. I knew exactly what the article needed to say.

And still, I couldn't get past the opening.

Every sentence sounded like something I'd read a hundred times before.

“In today's digital world…”

“Businesses are constantly looking for…”

“Content plays a crucial role…”

I finally deleted the entire thing.

Then I stopped trying to “write a blog” and started imagining that I was explaining the topic to one person sitting across from me.

The opening came together in about ten minutes.

That experience changed the way I approach writing.

DO write for a person

Don't imagine an audience of thousands.

Imagine one reader.

What would they want to know? What would you actually say if they asked you the same question over coffee?

Write that.

DON'T try too hard to sound clever

I've done this too.

You find an impressive word and think, This sounds professional.

Sometimes it does.

Most of the time, a simpler word would have done the job.

Good writing doesn't need to make the reader reach for a dictionary.

DO have a clear point

Before I start a blog now, I try to finish this sentence:

“After reading this, I want the reader to understand…”

If I can't complete that sentence, I probably don't understand the topic well enough to write about it yet.

DON'T begin with a cliché

“In today's fast-paced world…”

If I've written that sentence, someone please stop me.

The internet already has enough introductions about how rapidly the world is changing.

Start with something real.

A question. A story. Something you noticed. Something that happened to you.

Give me a reason to care.

DO let your personality show

This is especially important when you're writing for a business.

Facts tell me what you know.

Your experiences tell me who you are.

A small personal story can often explain an idea better than five paragraphs of generic advice.

That difficult client. The campaign that completely flopped. The recipe that took seven attempts. The meeting where you learned something you didn't expect.

Those are the details people remember.

DON'T write to fill a word count

I've written pieces where I reached the required word count and then realised I had three paragraphs that weren't really saying anything.

Delete them.

A shorter article that people actually finish is far more useful than a long article people abandon halfway through.

DO edit after you've written

I rarely trust my first draft.

I write everything down first, then go back and look for repetition, awkward sentences and things that sounded much better in my head.

Sometimes I'll read the whole thing aloud.

That's when you catch the sentences that technically make sense but sound completely unnatural when spoken.

And finally, write like a human.

There is already enough content online that sounds polished, perfect and completely forgettable.

You don't need to sound like everyone else.

You need to sound like someone worth listening to.