The world is full of opinions, and it can be difficult to know how to write a blog post that puts yours into context. This guide will show you the steps necessary for writing an opinion blog post that is both insightful and presents other arguments around the topic in a positive way.
What is an opinion blog post?
An opinion blog post is a blog post where the writer shares their opinion or thoughts on a topic. It can be used to make a case for or against something. Normally this could be a great topic opener, however, it can sometimes have its disadvantages.
An opinion blog post might start out by giving the reader a background on what they’re writing about. This is good to help show why the topic is important and what it means to the writer.
An opinion blog post might end with a summary of what they’ve learned or gained from writing about their own personal experience on that topic, and how someone can do something similar in their life.
Don’t be afraid to include your own opinion in the post but do so thoughtfully and with supporting evidence. An example of this might be a number of points you will make about an issue, then giving your viewpoint at the end. This way your readers can get both sides of the argument without feeling like they are being told how to think.
This is done to show that there are two ways of looking at something.
What are some benefits/pitfalls of an opinion blog post?
There are both pros and cons to writing this kind of post. That’s why not everyone does!
Some benefits include:
- showing empathy for other viewpoints
- talking about topics that can’t be quantified or measured, such as beauty standards and how they change from culture to culture.
This is a great way for authors to connect with readers on their feelings without using the same kind of facts-only format.
Some pitfalls include:
- having your opinion seen as less valid because you are talking about something you haven’t experienced personally
- talking about your own opinion of a topic but not presenting any other arguments
- having to share the entire backstory or context for readers who may be new to it
As with all posts, you should write these based on what you know and how much time is available! Wouldn’t want anyone’s lunch break used up reading an overly-long
How to write an opinion blog post
There’s no set way to write an opinion post because it is personal to you. But there are some general ideas.
Choose a topic that you have strong feelings about and spend time researching it, so that your stance is informed by facts as well as your gut reaction.
Make sure the title of the post reflects what will be discussed in the article so that the reader doesn’t get confused.
Introduce the topic and state your opinion as well as provide reasons for it in a concise way to establish a sense of context. You can use subheadings if you choose but they should be relevant to the discussion at hand rather than just an organizational tool.
Don’t forget about sources! The best opinions are those backed by stats, facts or authorities so make sure you include those as well.
Make your conclusion clear and concise, not just for the reader but also for yourself so that it motivates you to write a follow-up post on this topic if need be.
Ask questions about the issue at hand in order to provoke new thoughts or put an unfamiliar point of view into context with evidence.
How to format an opinion blog post
There’s no special formatting needed for this type of post but stick with solid on-page SEO.
Make the content reader-friendly by using smaller paragraphs and try to add some images where suitable to make it more visually interesting.
Be certain to link to other sites you reference in the article whether you agree with them or not to show that you have done your research and for good SEO practices.
A specialist type of post
There’s no doubt that opinion blog posts can be polarising – that’s kind of the point of them. Unless you want to cause outrage, most people tend to use them strategically and sparingly and they can end up being a little like a review post. Try to keep them well-rounded and covering all aspects of the argument, even if you disagree strongly with one or more of the viewpoints.
If you have found this post useful, you will find more how to style posts here.
