Writing a blog post can be a lot of work what with getting your thoughts down in writing so your reader can benefit. And on top of it all, you’ve got a lot to remember before, during and after your post.

Let’s quickly go over it all so you can know that you’re doing what you need to do.

1. Come up with a good post idea – will it entertain, educate, inform?

2. Write the rough draft. Now read it and take out the unnecessary words. Your readers want it quick and to the point.

3. Now is the time to insert your live links such as affiliate links or internal links.

4. Insert graphics.

5. Make sure it looks good with the graphics, subheaders, colors, etc. Bullets, numbers and bold headings make it easier for the average “reader” to scan your content. While we’d like them to read every fascinating word, we have to settle for scanning, which is better than skipping and leaving.

6. Let it simmer. You will always think of something important to add to it and it’s easier to do this before you hit publish.

7. Polish it one more time and read it OUTLOUD to catch awkward sentences. Even if you’re posting a podcast or video, you will still have a paragraph or two of writing to proofread.

8. Don’t forget to hit the publish button! Take a deep breath and move on.

9. Broadcast it to your list.

10. Tweet it, post a link on FB, and shout it out through any other social media channels you use.

11. Watch for comments on the post and be sure to quickly answer any questions. Some bloggers don’t answer all comments but it’s a good idea to.

12. Take some time to comment on some of the commenters’ blogs. It’s a courtesy plus you might learn something from their post. In addition, your blog gets more exposure.

13. Do some more tweeting. There’s no rule that says you can only tweet once per blog post. You should reword the tweet though. And if someone retweets you, thank them and/or retweet one of their tweets.

14. Watch your stats. Some topics will be real winners with number of views not necessarily number of comments. Do something with the winning topics – write more blog posts, create your own product, link to an affiliate product, offer a free optin report, etc.

15. Be open to more ways to promote it in the future. If it’s a good post, keep a lookout for an opportunity to internally link back to it.

Blogging is not about slapping something up on your site, it requires a little more work than that. Post something you can be proud of, then make sure you promote it so lots of people do see it.