Why you should write a blog post sharing your opinion

Why to write an opinion blog post

You are one of one

This is not a Tony Robbins-esque motivational speech; it’s simply a statement of fact. There is no other person on the planet with your particular cocktail of experiences, perspectives, and characteristics. Nobody sees the world exactly as you do. For that reason, we all stand to benefit from hearing from you. Seriously.

Add more humanity to the internet 

There is so much bland, factual content online—stuff that feels like it was written by a robot. More than ever, we need thoughtful opinion pieces where you can feel the person behind the words. This is the kind of work that truly resonates with others.

It’s a magnet for good things

We don’t know the metaphysical mechanisms behind this, but it’s impossible to ignore the countless stories of magical outcomes that have come from folks deciding to write on the internet. We’ve experienced many of them ourselves. Job opportunities, relationships, business partners—somehow, these sorts of things seem to materialize when you start sharing thoughtfully and honestly online. The universe rewards courage. Don’t believe us? Packy McCormick, Ana Lorena Fabrega, and Sam Knowlton are just a few examples of folks who started writing online and saw their lives change.

For more on this, our co-founder Stew wrote a piece about what he calls The Internet Opportunity Machine.

It creates a unique, living artifact of you

Resumes, LinkedIn pages, dating app profiles: they all look the same. It’s virtually impossible to stand out. Writing blog posts with your opinion, on the other hand, is unique. And whether the context is personal or professional, there’s something really cool about being able to point people to your writing. 

It sharpens your thinking

The process of writing is the process of refining your thoughts. As you externalize the contents of your mind and see your thinking reflected back at you, you will inevitably find gaps, inconsistencies, or contradictions. This naturally sharpens your thinking, with the added bonus of enabling you to better understand yourself and how your mind works.

How to write an opinion blog post

So now, perhaps, you are convinced. You’d like to write a blog post sharing your opinion. But the question looms: how the heck do I actually do this? 

Step one: The Vomit Draft

It’s more fun than it sounds. We promise.

You can call it a “stream of consciousness draft” if you’d prefer, but the purpose of this is the same: get all of your thoughts down, unfiltered. It’s crucial to do this before any kind of editing. Why? Because your editing brain has contradictory goals to your, uh, vomit brain. The editing brain wants to filter, to refine, to compress, to clean up. These are all great things—essential to a good final product. But if they are allowed into the beginning of the process, they will interfere with the critical first step of getting all of your thoughts down. (This is usually what people are referring to when they talk about ‘writer’s block’; it’s the editing brain getting in the way of externalizing your honest thoughts. This stops you before you can properly start.) This post does a great job of outlining how to write a vomit draft.

Okay, so now you’ve got your vomit draft. It probably looks like a convoluted mess of ideas going in all sorts of directions. That’s a good thing! You have likely uncovered thoughts you didn’t even know you had. Such is the beauty of writing.

Step two: Find your core idea

Your core idea is the central argument or point of view from which your opinion blog post will develop. Every sentence in your final draft will support your core idea. It is the nucleus of the piece. 

To find your core idea, look for a common thread in your first draft. Here are some helpful directional questions:

• Is there an argument or idea that connects everything you’ve written? 
• Is there something in particular you’ve written that feels really resonant or true? Something that feels fundamentally right in your body? 
• Is there anything in your draft that feels like it should go on a billboard?
• If you had to describe what your opinion blog post is about in one sentence, what would you say?

This article has more on finding your core idea

Step three: Create an inventory of supporting details

Once you’ve found your core idea, the next step is to create an inventory of supporting details. These supporting details should be diverse; the best opinion pieces incorporate both objective supporting details (facts, data, research, etc.) and subjective supporting details (personal stories, anecdotes, and so on). The inventory of supporting details is what you’ll draw from to bring your opinion blog post to life.

Step four: Shape and structure your blog post

Now it’s time to put it all together.

Here’s how you do that:

1. Start with your core idea or argument, formulated as a bold claim, thought-provoking question, or intriguing hook.some text
   1. Tip: You can also start with a story or anecdote that embodies your core idea; this is a great way to draw the reader in.
2. From there, let your piece flow logically. Walk your reader through your reasoning as if you were explaining your core idea to a friend. some text
   1. Tip: While you want to make sure your grammar is sound and your writing is clear, don’t try to ‘sound smart’ by using an overly academic or sterile tone or choosing big words you’d never use in conversation. The more you sound like yourself, the more your piece will resonate with the reader.
3. Incorporate elements from your inventory of supporting details as you see fit.some text
   1. Tip: Don’t feel like you have to use everything from your inventory. You don’t want to bog your reader down with too many stories, facts, or metaphors. Again, use conversation as a guide: sprinkle in supporting details organically, as you would in a discussion or presentation.

A starting point for your blog post

We’ve put together a library of curated writing templates to help with the intimidation of the blank page, including this handy template for—you guessed it—an opinion blog post.

Here’s how to use this template:

1. Open up Type, click "New Document," and select the "Opinion Blog Post" template from the gallery.
2. Under "knowledge sources," include links to articles, research, or other content you want to reference in your post to give the AI more context.
3. Hit "Generate," and watch as Type's AI creates a draft post for you in seconds, based on your selected topic and sources.
4. Refine the post with our Rewrite brushes. Adjust the tone, make the language more engaging, add persuasive elements, and more.
5. Infuse the post with your unique voice and perspective. Add personal stories, thought-provoking questions, and your distinct style. If you need inspiration, brainstorm with Type Chat.
6. When you're done, ask Type to review your post for any grammar, spelling, or clarity issues. A polished, error-free post will help you come across as credible and authoritative.
7. Copy your Type document into your blogging platform and hit publish! The Type editor counts your words so you can hit your target post length.

Tips for A Quality Blog Post

Here are some best practices to really make your opinion blog post shine:

Stick to your core idea 

It’s natural during a first draft to write a lot—a lot about your thought process, your backstory, your general philosophy of life. All writers do this, and it’s a necessary part of the process. But when you are shaping your final draft, make sure to pare your piece down until it revolves around a single, clear idea and remains focused throughout.

Be specific

The universal is found in the specific. For example, if your piece is about how we need to create more third places and you’re telling a story about going to church growing up, give us the details of what it was like going to your church and what the impact felt like on a personal level. The more specific you are, the easier it is to connect to you and be receptive to your opinion. Abstraction and generality are the enemies of resonance.

Use emotion

My dad, a phenomenal entrepreneur, told me when I was younger that “selling is a transference of emotion.” The same is true for writing. We are emotional creatures, and information that is associated with strong emotions sticks with us. Use this knowledge to your advantage by incorporating vivid language, powerful stories, and personality.

Acknowledge different perspective 

Readers are more likely to find you credible when you acknowledge counter-arguments or alternative viewpoints. This demonstrates a deep level of research and thoughtfulness. It also makes you a better thinker.

How to Access Our Opinion Blog Post Template

We’ve made it easy to get started with our free opinion blog post template. Just log into your Type account and open a new document. Once you're in the document editor, select the "Generate" button to open the "Generate Draft" menu. Tap "Use template →" to open the template menu, where you can choose "Opinion Blog Post" from the options. Easy as that.

Now It’s Your Turn

As the great Maya Angelou said: “Ain’t nothin’ to it but to do it.” Thankfully, we’ve made doing it easier than ever with Type. (Okay, that sentence sounded a bit strange. We may need Type’s Rewrite brush to clean it up).

With Type’s AI-powered document editor, crafting a killer opinion blog post is easy—or at least, easier. Your magnet awaits.