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There are many things a blogger should check before hitting the “Publish” button. One of the greatest mistakes a blogger can make is hitting the publish button too soon. I wish I could say I have never made that mistake but I have made it more times than I would like to admit!

Here are 7 questions that I ask before I hit the "publish" button: 
1. Have I read the post in its entirety after finishing it?

I know that sounds obvious but many bloggers don't read what they wrote before publishing it.  When we fail to do this, our post may not make sense or we may miss an important point that we wanted to make.  Take the time to read the entire post.  It is well worth the effort!

2. Have I chosen my title carefully?

I strongly believe that the title is the most important part of the post because unless the title grabs the attention of visitors, there is a good chance that they won’t read the post!  A good title should draw people in.  I have found that titles with numbers in them work well (i.e 23 ways to know it is going to be a really bad day).  Also, compelling titles (i.e. Kill your stress before it kills you!) and titles with questions (i.e. Why can't we?) work well too. 

3. Have I proofread it?

Again, this sounds obvious but it is not! If I don't take the time to do a thorough proofread before I hit "Publish" there will be typos and spelling mistakes ... guaranteed!  If possible, have someone else proofread it for you.  I always find that helpful.

4. Have I linked to one or more of my older posts?

If you are anything like me, you have many great posts that haven't been read by a lot of people and it's a shame (to me anyway;).  Linking to older posts inside your post helps bring those posts out into the light.  It also helps to complement or expand on the information that you have written.  

5. Have I made sure that all my links are working?

I hate clicking on broken links!  It frustrates me to no end!  Unfortunately, it does not take much to create a broken link.  All it takes is omitting a letter, a dot, or misspelling a word.  Readers will get frustrated when the link they click on doesn't work!

6. Have I included a captivating image?

They say a picture is worth a thousand words.  If that is true then why not use one in your post? Images are a great way to entice people to read the rest of your post. I work very hard at trying to find the perfect image for each post.  I typically use Google Images for this.

7. Have I included one or more ways to engage with my readers?

Blogging isn't a monologue for me.  I want to build community with my blog.  I want to engage with my readers.  To do this, I always ask a question or two or make a call to action at the end of each of my posts.

By asking these questions before I hit the "Publish" button I have saved myself and my readers a lot of grief and frustration. 
What do you check before hitting the "publish" button? Have I missed anything important?  Please share your responses below!

 

Link to original post: Bloggers: 7 questions to ask before hitting "Publish"