The toughest part of blog writing: how to end a post

Sometimes when writing a blog, the hardest part is the part that you think should be the simplest—ending the post. No matter how much you know about a topic, or how much you’ve already written, conclusions can be a challenge. 

But they’re still a very necessary part of the article, because the conclusion is what guides your reader on what you want them to take away from the piece or what you want them to do next. And since the purpose of having a blog on your small business or non-profit website is to provide clients (or donors) with useful information that generates leads, guiding your readers on what you want them to do next is an important part of the process.

Here are seven ways to crush the ending of your next blog post.

Write a summary. This tried and true practice is especially useful if you’ve written a long post because the reader may have already forgotten some of the points you made throughout the piece. Keep the summary short—list the key takeaways and draw actionable steps to educate your audience.

Use a call to action (CTA). This tactic is especially useful for non-profit blog posts asking for donations or volunteers but also works for small businesses who wish to promote a product, service or offer, or ask users to subscribe to their newsletter. And for both small businesses and non-profits, encouraging your readers to share the article can have a significant impact. 

Provide a link to a past blog post. If you’ve previously written on a similar or related topic, guide readers to that post with a simple statement. Something like: Want to learn more about why your business needs a blog? Check out this post.  (We know this isn’t the end of this blog but we couldn’t help ourselves.)

Tease a future blog. If you’re writing on a schedule, then you should have an editorial calendar to guide your content. Tell readers what’s coming up next as a way to entice them to keep coming back. 

Ask a question. Your blog posts should be engaging enough to get your audience thinking. Ending your post by asking a question is a great way to start a conversation. Also, if you’re sharing a link to the blog on your social media platforms (pro tip: you should), you can use this same question as your teaser.

Wrap it up with a quote. This tactic works well if your article is written like a news article and features an interview. (Here’s an example.) When it works, it’s a nice way to close out the blog on a high note and give the last word to whomever you’ve featured.

Forget an ending altogether. While most blog posts need a proper ending, sometimes you’ve said all you need to say and forcing an ending just adds verbal clutter. If that’s the case, then call it a day—there’s no need to keep writing just because you think the blog needs a few more sentences.