Over a decade ago, I wrote a couple of blogs for people who needed help with writing. I appreciate that it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. However, with free artificial intelligence (AI) tools now available to make writing easier (and quicker), it seems a good time to resurface some of these (and some new) blogging tips to help get “the people who know about IT service management (ITSM)” writing. Rather than relying on those who don’t (but who are happy to use the AI tools to create ITSM content anyway).
If you’re struggling with time or creating compelling blog content, these blogging tips are based on what has helped me over the years. The new content relates to the use of AI tools for blogging, which can be helpful when used properly.
Is Blogging Still Relevant in the Age of AI?
It depends. Lots of people are still looking for help. They might use Google or an AI tool to access it. Either way, if they want the detail, they will need to access the source guidance, which could be your blogs.
However, others might be happy with simply reading the headlines on their preferred “search” capability. As I said, it depends.
Blogging Tips on Getting Started (Even If You’re Short on Time)
Writing a blog or an article might seem a challenge. But it’s not as hard as you think, especially with AI now available (I’ll get to this later). Hopefully, the following blogging tips will help:
Your ITSM Knowledge Is More Valuable Than You Think
You might not blog because you have nothing of interest to say. However, if you focus on what you know (about ITSM or anything else), you’ll be surprised at how it helps others.
The more you blog, the easier it gets.
Don’t Start from Scratch – Build on Existing Content
You can always use another article or blog as a starting point. For instance, start by summarizing the key point(s) from something you’ve read and then add your thoughts and experiences.
Find Your Ideal Writing Time
We all perform differently at different times. I usually start a blog or article at the end of the day because I enjoy writing.
This also allows me to “sleep on it” rather than worry about whether what I’ve written and perhaps published is right, good, or anything else.
Blogging Tips on How to Write a Blog Without Overthinking It
Why You Don’t Need to Write in One Sitting
I rarely do it. I usually start and stop, then start again.
This approach allows you to:
- Add in the extra content that pops into your head when you least expect it
- Remove superfluous content
- Tighten content that’s potentially open to misinterpretation
- Better assess whether you delivered against the intended point.
When to Finalize Your Blog Title
My “working” article or blog titles are often things like “Blogging Tips.” I set the real title when I’m writing or when the piece is complete (I also use AI to improve titles at the end – see later).
A blog title can also change as you realize that your writing is covering new ground.
Start with Ideas, Not Structure
Just write down your ideas as you think of them. Although AI use alters this a little (again, see later).
If you capture your key points, you might find that you reorder them as they come together to create a story arc.
Blogging Tips on How to Improve Blog Quality
The “quality” of any blog is subjective, but these are simple steps to make it easier to consume.
Check Grammar and Readability
A poorly written blog is a hard-to-read blog – with the reader distracted from your message.
I use Grammarly for everything I write, then read through it. You’d be amazed at how many errors the human mind can miss.
Stay Focused on One Clear Message
And ensure it’s the point you intended. Otherwise, you’re likely wasting the reader’s time.
Use Links to Add Value and Credibility
For example, if you mention someone, link to them on LinkedIn. Or link to the content you call out.
Blogging Tips on How to Get More Readers
One thing Sophie Danby advised me on in 2025 is to use AI tools to help create my H1-H3 titles. This appears to work well so far.
Why Blog Titles Matter for SEO
Search is still king at attracting reads over time. I’ve had great blogs die due to poor titles (often “clever” ones), and conversely, average blogs do well with a great title.
Writing Titles People Actually Search For
Some blog titles attract more readers than others. For example, “Top Tips For …” or being provocative.
However, a misleading title that doesn’t deliver on its promise will also alienate readers.
Blog with a regular cadence
A regular blog cadence helps encourage reads. People will look forward to your next blog if the last one helped them.
Blogging Tips on Using AI to Improve Your Blogging (Without Losing Authenticity)
This advice is new, and I’m by no means fully using the power of AI to help my writing yet (to be honest, I’m trying to be careful not to use AI to simply regurgitate what’s already readily out there (and maybe with errors)).
Use AI for Blog Outlines (Not Full Articles)
Of course, you could just ask it to write the full blog. But, where’s the value for the reader? Personally, I might ask AI for some outline ideas, which is the first blogging tip here.
Improve Content with AI Feedback
I don’t do this, but if you’re just starting to blog, it’s a good option. But ultimately, it is up to you what you include.
Having said that, I do use Grammarly to help catch any errors I make when writing.
Generate Better Titles and Metadata with AI
This is something I started toward the end of 2025, and it has improved the search visibility of my writing.
I don’t use anything flash prompt-wise, simply “Please suggest better H1-H3 titles and SEO-friendly metadata for this blog.” Yes, I used it on this article (once complete). For example, “Using AI to Help Write Blogs” became “Using AI to Improve Your Blogging (Without Losing Authenticity).”
Check AI vs. Human Content Balance
While not immediately relevant to blog writing, it can be.
If you’ve overly leaned on AI to create your blog, you can use free sites such as zeroGPT.com to check what value you’ve added, i.e. how much human input was involved. However, it can confuse styles – I’ve just dropped this article in, and it scored 12% despite me writing it (bar the AI titles).
I use it to check most articles submitted to ITSM.tools (and I don’t even read the ones with a high score).
Any More Blogging Tips?
So, that’s hopefully some helpful advice for blogging. It was never difficult (if you had knowledge to share), and AI has made it much easier. What else would you add to my list of blogging tips?
Blogging FAQs
Start with something you know and that someone else would find useful. You don’t need a complete structure before you write. Capture your main points in whatever order they come, then reorder them when you can see the shape of the argument. Write in a few sessions rather than one, and use a tool like Grammarly to clean up the copy before you publish.
The safest places to use AI are at the outline stage, where you’re looking for angles rather than words, and at the end, where you can use it to generate better titles and metadata. Avoid using it to write the body of a piece, unless you then substantially rewrite the output. The knowledge and the point of view are what make a blog worth reading, and those have to come from you.
Yes, and the effect is larger than most writers expect. A title that matches how people actually search for a topic will consistently outperform a clever or abstract one. Search remains the main driver of reads over time, so a strong title on an average piece will often reach more people than a weak title on a strong piece.
Free tools like zeroGPT.com will give you a rough score for AI-generated content. The scoring isn’t precise, but if the score is high, it’s worth reviewing whether the piece is saying something that only you could say, or whether it’s content a model would produce from a prompt. At ITSM.tools, pieces with a high AI content score don’t get published.
Often enough that readers who liked the last piece have a reasonable expectation of finding another one. That doesn’t mean weekly. It means consistent. A blog every two to three weeks, published reliably, builds more of an audience than an intense burst followed by months of silence.
Further Reading
Stephen Mann
Principal Analyst and Content Director at the ITSM-focused industry analyst firm ITSM.tools. Also an independent IT and IT service management marketing content creator, and a frequent blogger, writer, and presenter on the challenges and opportunities for IT service management professionals.
Previously held positions in IT research and analysis (at IT industry analyst firms Ovum and Forrester and the UK Post Office), IT service management consultancy, enterprise IT service desk and IT service management, IT asset management, innovation and creativity facilitation, project management, finance consultancy, internal audit, and product marketing for a SaaS IT service management technology vendor.
