Writing the same type of blog over and over can become dull to write and tedious to read. The more variety you add to your blogging process, the easier it will be to produce great content that your subscribers will enjoy!
Here are ten blog types, why people love them, and how to apply them in the real world:
- HOW-TO GUIDE: Done well, a good how-to guide delivers easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions on how to do something practical. Because they contain a lot of pictures, videos or diagrams they’re easy to absorb and apply. TIP: Think about where and how your how-to guide will be used. If it’s on something like cooking, gardening or car repairs, make sure the images and words are big and can be read from a distance. Chances are, the people who use your guide will be getting their hands dirty and won’t be sitting at a desk! Make it user-friendly and printable.
- CHECKLIST: This is an excellent blog to include as part of a series. If, for instance, your blog is about moving to a new house, part of the series could include a checklist that helps people be sure they've done everything in preparation for move day. These can become invaluable resources that folk return to over and over.
- INFOGRAPHIC: People love these because they tend to be single page documents with a lot of information. TIP: Infographics work because they’re graphic-heavy. Make sure the images tell the story. The words should be the support – not the other way around.
- LISTICLE: I have no idea who coined that phrase, but it’s basically a list blog: 21 ways to house-train a giraffe; 56 ways to track haggis; 31 tips on how to win an argument. People love these because a good listicle can be quick to read and spark some great ideas.
- CASE STUDY: This is a great way to show people how you work, what you do, and the results you get. It helps build your credibility and should answer questions potential clients might have.
- INTERVIEW: Interview someone with a fresh, new, and original view of life or your industry. These can be written, recorded, or filmed. Either way, they make great blog content.
- REVIEWS: If your industry uses specific products, help your clients and customers out by providing honest, unbiased reviews. If you’re an affiliate for a specific product, then this is a great way to promote that product. Of course, that means you’re less likely to be unbiased, so make sure you believe in the products you choose to promote. IMPORTANT – If you include discount vouchers in your reviews, make sure they’re always valid. If they are time sensitive, tell people, and remove the link when they’re no longer useful.
- PROBLEM AND SOLUTION: This is the Interweb’s superpower! Despite its shortcomings, the web tends to be the first place people come to when they need answers to everything from career to relationship advice! POINT OF INTEREST: Research by BlogHer found that 81% of US online consumers valued blogs as a trusted source of information and advice.
- FAQs: This is an excellent blog type if your clients are laypeople and your business is technical or complicated: legal or technology, for instance.
- EVENT SUMMARIES: These types of blogs are especially great for LinkedIn. There are events taking place around the world every day that most folks can’t attend. So, if you are attending an event, create a summary: The speakers and what they covered; the stands; what you learned; any slides or material available to the public…
HOW TO APPLY THESE BLOGGING IDEAS IN THE REAL WORLD?
When you use different types of blogs, it’s easy to generate a lot of great content from a single idea.
In this example, I’ll choose “copywriting for business”. Here are ten blogs I could write on that idea based on the list of blog types above:
- How to simplify and clarify your web copy, so your customers get what you do
- Have you given your customers all the information they need to make a decision to buy? Checklist included
- Infographic on how to weave your story into your business copy
- Ten ways to include a call to action on your site
- Three case studies from people who used a great story to sell their business
- Interview with Lisa Cron, author of the incredible book: Wired For Story
- Grammarly or ProWritingAid – which is best?
- People aren’t joining your mailing list? Here’s how to fix that…
- Answers to questions you’ve never asked a copywriter
- I attended The Oil and Gas Show – you won’t BELIEVE what happened!!
Do you see what I mean?
So, if you get stuck on your next blog, instead of thinking about WHAT to write, consider HOW to write it.
Once you’ve done that, your next step is to grow your audience. To help you, I’ve posted an article on LinkedIn outlining another way to find an audience for your blog. So, head to LinkedIn, search for Tina Konstant and enjoy.
