If you're new to blogging, or have been doing it for a period of time, then you understand the challenge of creating unique, valuable content that your readers and potential customers will eat up.
That’s what we’re all shooting for after all -- content that invites the outside world into our domain and gives them something to take with them and share with their network.
And that’s no easy feat!
Creating content continues to be amongst the biggest challenges for inbound marketers in 2015. Unless you have a team of writers on deck who can consistently and reliable crank out content day after day, chances are you’re experiencing the pain points of blogging.
So with the stage set in this way, how can bloggers and content producers help themselves out to better tackle the blogging challenge?
One way is to vary the types of blogs that you publish on your website. Sometimes the trick isn’t to have a brand new killer idea that’s sure to “go viral”. Sometimes it’s about the format of delivery and how well the content resonates with the reader.
In this post we’re going to list a few of our favorite types of blog posts in an effort to expose you to some options that you may want to try out for your brand’s blog. Our intention is to give you a new way to deliver your information, and inspire some variety on your website.
Let’s dive in!
Lists
The majority of blog posts these days have taken information from all over the world and condensed it all down into short paragraphed explanations. These posts keep readers interested and are typically organized with some sort of hierarchy or importance, intriguing readers to actually finish reading the entire article.
One huge benefit of these posts is that the title usually draws the target audience in as well as others who may have come across the post via social media or by simply browsing the web.
(Want to know how to write better blog titles? Check out one of our most popular articles: 92 Blog Title Formulas To Ignite Your Blogging Creativity.)
Whether you’re discussing marketing strategies, sales opportunities or just where to head for dinner that night, lists can be used for almost anything.
Great example of a List post
Check out this Top 10 Most Remarkable Marketing & Advertising Campaigns Slideshow HubSpot put together. By adding great visuals to the post they’ve done an excellent job on creating a piece that ranks highly with SEO and has been shared repeatedly by readers.
How To’s
Many of us browsing the internet are looking for something in particular. Whether you’re doing a quick fact-check or searching for detailed instructions, the World Wide Web is the ultimate seek and find for those of us looking for answers. For this reason, a How-To post could be exactly what you need to drive traffic to your site without boasting too much of your company’s overall abilities.
Many sites have the issue of being an information gatekeeper and this can quickly become problematic. Allowing viewers to access only a small portion of your information hoping they’ll spend money or give all their information could easily backfire. But a How-To post have a high probability of being shared online by those who find your specific topic interesting. What this means for your company is that it will reach your target market without too much work on your part outside of creating the post.
Great example of a How-To post
A great example of a How To post comes from Business News Daily: How To Create An Effective Marketing Plan. Clear and concise headings mixed with short but detailed sections makes this How-To perfect to reference for yourself or to send to other professionals in your network.
Checklists
For those of us that aren’t fans of long posts there’s a perfect solution to drive traffic and increase shares. Checklists!
Some of us are quick, to the point types of people and a good ol’ fashion checklist fits that DIY persona down to a tee. Checklists are more of an instructional recipe rather than a storyline that readers follow.
The benefits of these posts are that they tend to be bookmarked and shared, which can help them rank highly in online searches. Because checklists tend to be shorter pieces it inclines readers to share since they’ve absorbed the information so quickly once they’ve found it useful.
Great example of a Checklist post
Take a look at this Social Media Marketing Checklist from Post Planner. One thing you’ll notice quickly on this checklist is the bulleted items for each subsection and how easy it is to follow the post. It’s even detailed with a Step 1-2-3 format making it easy to guide yourself through the post.
Interviews
The internet is full of people claiming they have what you need but really we’re all looking for the same thing, an expert! An experienced and educated opinion on the subject you’re researching is a huge plus for your brand and for this reason we suggest Interview posts on your blog page.
Think about anytime you’ve made a serious purchase in your life, odds are you either spoke with someone who knew the product/ service well or read reviews from someone you trusted. Well when it comes to your brand, visitors wouldn’t mind reading or watching an interview from someone knowledgeable on a variety of different subjects.
Great example of an Interview post
Take a look at this interview from Radius.com with Small Business Owner Joe Fugere. In this interview they cover a range of topics including Joe’s biggest challenges faced with his business. Although this blog won’t affect all readers the same, for business owners they will likely stop what they’re doing and read this post to the end hoping to take an overall message away from it.
Personal Stories
Believe it or not, blogs can become a bit stale over time. After you’ve seen information regurgitated so many times on a variety of different platforms, you start to wonder what makes them any different from one you’ve read at an earlier date. But outside of long-tailed titles and custom imagery, what really grabs the attention of the reader can sometimes be a bit of personality written into the post. This is why we would suggest Personal Stories as another blog post worth considering.
Now many of you may not think a Personal Story fits what your brand offers but surprisingly, readers tend to enjoy stories and personal accounts from company owners and department heads.
A huge benefit of personal stories is that you never know which aspect will touch the reader and inspire/motivate them in their own life.
We challenge you to analyze your brand and take time to come up with your own stories and messages you’d like to deliver to your audience. Through your journey to reach whatever point you may currently be at there has certainly been a time where you’ve learned and evaluated. This is the story that needs to be delivered if you hope to gain returning readers that may turn into customers.
Great example of a Personal Story post
Check out our recent personal story post on the founding of 98toGo: From Cabins To Content: The Founding Story Of 98toGo. This is a great example of how a personal story (in this case the founding of our company), can be used for interesting content on your blog and website.
Pick your type and do it well
There’s a vast assortment of different posts to research and create. We recommending experimenting and trying new post types that work for you and your blogging process. In order for you to remain consistent with your blogging (which is a major factor in seeing results from inbound marketing), you have to find a balance that works for you. Use this post to inspire new blogging ideas, and continue researching ways to bring variety and value to your blog.
Has blogging been a challenge for you? Grab our free ebook to relieve the pain.
We understand the pain points associated with blogging. Coming up with ideas, finding the time, being consistent, knowing what your audience wants, and attracting an audience in the first place. We've been there!
So we put together this guide to help you tackle the biggest stumbling block that we hear: coming up with killer ideas that resonate with your audience. Click below to get your free copy of How To Create Killer Content That Attracts Web Visitors.
