Defeating Writer’ s Block
The key to defeating the blank page is understanding that there are actually many different types of blog posts. After you understand the formats through which you can deliver blog content, you’ ll never have writer’ s block again.
In Chapter 4, we discuss the concept of creating content segments. In the context of blogging, a segment is any content type that you repeat periodically, usually weekly or monthly. An example is a link roundup post, which displays a list of interesting links from outside sources. Many blogs publish a link roundup post once per week or once per month. By creating blog content segments that recur every week or month, you make planning your blog content much easier.
The various blog post types fall into categories that we cover in the following sections. If you create a lot of blog content, make sure to dog-ear this chapter and keep this book close to your work station. Try a few of the 57 blog post types described in this chapter and make one or two of them consistent segments in your editorial calendar.
Writing useful content
When people do research, they search for useful content on the Internet. They look for how-to guides, case studies, and resources that can help solve their problems, inspire them, or point them in the right direction. Writing content that is both free and useful endears you to your market and establishes you and your business as the authority in your niche. The following sections offer 13 types of useful blog post ideas that any brand can use.
List post
The list post is simply that, a list. Some may affectionately refer to it as a“ listicle.” A list post is one of the easiest to put together and can be very versatile. Not to mention that people just love lists— they’ re helpful and quick to read. For your blog, create a list of books, tools, resources, or any other topic that your market finds useful and is also relevant to your call to action.
Typically, list posts have quick introductions and then get right to the body of the post. By their nature, list posts are text heavy, which can be intimidating to readers. Be sure to use images wherever you can, which helps to break up the text, making your post easier to read and more likely to be shared.
Case study post
The term case study carries more perceived value than the term article, blog post, or video. Case studies provide great detail and go beyond simple testimonials by showing real-life examples. Using case studies, you can highlight your successes in a way that helps you turn a prospective customer into a customer.
In the case study post, get specific and talk strategy. Outline and unpack the details of something, such as a project, event, or process. Tell your story from start to finish,