Not All Blog Posts Are Created Equal

Did you know there are five or more different kinds of blog posts that you can write? And they come in different formats and lengths.

Using different formats for posts keeps your blog fresh and interesting. Of course, the number one rule is to post regularly and often. I recommend at least 2 to 3 times a week initially and after you’ve built up some traffic, ask your readers for their preferred frequency.

Varying the post format also prevents you from getting bored from doing the same thing repeatedly.

Here are five kinds of blog posts:

1. The LIST Blog Post

Blog readers love lists! Most popular blogs use index or list posts often. It is not too difficult to come up with lists for any niche under the sun. The reason list posts are so popular is because they lend themselves very well to quick scanning. Many blog readers like to skim over information. You can create resource lists that will help your readers find information quickly on your niche. You can also create lists of different ways to accomplish an objective, for example, “7 Free Methods for Attracting Traffic to Your Mini Site.” The possibilities are endless.

2. The QUICK TIPS Blog Post

Quick tips are great “in between” long posts or articles since they are short and to the point. They are usually between 100 and 250 words. Let’s say you have gained a great insight into something in your niche but it doesn’t require you to write a 600 to 800-word article. Make that into a short quick tips post. Use bulleted text instead of long paragraphs. Focus on one topic to keep it short. For example, “How to Count Net Carbs” is a perfect quick tip post for a dieting or low carbs blog.

3. The HOW TO Blog Post

This is very similar to quick tips, “How To” posts help your readers get valuable instructions on getting something done. However, instead of short quick tips, these posts go into more details on a particular topic. You can provide step-by-step instructions with these posts. Your readers can print them out and keep them as reference for future use. If the topic is really deep, you may want to break it up into several parts and post them on different days. End each post with a hint of what is to come next. This will keep your readers hooked and coming back for more. You can convert these multi-part blog posts into a 5 or 7-day eCourse that you can use as a giveaway to build your list. Visit forums in your niche to get ideas on what to write about. Check the most frequently asked questions and develop posts around those topics.

4. The REVIEW Blog Post

Review posts are great because they are a win-win situation for both your readers and you. Your blog visitors get to read your unbiased opinion about a product and you can monetize your blog with an affiliate link (NOTE: read up on the new FTC ruling about affiliate links. See my earlier post “Why Most People Don’t Make Any Money From a Business Blog”). It helps a great deal if you own the product and use it before writing a review. Ask the product creator to provide you with a free review copy. Most marketers will agree once they find out that you are willing to write a personal review. This is very different from posting canned reviews that you may receive as part of marketing materials. To make your reviews more authentic, don’t overhype the product; do mention one or two things that can stand improvement. That’s how you build credibility with your audience.

5. The INTERVIEW Blog Post

This requires some prep work but it are well worth the effort. Find a well-known personality in your niche and interview her/him. Prepare a set of questions beforehand so that the interview is more structured instead of rambling. Share your interview with your readers by turning it into a blog post. Some of your readers may prefer to listen to your interview, provide a podcast. Others may want to read the transcript, post it to your blog. This type of a blog post is not only fresh and valuable content, it will help drive more traffic to your blog because the interviewee will probably promote the interview on their blog with a link back to yours to listen/read the entire interview.

Whether you are blogging to make money directly or blogging to drive traffic to an affiliate program, you should use these five kinds of blog posts. Use your imagination and you’ll be able to add to this list. How about a week/month/year in review blog post?

What kind(s) of blog posts do you normally write? Share your thoughts here.

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