Sometimes you'll have the best idea for the subject of a blog post, but trouble in finding a way to structure it in a way that is concise, clear, and easily read by your audience. Here are a variety of common ways to give a framework to your blog post ideas:
Versus posts
The power of the Internet has given consumers more choice than ever when it comes to buying products and services, or deciding between one idea or another, so much so that the decision is often overwhelming.
A great way to solve this dilemma, and put together a great blog post, is the X vs Y article. For example, a company that specializes in beds and mattresses might write a blog post explaining the pros and cons of spring mattresses as opposed to memory foam. Similarly, "What is the best X?" types of posts work similarly. These types of posts help consumers make a sound decision, make you stand out as a trustworthy authority figure, and are easy to put together.
Problem-solving posts
One of the main reasons that people search online is to find solutions to their problems, whether it be how to sew a button back onto their shirt, how to house train their dog, or how a guy makes himself irresistible to the opposite gender. Focusing on the solution to problems, especially for businesses, is a great way to come up with new ideas for blog posts and attract web traffic. Think about the problems that your customers want to solve - and then use your expertise to tell them how you (or your business) can help. To use dogs as an example, a pet store owner might blog about the best way to stop your dog from barking, or how to teach it to sit or fetch. Think about how you can become an invaluable resource for your customers and those searching for solutions to their problems on the Internet.
List posts
‘List posts’ are extremely popular in almost any industry, as they can be read quickly and are great for sharing, e.g. 10 Top Marketing Tips For Your Blog. There are three common types of list post: Brief list posts are long, bulleted snippets of information that users can use as a platform to search for more detailed information elsewhere (sometimes useful, but not always the best way to keep readers engaged on your site!); detailed list posts provide more complex, valuable information - like these tips, and hybrid posts lie somewhere in the middle.
Break news, offer opinions, and ask questions Writing blog posts about breaking news within your industry sector is not only one of the best ways to come up with new and original content, but it also positions you as an authority figure in the eyes of readers. However, rather than simply regurgitating a press release or something you found on a big news site, frame your story in a way that makes it relevant to your audience, positions you as an authority, and encourages people to interact: offer an opinion, and ask readers to share their own as a way to drive engagement. One of the easiest ways to elicit a response is to close your blog posts with a simple request, e.g. “What do you guys think? Tell us in the comments” You'll be surprised how much interaction this garners, especially if the question you ask is simple and quick to answer.
Spin hot or detailed topics into multiple posts
One of the biggest challenges that many bloggers face is creating fresh content, week in, week out. One of the techniques you can use to combat this is called "spinning". In a nutshell, it involves taking one important topic that you know your audience will lap up, and writing about it from a variety of different standpoints. Let's take an article about painting a garden fence, for example. Several different blog posts about that one topic might be: ‘A Beginner’s Guide to Painting A Garden Fence’; ‘5 of the Biggest Garden Fence Painting Mistakes’; ‘Video: How to Paint A Garden Fence in 5 Easy Steps’, or ‘How [Brand X] is Revolutionizing Garden Fence Painting’. Get the idea? Drilling down on individual topics like this (as opposed to being more general) may be beneficial in terms of attracting people hunting for more specific information or advice.
Guest posting
Offer to write guest posts on other influential bloggers' blogs, and provide a link back to your blog at the bottom of the post in return, as part of the agreement. This is particularly useful if you manage to post on a blog that is much more popular than yours! As well as guest posting on other blogs yourself, be open-minded about other experts posting on yours, to help build a strong network of friends within your industry.
Celebrate milestones
As traffic to your blog grows, celebrate this in specific blog posts, thanking readers for their continued support. Use these posts to highlight your most popular content so far, to encourage new readers to go back and revisit, increasing page views and time on your site.
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