Irritating isn’t it?
The feeling creeps up slowly.
Are you perhaps missing a trick?
Sure, you’re writing good blog posts. You know your stuff. You’re helpful.
But are your posts helping you gain more readers? Do they turn readers into fans?
Or should you perhaps try a different type of blog post?
During the past 3 years, I’ve studied hundreds of blog posts, and written quite a few, too.
I’ve tried different formats. Stumbled upon success formulas. And messed it up a couple of times. Who doesn’t?
I’ve found that different blog post types achieve different goals. Some boost your authority. Others get more comments and help you bond with your audience.
Below follow the 6 proven blog post types you should master. To grow your business blog. To bond with your readers. To win more clients.
Sound good?
1. Boost Social Shares With a Long List Post
Ever read a long list post that was mind-numbingly dull?
After tip 9 or 13, you had enough.
Why?
Obvious tips that drone on and on switch readers off. Their minds start wandering. They start thinking about an upcoming trip to Amsterdam. About a cartoon drawing that they can’t get right. Or about what to cook tonight.
To write a good list post, you need to do more than brainstorm tips around one theme:
- Have a “big idea” as basis for your post. What is your reader struggling with? What’s the key message you’d like her to remember?
- Break your list up in manageable chunks. Write a seductive subhead. And include a few introductory sentences after each subhead to keep people reading on; remind readers how they’ll benefit from your tips.
- Scrap obvious tips. High numbers get more shares, but never include so-so tips to reach a higher number. Only share tips that help your readers.
- Include links to in-depth posts for readers who want to understand the intricacies of your tip. Write each tip like a soundbite.
When you put more effort into a long list post, you’ll be rewarded with more social shares. A long list post I wrote about email marketing, for instance, became the most shared post on Copyblogger in 2013. 9 months after publication, this post still drives readers to my site.
Bonus tip:
Boost your social shares by linking to various authority bloggers, as they may tweet, like, or plus your post.
2. Win Clients With an In-Depth Tutorial
Afraid to share everything you know in a tutorial?
Because you might lose potential clients?
Giving away your best tips can give a huuuge boost to your credibility and authority:
- Make your tips so detailed that you feel slightly uncomfortable by telling it all.
- Let the fame of a well-known brand rub off on you by using them as a case study.
- Further enhance your credibility by guest posting on a well-known blog.
In 2012, I wrote an in-depth tutorial about writing sales copy for KISSmetrics. The post is over 3,000 words, and it took me 3 days to write it. Was the effort worth it? This post has generated more business inquiries than any blog post I’ve written, because it shows you exactly how to write sales copy.
Don’t be afraid to give your best tips away. As Chris Garrett wrote recently: “I have yet to find someone who has given away too much.”
3. Prove your value by sharing a detailed checklist
Groceries.
Packing lists.
Web copy.
Who doesn’t like checklists? Who doesn’t NEED checklists?
Checklists can generate a large number of shares, because people like helping their friends by sharing useful information. Checklists win you brownie points.
To make your checklist more valuable:
- Make your list comprehensive
- Divide your points into sections to make them digestible for your readers
- Add a downloadable PDF, so readers can save your checklist for later, print it out, and tick off items on the list
Looking for an example? My web content checklist generated more shares than any other Enchanting Marketing post this year.
4. Gain search engine traffic with a super-specific post
Getting search engine traffic on generic keywords is tough.
Too much competition.
Instead of trying to rank for a word like “copywriting”, write detailed posts about specific topics, such as:
To find good keyword phrases, listen to your readers. Ask them what their challenges are, and what they’re struggling with. Pay attention to the words they’re using.
Alternatively, research keyphrases with Ubersuggest or Google’s keyword planner (requires a AdWords account, which you can set up for free). Find phrases of 3 or more words that get less than 100 web searches.
When you answer specific questions, you have a better chance to gaining relevant search engine traffic.
5. Establish a unique voice with metaphoric posts
You don’t just care about traffic and social media shares, do you?
You also want readers to come back to hear your voice, don’t you?
Metaphoric posts don’t generate loads of shares. They’re not particularly good for generating search engine traffic.
But they do make you stand out and get noticed.
They create a unique voice that speaks strongly to your hardcore readers.
When you share in-depth tutorials and long list posts, you become a me-too blogger. Readers can easily swap you for another blogger who’s also sharing useful tips in your niche.
But when readers get to know you because of the stories you share, they’ll come back to listen to your voice:
- Don’t write a metaphoric post just to be clever
- Have a clear message for your audience
- Draw analogies from a limited number of sources that are close to your heart, so readers get to know you
Metaphoric posts help you communicate a well-known message in your own unique way. They make boring topics enchanting. And they allow readers to get to know you and like you.
6. Bond with your audience by sharing your fears or weaknesses
Authority is rather boring.
You don’t make any friends by standing on your pedestal, preaching what others should do. Instead, you’re increasing the distance between you and your readers.
But when you share your own fears, readers feel closer to you. They’re more likely to comment because they recognize your problems, your weaknesses, your flaws. They want to join the conversation. They want to become part of your conversation, your community. My post about being a blogging wimp, for instance, generated more comments than any other post here so far.
“There’s a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.” ~ Leonard Cohen
Being an authority doesn’t mean you need to be perfect. Building a following requires a careful balance between showing you’re human and sharing your knowledge.
The truth about blogging
Imagine yourself on a stage, reading out your posts. Or perhaps singing while playing the guitar.
Have your readers invited their best friends to come and listen to your music? To hear the words of your blog posts?
Are they dancing? Do they go home with your words humming in their head?
Blogging isn’t about being useful and sharing your knowledge. That’s simply a starting point.
Welcome your readers. Create a unique atmosphere. Inspire your audience.
Recommended reading on blog writing:
How to write a list post readers love and share
How to write a good blog post super-fast
Blog to Win Business (Kindle book)
Oh, that last little bit!
“Blogging isn’t about being useful and sharing your knowledge. That’s simply a starting point.”
Compared to a concert, a radio is useful. But we don’t deliberately go somewhere to listen to a radio. Not like we do for a concert.
And why do we bother going to a concert? For that extra something in the air, the joy of meeting like-minded others, the fun of dressing up and eating out, the excitement of being with friends…
Have to make that happen on a blog site, then it’s gold.
Yes! I love your comparison with a concert 🙂
Tutorials are usually a real crowd pleaser and I completely agree that one of the best ways to share tutorials and how-tos is when guest posting! This gives you credibility, gets your name out there and attracts people to come visit your own blog for more of your tips! Of course there is a fine line between sharing your expert knowledge and giving away all your secrets!
I don’t think I have any professional secrets. So far I have not noticed that I’ve lost work because I explain to people how to write. How do you draw the line?
Most of the blog posts that I’ve written so far are types #1-4. I haven’t written anything like #5 or #6 yet, but bonding with my audience more sounds like a great thing to do.
Also, thanks for showing us how to do this! This article was not only really useful, but also a great example on how we should enchant our readers.
I love your writing and I need to learn more from your articles. 🙂
Thank you, Eugen. Feel free to steal as much as you like 🙂
#5 and #6 didn’t come naturally to me. I initially focused on pure educational posts, too. But I found that something was missing, so slowly pushed myself to open up a little more. I’m glad I did, because the blog feels much more like a community now.
As always, Henneke, an incredibly useful post!
Reading these 6 post types reminded me of bloggers I follow because they just so happen to use these. Some use them all, some tend to lean towards a select 2-3. For example, Jon Morrow always seems to use metaphoric or list posts (I mean, isn’t his “On Dying, Mothers, and Fighting for Your Ideas” the best metaphoric example of our time?).
Interestingly enough, I really don’t recall seeing many bloggers using tutorials, unless they’re WordPress or design bloggers. I’d be curious to see bloggers from other industries do this more prominently.
Hi Bree – yes, I agree, Jon’s post is a fantastic example of a metaphoric post.
I guess it depends a little how you define a tutorial. Many of the posts on Jon’s blog (Boost Blog Traffic), for instance, are how-to’s – even when they’re list posts. And many Copyblogger posts are how-to’s, too. Perhaps we need a seventh blog post type for how-to posts that aren’t necessarily in-depth, but provide a quick overview of how to improve something or how to get something done?
This is true. If you call tutorials “how to” posts, then I agree — these are good and I see them often.
Hi Henneke,
I’m learning a lot from you. I’m starting to find my unique voice by studying your book ‘Blog to Win Business’. It’s not easy but I’m loving trying it out.
You’re an inspiration and this post is packed with some useful advice. I’ll be referring to it a lot to help me write outstanding blog posts.
Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Hi June – I’m so glad to hear that you’re enjoying my book and my blog. Developing your writing voice takes time and some experimentation. Have fun with it – it sounds like you are!
Thank you for stopping by. 🙂
Great post and great outline for a book! A N D, great art work! and, And, AND!, unbelievable replies to your guests’ responses. Whew. The energy you put into your responses. The content you put into your replies. Each one is like a mini-post. You have raised the bar for bloggers with this one.
You define the relational blogger.
( You make me smile every time I click, ” Confirm you’re an enchanting person …)
Well yes, if you’re not enchanting, you’re not allowed to comment. 😉
Funnily enough earlier today I was thinking about turning this post into an ebook – with examples, outlines, and step-by-step guides for each of the blog post types. Your comment might just nudge me to get this done!
For me blogging is about starting a conversation. Getting and replying to comments is the best part of it. Thank you for stopping by, Curtis.
Sorry, my question was unclear. With all the information floating around in my brain, I just wasn’t sure what kind of information to blog about for a first post. Would it be better to give an overview about the blog and its purpose, or just choose a specific area within the topic of trauma and just dive in? I’m not sure if I should talk about trauma in general, or how to know if you are still being affected by an event from a long time ago, or different things to help heal from it on your own, et cetera, et cetera.
It is helpful to know what would be a good structure to start off with!
I wouldn’t start with a super-specific post. One way to start a blog is to think about the most commonly asked questions you get. Could you answer one (or a few) in your first blog post? You don’t really have to tell people what the purpose is of your blog – by reading your valuable posts, they can find this out themselves.
It’s worth keeping in mind that blog posts aren’t read chapter by chapter like a book. People may start reading any of your blog posts, and then “randomly” browse through your blog by clicking links in your blog posts (or in the list of popular posts). So in a way, it doesn’t matter so much where you start writing – as long as you provide something that valuable to your ideal reader.
So helpful – thank you!
I just ordered your Business Blogging book from Amazon – I can’t wait to sit down with it!
Great! I hope you’ll enjoy it and find it useful. Will you let me know?
Thanks, Henneke. I am going to start the blog. I have been working with trauma survivors for many years and I have a sea of information. Any thoughts about where to start on the blog? Or do you have a past post you can direct me to? Thanks!
Do you mean with what type of post to start? Long list posts and tutorials are both great starting points for a first blog post.
Having a sea of information is great, just make sure you focus each blog post on one key message.
You can find an overview of my most useful posts about blogging here: https://www.enchantingmarketing.com/business-blogging/
Let me know if I mistunderstood your question?
Hi Henneke,
Thank you for this post!
Regarding giving your best stuff away, I am writing a book on healing emotional trauma. I want to start blogging about healing trauma, too, but I’m putting everything I know in the book. Will it be redundant to put my information in both?
Thanks for all your great info!
Karen
A blog and a book can live side-by-side.
My two books both started with blog posts. You can probably find 60% to 70% of my book content, here on my blog, too. But the books provide a clearer framework, a more structured way to read about a topic. The books also fill in the gaps that weren’t covered in my blog posts.
Writing a series of blog posts about related topics, and then turning them into a book is a great way to do it. You can also probably do it the other way around, but I haven’t tried that. A blog is a good way to find an audience for your book as it allows you to build up trust and authority.
Hi Henneke, thanks for that: “Blogging isn’t about being useful and sharing your knowledge. That’s simply a starting point.”
I find that creating a unique atmosphere, finding my voice and inspiring readers is the most difficult thing to do. And also the most exciting. Not sure I will get it. Trying is good.
Yes, you’re right. It’s not easy and it takes time.
When you’re enthusiastic about sharing your knowledge, you’re on the right track. Readers will notice the spark in your writing voice. 🙂
Good to “see” you again!
PS Buffer has started a huge campaign, they are writing the most annoyingly great and deeper then in depth checklist posts for all types of subjects. Ugh.
Yes, there seems to be a trend to writing longer, more in-depth tutorials. Several thousand words. Almost like a whole book. Neil Patel published a few of those, and Boost Blog Traffic had the mega-post about Google+.
The figures show that longer list posts gain more shares. But nobody has calculated the number of hours spent vs the number of social shares – as far as I know. I’d be interested to know that figure 😉
Even without a figure – of course it works. Look at what Hubspot has been doing for years now. It just takes a ton of time and hence money. The big spenders will always outperform the smaller ones. Mark Schaefer has written about this too.
Yes, I followed some of the discussion about content shock on Mark Schaefer’s blog. And of course one-author blogs can’t compete with the big boys in terms of quantity of output. But I think there’s still room for smaller blogs with niche audiences.
When you have lots of staff and money, the mega posts might work, but for a smaller blog, I don’t think it’s worth the investment in time. I’d rather turn up once a week with a 1,000 word blog post than once a month with a 4,000 words guide.
And then you have the combinations. I like those best. List posts that are also in-depth tutoriuals, etc. I like to mix things up. Makes it more interesting. For me, as a writer. O do you think we should keep it simple and straightforward?
Yep, same-same is boring. I agree that mixing things up is always a good idea – both for writers and readers. And metaphors can, of course, be included in any type of blog post.
Several nuggets of good advice all rolled into one blog post again.
Thank you for saying out loud what’s been bothering me since a long time about most long list posts. I get bored with most of them after a couple of bullet points, because they do nothing but regurgitate mediocre content. As if their author did a quick Google search and copy/pasted the results into something they hope will improve their search ranking.
Liked your tips on that one: scrap the obvious ones and include links to posts offering more details. I suppose a balanced mix between one’s own content and other bloggers is a good idea?
Think I’ll try your number four soon: write a super-specific post. Hmm…
And can I just say I simply love your drawing! Great effect with the crowd. When will you start selling prints? 😉
Yep, I hate regurgitated content, too. And you get a lot of rehashed info with lists… posts that have been thrown together in just a few minutes. I guess it’s especially important to inject list posts with a bit of personality, e.g. by pulling readers into your post with a seductive opening, by writing an inspirational conclusion, and of course by choosing your words carefully.
And yep, I agree with you about including internal and external links.
Thank you for stopping by again, Bart, and great to hear you love my drawing. I had a dip in drawing confidence a while back, but really enjoying it again 🙂
Authority is an illusion, all we can do is say this it the best I know, hope its valuable. I always like how when I learn from a great teacher it almost destroys everything I learned before… elegantly. Still, experience, dedication and talent count, just wish there was a way to distinguish that from blather, sooner. I like the stage metaphor, speaking, so much more alive than writing, plus musical accompaniment, divine.
I have a problem with authority. I don’t like to be told what to do. So yes, let’s just say we’re sharing our best knowledge, and readers can choose whether they want to follow it or not. 🙂
The stage metaphor … I was trying to come up with a drawing for the idea of a raving audience. That’s when I thought of a stage and music. These silly sketches are forcing me to become more creative. 😉
Thank you for stopping by again!
I know you are so right about the usable list post. One of my most-viewed is a list of ways for being ready for a tornado. And as these storms tend to be seasonal and much viewed across the Web, I drag my list post out annually, tidy it up, add to it, if needed, and let the hits roll in. Another I do the same way tells how to beat seasonal allergies. So popular, partly also because of my inadvertently picking the keyword many people use: sneezing.
I wonder about the metaphoric post, used as a guest post. If the main advantage of it is that it attracts attention to me, is it out of place in a guest post? Just wondering…
Thanks for all the great input here! 🙂
Those are fantastic ideas for checklists, Katharine. I can totally see why they do well for you.
Metaphoric posts don’t necessarily have to be about you. You can use them to explain a rehashed topic in a fresh way – and that might do well as a guest post. Also, once you’ve established a relationship with a blogger, it might be easier to write a more personal post.
To be honest, I find it hard to comment as my guest posts tend to be lists posts and tutorials. I’ve tried a metaphoric post once on a blog I hadn’t posted for yet, and I don’t think it worked that well. But that could be for many reasons.
Hi Henneke,
Great post as usual.
I’ll try writing each blog post type over the next few days.
Please could you give some examples of metaphoric posts? That seems to be the toughest to do.
Hi Rohi – Glad you like the post 🙂
A few examples of metaphoric posts:
How to Remove Ballast from Your Blog Posts (and Keep Your Readers Spellbound)
The “Secret” Ingredient that Turns Casual Blog Readers Into Avid Fans
What a Puking Tour Leader Can Teach Us About Content Marketing
You can see that the last two follow a similar format – alternating between the two topics. 🙂
Thanks for these wonderful examples, Henneke.
I’ve always wanted to do an in-depth tutorial post, for instance, about how I create a painting from start to finish. It could be a video, or text with in-progress photos, and I can even make a PDF available for download. I never found the time or spent the effort to do it though. Do you think it’d be worth it? Thanks, Henneke.
It’ll be an evergreen post that you can continue to promote for years; and I would think that potential buyers and beginning artists would find it useful.
Whether it’s worth it? If you like the idea and if you think you’ll enjoy putting it together, I’d go for it. You might also want to consider it as a guest post on another blog (or create two different versions).
I have done one as a guest post on FineArtTips.com, and I did enjoy writing it. It does take some time and effort to put together. Em… I’ll probably do another one for FineArtTips, let me see if what I have in mind would be accepted by Lori. Thanks.