Do you have a blog but not know what to post? Do you feel like you’re always writing the same type of article? Today, we’re going to offer you 7 ideas that will revolutionise the way you approach the blank page in front of you.

"It’s useless trying to promote content if it isn’t good quality in the first place"

Write epic shit !

We couldn’t start this article without quoting the famous post from Corbett Barr:

Building a raving audience online all starts with writing epic shit. Period. Hands down. End of story. […] Write things that make people think. Inspire people. Change lives. Create value. Blow people away with your usefulness.

The writer concludes his article by underlining the fact that it’s useless trying to promote content if it isn’t good quality in the first place. We couldn’t agree more.

To him, writing epic content involves two things: (i) content that’s useful for your readers, and (ii) having a great way of presenting it. Useful content is content that’s linked to your services, or to you as a person. After all, as we show you here, there are “humans behind the screen”. And your clients will be pleased to discover the principles behind a company that works, as well as the team who makes it all possible. The way of presenting it is the power to make your reader laugh, smile, dream, think or cry: in short, evoking feelings.

A successful post doesn’t have to be long, but one into which you’ve put time and passion.

In concrete terms, there are several exercises in style to help you escape from the commonplace.

The ultimate guide

The web really is a web: a collection of articles which are all linked to each other. But it’s refreshing to have a particularly exhaustive article which offers all the possible responses to a question, guiding you through all the stages of reflection.

An example of this can be seen in Thomas Frank’s The Complete, Step-By-Step Guide to Creating a Successful Blog, which walks you through all the necessary steps to create and launch your blog.

Source : College Info Geek

As those of you who read Neil Patel’s blog will know, well-researched, well-written articles of over 1500 words provide a solid basis upon which to create a blog that works. The real idea is to go beyond simply filling up your website and offer your readers useful, exhaustive overviews on a particular point, answer their questions and offer new ways of doing things.

From time to time, it’s good to go even further and aim for extremely exhaustive articles, which might not be unlike a good book in terms of the time taken to read them. But, as we said, there’s no point saying something in 10 sentences if you could sum it up in 10 words: aim for efficiency.

Very long articles are great for SEO, but more generally, they’re real goldmines for visitors to your site. They’re what could help you gain clients.

We’re preparing a new, detailed article on how to conduct the necessary research to write and put together guides like these.

"… everyone has their own skill set, and showing your skills will only lead to long-term collaborations."

The “how-to” article, or tutorial

A less substantial version of the ultimate guide we discussed above, explanatory articles could certainly constitute the majority of your online content.

Are you afraid to reveal the secrets behind your business?

Let us just say one thing: the people who read your blog may be potential clients, so showing your expertise is essential. What’s more, everyone has their own skill set, and showing your skills will only lead to long-term collaborations.

To add value to your article, you can also add an infographic, which you can create using Canva, Photoshop or Piktochart.  

Lists

You only need to read this article to know what we’re talking about here!

As you’ll have guessed, lists are a great way to offer something useful by summarising content from verified sources, whether magazines, scientific articles or the blogosphere in general.

For these articles, don’t be content with the minimum – do your research thoroughly so that you only offer the best of the best. Take a look at our article on the 10 best extensions for Chrome for an example.

Another popular format is “Dos and don’ts”. This type of article allows you to compare good practices with the things you need to avoid doing at all costs. Have a read of this article on mistakes to avoid making on Facebook and you’ll understand what we’re talking about.

Interviews

Have you read our article on Battista Ravanne, founder of USBfactory? Or on Ziad Allani, SEO consultant?

In addition to showcasing your partners, posting interviews broadens your area of expertise in the eyes of your readers by associating with them. You also attract a wider audience than those who typically read your blog, because it’s very likely that your article will be featured on the interviewee’s website. The consequences this has in SEO terms are fantastic! Backlinks count, and that’s putting it lightly!

Articles accompanying video content

Everyone’s going crazy for video content now, and for good reason: there’s no more interactive way to see your favourite celebrities in action, speaking or live! And the accessible nature of the web has made it possible for everyone to create their own channel, particularly on social networks and YouTube.

If you create videos (see our article on video marketing), and you should, take full advantage of them by reposting them on your company blog, accompanied by an explanatory article.

Personal articles

A type of article that does particularly well is one where you give your personal opinions, such as “Our opinion on…”, “Why we think that…” or “Why we don’t agree with…”.

This allows you to convey your knowledge in a far more personal way. You can emphasise the big trends that you consider to be important or, on the contrary, point out things you don’t agree with at all.

After all, reality TV and Donald Trump have both shown us that controversy often leads to clicks. Just do make sure that you keep your opinions strictly professional.

If you want a different style but one that’s still personal, you could write an article sharing the lessons you’ve learnt over the past year. Once again, it’s a post that will reach out to the reader and allow you to share your expertise. This is exactly what Antoine did in this retrospective.

Guest articles

Another very different idea: why not recognise a colleague or professional in your domain by inviting them to write about a subject that’s important to them, and showcase it on… your blog! Like with interviews, you’ll receive a wider audience, do the writer a favour and then benefit from the consequences it has on your site’s SEO.

And why not hire a copywriter?

Though it may sound like a pejorative term, a copywriter is, essentially, a writer who specialises in this type of post. Everyone has their own domain: if yours is digital marketing, why not try collaborating with someone who’s a master with words and who will be able to present your content in the best light, with a touch of humour and sensitivity that will make it an irresistible read?

Start by working on one or two articles as a trial, then see if the style suits you and the content meets your requirements. Delegate, and not to get things done quicker, but to enhance the quality and consistency of your content.

Sources

9 different blog post types and how to use them

5 extraordinary blog post types

The 5 kinds of posts that every blog needs and how to create them

12 types of blog posts

Write Epic Shit

Guillaume Duckerts is a writer, freelancer and specialist in information and communication technologies.