What should you write about today? This is one of the most daunting thoughts that run through most of our heads while we’re sitting in front of a blank document. Of course, if you’ve created a content plan, you should have at least the blog topic and focus keywords.
- But what format are you going to share your content in?
- What will your customers consume and engage with the best?
Looking at other blog writing formats can give you a boost in creating your own original content. In this blog post, we’ll look at ten different types of blogs for content marketing and what makes each of them work.
1. How-to Guides
How-to questions are some of the most searched for on Google. Whether it’s “How to make homemade jam?” or “How to change a tire?” people are looking for solutions to their problems. So if they see that you have the answer they’re looking for, they’re more than likely going to click on your link to read the article.
Creating content that helps your audience do, create, or achieve something is valuable when it’s done well. This could be a simple step-by-step guide or a more in-depth dive into high-level strategy. The point is to inform your viewers and show that you’re an authority on the topic by sharing your industry knowledge and offering them free help, which builds trust.
It also leads the way to a powerful lead generation as users will keep coming back to you as a source of information. They will interact with your site, download your content, subscribe to newsletters, and eventually (and hopefully) convert into a paying customer.
2. Lists
Lists are all over Google search results. We’ve even created a list for this blog! It’s not a coincidence that lists are trending on Google — lists are an easy way to provide information in a digestible format.
They are highly engaging too, and often shared on social media. For example, it could be a “5 ways a digital marketing agency can help your business grow” list, a checklist to prepare or follow up on an event, or a seasonal topic.
You can create a graphic of a checklist to print out if you want to go the extra mile too, which can be easily shared. Many people don’t have time to sit down and read a full blog. When they are looking for something fast, a list-style blog is all they need.
3. Compare and Contrast
Everybody loves a showdown. Pizza vs. pasta. PC vs. Mac. Winter vs. summer. What’s your industry’s favorite rivalry, or just a frequently asked either/or question from your readers? Then, create a blog post comparing and contrasting them and offering your expert recommendation.
4. Current Events
It’s a good idea to create plenty of evergreen content on your blog — content that’s always relevant. But don’t skip out on writing blogs that pertain to current events that affect your industry.
Here at ContentFirst.Marketing, we’ve been creating plenty of always-relevant digital marketing content. But we’ve also put out guides for handling the current coronavirus pandemic for business owners, which is highly relevant right now.
Is there a news event that affects or interests your business and customers? By creating current and fresh content, it maintains your expert status and upgrades you to up-to-date and relevant. The more a person trusts you as an expert and authority, the more likely they’ll buy from you.
5. Case Studies
These types of blogs are great sources of content for professional services businesses. What kinds of techniques or changes have worked well for your clients or customers trying to solve a problem?
You can write up a quick case study summarizing the client, the problem, the solution, and why it worked for them. Think of it as showing your success in action and telling a compelling story along the way.
Case study blogs are great for conversions because they show real-life examples of a topic that is valuable to your industry. In addition, readers will be more likely to believe that you know what you’re talking about when they see real-life examples of success.
6. Behind the Scenes
Your customers are probably curious about what goes on behind the scenes at your company – especially if you’re in a specific niche. Give them some details! Show photos from preparations from your big annual event, talk about employee stories and why they love what they do, or talk about the volunteer work you do in your community.
People love seeing what’s going on at their favorite companies. This type of blogging takes you from being an anonymous corporation to a collection of real human beings in the eyes of your readers.
7. Interviews
Your industry is probably teeming with other interesting people. Do a quick interview with a few of them and post the results on your blog. This point could be an ongoing series of questions you ask everyone or just a casual chat with industry insights.
Interviews are also great types of blogs when you want to create content but don’t have the time to research and write about a certain topic. You can instead reach out to an industry expert and interview them to share their knowledge.
This type of blogging also generates multiple formats of content. For example, you can film the interview and upload a video. You could even create a podcast and post them on your blog. The interviewee will also be keen to share the content with their network, reaching a new audience.
8. Infographics
They may not be the best blog type for generating leads, but infographics are a great way to drive users to your site and raise brand awareness. Infographics are easy to digest and share. They are informative and also provide a break in between wordy blog articles.
We recommend having an embed code near the infographic so that people can share it on their site. This method is great for gaining backlinks to your site.
9. Vlogging
Video blogging, or vlogging, is growing rapidly in popularity. In fact, YouTube is the second-biggest search resource on the web! Creating some video content to add to your written blogs can help you reach a new audience or show a different side of your company.
You can hire a video production company, or you can film and edit it yourself for a budget-friendly choice.
10. Customer Feature
If you have a loyal customer base, use them as a feature in your content! The best ad is a happy customer, after all. Talk to them about how they use your product or service, how it changes their life for the better, and how they found your company.
This is different from a testimonial, so be sure to ask them more personal questions. Stories from real people are one of the most popular blogging topics to read.
Get Great Content Marketing
Looking for an agency that gets you real, measurable results with attractive, functional websites, great writing, and a strong digital marketing strategy? We can help with blogging and other types of content marketing.
Schedule a free business review here to find out how we help businesses grow. Then, you can use these insights for inspiration, and let us do the marketing for you.
