Every blogger will face the dreaded blank page at some point. You stare at that blinking cursor, fingers ready, but the words are just not coming.
It may not make sense, but one way to beat writer’s block is to put a limitation on yourself.
Write a blog post of a specific type, to give you a structure and a starting point. Make it easier on yourself with a category, specific idea or writer’s prompt.
Here are 10 different blog post types you can try, which will not only help you beat writer’s block, but will also create variety for your readers.
Take the opposing view
It can be easy to fall into the habit of writing about whatever is popular at the moment.
But sometimes going against the grain can be a little sensational, and increase your blog post views and website traffic.
Be a contrarian and take the opposite stance on something that’s generally accepted. People can’t resist reading things like this, and they are highly shareable. But you should be prepared for the backlash, though.
Discuss the data
If words aren’t forthcoming, let the numbers talk.
Find some statistics related to your niche, maybe a consumer survey or a research report, and review them on your blog. You could even run a survey on your own audience and report the results.
Just researching statistics on subjects that interest you is a great way to start. You might some really cool data and be able to use it to create an interesting blog post.
A great website to visit for statistics is Public Agenda. They provide insight into what the public really thinks about a variety of subjects.
Plus, they provide free access to press releases on tons of research studies.
Tell what you’ve learned
Drop a knowledge bomb on your audience.
Pick an experience you had related to your blog topic, then explain what happened and what you learned from it. This also gives your blog a personal touch and helps people relate to you.
Drawing from your own life gives you lots of potential subjects to help you beat writer’s block. Plus, people like reading real stories. Especially about other people’s lives!
Telling people how to do something through a story is a much more fun way to give advice.
Don’t limit yourself to things you learned that created success. If you had a failure but learned from it, use that as the story you tell.
As always, make sure you are paying attention to SEO when crafting your content. Read SEO Content Writing Tips that Actually Work to help!
Beat writer’s block: interview someone
Find someone who is known to your audience and interview them on your blog. Again, readers love real-life stories.
An interview combines that with helpful information your blog visitors might be looking for. Interviewing someone allows you to use someone else’s word to help craft the bulk of your blog post.
Plus, if you get someone who already has their own web presence, they will likely link to your blog post, helping bring some traffic your way too.
This type of blog post can easily be combined with one of the other types listed here for a double whammy. Interview someone about something significant they learned as a result of an experience in their life.
For an even bigger traffic booster, interview more than one person for one blog post. Maybe do a roundup of tips or strategies learned by several well-known people.
Once your blog post is published with a link back to them, they will hopefully share your post out, bringing new visitors your way.
Provide a how-to tutorial
The classic “how-to” post will never go out of style and is the simplest way to provide value to your readers.
Identify problems faced by your target audience, and tell them how to solve them. You can even string together several how-to’s and create a series.
Answerthepublic.com is a great website tool that allows you to search popular questions your readers might be asking. Find a subject people are looking for a “how-to” tutorial on in order to help boost your SEO and traffic.
The DIY Network has an entire category of “How-to” articles on their website. Check out their how-to article on 35 Upcycled Crafts and Easy DIYs.
Think about the past
Look to the past for inspiration. You can write about how things used to be in your niche or do a comparison between then and now.
If you write about cars, review a car from the 1940s as a switch from the normal blog post.
Or if you’re a self-help guru, buy the first self-help book ever published and review it. If you write about climate change, write a piece about the ice age.
Or take an example from your own life or work. Think of how to make a new story out of something old. Take one of your most popular blog posts and write a follow-up to it, or expand it into a series.
Think about the future
The flip-side of the past is, of course the future! You can also look to the future for inspiration.
If you write about movies, list the top five movies you’re looking forward to next year.
Give tips for preparing for the next planting season if gardening advice is your go-to subject.
If tax law is important to your readers, review some bills that are being proposed and the impact they might have. Learn the Benefits of Writing for a Niche Audience and How it’s Done!
Write a post about what your personal plans for the future are and ask your readers to comment with theirs. Including an interactive element to your blog post helps to engage your readers and encourage sharing.
Make a list
Listicles have become an extremely popular blog post type.
The value of a list post to the reader is that it’s scannable. They can quickly scroll down, read the headers and easily get the gist of the story.
Not everyone has time or the attention in this day and age to read something in-depth. A list of “top 10” items they may want provides your readers with a quick and easy, helpful article.
Plus, there’s no shortage of subjects you can turn into lists. Top 10 tips for budgeting, top 10 sunglasses for summer… The list, no pun intended, of listicle blog posts you can write is endless.
Review a product
When people shop for items to buy, they often search for reviews first. There is no more powerful advertising than word-of-mouth.
Providing reviews of products, services, books or movies is a great way to provide something to your readers.
In addition, if businesses see you conduct regular reviews, and you also have a large audience, they’ll start sending you free stuff to review. Or better yet, pay you to review their products!
Provide a resource list
List resources people can access related to your topic area, such as the top 10 blogs, articles, online courses, books, people, YouTube videos – it can be anything.
A roundup of resources is not only beneficial for your readers, but can be an easier blog post to write.
Conclusion
Of course, this is not an exhaustive list of blog post types. But it should be enough to get your creative engine running or help you beat writer’s block.
Work down the list and try to come up with five post ideas for each post type. As you do this, if an idea just feels “right” – that is, if you feel a sense of excitement and inspiration about it – then stop right there and get to work.
Comment below and tell us how did you bust out of writer’s block the last time you had it?
