Five types of blogs that your audience will love

If you use content in your marketing, these blog strategies will help

There are two types of people: those who blog and those who don’t blog. Those who don’t blog may not realize that this online content is designed to generate leads, to encourage social media engagement and to drive web traffic.

What kind of content will maximize results? And how can you keep coming up with new content ideas? Like many things in life, when you know your strengths and weaknesses, you’ll narrow down blog ideas that will reap maximum results. More than that, you’ll actually want to continue writing when you know which topics you’re excellent at writing about.

Here are some strategies to help.

The epic blog post earns you expert status

A blog of epic proportions dives extensively into the topic, providing an overview of why this topic is important, what the trends of this topic are, when this topic is relevant, where this topic matters and how this topic works. These mini-cornerstone content articles provide a more in-depth view of a particular topic.

Some digital marketing professionals would argue that today’s audience doesn’t have the attention span to enjoy a long blog article. However, data reveals that longer blog posts are shared more often. BuzzSumo analyzed 100 million articles and confirmed that posts with the most depth got the most shares. These particular articles are between 3,000 and 10,000 words.

Blog shares are invaluable for your marketing because they build brand awareness and casting a wider net to reach more people who could benefit from your content. More people who consider your content high quality and valuable mean more leads.

Long blog posts showcase what makes you unique, because they draw your reader in further and they require more dedication and loyalty from your reader. Valuable and quality content of this length boosts a website’s authority more than the typical 500-word blog post.

If your website lacks significant web traffic, long-form blog articles provide targeted information for your reader. Search engine marketing trends indicate that users are using long tail keywords or phrases to search for what they need. When readers find what they’re looking for from your blog, they won’t need to conduct multiple Google searches that bounce them around the Internet for answers.

A great way to keep your website relevant now and in the future is to write about evergreen topics — content that remains relevant despite the passage of time. From a budgeting standpoint, this content is cost efficient because it can be reused and repurposed in other marketing strategies.

Affiliate blogging can result in passive income

Affiliate blogs are typically case studies, reviews, tutorials, promotional content and actionable calls to action that link to products for which the blogger is paid a commission. The most successful affiliate blogs are ones that are completely honest about receiving financial compensation.

There are a variety of affiliate networks that allow you the opportunity to work with vetted merchants. Simply pick a category that interests you or about which you are an expert. The more genuinely interested in the category surrounding your affiliate offering, the better. The content that you create should center around the keywords for which you want to rank.

Building an email list is especially important for an affiliate blog. Email marketing gives you a direct line of communication with your audience. Consider sending special offers or downloadable content.

Never underestimate the power of niche

People are often avid fans of specific things they like — whether it’s an idea, a cause, a product or service. When you hyper focus a blog on a particular calling or position, you can guarantee that people who are interested in that blog will be interested in your other content as well.

First, you need to know who your target audience is. Instead of writing to anyone who is interested in fashion, perhaps you focus on a particular designer? If you are a physical therapist who believes in the power of nutrition, hone in on the medicinal aspects of good food. You’ll find it far easier to maintain a niche blog when you stick to a subject about which you’re a passionate expert.

Blog articles can serve as your greatest sales machine because they educate your current customers and potential customers on your business. What are the frequently asked questions people have for you in relation to your business? What are your customers’ pain points and challenges? How can your business solve them?

All of these questions make excellent blog posts, and can save your team time by not having to continually educate your audience.

Time-tested and corporate-approved

Are you self-employed? Do you work for a big company? Do you own your own business?

Business blogs that detail your career journey capture a lot of attention because people are curious about what it’s like behind the scenes. They also love a good story.

No matter what industry you’re in, there is someone who wants to hear what you have to say. No matter what your experience has been, you have value to offer someone’s business — even if all you’ve experienced is a great deal of “failure” (read: learning process).

Your perceived weaknesses are often your greatest strengths that will help someone else.

The tell-all

Tell-all blogs aren’t necessarily salacious stories of gossip. They are narratives that relate what’s entertaining, interesting or unusual about your life. The tell-all blog gives a glimpse of what your life is like, and sometimes those stories can be controversial and unsettling. As long as they’re rooted in truth, these blogs are great for building a brand.

How does this work?

If you’ve lived compelling experiences, you have great stories to tell. Tell your intriguing tales but not just for the shock value. The point with the tell-all is to intertwine the lessons you learned. When you give your readers an opportunity to learn from content that is open and intimate, you will establish a genuine connection.