Twenty Fantastic Blog Post Ideas To Fuel Your Creativity

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[Note: wow, it's been almost two weeks since I've posted on any of my blogs. That is the longest stretch I've gone without writing in probably 6-8 years. Not sure why. Not sure if it was even noticed. Wasn't planned. Just needed a break I guess. Have been really tired from work, haven't felt good physically, and some other stresses I won't whine about. Feels good to be writing again. ~ BR]

Writers get stuck. And tired.  It’s often hard to come up with something fresh and original. It is. Trust me. It is.

Having a reference list of TYPES of posts can go a long ways towards stirring your creativity and helping you come up with an idea. Here is the list I use, compiled from great ideas I’ve read with my own spin and experience. I reference this routinely. It’s a GREAT HELP. I hope you’ll find it to be the same.

1. Question & Answer
2. Tips and Tricks
3. A Story
4. “A” List
5. Quiz or Test
6. Informational
7. Lists
8. Problems & Solutions
9. Lesson Learned
10. Rants
11. Inspirational
12. Prediction
13. Hypothetical “What If”
14. Debate
15. Reviews
16. Interviews
17. Case Studies
18. Profiles
19. Excerpt and Link To Another Post
20. Comparison
21. Research
22. Compilation
23. Satire
24. Series or Multiple Parts
25. Viral Post or Idea Virus

Descriptions

Question & Answer:  Someone poses a question and then you answer it. Readers might ask questions… in fact, you should INVITE your readers to ask questions. They are a great source of content ideas.

Tips and Tricks: Start with a couple paragraphs of explanation about the topic followed by a list of tips. People love to know time-saving and cool tips and tricks.  What is your blog about? What are you good at? Write some tips. You don’t have to be an expert… you just have to know more than your typical readers.

A Story: Once upon a time something happened to me; maybe I learned something from it, and now I’m telling you. People love personal stories… they can either be pure entertainment or perhaps a lesson learned.

“A” List: This is the BEST of something… best websites about a topic, best writers on a subject, best restaurants in Dallas, best blogs about adoption, best free graphics tools on the web.

Quiz or Test: Pose a series of questions or offer a checklist that allows the reader to figure something out. The purpose can be to test someone and show them their current level of knowledge, or to teach them something by given them answers (letting them “test” adds interactivity).

Informational: Explain something, define something, expound on something. What are your readers interested in? Do  little research on the internet and write and informational post about it. You don’t have to be an expert on the topic, go research it. You are coming up with original though, you are working from existing information.

Lists:  This might be a list of great websites, great books, or great people to follow on Twitter (www.twitter.com/Brent_Riggs ). A top ten list of something.  Think about what YOU know… make a list of the five best, or the twenty great.

Problems & Solutions: Present a problem, offer a solution. If you are an expert (or pretty experienced) on a certain topic, then there will always be common problems. Use your experience to offer solutions. This is a great way to become popular in your niche. Or, if not an expert on something specific, pick common problems people have, and research solutions on the Internet. You don’t have to come up with original solutions, you just have to communicate answers to readers who don’t know currently know them.

Lesson Learned: Explain a problem, bad result or unexpected difficulty and follow it with the lesson you learned from the experience. Unlike “A Story” above, this is usually not some personal circumstance but relates to business, a hobby, a specific effort.

Rants: Everyone has a gripe, something that annoys them; a soap box.  Sound off and let your readers know your opinion. CAUTION: use this one sparingly. It’s easy to become a ranter that constantly sounds off but offers nothing constructive. Griping or complaining is EASY… it’s only useful on a rare occasion if you established yourself as a positive problem solver too. You have to earn the right to gripe or get on a soap box.

Inspirational: something that lifts the spirit, motivates, tugs at the heart strings, makes you love life and restores your hope in mankind again. This could be a story of an overcomer, some victory in life, a heartwarming tale.

Prediction: Predict the future of some topic, some event, some time period. My predictions for 2011; what I think will happen to the blogging industry; I predict the following for our economy; my predictions for the adoption community.

Hypothetical “What If”:  write a post about a change, event or circumstance that has not happened. What if we really did have total personal freedom and responsibility? What if we got rid of all welfare and hand outs? What if we tossed out humanism in parenting and education? What would happen if we could never buy something we didn’t have the cash in hand for? What if our industry removed all the regulations? What if success really was easy and required no effort (like many claim)?

Debate: Present a pro and con on a topic. Cover both sides objectively, let the reader decide. Or, blatantly take one position, then invite the readers to debate you.

Reviews: Review books, writers, other blogs, products or anything that your readers would appreciate an honest evaluation on.

Interviews: Interview someone interesting, notable, history making, wise or an expert on something. Ask questions, let them answer. TIP: let them have input on the questions. They know what they know, and they can help you come up with questions that bring out their expertise or story.

Case Studies: Write about something that happened when a technique, solution, product or idea was tried out. Pick a person or company who applied a solution or idea and examine the results and lessons learned.

Profiles: Profile a notable or interesting person. This is not the same as an interview. A profile specifically gives information, facts and history about the person specifically.

Excerpt and Link To Another Post: most bloggers read alot of other blogs and websites. Pick out good posts and articles. Write some comments about it, include and excerpt and link back to the original. I often do this with news stories.

Comparison: A vs. B; choose this or that.  Compare two products, two choices, two solutions, two problems, two people, two points of view. Unlike a debate, a comparison points out the differences in two or more things usually without presenting a “winner” or “preference” although there is no rule that says you can’t draw a conclusion.

Research: Compile information and resources on a topic, problem, person, hobby, skill or industry. Research is the work of gathering up information and putting it one place, which readers appreciate.

Compilation: unlike research, this is more like a reference list of links, sites, blogs and resources about a topic, event or something specific. For instance, I might compile a list of links and descriptions on Christian history websites, or “personal finance” blogs.

Satire: well, satire is… satire. Here’s the definition:

• witty language used to convey insults or scorn; “he used sarcasm to upset his opponent”; “irony is wasted on the stupid”;
• A literary technique of writing or art which principally ridicules its subject often as an intended means of provoking or preventing change.
• exposing human folly to ridicule; “a persistent campaign of mockery by the satirical fortnightly magazine”
• a humorist who uses ridicule and irony and sarcasm

Series or Multiple Parts: Instead of writing really long posts, break them up into parts, or create a series that covers a different part of the topic with each post.  You can often get a couple of weeks of posts from one series, or by breaking up a long post.

The Holy Grail of Posts

Viral Post or Idea Virus: Okay, this is the HOLY GRAIL of blog posts. A viral post is one that people are compelled to pass on to others, and like a snowball rolling downhill gains momentum and grows. Viral posts are rare and often unexpected. One viral post can launch an entire blogging career.  There’s no formula for a viral post, you just have to constantly evaluate whether or not your post would be something your readers (and their friends) are COMPELLED to share with others.

Many posts get shared with a few people… few posts take on a true viral cycle. It takes great writing, great timing and great luck/blessing/fortune (choose your flavor).

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Is This A Viral Post?

Okay, that’s TWENTY FIVE great ideas instead of 20.  Under promise, over deliver. Hey, could this be a VIRAL POST? There are about 20 gagillion bloggers who could ALL benefit from a great reference of creative post ideas. I can only hope… you can’t MAKE a viral post happen, you can only get up and swing the bat over and over and over.

What are your questions about blog posts ideas?

I would be very grateful if you would share this with someone, or put it on one of the social sites:

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Tagged as: blog post types, creativity, list of blog post types, viral post