B6S.net

Got plenty of ideas but not sure what to write about and how to go about it? Maybe try and think form before you think matter?
I find that thinking about the format actually helps me come up with new original blog posts. With that in mind, I made myself this list of possible post formats – I hope it’ll help you come up with some cool unique posts too.

Keep in mind that there are no hard and fast rules here. You certainly can mix it up and add your own spices and variations.

The Personal Story

These posts usually illustrate a point by using a personal story shared by the blogger. I have seen long soapy ones, meant to move and inspire, and judging by the comments, they often succeed. Shorter versions, where you use a personal anecdote to drive a message can be quite powerful too. And sometimes, you really do just share a story, without conveying some sort of a “lesson.s

Make a List

The nice even breaks and the ability to chain together practically anything make this one an extremely popular format for online writing. Whatever’s on your mind, you can put it into a nice list and then name it something like “Seven top techniques to gain eternal happiness”.  Or, if you want a more recent example: Lists on Your Blog – Five Things to Consider.

Link Collections

A great solution for when you can’t come up with your own insights Or when you really do want to review other sites, pages or even posts on your own site. This can be either in a form of a list, or ingrained into written paragraphs like I did here.

Pros and Cons or “Should You…”

The “weighing” posts. This is where you evaluate something – a method, a product, an idea – by listing its pros and cons. You could end by reaching a definite conclusion, or with an open end that lets your readers figure out what works out best for them. For added focus on your reader, you can present this as a “Should you…?” dilemma like I did here.

How to’s and Guides

Another all-time favorite in online writing. So much so that entire websites like ehow.com are built around it. You do actually  need to know what you’re talking about to write this kind of a post (or thoroughly research your topic). Feel free to get creative, add pictures or videos where relevant. The important thing here is to be clear and concise, so that your readers can follow your guide and arrive at the same results. Keep things simple and don’t be afraid to state that in titles such as “How to Create Raised Flower Beds in Four Simple Steps”.

Questions & Answers

A great solution for when you’re flooded with questions from your audience about a certain topic, this also works as a strictly design/formatting method, as I used it here. It has the benefit of breaking up your topic into smaller chunks that should be easier to address. You can still create a dialog using Questions & Answers, by referencing answers in following questions. Interviews, whether real or fake, use the same format, as do the good old FAQ pages.

The Case Study

This is a scientific (or pseudo-scientific, depending on how it’s done) format where you pick a case study to test a theory with and dissect the results. If you can create a controlled experiment like this SEO experiment here, that’s excellent. If not, just trying to get some data and analyse it also works - see this example.

The Rant Post (aka Attack)

Someone got on your nerves and you have a relevant blog? You could try and get it out of your system by posting about it. Try and make it interesting for your readers: What added benefit can you provide them with? Making them smile always works, or providing them with a heads up. Keep in mind that you are liable for what you write – steer clear of potential libel suits.

Announcements

A benign post type where you announce something. Make sure it’s of value for your readers. A new blog launched, a new freebie or contest, or a new feature on your site, can all be reason for a short focused announcement.