Imagine you’re engrossed in an action-packed thriller.
You’re close to the end of the book, you’re anticipating a showdown between the hero and the villain, and …
… the villain undergoes a sudden change of heart, and the hero decides to retire and enjoy a quiet life in Florida.
Huh?
Chances are, you’d throw the book across the room in disgust. The author promised you a thriller, but what you got is an unsatisfying fairy tale.
Fiction genres follow specific formulas. Good blogging and content marketing are no different.
Now, here’s hoping that you don’t throw a gratuitously brutal murder into your next blog post. But nontheless, you might be confusing readers — and making your own life harder — by avoiding formulas when you should be embracing them.
Here’s why …
Formulas are tried and tested
If you’ve been around the blogosphere for any length of time, some types of posts probably look a bit overdone. There are plenty of well-meaning pundits who will tell you that the list post, for instance, is “over.”
Maybe you’ve sworn that this kind of thing will have no place on your blog.
But realize: these formulas are popular because they work.
Sure, you’ll find plenty of examples of badly-done list posts — but don’t let that excuse stop you from writing a great one.
Head to any popular blog in your niche, and you’ll see that the same types of posts crop up again and again. That’s not lazy writing: it’s thoughtful construction.
Formulas help you write
There’s nothing worse than staring at a blank document, struggling to begin a post.
Wait, scratch that. Blank documents are painful.
What’s even worse is spending hours on a post, only to realize that the whole thing is so rambling and unstructured, it needs to be scrapped.
Formulas helps you get started — and they help you finish.
Formulas keep readers on board
Your readers are busy people.
If they come to a post that seems disjointed and confusing, they’re going to head elsewhere. A clear formula holds your reader’s attention.
“10 Ways to be More Creative” lets readers know what to expect, and promises a clear, well-organized post.
“My Random Views on Creativity” doesn’t.
Make life easy for your readers. Deliver information in a straightforward way, and make sure the benefits are clear.
Formulas aren’t rigid
Some writers dislike formulas because they seem boring.
Maybe you don’t want to produce yet another bland “10 tips” post. Don’t worry, a good formula can be tweaked or added to:
- You could include quotes, a practical exercise or a question with each tip
- You could produce a round-up post where each tip is written by a different author
- You could invite comments or tweets from readers and turn the best of them into a post
The formula gives you a framework.
Sure, it places limits on you — but creativity thrives on constraints. If you’re not convinced, give some of these a go …
Three easy formulas you can use right now
There are plenty of popular formulas for blog posts. Here’s three of them:
The How to Post
Headline: “How to …”
Introduction: Explain what the post is going to teach, and mention any prerequisites (e.g. “You’ll need to be familiar with CSS” or “You’ll need an electric drill.”)
Main body: Go through “Step #1 …” “Step #2 …” etc, giving clear instructions for each. You may want to include a screenshot or image for each step.
Conclusion: Tell the reader what they should have accomplished by reading. You might invite them to ask for help in the comments, or point them towards further resources (like an ebook or ecourse).
The List Post
Headline: “21 Ways …” or “7 Tips …” etc
Introduction: Draw the reader in, and make the scope of the list clear.
Main body: Number each item, and ensure that each offers real value to the reader. Don’t pad out the list -– if you’ve only got 5 or 6 items, that’s fine.
Conclusion: Ask the reader to add to the list (or to mention their favorite tip) in the comments.
The Review Post
Headline: “Review: [Product Name]” or “[Product Name] Review”
Introduction: Explain the product briefly, making clear what it is/does.
Main body: Consider splitting this into separate sections. It’s up to you what you use, but “Contents” “What I Liked” and “What I Didn’t Like” could be a good basic structure.
Conclusion: Sum up –- should the reader buy this item? Who’s it best for? Make sure you include a link.
Don’t let simplicity fool you
These are very simple, basic formulas — but they work. Add your own flair, a great metaphor, a strong writing voice, and a healthy dose of useful information, and you’ll find that these aren’t just readable posts — they’re high-quality posts.
Before you throw formulaic blogging out with the bathwater, remember that formulas are tried and tested, make writing easier for you, and reading easier for your audience.
Why make things more complicated than they need to be?
Give these formulas a try, and pop a comment into the form below to let me know how it works out.
About the Author: Ali Luke is a writer and writing coach. Her ebook The Blogger’s Guide to Effective Writing helps with every stage of the blogging process from idea-generation to editing and polishing. It also includes templates to help you build solid posts, step by step. Click here to find out all about it.
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Is Your Low Social IQ Dooming Your Blog?
by Jennifer Gresham on February 7, 2011
What’s wrong with my blog?
That’s a very frustrating question that many bloggers ask.
You’re passionate about your topic and you provide great advice to solve reader’s problems. You wrap up your posts with interesting questions, inviting readers to share their opinions in the comments. You offer clear calls to action.
Unfortunately, no one seems to be listening.
Post after post reveals no more than a handful of comments (and half of those are your own replies). Your subscriber numbers have flatlined. And forget fan mail, that showing up seems as likely as finding a tall glass of water in the desert.
I hate to be the one to tell you, but the problem might not be your blog. The problem might be you.
Why bloggers need good people skills
Considering you don’t share the same room, or perhaps even the same continent with your readers, the vital need for interpersonal skills on your blog may be a bit puzzling.
But as Jon Morrow points out, “Those traffic figures in your analytics account aren’t just numbers, they’re people.”
And people with high social intelligence are magnetic.
Have you ever noticed how popular bloggers have a knack for writing about their readers’ hopes and frustrations? Popular blogs sound like they were written just for you. The comments are filled with statements like, “This is just what I needed to hear,” or “Wow, I could have written those same words.”
Successful bloggers build the confidence of their readers, not just themselves. They create rapport by making readers feel valued, one person at a time.
Good writing alone won’t drive people to subscribe, leave thoughtful comments, or share your material. Social intelligence is the currency of the blogosphere. In fact, it’s the key to good business too.
And the best part? It can be learned.
Sizing up your social IQ
In his book, Social Intelligence: The New Science of Success, Karl Albrecht highlights the five dimensions of social intelligence. The trick is understanding how to translate those often nonverbal dynamics into the text-based world of blogging.
1. Situational Awareness Having situational awareness means you understand the social context of situations and respond appropriately. People missing this skill take phone calls in the middle of meetings or blast their car stereo while returning home late at night. They’re not purposely rude, just oblivious to the wants (and reactions) of others. In the online world, this is the equivalent of committing the blogging sin of boorishness.
Need help developing better situational awareness? Check out LaVonne Ellis and David Crandall’s Customer Love e-book.
2. Presence Presence is the ability to project confidence and self-respect, and as a blogger, it derives primarily from your voice. If you’re used to writing term papers or corporate vision statements, finding your writing voice can be tricky. When you get it right, it’s an extremely powerful way to build connections with readers.
3. Authenticity The blogosphere likes to talk about the importance of authenticity, but what is it really? Albrecht calls it the “opposite of being phony.” Seth Godin describes authenticity as ”doing what you promise, not being who you are.” Many associate authenticity with revealing the person behind the ideas, like Corbett Barr’s blog post “33 Things I Never Told You.” For bloggers, authenticity is probably somewhere in between ideology and action. The point is to be genuine: express opinions you believe in, endorse products you use, and network with people you actually like.
4. Clarity How well you present ideas and influence others comes, in part, from your clarity. It’s a balance between knowing enough to be specific and having enough distance to speak directly. The classic advice is to explain a topic like you were speaking to your grandmother. This is particularly relevant for bloggers, who often assume their audience is social media savvy instead of the “average Grandma Minnie.”
5. Empathy Empathy involves understanding the experiences and motivations of another person. Looking for a topic that has viral potential? Want to invoke an emotional reaction to your post? Empathy is the cornerstone of social intelligence.
Creating the complete social intelligence package
The best way to improve your social IQ is to spend some quality time alone. After all, if you don’t understand your own motivations, how can you hope to predict the fears and desires of your readers?
You’ll be surprised how hard this is.
I recently left a 20-year career in science. As I was evaluating new career options, I wrote down all the jobs I’d considered as a kid, before (I thought) society had imposed its expectations on me.
I’d always dreamed of becoming an actor. But the more I thought about it, I realized my interest in acting was more an interest in fame. I wasn’t actually very interested in joining a local theater company.
Many writers use journaling as an effective way to explore the undercurrent of their emotions.
What’s the first thing you worry about when you wake up in the morning? If the doctor gave you three months to live, what would you do with the time? Why aren’t you doing that now? What makes you cry tears of joy? Why aren’t you doing that?
This isn’t just advice for those woo-woo, self-help bloggers either.
Social media junkies are scared they’ll sell their soul to get 5,000 friends on Facebook and still won’t have anyone to call when they have a bad accident on the interstate. New tech users worry they’ll drop their iPhone on the subway platform and will never, ever re-create their contacts list.
That little voice whispering insecurities in your ear all day long? He’s a blogger’s best friend.
Listen to your insecurities carefully, then find a way around them. This will likely bring up more insecurities. Find a way around those too.
Write about the solutions you find, with all the social intelligence you can muster.
You’ll not only be a better blogger, you’ll be a better person.
About the Author: Jennifer Gresham helps people find the clarity and courage they need to transform their life at her blog Everyday Bright. You can also follow her on Twitter.
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