How to Choose the Right Blog Post Format
A guide to choosing the right blog style for your content
Ok, this is it — time to write your blog post. You know your topic. You’ve done your research, and you’ve got your outline. Now, what type of blog post are you going to write?
Eh? What do you mean what type? I’ll just, you know, do what feels right.
Sound familiar?
You can get more strategic in planning the format of your blog posts. Why? Because knowing HOW you are going to structure your blog post will help you to define WHAT you want to include. This includes the depth and breadth of your content subjects. Are you going to provide a quick overview of a lot of information, or will you go deep by selecting one or two areas?
Research shows that people will not read blog posts if they are not relevant, mobile responsive, or clear. Other factors include clutter on the page and load times. Formatting is a key influencer of these factors. And this is why the right format is so important.
The format depends on the angle.
The fact is most blog posts are a hybrid of different formats. The key to deciding which format you want to use is to first work out the hook or angle you want to take with your content.
When considering which hook or angle you want to use, think about your reader. What is it that you want them to feel after reading your content? Do you want them to feel excited, relieved, or annoyed? Do you want them to see you as an expert? Or someone who has the connections?
Once you have worked through to emotion you want from your readers, you can then work through the format you will use.
What format should you use?
There are many different types of formats that you can use. Here are some examples based on their readability and depth of the subject matter.
Easy reading formats
- How-Tos. A How-To educates the reader. It’s about helping your reader understand what they need to do to solve a problem. It’s usually written as steps in a process (for example, How to Write a Content Outline). The result is to provide a solution for the reader. A How-To post proves to your readers that you can help them solve their challenges and achieve their goals.
- Listicles. Lists bring a diverse number of elements together in a quick and scannable way. A list allows your reader to get information and tips in an easy to consume format. Listicles can either by your tips or by curating other people’s content. A listicle is a great way to show your readers that you understand a topic.
- Checklists and To-Dos. A checklist, like a How-To, provides your reader with the steps they need to take to complete a process or a task. Different from a How-To, a checklist does not leave room for interpretation. Actionable lists provide specific direction to complete tasks, with no missed steps.
- Q&As and FAQs. These posts provide answers to common questions. Questions can be either a set of questions asked by readers or questions that they should be asking.
Insight led formats
- Cheat Sheets. A cheat sheet is more than a checklist. A cheat sheet provides more context around a process or insight and acts as a handy reference guide.
- Infographic/ timeline. An infographic takes insights and statistics and turns them into visually appealing formats. Infographics can be curated insights from experts or statistics and insights from your research. There are many sites that allow you to build an infographic using pre-built templates. The great thing about infographics is that they are easy to digest and easy to share.
- Beginner’s guide/What post. This type of post introduces or explains a specific concept and why it’s relevant to the reader. Written in simple and clear language, there should be as little jargon as possible to ensure understanding of the topic.
- Reviews and comparisons. In a review, you compare and contrast two or more items. A review allows you to share your opinion on why you think a particular item, service, or process is superior. By inviting feedback, you can gain insights into your readers’ preferences.
Newsworthy/ thought-provoking
- Op-Ed/ Opinion piece. Backed by research, these types of posts allow you to take a stance on a particular subject. Like reviews, you can gain further insights by inviting debate and response. These blog posts should be research and insight-led, providing Spark discussion and debate
- Feature post. A feature post details concepts and ideas of specific market interests. This type of post should be based on detailed research and commentary. These posts enable you to provide your readers with a detailed discussion about a specific topic.
- Interviews /Profiles. An interview is a great way to bring outside expertise to your blog posts. You can promote industry leaders, satisfied customers, or other opinion leaders. If you have a podcast, you can complement this channel with an edited transcript of the session.
- Newsjacking. A newsjacking post shows your readers that you are up to date with industry trends and insights. By adding your flavour, you are helping your readers make sense of a subject. At the same time, you can tie or product or service to the latest news.
If you are looking to develop deeper or more thought-provoking content, consider developing a whitepaper, report, or even a book!
No matter what type of content you choose to write, it’s important to keep your reader in mind. After all, that should be the end goal — to provide the right content to the right people at the right time. Happy writing.
