Types of Blog Posts

You've set up a blog, you've found your niche and now you want to start blogging.  What types of blogs will you post?  Run through the list below and see which one suits you best; or maybe you would like to choose three or four and rotate your posts.

1.  News

One blogger calls it a "newsjacking".  Find an online article and mix your own opinion with the existing story.

Visit http://www.davidmeermanscott.com/books/newsjacking/.

2.  Instructional

These are very popular among readers.  People are searching for solutions.  Write a step by step how to article about an area of expertise.  Include reference material and diagrams.

Visit my Childhood Literacy post at http://alinefromlinda.blogspot.ca/2011/05/reading-magic.html.

3.  Interview

Put on a reporter's cap for the day.  Grab a pen and pad of paper and interview an employee of your company or someone you admire.  Use a question and answer format.  Include photos if possible.

Visit http://www.incomediary.com/10-tips-creating-awesome-interviews-blog.

4.  Cheat Sheet

Summarize a vast amount of information in a top ten list.

Visit http://time.com/collection/top-10-everything-of-2014/.

5.  Media

We are all visual learners to some extent.  A picture is worth a thousand words.  Include a post with high quality images, infographics, short videos or slide share presentations.

Visit http://www.coolinfographics.com/.

6.  Entertainment

Post something for the pure amusement of your readers.  For example, if you post something humorous, it has more of a chance of being shared and being remembered.

Go to http://www.buzzfeed.com/jackdaniels/ugly-holiday-sweaters-that-are-almost-too-ugly-to-wear?sub=2780348_2072688#.sbyX8d6j4.

7.  Narrative

Post a personal story.  I think of the post I wrote about my Grandad and how he received an F on his math test as a child, but how, as an adult, he turned his weakness into a strength, by becoming a beloved math teacher of thousands of Toronto high school students.

Visit http://alinefromlinda.blogspot.ca/2011/06/worlds-greatest-grandad.html.

8.  Review

Review a book, restaurant or product.  Include an excerpt from the book or a link to the restaurant's home page.

Visit my post "Unbroken" at http://alinefromlinda.blogspot.ca/2012/07/july-26.html.

9.  Gratitude

An attitude of gratitude makes a happy heart.  Devote a post to thanking someone or a group of people.

Check out Ron Edmondson's blog at http://www.ronedmondson.com/?s=gratitude&submit=Search.

10.  Research

Research a topic and present your findings.  Share your opinion about the topic.  Include charts, infographics, diagrams, etc.

Visit http://researchblogging.org/.

11.  Roundup

Select your top ten posts of all time and write about them.

Visit http://www.cornerstonecontent.com/how-to-write-a-great-roundup-post/.

12.  Series

Pick a topic that you know a lot about or one that you would like to learn about and write a multi-day, week or month long series on it.

Here is the first of my month long series on setting and achieving goals at http://alinefromlinda.blogspot.ca/2015/01/conceive-believe-achieve.html.

13.  Travel

If you go on a trip, bring along a laptop (or use the hotel computer if you have free access) and blog about it.

Here is one of a series of blog posts I wrote about my trip to Chicago last summer at http://alinefromlinda.blogspot.ca/2014/07/pizzeria-uno_4.html.