Once you’ve decided on a topic and your blog is all set up, there’s just one factor separating you from success — content. I probably don’t have to tell you that content is what will make or break your blog over the coming months. The design might have hooked them, but they still need reeled in. Trite and unthoughtful rants won’t do that. Neither will poorly written monotonous articles.
In this post, we’ll look at the requirements for writing compelling content and how you can learn to develop engaging, insightful and creative posts that will explode your readership.
Requirements for Compelling Content
Good Writing
Since you have an interest in blogging, you’re probably already a pretty good writer. And that’s great because the ability to write well is the most important skill for creating awesome content. Good writing means you use proper grammar, know the proper spellings of words and can combine those two skills to form coherent sentences. It might sound like common sense, but I’ve wandered upon too many blogs that suffer from misspelled words, fragmented sentences and the general lack of a clear point. Nothing can hurt your credibility like half-assed writing.
If you think your writing is decent, test it to be sure. Email a sample post to friends and family and ask for feedback. If their critique is about the ideas you’ve attempted to convey, congratulations! This means you’re a good writer. Good writing is like good design… people don’t see it unless it’s bad. If most of the comments you get are on phrasing, misused/misspelled words or any other problems geared toward clearing up confusion, you might want to polish your writing for a few more weeks.
Passion
A DVD player manual is a beautifully rendered text, but no one reads it. Why? Because good writing without passion is boring as hell.
There are two kinds of passion, really. The first is inherent in the topic you choose. If you have tons of interest in your subject, you’re already passionate. That’s enough for you to get started. Over the next few months, though, you’ll start developing a second passion that I would call your “voice.” This is the passion that makes your posts work. It will take some trial and error and some reader feedback, but eventually you’ll develop a style and a tone that gives your writing a life of its own.
Regularity
Plan for regularity. Make a schedule and stick to it. In the beginning, I chose to have a post up on WSR every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. People know that every Monday, Wednesday and Friday there will be a new post up on the site. So far, there has been no exception.
Regularity reinforces your credibility. New visitors will see your commitment to the blog and will take it to mean you’re in it for the long haul. You can decide to do as I did and post three times a week or you can post once a week or six times a week, but generally speaking the schedule should be consistent and unchanging. You need to give your readers some kind of routine.
Getting Good Ideas
If you are writing about something you are truly passionate about then getting good ideas is rarely difficult. Ideas are usually an extension of your own curiosity or things directly related to your experiences with the subject. For example, I wrote a post a couple weeks ago about making a list of fifty things I wanted to do before I turned 30 and described the process and why people should consider doing it. This is something I’ve been wanting to do for myself for a longtime and something I likely would have done even if WSR didn’t exist. It’s a perfect example of taking something you’re interested in and turning it into a post.
Here are some other ways you can generate good ideas:
- When you start getting comments, look at what your readers are saying. There’s likely one or two comments per post that not only give you a subject but also will fulfill a need that your audience already has.
- Read the news and try to find a story that is loosely related to your niche and tie them together in a post.
- Read other blogs and write responses to their posts. Not only is this a great way to generate ideas, but it also goes a long way in establishing yourself within a community.
Carry an idea notebook with you at all times and whenever a potential post comes to mind, write it down. Soon enough you’ll have a huge list of possible topics. This backlog of ideas will make coming up with ideas less of a chore because you’ll stop feeling rushed or panicked about needing a new post. Ideas can just happen. This also improves the overall quality of your blog because having a list of ideas enables you to create only the best of the best.
Popular Types of Posts
It might also be inspirational to know a few of the most popular types of posts. These types of posts usually produce the highest traffic. If you have already generated some ideas, you might be able to come up with other ideas simply by reformatting them into a different type.
How-To
Everyone has read a how-to article. This post is a how-to article. How-to articles describe in detail the steps that should be taken when doing something. These appeal to many people because they are looking for simplicity. They don’t want to have to scour multiple sources and compile a definitive guide. They want convenience.
List
List posts are pretty self-explanatory. They list something. Top 5 Female Authors of the 20th Century. 101 Places You Have to Visit. The Six Best Features of Snow Leopard. They don’t take much time to read, they have the potential to inspire or motivate and at times they can even offer profound insight into a topic. These are arguably the most popular posts and might even pull in the most traffic.
Interviews
Compile a list of questions and fire away. Interviews are a good way to establish yourself within a certain community of people through association. If you’re like me, they’ll also give you the opportunity to ask people you look up to questions that you are genuinely curious about.
Link Posts
Lots of blogs are doing link posts these days. Some display links from blogs within the community, others publish summaries of their top posts for that month. There are an infinite number of ways to organize link posts, but the point is to provide quality for the reader and increase traffic for yourself.
Do you have a certain way to come up with ideas? What are your favorite types of posts? Let us know in the comments!
Part 4 – Promoting Your Blog will be published Monday, September 21st.
Photo by http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcgraths/ / CC BY 2.0
Related posts
- So You Want To Be A Blogger, Part Four – Promoting Your Blog
- So You Want To Be A Blogger, Part One – Choosing A Topic
- So You Want To Be A Blogger, Part Two – Setting Up Your Blog
- How to Blog Effectively
- How Nickelback Can Help You Start A Successful Blog
Hey, I'm JD. I'm a writer, web designer and contrarian entrepreneur. Wage Slave Rebel is a place where I (and others) explore alternative and ethical ways to earn a living apart from the corporate hierarchy. The goal of this site is to help people escape wage slavery and start reaping the full rewards of their skills and passions. 
Hi J.D. If I were to offer advice for new bloggers, it would be that it is not about you. If you want readers, you have to write what others want to read.
Many blogs talk about, "I am thinking of doing this, then I might do that and my cat is walking around the house." Those kinds of posts are not interesting unless they are entertaining. People online are looking to learn something or be entertained. Personal posts can be great if you have experiences to share that others can learn from. Otherwise, you should probably choose different topics.
I love to read about real experiences with real costs and the real problems you experienced. "I want to move to Thailand" posts are not particularly interesting. "My apartment in Thailand costs $300 per month, but the internet connection sucks." is very valuable information that many readers want to read about.
If your are writing a diary for you and your family, then write whatever you want. However, if you want to get people to subscribe and come back, write what they want to hear. Sometimes the most interesting content is the stuff you think is boring because you do it everyday.
I agree completely. People should remember that if they want a blog to gain readers, it can't be about them. They are only a starting point — their experiences, their knowledge, etc. The purpose of the blog should be to educate, inform or entertain… not to document the mundane.
And like you kind of hinted at, writing for your readers is usually just a matter of framing your personal experience in a way that's beneficial for others. Writing for themselves, a person could easily turn "I want to move to Thailand" into a "Best sites for researching Thailand", "Where to find cheap apartment listings for Bangkok" and so on. If people are creative and 'research-willing' they can stretch any topic into something that offers value for a reader.
I also love your last line and it gives me a lot to think about myself. Sometimes I forget I have an unusual lifestyle. I'll have to dig through all the boring things I always do and see if there might be something of value.
Thanks, John!
I definitely agree that writing well includes writing for other people. Ideally you find a balance like an artist finds when working as a designer (a la this quote from an interview I did some time ago that has been flying around from quote site to quote site)…the selfish/giving balance must be there, otherwise you'll find yourself unfulfilled or readerless or both.
As a reader, too, I find this balance to be both, as a straight-up list of facts can be helpful, but a fact-laden story is even better (and it has been shown over and over again that stories help readers remember more of that facts than a list).
Another great post. This blog series was a really good idea!
Oh, man. You have no idea how much I love that quote of yours. That is pure genius. It makes me feel good about being a designer!
I agree with you, though I suppose I'd never thought of it before now. Facts can be useful but boring. Stories are completely necessary for me. And not only will people remember the facts more, but they'll probably even be more apt to understand the underlying message. Perfect example: Malcolm Gladwell. I'm pretty sure if someone presented the ideas he offers up in his books as straight theory, I wouldn't really get it. But he is a brilliant storyteller and that's why I've enjoyed his books so much.
If you are struggling for time to write regular posts for your own blog and also write guest posts for other blogs, then you can swap posts. Basically you are only writing the same amount of posts you would normally write for you own blog, but one of the posts will go onto someone elses blog while their post will go onto yours. That way both parties get the benefit of a wider audience and an incoming link while not sacrificing content on their own blog.
This is true, too. I'll likely talk about it in an upcoming post in the series. I see now that I forgot to mention the next post, but there will be a few more parts until this becomes a decent all-in-one guide. They'll be posted every Monday. I think next week might be SEO and then after that a Marketing guide. I'll be sure to mention this! Thanks!
Great post JD…..Sadly, content should be the first thing every blogger should address but usually makes it the last priority. Definitely great idea to point out it's importance.
Dave LifeExcursion
Content is the only thing other elements can't make up for. Content can hold up a lackluster design (Proof: http://www.stevepavlina.com/ ) , but a design can't hold up lackluster content.
Great advice here. I especially like the part about regularity. I've tried out just about every possible posting schedule, from every day to twice a week. Keeping a regular schedule is really important so readers know what to expect, and I've failed at this quite a bit. I think I'm starting to find a good schedule though.
Also, carrying an idea notebook around is a great idea. I just use my cell phone voice recorder for capture my post ideas. From there they get written in my "post ideas" document on my computer. Recording all those great ideas that come at the most random times of the day is key if you want compelling content. You can't afford to lose great ideas.
Good stuff!
The only advice I would give about finding a schedule is to avoid posting every day. It takes a lot out of you and people don't care that much about you anyway, especially when you're just starting out. You'll likely overwhelm people if Feedburner is sending out an email to your subscribers every morning or if they open their reader and see several posts they haven't read yet. I'd stick with 2 – 5 posts per week.
The exception would be if you're a multi-author blog. Then it's easier to manage getting new posts up and readers would see it more as a "news site" than a blog.
JD,
I would have to agree with John, that it is not about you. You have to to provide the readers with the content they want to read about. This does however, take a some time to figure out. By using the different types of posts that you have outlined, they will be able to get a better grasp on what works and what doesn't.
This is a great series and anyone I will be passing on the link to anyone I talk to who is looking to start a blog.
After I read this, I thought about doing a followup about finding out what readers want. After some more thinking I'm pretty sure that would be a horrible post.
There's no magic to finding out what readers want. There's only two methods I know of to do it.
Ask them what they want. (Using surveys, IM, whatever)
Look at what has worked before.
It's really just about patience and tinkering. I'm glad you brought it up.
"Regularity reinforces your credibility."
Couldn't agree more, but that continues to be my biggest problem. Great series JD!
Alan
Regularity was an accident for me. I've never kept something up so well in my life. What made it easier after the first few weeks was that after getting feedback, comments and a modest following, I started to see it less as a hobby and more as a job.
Great post friend. You've hit everything on the head… consistency in your schedule and content are by far the most important. I've had design problems and readers work through that… have a post that doesn't grab there attention and there gone…
What I appreciate about Meandering Bohemian is that the content really holds its own. That design could be anything. You could pack in ads everywhere, choose clashing colors and make it a totally unpleasant experience aesthetically, but I would still go there. I'm not sure I know of any other site I could go to for bite-sized inspiration. Those yoga pictures made me feel relaxed just looking at them.
Hey JD,
Excellent advice here. I think one of the most important qualities of having a great blog is wonderful content, and consistency in posting. You prove that here at WSR… putting out lots of articles that are always well written and interesting. I have to add that honesty is also a key factor to what I look for in a blog. When people write with their true thoughts, and feelings, it's always more interesting to read.
Karen
Yeah, definitely. I guess "honesty" fits into the "passion" prerequisite. The more "real" someone's story is, the easier it is for them to engage you. This is why Tim Ferriss and Chris Guillebeau have so many followers. They are so much more authentic than many bloggers because they aren't just preaching, they're practicing it then recounting it from memory with hindsight.
JD -
There are a lot of great pointers in this post but two stuck out: (1) the importance of regularity / consistency with your posts and (2) the different types of posts.
I haven't been as consistent with the days that I post as I probably should but you make an excellent point and I will pay greater attention to this detail.
Also, my posts so far have been one-way dialogues and I had already determined the need to mix it up to avoid becoming stale. Your description of the different types of posts comes at a great time.
Paul
If you want a more detailed list of posts (and a lot of other awesome information) check out the Problogger.com book (not the 31 days to a better blog workbook, the actual Problogger book). They go into more detail and their are more post types than you'd imagine.
Some people can make a one-way dialogue work, especially if its satirical and/or ranty. Proof: http://maddox.xmission.com/ If you can pull it off and perfect it, that would probably even be the best option. People who can do that are rare and blogs that are like that are rare (and awesome). You'd really stand out.
Heya JD!
I'm loving this series, very helpful and informative! Loved the title, clever use of alliteration
I agree that content is so very important, that is why you need to be passionate about what you write, otherwise you will run out of things to say after a few posts. Mostly I get inspiration for posts in random places, driving on the highway, eating lunch, shopping, and then i always grap a pen and paper and write it down before i forget the idea:)
One of the bigger things about blogging that I son't quite have the hang of yet is traffic and subscribers. I'm guessing you'll cover that in your next sections, looking forward to it!
Cheers! Diggy
Great post JD. This post opened up my apparently closed eyes to scheduling when to post. I don't have always have a mass of content ready at a scheduled time, but there's always something to reflect on during thelifedesignproject that will be useful to readers and myself…it will be easy to build into the system I already have as well. Thanks.
Great writing, passion and being a consistent blogger are excellent starting pillars for any new blogger to base their foundation on. There's so much to learn about blogging. I'm an open book trying to absorb everything I can. Really informative and well written post