In my previous article, “7 Best Ideas for Clickable Blog Posts” we suggested changing your blog formats and start presenting your information differently, through lists and guides. With over 600 million active blogs, you’ll want to step up your blogging game in 2022.
In this part, you now venture beyond the simpler blog formats and dive into some more human-centric content that focuses on the transformative power of storytelling. Without further delay, here are the 7 Best Storytelling Ideas for Clickable Blog Posts that will help you create both engaging and optimized content for your blog.
Table of Contents
7 Best Storytelling Ideas for Clickable Blog Posts
Interviews
A properly conducted interview has high perceived value, so it’s the type of content that can easily drive traffic to your blog. If your interviewer also advertises for the interview, then the advertising effort is doubled. Win! That said, if you’re the only person writing for your blog, interviews are a strategic, inexpensive way to bring different perspectives into your content — which is always a good idea.
And remember, it’s a great excuse for you to connect with people you otherwise wouldn’t have had reason to connect with. But for a successful interview, you don’t have to only interview A-listers or public figures. You can also get equally valuable input from industry experts and executives who are already in your network, just make sure you choose guests that are relevant to your audience. To best prepare and stand out from other interviews, design well-researched questions to gain quality insights. If interviewing doesn’t come naturally to you, find a template to copy or start with a text-based interview.
Client success and spotlight
Testimonials are the reason for a 62% increase in sales, or at least the well-written and strategically used stories. Sharing the stories of your user base is a reflection of your brand and the type of customers you do business with. But as with all forms of marketing, there is a way to maximize your effectiveness with fluctuating prospects. Contextualize each one and identify the purpose of the feature – with very clear insights for the readers.
Perhaps you have customers who are creating a stir by using your product or service in a unique way, or you have identified a customer who is creating success for themselves by using your product or service. Keep an eye on your social media accounts, blog comments, or customer support feedback for clues of a happy customer to reach out to. And also, with permission, use their actual comments or user-generated content for social proof to drive engagement and conversions.
Expert roundup
This is sometimes seen as a lazy blog post, but if done thoroughly, it can be a useful resource for your audience and definitely add SEO value. The core is to collate a large number of opinions from different subject matter experts in your industry or niche into one post. The truth is, your brand may not be recognizable or well-known yet. So, emphasizing other established industry experts shows that you at least know what you’re talking about.
This is crucial to building brand awareness and trust with your audience. Highlighting influencers or thought leaders is also a great networking opportunity. Since you’re using backlinks, that means it’s known for them, too. This may lead to future opportunities like writing a guest post for their blog or sharing your blog with their audience.
Source: MediaDigi
Guest blogging
This is a big deal to unbox in many ways. Although the first thing that comes to mind is present, believe it or not, this isn’t just a good idea for small businesses, as there are big brands that have benefited from guest blogging – Xbox included. The key is to avoid shameless self-promotion and really just focus on education. Guest blogging itself gives you the benefits of connecting with new audiences, increasing your chances of networking, and keeping your content calendar full.
You can either write a blog for another website as a guest or publish a guest-written blog on your website. But your starting point is always the same: set your goal for guest blogging. Do an Enlightenment. From there, you’re going to want to find guest blogging opportunities that are relevant to your niche or industry.
News and current events
One of the biggest advantages of digital publishing over print publishing is the unrestricted ability to publish content in a timely manner. Unfortunately, that means misinformation can spread quickly and easily — but it also means people are desperate to seek validation, usually from popular news blogs like BuzzFeed, TechCrunch, or Mashable. The trick with journalistic topics is not just to repeat the news, but to add your own commentary and make it more image-heavy.
Day of the week and thematic days
Some topics are so vast that they cannot be covered in a single blog post, not enough. Even with lengthy content, it’s often best to break up your content into smaller pieces. Plus, you can add excitement at the end of each one to keep them coming back for more each week. We may or may not have done that by breaking down this very article you are reading right now…
You could also come up with a weekly or monthly feature for your blog – which can become recognizable in a way that grabs attention and brings readers back. Bloggers often align these special features with days of the week, for example, you could feature a guest post for an article titled “Recommended Friday” each week. Check out other blog theme days for inspiration, or come up with your own!
Source: The Golden Spoons
Behind the scenes
Behind-the-scenes video marketing has become groundbreaking content on YouTube and other video platforms. A recent survey found that 87% of people will watch a video online if it contains behind-the-scenes content. Viewers relate to the authenticity of unscripted content and enjoy getting a glimpse of the process — rather than just seeing the end product without context. Translate this into your blog and you’re not only repurposing content, but you’re also making that content even more accessible.
The Day in the Life series will no doubt serve your blog well, as beginners in all industries want to emulate the success of those who have successfully achieved what they set out to achieve. Also, some people are just die-hard, loyal fans who want to engage with brands and feel part of the insider club. Reward them with a special virtual shadowing opportunity!
Again, all of these blog formats are beginner-friendly and also give you the freedom to curate your content as you see fit. These offer a unique lived experience and there is no attempt to replicate that – it is merely passed on.
Hopefully what you can take away from here is that you see the potential ways you can adapt these ideas to your own audience and brand. The idea here is that you really use the time to brainstorm and evaluate each one, and then start planning your content accordingly.
