9 High-Demand Blog Formats for Optimal Engagement

So, you started a blog. Nice job!

You’ve planned, written, edited, and published your first post. Done! Or … maybe not so done.

Now, you must keep planning, writing, editing, and publishing more posts to continue guiding traffic to your site. But not all posts add the same value to your website.

Some blog formats attract attention a lot more readily than others. Combining these formats with excellent topics can get your blog more attention and increase engagement.

How to Find Blog Topics

Before we dive into blog formats, you must understand how to find blog topics. Finding blog topics is actually pretty easy. I find that blog topics are all around you, if you take the time to notice them.

My biggest tip: Think about what your potential customers want or need to know and answer those questions on your site.

Here’s some advice on generating blog topics. Beyond that, here are some additional helpful tips.

To discover new blog topic ideas:

• Survey Your Customers. What does your audience want and need more information about? You can perform a formal survey or talk to your audience members to better understand their concerns and needs.
• Review Comments. Are people commenting on your blog or social media posts? What are they talking about? You may find some helpful ideas there. 
• Explore Online Groups. Don’t limit yourself to your current clients or audience. What’s your potential audience discussing? Addressing those things will help convert them.
• Do Keyword Research. What do people search for related to your product, service, topic, or industry? Write about the things your competitors are overlooking. Or write better, unique information about the areas your competitors are covering.
• Spy On Your Competition. See what competitors are writing about. Does it inspire ideas? Again, how can you address the topic differently or better? 
• Replicate What’s Worked. This approach may not work if your site is super new, but once you’re established, you can look at some posts that worked well and repackage or build on that content.
• Follow the News. Newsjacking is a thing, for sure. The more you know about what’s happening in the world and in your industry, the more likely you are to identify helpful content for your site related to those topics. 

Most of these ideas focus on your audience. Remember to listen to their wants and needs to produce high-performing content. They will let you know what works. If they don’t, ask them!

9 High-Demand Blog Formats that Get Attention

OK. Now that you have a basic idea of how to find blog post ideas, let’s talk about blog formats.

Do you ever notice that blogs seem to post a lot of the same types of content? Not necessarily about the same topics, but in a similar post format?

That’s because these approaches work well with audiences, and you can use them to generate seemingly endless helpful blog topics.

So, when you’re considering how to generate new ideas and attract people to your posts, think about topics that align with these blog formats and approaches.

1. How-Tos

A how-to post provides step-by-step instructions that teach your audience how to do something.

People love to learn new skills or improve the ones they already have. A unique how-to post can provide perspective your audience didn’t know they needed.

If you have a knack for teaching but aren’t sure how to use it, blogs are a great place to implement your skills.

This post can help if you want to learn more about how to write a how-to post.

Aside from that link to a how-to post about how-tos (see what we did there?), check out this example.

2. Self-Improvement

People are always searching for ways to improve their homes, habits, attitudes, relationships, and just about anything you can think of. Dedicating blog posts to self-improvement in your area is a surefire way to help your audience and maybe even yourself.

Again, your unique perspective will spark ideas for your readers, even if the topic has already been covered. 

3. FAQs

You know when you want to ask your favorite influencer a question on their Instagram post and then realize that 57 other people have already asked it? That makes your question fall into the “frequently asked” category.

A blog post that answers your most frequently asked questions will be a one-stop-shop for your readers. You’ll be shocked by how much traffic an FAQ page or post will bring to your site.

4. Thought Leadership

Everyone loves learning from legitimate experts. An expert in your industry or someone with a perspective different from yours can shake things up.

Interviews spark renewed interest in your blog content simply because it’s different.

An interview is also an excellent time to ask your interviewee some FAQs to get a different perspective.

Oh, and did we mention that the expert is likely to share the post they’re featured in, multiplying your reach through their community?

5. Product Reviews

We all want the best bang for our buck. That’s why blog posts dedicated to reviews garner consistent traffic.

Reviews give your readers helpful insight into purchasing products or services. They also explain the alternatives and rank or rate them.

You will become well-respected for your honest feedback in the process.

Plus, no one likes spending their hard-earned coin on products and services that aren’t reliable or useful.

6. Guides

Whether your audience is traveling somewhere new or looking to find the best brewery in town, guides help them understand their options and chart the best course of action.

Consider whether guides make sense with your brand and how you can offer your audience some real assistance.

7. News

It’s unlikely that your blog is a news outlet, and we’re not suggesting it should be. But dedicating posts to news related to your brand can be a simple way to grab your audience’s attention.

Reading your take on something happening in your industry or expertise will make you and your brand more relatable for your readers and help establish you as an authority.

Just remember to make sure the news applies to your brand and that you consider all views. 

8. Lists

Who doesn’t love a good list? List posts will increase your blog traffic. They’re helpful, satisfying, and streamlined. People can read them from their phones and easily learn a lot in just a few minutes.

Also, the topics you can make list posts about are pretty much endless! Top 10, best of, and must-see are just a few list post ideas to choose from. Someone out there will appreciate and share your list post. And blog titles that include numbers (like the one for this post) grab attention.

9. Case Studies

Everyone loves a success story! That’s why the case study format works so well. A case study is where you tell readers all about a problem one of your clients had and how you solved it. It shows them your products or services and what they can do for others. 

Case studies also show social proof, meaning they show readers that others use and love your brand, making them want to join in.

Tips for Writing in Common Blog Formats

Here’s the downside of using common blog formats. You want your readers to be comfortable with the format, but you don’t want your post to read like all the others out there on the topic. To avoid these blog formats feeling repetitious, try these things:

• Know Your Audience. Understand who your readers are and what they are interested in. This will help you tailor your content to their needs and preferences and choose the right format for them.
• Use Clear and Concise Language. Readers don’t want to wade through your posts, regardless of format. Keep your sentences short and to the point. Avoid jargon and complex language that might confuse your readers.
• Include Visuals. Images, infographics, and videos can make your blog post more engaging and easier to understand. They can also break up large blocks of text and make your post more visually appealing.
• Use Subheadings and Bullet Points. These can make your blog post easier to read and navigate. They can also help readers quickly find the information they’re looking for.
• Give Examples. Provide examples and stories that are yours alone. Your experiences are what set your brand apart from others in the same space, so don’t be afraid to share them.
• Have a Call to Action. Encourage your readers to take action after reading your post. This could be anything from signing up for your newsletter, to purchasing a product, to sharing your post on social media.
• Edit and Proofread. Always review your blog post for spelling and grammar errors before publishing. This will help ensure your post is professional and credible.
• Optimize for SEO. Use keywords, meta descriptions, and other SEO best practices to help your blog post rank higher in search engine results. This can help attract more readers to your blog.
• Include the Format in the Title. Because the formats we discussed above work so well, you want to make it obvious to the reader that they’re going to get that if they click. Including the format in the title helps them know what to expect.

Let Content Journey Help

Writing in common, popular blog formats doesn’t mean your blog is boring or predictable. It means you know how to get the most traction from your post formats.

At Content Journey, we are content marketing experts who would love to help you generate SEO blog topics for your site. We’ll also write, edit, post, and promote your content so you don’t have to. Want to learn more? Contact us!