Mix It Up with Different Writing Styles
When you’re writing a niche blog it’s easy to feel as though your posts are becoming the same thing, one after another. Few niches allow room for a wide variety of topics and when this is the case, you may feel even more limited.
And no doubt, if you’re starting to feel like the style of your posts are starting to run together, you readers may be thinking the same thing.
So, keep your blog fresh with some different writing styles!
Some Options
Review
Give it a go by talking about one of your favorite products, eBooks, etc. Added bonus if you can become an affiliate for any product/service you choose to review!
Instructional/Tutorial
Teach your visitors how to do something or how to use something. These are often very popular and great link bait.
Lists
Another great form of link bait, lists also go back to my post about creating scannable content. Readers love ‘em!
Link Posts
Becoming common practice within the blogosphere, the link post provides your readers with valuable information that will pertain to your niche. Hunt down those great posts from your feed and share them with your readers.
Rants
If you hate something, hate it passionately and you’ll draw some attention to yourself. Everyone loves to get involved in a well-informed heated debate so start one on your blog by getting passionate and talking about it.
Research
What’s been studied within your niche? Can you show your readers hard numbers that would be relevant to your niche and important to them? Dig deep, come up with information, and produce some numbers.
Predict
When will Google update the toolbar PageRank next? Have you done well with SEO that you think you’re going to get a boost and why? Predict what will happen next and get your readers thinking.
Interview
Network with someone in your niche and ask for an interview. If you can land an interview with a big name blogger, you’ll draw a lot of attention and people will appreciate your insightful questions.
Mix It Up!
Keep your posts and ideas fresh by mixing up the type of posts you offer. Your readers will appreciate writing style that changes and evolves. Not to mention the wealth of additional knowledge you’ll spread by changing the format in which you write.
Your Style
There are more writing styles than what I have mentioned. Do you mix up your posts or write in the same tone? What works best for you to serve up some information to your readers?
July 1st, 2008 at 4:25 am
I’ve recently discovered Hub Pages which gives me a chance to write about anything I want and anyway I want (and I can link back to my blogs for a bit of link love so I win all round)
July 1st, 2008 at 5:39 am
This is my first time visiting your site. Thanks for all the great content! I need all the help I can get =)
July 1st, 2008 at 6:33 am
When I first glanced at this post I thought you were urging readers to write using different voices and actual styles of writing, which I think would be a mistake. Upon reading the entire post, however, I realized you were talking about different types of posts, about which I completely agree; if you keep your readers guessing they’ll keep coming back to catch your newest surprises.
July 1st, 2008 at 6:33 am
@Nicola: Hub pages is a great place. Squidoo also offers the chance to create pages that are relevant to your own blog and link back. Very similar concepts.
@The Freebie Bloggger: Welcome to the site, happy I could be helpful. :D
July 1st, 2008 at 6:36 am
@feefifoto: You hit the nail on the head…”keep your readers guessing and they’ll keep coming back to catch your newest surprises.” The old saying is, variety is the spice of life! :D
July 1st, 2008 at 11:06 am
Another great post, Katy! Great minds must think alike because I’ve been brainstorming posts for my blog, and many of these types made my list!
July 1st, 2008 at 3:55 pm
That is a great post. You want your readers to know it is you writing, but you don;’t want it to become boring and predictable. Mix it up!
July 1st, 2008 at 6:36 pm
I especially love a few things about this post:
Asking colleagues for interviews is a great idea! I am actually in the process of doing that now.
I also like the idea of writing about rants, and not being afraid to speak on something you feel negatively about.
For me, I am working on “outreach” to my prospective Virtual Assistant clients and current colleagues. I am trying to invite more interaction in the way of comments.
July 2nd, 2008 at 1:10 am
May be making a different writing style could be difficult for beginner. For the first time, I think we should write fluently and fast then we could make a new style if we are bored with our style writing.
July 2nd, 2008 at 10:53 pm
@Sarah Jo: Thank you! Happy to hear you thought of similar ideas when developing new posts.
@Tom: Boring and predictable, great words. Mixing it up will certainly change that.
@Taryn: Interviews, especially with industry leaders help gain a great deal of exposure. And don’t be afraid to get some interviews with people outside of your niche that can weigh in on some additional advice. Rants is something I feel passionate about… if you love it, love it with all your might and the same applies if you hate it. Readers enjoy someone who has passion and rant posts usually carry a lot of weight with passion.
@seo resources: Fluently and fast may sound nice in the beginning but there’s nothing about fast that gets you to the finish line with blogging. And certainly the same style post after post won’t keep around those first initial readers to a brand new blog. So sorry, I’m going to have to disagree with you here.
July 3rd, 2008 at 1:05 pm
Thanks for the great article. Hub - I’m going to look into that.
Found you on blogging idol. Good luck to you!
July 4th, 2008 at 1:22 am
I’m not sure if I sent comment twice (sorry) my computer is lagging. But I love all the information you have on your site. Those writing styles are good to know, I need work on some of mine! =) And how do you get your site to look so professional? Message me if you can and stop by my blogs.
Thanks,
Mila
July 7th, 2008 at 8:31 am
I first thought the same as feefifoto, good job!
I’m almost to 50 posts, so I believe it is time to start mixin it up a bit. You give some awesome ideas here, thank you.
A word to the wise (and especially the unwise lol), be darn sure your rant posts dont start out (or end up) as a personal attack on any individuals…moderate comments to check for this also.
Unless of course it’s your neighbor and a personal blog LOL
Ironically my latest post is a pretty good rant Katy, if you wish to check it out :-)
July 25th, 2008 at 1:22 pm
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