Business Insider: 17 Things You Must Do for Writer's Block...

This is a Blogger Insider slash Business Insider that I got from Kim Roach at Buzz Blogger.  Kim has all kinds of traffic reports and secrets that I subscribe to, which you can get from her Marketing Laboratory as well!  She recently posted 17 writer's block blog templates that are just too good not to share...

Read Kim's Original Blog Post

17 Things You Must Do for Writer's Block...

1. Make a Predictions Post

These are incredibly fun, especially towards the end of the year. Or the beginning of a new year. 

Take a look at what’s happening in your market. What’s hot? What are the current trends? And create a blog post around those with your predictions for the new year.

2. Things You Might Not Know About Me

One of the fastest ways to start truly engaging with your community is to give them a peek behind the curtain. Let them see who you are BEYOND just business.

The fact is that we are living through the humanization of business and people are extremely interested in the person BEHIND the business itself.

More than ever… we crave RELATIONSHIPS!

People don’t want cheesy marketing messages… they want YOU.

Your story… Your life… Your own unique personality infused into everything you do.

Your readers will be attracted to your weird quirks because they make you human.

When your flawed your real.

Give people a peek behind the curtain.

• 24 Things I’ve Never Told You
• 33 Things I’ve Never Told You
• It’s My Birthday and I’ll Blog When I Want To
• 26 Life Lessons I’ve Learned in 26 Years of Living
• 30 More Life Lessons From 30 Years

3. Why I Don’t Do ‘X’.

People LOVE controversy. That’s why the news channels thrive on ’bad’ news. Kind of concerning but knowing this can help you instantly increase your email open rates, improve your headlines, and get your articles read.

You can use this same strategy on your own blog:

• Why I Don’t Do Diets
• Why I Don’t Do Online Dating
• Why I Don’t Do Article Marketing

This one is an instant winner when used properly. Plus, it’s just a lot of fun!

People are looking for something fun, unique, and different.

By providing them with something valuable AND entertaining, you’ll be the one that gets read.


4. (Famous Person Guide) to (Blank)

Another great place to get article ideas is to tap into the media. Take what’s hot right now in the news and tie it into your market.

Here are a few examples:

• The Steve Job’s Guide to Time Management
• The Justin Bieber Guide to Dating
• Harry Houdini’s ‘Secret’ to Unusual Marketing
• The M.C. Hammer Guide to Social Media

5. Case Study

No one can resist a good case study. It’s like a good story.

People love to get a behind-the-scenes look at EXACTLY how someone has achieved a certain goal.

Some examples include…

• [CASE STUDY] 1 Article = 7,640 Visitors
• How I paid off $15,000 in 9 months by selling my ‘Stuff’ on Ebay
• How I Lost 21 Pounds in 30 Days
• My Journey To The #1 Spot in Google

If you want to quickly become the market leader in your industry, whip out a few case studies and let people follow along on your journey.

6. Product Showdowns.

Here’s a twist on the traditional product review post. Instead of just reviewing a product – do a product showdown comparing 2 similar products and sharing the pros and cons of each.

Some examples might include…

• Optimize Press Vs. Kajabi
• Rapid Action Profits VS. JVZoo
• Tweet Adder Vs. Tweet Attacks
• Odesk Vs. Fiverr

You’re providing extra value by comparing similar (and possibly) competing products. Helping your reader to decide which one is best for them.

You can take this a step further by sharing how you personally are using the product. Anything you can do to get beyond the boring, overdone, traditional product review. The old ways of affiliate marketing are dying. But add your own unique twist and you’ll quickly start to see the difference.

7. ‘X’ Things You Must Do After (Blank) I used this one for this blog title.

Here’s a super simple one that’s almost always an instant winner. It’s fun and easy to write. Entertaining for your reader and it plays on our natural curiosity.

• 7 Things You Must Do after Writing a Blog Post
• 7 Things You Must Do After Every Workout
• 3 Things You Must Do After Every Date

8. How To (Blank) in (X Number of Days / Hours)

Here’s another extremely powerful template that’s similar to the case study post above…

• How to Generate 427+ Visitors in 24 Hours
• How to Get 1,200 Facebook Likes in 3 Days
• How to Lose 12 Pounds in 7 Days
• How to Get the Perfect Date in 7 Days

Use either one of these templates to knock-out a killer blog post when your strapped for ideas.





9. Experimental Posts

The only thing better than living an exciting life is to live vicariously through someone else’s exciting life. You can bring this entertainment factor to your blog by doing experimental posts.

This is basically where you set an interesting goal for yourself and post updates on your progress over a 30-day period.

Here are a few examples to get your brain rolling…

• May’s Trial – Quasi-minimalism
• August’s trial results: Gaining time by losing email addiction
• My 30 Day Weight Loss Journey
• My 30 Day Email Detox
• My 30 Days of Online Dating 

10. Comprehensive Pillar Posts

This one never gets old. If you’re looking to establish your presence online, one of the best things you can do to stand out is to start creating some epic blog posts.

A ‘pillar’ article is generally longer than the traditional blog post (1,000+ words). This sort of ‘flagship content’ is a comprehensive article dripping in value.

Building a raving audience of fans online all starts with mind-blowing pillar content.

Content that makes people think. Inspires. Creates value. Provides a new perspective. Pushes people out of their comfort zones. Challenges your readers. And creates nothing short of a braingasm!

Because of this, people can’t help but share it with others via Twitter, Facebook, StumbleUpon, etc… So when done properly, your pillar posts should bring in a new burst of readers as well.

Here are a few examples of ‘pillar’ posts:

• How to Create a Facebook Landing Page
• The Ultimate Guide to Facebook Marketing
• 21 Steps to 1,000 Visitors Per Day
• 500+ Places to Syndicate Your Content

11. (Insert Desired Benefit) That No One Talks About

As humans, we naturally want to listen in on ‘insider information’.

• Traffic Strategies That No One Talks About
• Weight Loss Secrets That No One Talks About
• Dating Advice That No One Talks About

12. Blog Post Roundup

Here’s an easy one that you can whip up quickly when you’re running short on time. List the top 10 blog posts from the year. Or the top blog posts from around the web that week. Or simply do a ‘Best Of’ post for your industry. This could be the best Twitter posts, forum posts, best blog posts, best news items, best product releases, etc…

Whip up any combination of your choice. You could even do this on a weekly basis. People love these types of posts because it keeps them in the loop on what’s going on in the industry without having to do all the searching themselves.

13. Things I Wish I Had Done Differently

These types of posts are almost always a hit because people love to read about other people’s ‘mistakes’. Plus, they provide a ton of value for your readers and help them to avoid common pitfalls.

Give your readers a look behind-the-curtain. Be authentic and transparent and people will love you for it.

Some example headlines might include:

• 10 Lessons I Learned in 2011
• 7 Things I Wish I Knew When I Started
• 12 Things I Would Do If I Were Starting From Scratch

14. The Tools of the Trade

Give people a behind-the-scenes look at the tools you use in your business. People love these types of posts. If you want to take it one step further, shoot a video of your office. You’ll create instant engagement with your readers.

Here are a few example headlines you could use…

• The Top 12 Marketing Tools I Use in My Business
• 7 Marketing Tools I Couldn’t Live Without
• 18 Must-Have WordPress Plugins
• (LIVE Video) A Look Inside My Office

15. Ask / Involve the Reader!!

Engagement is quickly becoming one of THE most important marketing metrics in business.

All of your content should be a reflection of the wants, needs, desires, and frustrations of your reader.

There are LOTS of different ways to do this. You can create an “Ask the Reader” type post where you ask an engaging question and start interacting in the comments. Or you can challenge your readers to achieve a specific goal that month and report back with their results.

Here are a few examples…

• Ask the Readers: What’s the Most Effective Thing Youíve Done to Build Traffic this Year?
• You Asked, I Replied ViperChill Answers #1
• First Annual Thanksgiving “Give Yourself a Plug” Day!
• Announcing The Million Dollar Blog Project: Build a Profitable Blog Along With Us
• Share Your Best Post Ever!

Challenge your readers:

• Reader Challenge Roundup: Creating a YouTube Video
• Reader Challenge Roundup: Mini-Product Creation

16. Debunk Industry Myths.

Every industry has its fair share of myths, legends, and misconceptions.

People love nothing more than debunking common beliefs. Plus, by pointing what’s WRONG in your industry, you also position yourself as a leader.

Some examples here might include:

• Top 7 Dieting Myths Debunked
• Why I Hate the Atkins Diet
• 7 Lies You’ve Been Told About Dating
• Why Pickup Lines Don’t Work (and what to do instead…)

Talk about what’s WRONG in your industry. Nothing gets more attention than controversy. But you must do it right. Debunk with style. 

17. Comment On Industry Gossip

Every industry has it’s own circle of gossip. Writing about these hot topics is one of the best ways to increase readership and tap into the conversation that’s ALREADY taking place in the
mind of your prospect.

You can get your fill of juicy gossip browsing the major news sites, in related forums, related blogs, and in your inbox.

This sort of timely ‘news’ (i.e. gossip) makes for great content.

• New fad diets
• Famous people on such-and-such diet.
• The Truth About Product X
• Where is Mobile Marketing REALLY Headed?

Part of positioning yourself as an authority is staying ahead of the trends within your industry. If you can be the first to report on relevant trends that are impacting your industry, then people will literally ‘tune’ into your station to make sure they stay updated.

Take a stand on the issue and help guide your reader to make an informed decision.

Use the 17 blog post ideas above to stand out from the crowd, get your blog noticed, and become an industry maven.

Written by Kim Roach of Buzz Blogger.  Edited and condensed for this post.  Read the Original Blog Post.

White Cake & Milk...Good for Writer's Block!
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