In today’s installment of Pocket Content, we’ll be talking about some more different types of content that bring in tons of traffic when used correctly. Predictions, news, rants and storytelling are different types of content that draw readers in, giving you that coveted window of opportunity to inform, sell, or get your readers to perform some type of action. Under normal circumstances, you want to steer clear of highly-opinionated blog posts because they can be awfully biased and polarizing. But if used correctly, even the most brash of posts can bring thousands of eyes, some of which might even appreciate the straightforward approach.
Predictions
Even if you turn out to be wrong, prediction posts get lots of traffic.
With every countdown at the end of the year comes an endless amount of content full of predictions for the new year. But you don’t have to wait until late December to start making your own predictions. Anytime is a great time to be the first to say something is going to happen. Whether it’s as big as predicting companies that will go out of business, or as benign as which teams will advance in high school football in your county, making predictions will definitely catch eyes. You might even see some return traffic if you include a deadline, such as “10 Brands that will Disappear in 2014.” Plus, this type of content is even more digestible when paired with the effervescent List format.
Don’t forget to point out other predictions, especially ones of competitors that didn’t come true. What? We never promised you a clean fight!
Rants
There’s a saying that there’s no such thing as bad publicity. The well-timed, properly-executed rant is a testament to this saying, but be prepared.
When you go off on a topic that gets under your craw, responses will fall into one of two categories: 1. The folks who ardently disagree and will let you know about it; and 2. The folks who ardently agree, and quite possibly have ranted about your topic before. Regardless of which side your readers fall on, there’s sure to be heavy traffic and tons of comments from bystanders wondering who’s on a soapbox and why, and tons of respectful civic discourse (okay, quick and loose with the word ‘respectful’). You take the bad (perhaps foul language, angry writers, and spammers) with the good (tons of links in and out from writers trying to make a point, lots of activity that treads into ‘trending’ territory, and the satisfaction from starting an entire debate that probably won’t ever end.)
Still, it’s a good idea to have a plan for damage control at the ready, in case things get out of hand.
Rant and rave on a soapbox–people will listen, but some may not agree.
Storytelling
The mark of a good writer is the ability to pull readers into the fold of a good story. The mark of a good blogger is to be able to do this and warrant a desired effect or action from your readers. Draw your readers into your mind’s dialogue and help them see from your mind’s eye. This is one of the best ways to guarantee that they’ll read all of what you have to say, and quite possible perform your desired action. As long as you grab their attention, and keep your story on the road toward delivering value to the reader, you’ll have them coming back for more time and again. Why? Because when you tell a story, you engage readers and give them an insight to who you are…the proverbial man behind the curtain.
News
Nothing gets your audience’s attention quite like the content of a timely news story. Whenever something new develops in your chosen field or industry, be among the first to write about it. News stories always bring about debate and discussion, which ultimately means more traffic for you and tons of folks clicking through your blog to get to learn more about you and what you offer. Being ready at a moment’s notice for a breaking story is a quality most associated with beat reporters and journalists, but the footwork is a lot easier online. Subscribe to blogs and RSS news feeds and make Twitter your home, and you’re sure to be one of the first responders when the next big story breaks.
When you use popular types of content, it makes it easy for you to create content on the fly. Plus, when you use more than one type at once, you make content easier for your readership to digest, making it more likely for them to follow through on your desired action. Whether it’s commenting, sharing your post on their many social networks, or downloading your latest white paper, people are more likely to do what you want if you give them something of value. As always, optimize your blog post with title tags, alt text, and keyword phrases to help your work rank well on search engines.
All this content stuff making your head spin? Let Agency Entourage take care of it so you can focus on other aspects of your business. Contact us today, or reach out to us in the comments below!
