7 Blog Post Formats to Banish Writer’s Block
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Every blogger runs out of ideas from time to time. When that happens, instead of staring at your computer screen for hours or leaving a big gap in your blogging schedule, why not beat writer’s block by trying one of these proven article formats? When written well, your readers will love them!
Common Questions and Answers
On your blog, share the most common questions you get asked, along with your answers.
For some good examples, read:
- What does a professional organizer do? by Julie Stobbe
- Documents & Papers: How Long Do I Keep Them? by Pamela Wong
This process can be repeated again and again with different questions and themes of questions.
Why X Popular Sentiment Is Wrong
Write an interesting blog post by taking the opposite view of a popular opinion. Then, of course, you have to be able to back up your position!
Here are a couple of great examples of this type of post:
- 4 Reasons the Konmari Method Doesn’t Work When Getting Rid of Clutter by Lisa Pinder
- 5 Counter-Intuitive Productivity Tips by Jiri Novotny
Share a Personal Story with a Lesson
Telling your blog readers a personal story that ends in an educational lesson is a powerful way to get your message across.
Some bloggers do this often, and well, including these two, who will be familiar to regular readers of Your Organizing Business.
- Organize to Prevent (or Recover From) a Car Theft by Julie Bestry
- Decisions, Clutter & Tag Sales by Linda Samuels
X Signs of Y
For a twist on the traditional list post, share any number of signs that something is true.
Some good examples include:
- Ten Early Signs that Your Loved One May Have a Hoarding Problem by Dr. Michael A. Tompkins
- When to Downsize Your Home: 10 Signs It’s Time to Sell by Lori Lovely
An In-Depth Analysis of X Technique or Theory
Capitalize on a popular theory by discussing its strengths and weaknesses on your blog.
Point out things your readers may not have realized, as in these examples:
- Swedish Death Cleaning by Laura McClellan
- Pros and Cons of Minimalism by Yolanda V. Acree
Make your post even more valuable by giving extra tips for people who want to use the technique.
Make a Prediction about the Future
Everyone wants to know what’s going to happen next! Tell your blog readers what you think will happen in the future, and what this means for them.
Although this type of post is particularly popular at the beginning of a new year, it can be used any time.
For some examples, see:
- These are the organizing trends I agree with and disagree with for 2024 by Jena Love
- 2024 Home Office Trends for Productivity and Wellness by WPL Design
How to …
The how-to article is a very popular blog post format for a good reason.
When seeking a solution to a particular problem, most Internet users will go to Google or some other search engine and enter a phrase such as “how to organize your closet” or “how to save space.” If your post not only provides the information they need, but includes that exact phrase, your chances of being found are very good.
Here are some examples:
- Family history: How to organize your genealogy research materials by Hazel Thornton
- How to Build Game-Changing Productivity Habits by Janet Schiesl
You can use these seven blog post formats any time, not just when you’re facing writer’s block. Some of them can even be reused time and again, so long as you change the title and the theme.
Photo by Ivan Samkov.
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Janet- You’ve done it again! What a fantastic list not only of great blog posts, but the concepts behind them. I like how you’ve defined the types of posts that can be written
I keep a blog folder. When ideas pop into my head, I write them down and toss them in. If I get stuck, I look through my folder to find something that might work. I’ll be adding a copy of this post to the folder.
Thank you for including me in this piece. It’s an honor to be among such a wonderful group. Just curious. Of the seven types of posts you described, do you have a favorite one that you prefer to use the most?
Great question, Linda! Of these seven, I probably write more “How to” posts than anything else, but I’ve also shared personal stories, disagreeing with a popular opinion, and Q&A. I came across the other ideas while researching this post, and am hoping to find a way to use them.
I’m pleased that you found this helpful and honored that you’ve added it to your blog folder.
Printed and filed! This will be a great resource. Thanks again.
You’re right that I tend to write about personal stories but relate it to the larger experience. But I also do a lot of tips/strategy type posts. I suppose those fall more into the “How to” category. And with the “Ask the Expert” feature (like the one you were featured in), it’s the Q&A format. I’ll be reviewing your list to see if any of the other formats might work too. What is it they say? “Variety is the spice of life.”
Agreed! Variety is good for us as bloggers, because it stretches our thinking and writing abilities, and it’s good for our readers, because it keeps things interesting.
Hi Janet – great post! I really try and vary what kind of posts I write and this is great inspiration. I find that top 10 list style posts are also a good idea as people tend to then comment on these and add their own favourites.
Thanks, Chrissy! I agree with you about the Top 10 lists – in fact, that was the theme of the August 2012 Professional Organizers Blog Carnival!
Great tips! Thanks for sharing my article, Janet!
Always happy to share good stuff, Jacquie!
What a great resource for ideas! I love that you add real examples links that other have used. I am going to bookmark this for inspiration later. Thanks for sharing! Always a pleasure to read!
Always happy to inspire! If you try one of the formats suggested in the article, feel free to come back and share a link here.
Wow, you’ve inspired me with a couple of styles I haven’t been trying. I’m always looking for something new! Like Linda, I keep track of blog ideas as they pop into my head, but there are some approaches here that I’d like to give more thought to… keep your eyes open for one of your ideas on my blog:)
I can’t wait to see what you come up with!
I love that you have examples of each category Janet, very helpful. I know I have been using Headline Analyzer a lot lately and that has playing around with titles and that can be very inspirational in itself.
Yes! Sometimes we start with an idea, and develop a title to go with it, and other times we start with an interesting title and run with that.
Great ideas as always, Janet! With all the big projects I have been working on lately, I have been neglecting my blog. This gives me some good ideas on how to restart my mojo! Thanks!
Always happy to inspire other bloggers!
Nice list, Janet. I see a couple of ideas there I haven’t tried!
I’m looking forward to seeing your spin on these ideas. 🙂
I like that idea about taking the opposite view of a popular opinion. Filing this for a future idea! I think I could definitely have some fun with it. Thanks for the great suggestions, Janet!
I think you’ll rock it, Sarah!
I really like How To’s with images or videos. I don’t think I’ve written a prediction post yet, so I must add that to my list. Thanks, Janet. =)
I consider you a thought leader, so I’d be very interested in reading your predictions.
These are all fabulous. I think I tend to combine these elements in a lot of my posts. Like, “Why X is wrong” combined with “How to” or “Personal Story” + “X Signs of Y” + “How to.” And I think I mix the in-depth analysis with everything. But I don’t often try predicting the future, and that sounds like a lot of fun!
That’s what makes your posts so interesting, Julie! You leave no stone uncovered – except maybe predicting the future. I’ll be interested in seeing what you come up with there!
The perfect post for inspiration. It can feel draining to try to come up with ideas all the time. Saving these for inspiration, thanks!
I love how you keep updating this excellent post, and thank you for including one of mine as an example. I think this will be very helpful both for novices and those who feel like they’ve already written every possible post!
This post keeps coming back because my examples keep disappearing from the web! This time I decided to include TWO examples for each, so hopefully I don’t have to go looking for new ones too soon. 😀
Your car theft story really struck a chord with me, so it came to mind right away when I needed another example.