Whatever you blog about, this post is for you!

Want to know one of the ways that helped to more than double my traffic last year and skyrocket my engagement?

I didn’t do any advertising or sponsored articles. I didn’t publish content every day. Hell, I actually took a two-week break from my blog altogether in December.

Since I became clear on my purpose and started putting value into every single post, as well as loads of tips and advice, readers started coming to ME. My content is one of the main ways that has helped me get to where I am today. And it’s still working.

Even though it seems like it sometimes, blogging isn’t just for people who have something specific to offer, promote or sell. It can be a really valuable marketing tool for your career and personal brand too.

This is why:

It’s a great way to get yourself out there and grow your brand with social media and organically through search engines
It gives people a real insight into who you are, where your talents lie and what they can expect from you
It builds your authority in your subject area(s) of choice
It opens you up to some fantastic opportunities you wouldn’t get anywhere else but through blogging

So how do you do it?

It’s simple – write different types of content.

Don’t worry. I won’t leave you hanging!

Here are some of my favourite blog post ideas that you can add to your editorial calendar to start attract more readers to your website every single day.

And if you’re in a place where you’re thinking about starting a blog, I suggest you start here and read last week’s post!

#1 | YOUR EXERPIENCE/JOURNEY

I’m going to be honest with you now. I NEVER take advice from people until I know their story. There are a lot of people out there who claim to be an expert about something, but they’ve got no experience to back it up. I need to know someone is real.

Sure, you probably do this through your ‘About’ page already which is great. But have you ever thought about sharing it in a blog post too? This is a great way to make yourself stand out and show your readers that, “hell yeah, I know what I’m talking about! I’ve done A, B and C and I can do the same for you.”

People love a story and they especially love a success story. You started off as a beginner with no knowledge on your subject. How did you develop your passion? How did you find your feet? What do you do to keep learning? This will be especially valuable for people who look up to you and want to follow in your footsteps.

#2 | READER SUCCESS STORY/PRODUCT PROMOTION

I kind of put two ideas into one here – but they’re both pretty great ways of promoting yourself indirectly. How? By either getting a reader to do it for you, OR writing a post about how your product works/why people will love it/how you created it…you get where I’m going with this, right?

If you shared a tip or a method of doing something that has really made a positive impact with one of your readers, share their results. Write about what their problem was, how they went about solving it (with your magical advice) and how it’s benefited their lives.

The same goes for when you’re talking about a product – and when I say a product, I mean anything from something you’ve physically created, to a free eBook or even your mailing list. Here’s one I wrote about the #BloggingBreakthrough magazine for your inspiration…

And yes, it generated more sign ups!

Include photos, screenshots, quotes, links – make it one HECK of a post. If you want extra brownie points, you could also think of a way to repurpose it. Video interview? A walkthrough on your Instagram Story? Anything goes.

#3 | YOUR METHOD

If you don’t have reader success stories to share or don’t have something to promote, that’s no problem. What about writing a post, or a series of posts about a process? Whether it’s how you create your blog posts, to how you plan your week, or make it industry specific like your morning cleansing routine or how you clear out your wardrobe. Giving people a step-by-step overview of how you do something will be insanely helpful.

You don’t have to give away all your secrets (I advise that you don’t!) but this can be a really great thing to try. Plus, it can also provide you with loads of content ideas if you do it as a series.

From my experience, readers will be much more likely to return and become more loyal if you give them an insight into your process, what you’re going to bring to the table and what they’re going to learn from it. Check out my series on my blog post process to help you!

#4 | WHAT YOU DON’T COVER

This might seem a bit controversial, but not in the way you think. This idea essentially gives you a way to bust all the myths in your particular industry. I’ve written three posts like this: one on digital marketing, one on social media and one all about productivity.

There’s a lot of information out there right now and one thing I know my readers struggle with is knowing who to listen to. Your readers will likely respect you more for stating your opinion and leading them down the right path (rather than feeding them garbage!) People who don’t agree with you? Well, they aren’t your ideal reader!

For me, I’m definitely against buying followers, I don't believe every idea has been taken and I'm completely against spending loads of money to grow your presence. Not for me, thanks!

#5 | FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What questions do people ask you all the time in emails, comments or on social media? How do you come up with all your blog post ideas? How do you make your photos look so pretty?

As a blogger with a full-time job who’s setting up a freelance business on the side, my readers always ask me how I get everything done and still manage to stay sane/have a life. My short answer is that I’m just really really motivated. But wouldn’t it be great to go into the longer version through a blog post?

To do this, all you need to do is make a note of every question you’re asked. Yep. Every single one. Add it to your blog post ideas list and hey presto – you’ve got a new piece of content every month! You’re benefiting yourself and your readers too.

#6 | YOUR WINS

What happened for your blog recently that you’re really proud of? Have you been experimenting with something over the past few months that has got you big results? Share it! You might think you’re blowing your own trumpet, but you’re actually providing your readers with a lot of value by telling them HOW you did something.

This is great because it helps them feel more able to take a step forward or try something new. Plus, they’ll be so impressed with your results that they’ll want to keep getting more information from you. Hello new mailing list subscriber!

Here’s something you can do for your blog right now: When was the last time you updated your little bio? (Or brand statement as we like to call it at ABOH HQ 😉). Mine was updated a while ago so last week, Tom and I said down and crafted a new one. This gives people a snap introduction as to who you are, what you offer and what you’re all about. Perfect!

Do you like mixing up the different types of content you create on your blog? Will you be adding any of these ideas to your editorial calendar?