Three Powerful Blog Post Formulas That Most Bloggers Overlook

I’ve gotta admit that blog posts around the social space are getting a little stale.  It seems like everyone (including me) have found a formula and we are kicking out posts like cars off an assembly line.

While the posts are generally good – I think we can do better.  However, this is easier said then done.  You see, the problem isn’t just topic selection, it’s also the vision for each post.

These days, the common post types are Lists, How-To, Opinion (or rants).  Bloggers choose a type based on their goals; to impress, teach, or persuade.

To go to the next level, I would challenge writers to go deeper and think about the strategic objectives of their posts.

Much can be learned from studying presidential campaigns and communications. Campaign communication experts use 3 basic speeches to achieve specific goals.  I’ll explain each type and how you can use it to add more punch to your blog posts.

Stump Speeches

These workhorses are the bread and butter of the campaign trail.  They outline the candidates core principles and approach.  The stump speech is tailored to the audience and evolves to address new opportunities. These speeches form the foundation of the political campaign.

Your Stump Speech is the blog post that consistently details your perspective on your niche.  Your posts are your reader’s comfort food.  They deliver relevant information without surprises. Stump posts are so closely aligned with your beliefs and voice that regular readers can identify your post without even knowing who wrote it.

Policy Talks

Candidates, Presidents, and CEO’s often need to dig deeply into a specific issue. These talks establish the communicators expertise and defines a clear-cut position to the public. Policy talks are unveiled infrequently.  They are often too in-depth and unwieldy for daily use.  However, they are the anchors that ground and give legitimacy to the campaign.

A Policy post is an epic review of a specific subject.  A Policy Speech post often defines the blogger and helps them take the high ground in a particular area. These posts attract links, bookmarks and retweets due to their thoroughness and careful research.

Game Changers

Sometimes you need to shake things up and whoop some ass. Game Changer puts friends on foes on notice that things are going to be different.  Game Changers offer new perspectives that are counter-intuitive – even dangerous. Or, they take a stand against “rules of thumb”.

Great Game Changing speeches include Ronald Reagan’s “Tear Down this Wall” speech in Berlin or JFK’s – “Ask Not What Your Country Can Do For You” masterpiece.

A Game Changing Blog post grabs your topic by the throat and turns it upside down.  These blog posts aren’t for the timid.  They shock, inspire, and force your readers to reconsider their approach and their beliefs.

Here’s the deal though; most bloggers can pull off a game-changer once or twice in their blogging career.  So don’t beat yourself up if you haven’t published your game changer.  It will come. Just don’t force it.  Nothing is sadder than a blogger screaming that they have a game changer when all they have is a run-of-the-mill stump speech.

You’ll know when you have a game-changer based on your reader’s reactions.  Game Changers spread like wildfire and become the meme that governs their niche.

Putting It All Together

I’m sure you are chomping at the bit to create your Game Changer but I’m going to reel you back in.  In fact, I recommend that you spend 90% of your time writing solid Stump Posts.  These posts are simple explanations of your core beliefs, perspectives, and ideas.

As you write these posts, you’ll get the urge to kick out a Policy post.  Do it.  Spend the time to make it great.  Then one day a game changer will bubble to the surface. It may scare or inspire you.  Regardless of what you feel, start writing and don’t stop until it’s done.

Publish then get back to writing your stump posts.  Don’t rest on your laurels.  Keep pushing it.

I’m curious.  Tell me about a stump, policy, or game changer post that you’ve written.  How did it feel to complete your game changer?