10 Different writing styles for blog posts that will engage readers

10 Different writing styles for blog posts that will engage readers

Bloggers everywhere are dying to know what the secret is to creating content that will be devoured by readers. I know I am. The truth is, there is no one secret trick. Readers want material that is relatable and interesting, that tells a great story, or teaches them something valuable. This week on Maine on the Blogs, we are talking about 10 different writing styles for blog posts that will engage your readers.

Personal Narrative

A personal narrative style essay is a written account of a true story of something that happened to you. Some bloggers use a strategy called creative nonfiction in which the essay infuses elements of drama or humor to punch up the story without destroying the true and accurate account of events.

[Tweet “Bloggers everywhere are dying to know what the secret is to creating content that will be devoured by readers.”]

Confessional

Possibly the trendiest style of blogging in the last few years, the confessional style essay generally tells a highly dramatic or salacious story in a confession style tone that is intended to shock or irritate. This style is different from personal narrative in that it does not always portray the truth, but rather focuses on highlighting shock value.

Investigative

Investigative blogging seeks to answer questions, mysteries, and problems that are of great interest to readers. Amateur journalists and investigators use this style of blogging to unravel stories happening in communities. This typically uses a formula of writing that has the reader following clues and facts toward the resolution at the end of the essay.

Listicle

A listicle – or list style post – is a simple bulleted blog post that gives a list of reasons, ideas, products, statements, or really anything that is neatly tied together under the theme of the headline. An example would be a post called “10 Different writing styles for blog posts that will engage readers”.

Rebuttal

A rebuttal is a blog post style in which the author takes issue with another published post and responds to it in a public way. This is similar to a debate in that the author sticks to conventional manners and avoids personal insults. See Open Letter below.

[Tweet “This week on Maine on the Blogs, we are talking about 10 different writing styles for blog posts that will engage your readers.”]

Open Letter

An open letter is when an author posts a letter intended for one person but made available to the public. The true intended audience is the general public and therefor gives this particular style of blogging a sense of either shaming or congratulating, but either way, calls out an individual or group to highlight something they may have said or done in a public way. Unlike the rebuttal post, the open letter often incorporates personal insults. This is an example of an open letter by Housewife Plus that aimed to highlight great work by local nurses.

Pictorial

A pictorial blog post is a simple post with a series of pictures. It could be treated like a tutorial that gives your readers information through graphics or it could be a photo album of a recent trip, the possibilities are endless.

Round-Up

A round-up style post is generally used to describe a series of products, places, or events. For example, a BDN blogger may do a round up of great campsites on the coast. Or a blogger could do a great round up local music festivals. A great BDN blog example is Culture Shock, which gives a weekly round up of events for folks looking for something fun to do.

Instructional

An instructional post tells the reader how to do something through a series of steps. Here at Maine on the Blogs we have lots of instructional posts like this one on how to fix your WordPress images!

Interview

Some of the most fascinating blog posts are when the author interviews an interesting person in order to share a specific story or expertise. We did this interview of BDN blogger, Wendy Watkins that readers loved!

Sometimes changing up a writing style can help a blogger smash through a period of writer’s block. It can also re-engage your readers and get them excited with new, fresh material. What kinds of blog styles do you default to? Try writing your next post in one of these new-to-you styles and see what happens! Leave us a comment about your reader’s reactions.

If you have a blog idea then please don’t be shy! We want to hear about it. You can contact us on our pitch page here. If you don’t know how to pitch then don’t worry, we have you covered with this blog post that gives you some great tips. And if you have any questions feel free to swing by our Facebook page, Twitter page, or leave us a question or comment below.

Sarah Cottrell

About Sarah Cottrell

Maine-based writer Sarah Cottrell is the voice behind Housewife Plus at the Bangor Daily News and is a regular contributor to Disney’s Babble and Momtastic. She is a co-author in six books including I Still Just Want To Pee Alone from the New York Times Bestselling series. Sarah’s work has also been highlighted and featured by SELF Magazine, National Public Radio, Washington Post, and VICE Tonic.