Until the last 5 or 6 years, blogs were primarily written by a single person, detailing personal opinions, tips, diary entries or general ramblings. Recently, blogs have become an almost integral part of every online identity/user. From microblogging sites like Twitter to company blogs like… well, this.
Over time, blogging has strayed away from the more personal, diary style, entries and ventured into much more factual, informative and knowledge sharing places. This isn’t a bad shift, of course, as the internet is packed full of information – formatting it into an easy to digest and easy to find way can’t hurt anyone, but this lends itself all too easily to the simple task of taking an existing blog post, rejigging it a little bit, and republishing it with an author twist, despite the baseline being very much the same content under the skin.
Opinion posts
Blogging is going back to its roots when it comes to mainstream blogs, company blogs or even news outlets. Opinion pieces are taking back their place in the blogging world with Long reads, the Guardian’s ‘Comment is Free’ and other opinion pieces, all proving to be the read of choice for many consumers. A personal take on a popular topic, or a merely a post with a personal edge to it.
Hearing the facts certainly has its place on blogs, for research, guides or topics that lend themselves better to an impartial and fact-driven narrative, but there is certainly a shift in the style of post being produced on the web today that shows that people prefer to read things on a more human level, instead of an article that reads very much like a Wikipedia article
A post based on the authors’ personal opinion, the opinion of a company, or a specific point of view on a certain topic helps to take a linear item and allow it to be re-written, re-thought and re-evaluated countless times, each adding its own twist.
How can you make the most of this?
Adding a personal touch to your company blog is easy and effective, and could help you generate and stronger readership, an increase in posts and a nice twist on some of your most popular posts.
Discuss a current topic with your co-workers, and ask them for their opinion on it. Use this to form a post.
Reach out to experts in certain fields to get their opinion on a certain topic you’re writing about – you can then include a little quote in your post to add a different edge and a bit of weight to it.
Consider setting up a weekly or monthly opinion piece. Take note of which posts do well, or which topics attract the most attention.
Take into account your readers when it comes to writing posts. Ask them their thoughts through your social media or email channels and include this in your posts. It makes for a more personal read.
Write longer pieces on things you’re working towards, or have accomplished, in your business. A day out, charity event or something similar.
Mix things up with the what you put on your company blog, and try to cover every angle when it comes to topics, style and approach!
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