11 Ways to Write an Attention Grabbing Post (Without Having to Think Too Hard!)

Regular blogging is hard.

You’re supposed to stay consistent. You’ve heard consistency and quality are everything, and don’t disagree, but you wonder, why does it have to be so difficult?

The constant flow of required creativity is hard to maintain. Sometimes ideas flow like a busted faucet, but other times your well of creativity runs bone dry.

These post ideas will help you to write something of value, without having to think too hard; by drawing on outside influences that will give you the jump-start you need.

Here are 11 ways to write an attention getting post, without the mental stress.

1) Compile The Best Posts About A Particular Topic

People love lists.

They love reading them, writing them, and thinking about them in their head.

Lists are also great because they’re not quite as thoughtful as some other types of posts and don’t require anywhere near that amount of brainpower. You can spend less effort and still deliver something valuable to your audience.

Especially if you compile the right list.

What do your readers want to know most? Have you already answered that question in a few different ways?

That’s great, so have others in your niche.

Find the best answers to the most pressing questions, then make a list. Make sure to include your own post (the best you have on the topic).

Part of the appeal of a list post is that it’s simple to scan, so make sure your content is broken up with easy-to-read subheads and bullets. This means readers will be more likely to hit your share buttons as well.

• 37 Essential Posts on Web Design
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Even better than the ease of writing is the direct benefit: readers love list posts. They’re fun to read, they encourage conversation and are great for traffic. A list post that gathers a large number of quality links is the kind that gets bookmarked, which will greatly multiply your odds of multiple visits.

2) Write A Post Designed For A Total Newbie

It’s actually funny how many “experts” are blogging.

It’s easy to find answers for any type of problem, from big to small. Well, not too small. Turns out, some of the ABC basics aren’t covered in many niches because the authors are tailoring their content toward intermediate or advanced users.

For the most part, that’s great. But sometimes covering something that seems ridiculously simple could grab you a slew of new readers while cementing online relationships you already have (so long as you take the right approach.)
You don’t want alienate your regular readers with your newbie post, so make sure to include something in your copy that says, “I know this post is a little bit basic but I really want to help everyone!” then remind them how hard it was when they were getting started.

Never be afraid to keep things simple.

• How to Get Started (NICHE SPECIFIC TASK)
• A Newbies Guide to (NICHE SPECIFIC TASK)
• How to (NICHE SPECIFIC TASK) Even if You’ve Never (HARDER TASK) Before

The biggest benefit of a newbie post is that you’ll be grabbing readers from the beginning. Do a great job from the beginning and they’ll be with you over the long haul.

3) Highlight The Best Comments Your Blog’s Ever Received

As long as they don’t get out of control, comments can be the lifeblood of a blog, fueling conversation and providing tangible social proof to new visitors that a site has an engaged audience who care about what the author has to say.

Sometimes comments are especially helpful for deciding what to write about because they allow you to slip into the mind of your audience as you respond to their feedback in real time.

Comments can provide testimonials, insightful perspectives and thoughtful questions. Rounding up some of the best comments on your site is an easy way to craft a potentially powerful post, while fueling further conversation.

• How to Get Started (NICHE SPECIFIC TASK)
• A Newbies Guide to (NICHE SPECIFIC TASK)
• How to (NICHE SPECIFIC TASK) Even if You’ve Never (HARDER TASK) Before

Strong community is one of the best ways for a blog to blow up BIG in very little time, and a comment roundup will reinforce that you’re in it for your readers first by displaying their feedback front and center.

4) Make A List Of The Best Quotes From Your Niche

Everyone loves quotes, especially online. Must be something in the way we’re wired.

It’s amazing how viral a simple quote post can be. Yet, the problem with a quote post is that they cast a fairly wide net, which is great if you’re looking for mass traffic.

But you don’t want empty traffic, you want targeted readers that will keep you from wasting your time. That means you don’t want a net, you need a harpoon. Gather quotes, then tie them specifically to your niche, and you will have a harpoon and a net.

• The Top 10 Quotes About Real Estate
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• 8 Amazing Quotes About (YOUR NICHE) That Will Make You Think Twice About (SOMETHING IN YOUR INDUSTRY)

Don’t be afraid to use one person’s quotes, if all are relevant, and keep your eye out for industry celebrities who are especially quote worthy. If they’re already in the news, half your work is already done.

5) Make A List Of The Best Videos From Your Niche

The Internet has evolved far faster than most people imagined it would. And just as we think we’ve come it close to figuring out, it’s quickly changing again.
Though YouTube is one of the largest sites on the Internet, and video is already everywhere, showing everything from movie trailers to people falling face first into their rick-rolled cat, it’s about to get bigger.

And once Google finds a way to effectively index video as well as they index search results for text right now, searchable video will be one of the easiest ways for bloggers to get found.

As a blogger, you want to get comfortable with the video format sooner rather than later. Soon, it will help you grow your blog, authority, and business, faster than virtually anything else you can do online. But even if you’re not ready for video yet, you can still piggyback off the work of other industry leaders.

• The 8 Most Viral Videos About (SOMETHING IN YOUR NICHE) Ever!
• Top 10 Videos About (SOMETHING IN YOUR NICHE) That Will Shock You!
• 10 Short Videos That Will Make You Think About (NICHE TOPIC) Differently

Few people will watch every video on your page, but a surprising percentage will eagerly share your post anyway. They clicked because they were curious, they know others will be curious, too.

With the relative ease of embedding YouTube videos into your posts, this is a low effort, high-value post idea.

6) Make A List Of The 10 Best TED Talks That Apply To Your Niche

If you’ve never seen a TED talk, prepare to get addicted.

TED talks are absolutely amazing, for learners of every age. TED talks open your mind broaden your horizons, and lead you to think about things you never would have outside your normal, everyday ecosystem.

Covering everything from future technology, to human behavior, to the way we learn, TED talks are exactly what their tagline says: ideas worth spreading. Best of all, TED talks are smart. And if you post them with a bit of light commentary, your audience will give you credit for being smart, too.

As always, make sure to keep the videos and commentary relevant to your niche so your traffic remains as targeted as possible.

• 24 Inspiring TED Talks For (NAME OF INDUSTRY)
• 15 Ways TED Can Help You Think Outside The (NAME OF INDUSTRY) Box
• The Most Mind-blowing TED Talks About (NAME OF INDUSTRY) Ever!

TED talks are exactly the type of content that get discussed, spread, and appreciated. A roundup of quality TED talks is the sort of post that moves readers to subscription since they won’t want to miss it the next time you post something like it.

Just as you absorbed some of TED’s credit for being smart, your readers will get credit when they share.

7) Create A List Of Free Resources

People are always looking for faster ways to do things; a shortcut, secret trick, or at the very least, a new tool or resource to help them do it.

Industry leaders generally have a tremendous amount going on in any given day, and must toggle between tasks with fluidity if they expect to get everything done. Because you write online, and from a position of authority, your audience will trust and appreciate any resources you can give them, at least for the most part.

Make a list of all the free or low-cost resources you can, complete with links. Beneath each heading, write a short explanation of what the resource does (it’s features), then let your reader know what the resource will do for them (the benefits).

• 17 Free Resources You’ll Want To Thank Me For Later
• 32 Free Resources That Can Help You (INDUSTRY SPECIFIC TASK) Better!
• 18 Cool Resources For (NICHE RESEARCH) With At Least 3 You’ve Never Heard Of!

Don’t be afraid of giving away too much information. Effective blogging means delivering quality information as often as possible. There is no giving away too much.

Make sure to include some of your online colleagues and “competitors” into your resources page. It’s a quiet, respectable way to make online friends.

8) Create A List Of Paid Tools (With Affiliate Links!)

One of the best ways to make money online is through affiliate sales. When you post a link to a product with your affiliate code, you are quietly endorsing the product in exchange for commission.

Affiliate sales are extremely lucrative for bloggers who know how to effectively market the sales since the products are often information based, making the profit margins exceptionally high.

For example, many eBooks range in price from $47-$97, usually with a 50% commission. If one of your readers bought a $97 eBook from your link, you would receive nearly $50 in commission.

If you have a large audience, and you’ve earned that audience’s trust, your advice will have value that goes well beyond your hourly rate.

Just as you create a free list of resources, you can also make a list of paid resources where you receive affiliate commissions for every sale made. But you must always, always, always use integrity when doing this.

Never under any circumstances recommend something you wouldn’t use yourself. The FTC has strict guidelines about disclosure, but even if they didn’t exist you’d be a foolish blogger to try to monetize your audience without integrity.

Never forget, the lifetime value of a reader is always worth more than a single sale.

• 8 Reasonably Priced Resources You Can’t Live Without
• The Top 10 Paid Tools That Will Saven You Time And Money
• 6 Paid Resources That Are Totally Worth Your Time And Attention

Do this well, and it’s a terrific way to make additional money as a blogger. You’re adding to your bottom line while helping your readers, which they’ll ultimately appreciate.

Do this poorly and you lose your readers forever, and deserve it.

9) Write A Step-By-Step Tutorial

A simple how-to article can help your readers feel the confidence they need to finally tackle something they’ve wanted to do for a long time.

Consider your daily work. Are there things you do that you’re especially good at that you take for granted since you’ve been doing them for such a long time?

Maybe there’s something you don’t even realize you’re great at, but a novice would have their ears and eyes open, eager to absorb anything you’d be willing to teach.

Your how-to post shouldn’t be too general, but rather, cover one specific thing in depth with simple, step-by-step instructions.

Remember, these 11 posts should be relatively easy to put together, without you having to think too hard. So make it easy on yourself and think of the primary steps needed to go from A to Z, then write a few short sentences for each one. Add a short introduction and conclusion, and your post is ready to publish.

• How to (INDUSTRY SPECIFIC TASK): A Step-by-Step Tutorial
• Here Is An A-B-C Simple Way To (INDUSTRY SPECIFIC TASK)
• How To (INDUSTRY SPECIFIC TASK) Even If You (COMMON OBSTACLE)

Make sure you focus on benefits in your headline. Make a promise, then deliver on that promise with a quick, quality, step-by-step tutorial.

10) Publish An Image Roundup

This might not work for every niche, but if your industry is image driven, this post could be massive.

Like video, people are prone to share content with a lot of images. By publishing a roundup post highlighting a collection of images your audience would love, you are creating a post that’s easy to produce because of the lack of copy, and easy to share since as we all know, a picture’s worth 1,000 words.

Don’t assume your audience wouldn’t be interested, or that images aren’t right for your niche. Most people are visual and can project their feelings and history onto any image you post.

• The 18 Best (NICHE SUBJECT) Pics
• Stunning: 12 Images About (NICHE SUBJECT)
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You can use Flickr Creative Commons to find exceptional, off the beaten path photos that will make your readers think, ponder, and hopefully share.

11) Write A Product Review

Product reviews can help you earn additional dollars online. Unfortunately, this type of post is a bit more difficult to write than the others on this list.

You must ALWAYS remain true to your core audience and should NEVER just throw up a review. Write a quality review of a quality product and make sure it’s 100% in your audience’s best interest.

If you’re willing to sell your audience out for a small affiliate commission, then the audience you don’t deserve will leave you before you know what happened.

However, if you’re already familiar with a product and you use it regularly, it should be easy enough to write about your experience, while earning additional revenue from the affiliate commissions.

Well written product reviews that keep basic SEO in mind can rank well in search engines, especially if you build links to those pages. This means you can continue to earn commissions for years after the post is originally published.

• How (PRODUCT NAME) Can Help You (BENEFIT)
• 3 Ways (PRODUCT NAME) Can Change the Way You do Business
• 3 Awesome Things About (PRODUCT NAME) and One Thing That’s Just OK

If there is something about your product that’s only “OK,” make sure to say so. No product is perfect, and again, you must always stay true to your audience. If someone buys something they really don’t want off your recommendation, they will blame you for their purchase, even if the product isn’t yours.

Make sure to conclude your post with a Call-to-Action so your reader knows how they can become a buyer.

Ease the pain of consistent publishing by placing a few posts in your writing queue that are easy on mental horsepower while still promising powerful results.