‘Serial’ Isn’t Just a Podcast: Why You Should Invest in Serial Blog Posts — Boston Content

It takes time, effort and a little bit of luck to think up a truly original blog post idea. You may be inspired by something that happens to you on the job, or by an article you read, or even have a great idea in the shower.

Once a brilliant idea strikes, you can take action to research, write the blog post and publish it. But once it’s done, you already have to start brainstorming your next great idea. 

Instead of constantly struggling to fill a full editorial calendar with one-off blog posts, what if you could re-use that same idea again and again by slightly tweaking it?

This is exactly what serial blog posts can do — saving you huge amounts of time and creative effort. Instead of thinking of just one idea, you can expand an idea into multiple blog posts on the same theme. Don’t struggle to craft brilliant, original content week after week; let serial blog posts do more work for you.

Find a Theme

Instead of focusing on one simple idea, dig deeper and find an overarching theme you can really expand on over a series of blog posts. The topic you choose obviously depends on the focus of your blog, your target audience and your goals for engaging your audience. Whatever you choose, however, make sure you can write more than just two or three articles on this theme. Each post should offer an in-depth investigation into one aspect of the topic you’ve chosen, and then continue to examine it from various angles over time.

For example, on the InsightSquared blog, I’ve written an ongoing series about terrible cold sales emails, culled from real emails we received in our inboxes. In order to source content for “True Crimes: Sales Emails,” I’m always on the lookout for emails that are examples of common mistakes sales reps make. I blur out any personal details, critique the emails and offer a concrete solution to the errors the sales rep is making. It’s not only fun to write, but also takes much less time to write than other blog posts.

Post Consistently

Decide on a set schedule for your serial blog posts: Do you post once a month? Once a quarter? Or every other week?

Whatever you decide, really commit to that schedule. Set yourself calendar reminders for the next 10 posts, so you never forget to post a new entry on the third Tuesday of every month. This consistency will keep your readers coming back for more. You’ll be shocked at the enthusiasm you’ll see from readers who become fans of not just the blog or you as an author, but of the series itself. For example, here is a tweet I received from a reader about the latest True Crimes post: