12 Clever Ways to Get Free Original Blog Content
Source : 12 Clever Ways to Get Free Original Blog Content
Published On : December 05, 2020 at 10:17PM
By : Ankit Singla
Yes – you read that title right.
This post will show you 12 creative ways to get free content for your blog.
I know it sounds crazy. But if you’re willing to put in some work, you can consistently generate quality blog posts without spending a dime.
Let’s hop right in.
Table Of Contents
- 1. Publish a roundup post
- 2. Accept guest posts
- 3. Write reaction posts to YouTube videos
- 4. Feature someone else’s infographic
- 5. Borrow ideas from content directories
- 6. Curate blog posts
- 7. Use HARO
- 8. Outsource content
- 9. Repurpose content
- 10. Upload interview posts
- 11. Compile quotes
- 12. Write your own content
- 13. Conclusion
1. Publish a roundup post
The easiest way to get free content for your blog is through roundup posts.
I’m not just talking about “expert” roundup posts.
Remember, a roundup can mean different things.
You can round up tools, statistics, books, and contributions from other content writers.
Here are some of the benefits of writing a roundup post:
- Quickly produce content your readers will read – What makes roundup posts “free” content is that you don’t need to do extensive research. You just have to list down similar things, write two-line descriptions minimum, and call it a day.
- Get help promoting your content – In case you didn’t know, other bloggers, experts, and companies like being mentioned in roundup posts. Covering them in a positive way encourages them to share your roundup, which inevitably leads to more traffic.
- Use roundups as an excuse to promote affiliate products – Roundup posts, particularly “top” lists, are effective in promoting affiliate products to your readers. They offer a natural and engaging way to slide in affiliate links and get clicks along the way.
Eager to write a roundup post?
Let me walk you through the steps in creating some of the most common roundup post types.
How to create a roundup of things
Writing a roundup of things is pretty similar to writing a listicle.
After deciding a topic, you list them down – ordered or unordered – and describe each item to your readers.
Here’s a simple roundup I published before about affiliate marketing tools:
The main difference between listicles and roundups is, you don’t need to write in-depth sections when creating a roundup.
You’re merely creating a collection of similar stuff for your readers to see.
To look for a topic for your roundup, I suggest using AnswerThePublic.
Begin by entering any relevant keyword in your niche.
For example, let’s start with something broad and basic – like “pets.”
Within seconds, AnswerThePublic compiles questions that the online community asks about your keyword.
Since we plan to create a roundup, we only need to look at four specific question types: what, where, which, and who.
That should give us a topic idea that makes sense for a roundup, like:
- What pets are legal in the UK
- What pets are easy to take care of
- Where pet lovers shop
- Which pets don’t bite
- Which pets live the longest
Pro tip: switch to the ‘Data’ tab when viewing AnswerThePublic results to make them more readable.
For the sake of this guide, let’s go with the question “what pets are easy to take care of.”
The next step is to run a Google search to obtain the information you need from other posts.
This whole process shouldn’t take long to complete.
Keep in mind that you’re only rounding up ideas from other posts. After creating a list of things, try to describe each of them in just one paragraph.
For your reference, take a look at this snippet from a Reader’s Digest roundup:
That’s it – simple, quick, and crispy descriptions that only take a few minutes to write.
You should have your own, original content by the end of the day.
Just remember the following when creating a roundup of things:
- Get ideas from at least three different posts – Getting your information from multiple sources will maximize the value of your roundup for readers. Furthermore, it will help you avoid being flagged for duplicate content.
- Rearrange the items – To make your roundup more original, rearrange the order of things in your roundup. This works better if you’re already pulling information from different sources.
- Categorize the items if possible – Categorizing the items in your roundup makes it easy for readers to find what they need. Again, this will also make your content more unique than the sources.
How to create a roundup of other blogs
Here’s a simple strategy that personally got me multiple pieces of free content in the past.
When writing a blog roundup post, you barely need to do any research.
You just look for popular blogs in a specific niche and describe them in two sentences.
Let’s say you’re in the pet niche.
Google should be more than useful when looking for pet blogs to include in your roundup.
Just like when writing a roundup of things, remember to collect ideas from multiple sources.
More importantly, rearrange the blogs on your list to make it more unique.
When putting together the actual roundup, just describe each blog as simply and concisely as you can.
About two sentences per blog should be enough when creating a roundup.
For more examples, click here to read my roundup of the best food blogs.
Not sure how to describe each blog?
Easy: just look at their “About” page to get ideas.
Take a look at the “About Us” page of EntirelyPets, for example:
With a little creativity, you can come up with something short and sweet, like:
“EntirelyPets is a go-to online resource if you’re looking for pet supplies and non-prescription pet medications. They also run one of the best pet blogs in town – focusing on pet product brands and care tips.”
Easy, right?
You can probably whip up descriptions like that in three minutes or less. And, before you know it, you’re done writing descriptions for 30-50 blogs in a day.
How to create a guest roundup post
Creating a guest roundup post starts with the same step as a regular roundup: looking for a topic using AnswerThePublic.
But rather than extracting information from various sources, you send an open invitation for others to chip in their thoughts.
This can be done by posting a question or survey and asking for the participants’ permission to share their contributions.
The ideal platform for this strategy is Quora, which is an open platform where users find answers to questions.
Other platforms like Facebook are great for asking questions as well.
I do this quite a lot whenever I need to extract ideas from the community for my blog posts.
With your question posted, feel free to use the responses to fuel the creation of your roundup.
Alternatively, you can look for existing questions with answers and round them up in a single post.
Nikhila Chalamalasetty published a great example with her roundup of the “best Quora answers” to life questions.
She simply listed down existing Quora answers and credit the users who posted them.
You can do the same and prepare an article that’s 50-80 percent made out of Quora answers.
Just don’t forget to credit the users who wrote them. Better yet, ask for their permission to use their answers in your roundup.
How to create an expert roundup post
Out of all the different types of roundups, an expert roundup requires the most amount of work.
If you’ve read a roundup post before, you should already know why.
If not, it’s fairly easy to look for an expert roundup to check so you can understand how they work.
Simply enter a keyword on Google and add “experts share” with quotations.
I bet the top three results are expert roundup posts.
Put simply, an expert roundup post contains contributions from people who are regarded as “experts” in their industry.
They can be a blogger, social media influencer, author, public speaker, and so on.
That’s why writing an expert roundup post is challenging.
While you won’t have to pay these experts, you’ll need hours of email outreach to get them on board.
Here’s an example you can refer to when writing your outreach email:
To get more responses from your expert outreach, remember the following tips:
- Send a follow-up email after two days – Sending a follow-up is not being needy. It’s actually a reliable strategy of squeezing responses from experts who simply missed your initial email.
- Don’t ask them to write much – If you want more experts to contribute to your roundup, you need to respect their time. Just ask them for a brief response to the questions in your outreach email.
- Talk about what it means for them – Mention the ways you’ll promote the roundup post and how it can increase the experts’ exposure. Sometimes, being mentioned in a positive light is enough to make industry experts tick.
- Make it personal – Don’t forget to address the experts by their name and write each email from scratch. If you’re reaching out to actual experts, they can probably tell if an email is authentic or template-based.
Lastly, be sure to ask experts to help by sharing your roundup with their readers.
If they liked how you covered them in your roundup, they have every reason to promote your post. This, in turn, will help get some eyes on your blog.
Need more inspiration for your expert roundup post?
Here’s an example of an expert roundup post by OptinMonster.
2. Accept guest posts
If your blog has been around for a while, you may occasionally get guest post inquiries from other bloggers.
It’s really simple: contributors provide free content, you provide backlinks and extra exposure in return.
Win-win.
However, publishing guest posts isn’t an option for everybody.
To attract guest bloggers, you need to establish a solid online presence first.
That means good search engine rankings, consistent traffic, and a reputable brand.
With those boxes checked, all that’s left is to put up a notice that you’re accepting guest posts.
I recommend looking at examples like this “Write for Us” page from Practical Wanderlust:
Things to include in your “Write for Us” page
While there’s no right way to create a “Write for Us” page, there are a few things you must include:
- Your stats – Make sure to highlight your important website stats like traffic, audience demographics, and social media followers.
- General content guidelines – To ensure the quality of guest posts, post clear content guidelines like word count and image dimensions.
- Editing process – There’s a good chance that a guest post won’t hit the mark in terms of quality right off the bat. With that in mind, talk about the guest blogger’s responsibilities during the editing process.
- Accepted topics – A “write for us” page must always include a list of topics that guest bloggers can write about. After all, a guest post must still fit the content needs of your audience.
- Backlink guidelines – A lot of websites allow around 3-5 backlinks in guest post submissions. Just mention that you have the right to remove or change irrelevant links.
- Your contact information – Of course, you need to include your contact information so interested guest bloggers know what to do next. Try to replace symbols with the actual words, like “ankit(at)masterblogging(dot)com” to prevent bots from scraping your information.
Below is another example of a “Write for Us” page from Woofdog.org for good measure.
On a side note, you don’t need to be fancy with your “Write for Us” page.
If you can pack all of the information above in two or three paragraphs, that’s fine.
For instance, check out this “Submit a Guest Post” page by Geoawesomeness:
Once your “Write for Us” page is live, just go back to growing your blog’s online presence.
There are literally millions of smaller blogs out there looking for backlinks from websites like yours.
All it takes is a “Write for Us” page and guest blogging pitches should begin filling up your inbox.
3. Write reaction posts to YouTube videos
Ever seen a reaction video on YouTube?
Basically, it’s just another YouTuber watching and reacting to another channel’s video.
They’re a hit because their subscribers value their opinions and insights as an authority in their niche.
For example, public speaking expert David Phillips publishes reaction videos to popular YouTubers.
These videos often do very well.
You can do the same by publishing reaction blog posts about YouTube videos.
Can I use another channel’s video on my blog?
The short answer is yes – you can definitely use another channel’s video on your blog with no consequences.
Rest assured that YouTubers enable the “embed” share option on their videos for a reason. And that reason is to encourage other websites to spread their content, allowing them to gain more views in return.
You can verify that a YouTuber allows this if they have an embed code available on their videos.
There are several benefits of reacting to YouTube videos in your blog:
Benefit #1: You don’t have to think up the rest of your content
If you want to publish an authentic reaction blog post, you’d write most of the content while watching the material.
That means you can finish a reaction blog post in around 12 minutes – the average length of YouTube videos.
Benefit #2: Draw in viewers of the channel you’re reacting to
After publishing a reaction blog post, loyal subscribers of that YouTube channel will naturally be drawn to your content.
You just need a bulletproof blog promotion strategy to boost the online reach of your reaction post.
Benefit #3: Increase the average session duration on your blog
Embedding a YouTube video is a great way to hold the attention of your website visitors.
The only rule here is to embed high-quality videos that are relevant to your blog’s niche.
If the video you’re reacting to happens to contain ideas that may be offensive to your audience, skip it. The same can be said for low-quality videos that don’t offer original ideas.
There’s always another video out there worth reacting to.
This leads us to the next point.
Benefit #4: Endless supply of ideas
YouTube is filled with high-quality videos worth reacting to in practically every niche.
The built-in search feature will help you discover countless video content from relevant YouTube channels.
How to write a YouTube video reaction post
If you don’t know how to turn a YouTube video into a reaction post, remember the following tips:
- Start with a simple introduction – When writing a reaction blog post, try to include a two-sentence introduction to get everybody on the same page. Just introduce the YouTuber and the topic being discussed in the video.
- Note down their key talking points – A lot of informational YouTube videos follow a “listicle” format in their script. Write these down and use them as subheadings in your reaction blog post.
- Write your raw reactions – As you focus on the video’s key talk points, write down your genuine reaction to the YouTuber’s takes. Provide some counter-arguments, bring up additional points, and give your honest opinion.
- Conclude with a summary – After finishing your reaction post’s draft, read through it one more time and pluck out the key takeaways. Incorporate these into a simple conclusion using bullet points.
I know – a lot of bloggers haven’t even heard of a “reaction blog post.”
To fully understand the concept, let me demonstrate the steps with an example.
Imagine I’m trying to write an Ubersuggest tutorial.
Rather than writing everything from the ground up, I used this video from Neil Patel as a springboard:
After watching the video once, I jotted down the following key takeaways:
With those notes, I can publish a simple post like this on WordPress:
Nice and easy – and it only took less than 10 minutes!
That is free content in my book.
Just don’t forget to add something original to your reaction post.
For example, try writing a list of things that you liked from Neil Patel’s tutorial.
That is information that wasn’t included in the video – therefore, giving your post unique value.
I’m 100% confident that I can write something more comprehensive if I’m actually trying. However, doing so will only needlessly lengthen this post.
4. Feature someone else’s infographic
Don’t feel like featuring a YouTube video on your blog?
You can start small by featuring another blog’s infographic in a reaction post.
But before diving any deeper, there’s something you should know about using infographics you don’t own.
Am I allowed to feature another blogger’s infographic?
Yes – you should be perfectly fine.
You don’t even need to ask for the original creator’s permission.
If your intent is to report, criticize, comment, teach, or conduct research, you’re legally allowed to use another blogger’s infographic. That falls under “Fair Use,” which applies to all copyright-protected works.
Just make sure you’re “creating something new” by adding your original and honest take on the material.
Don’t just blatantly rip off the infographic and everything written in the original post. Instead, use the infographic as inspiration to craft something new and unique.
It’s also a good idea to properly credit the original source of the infographic – complete with a backlink.
You can see me do this on certain posts that contain infographics from other brands.
When in doubt, try to ask for permission from the original owner of the visual.
Even an “informal OK” done through a social network like Twitter counts as permission to use someone else’s content.
Looking for infographics to feature in your content
The most straightforward way to find infographics for your blog is through Google.
Simply enter keywords that describe the infographic you want to use, add “infographic” with quotations, and run the search.
The initial results should take you to articles that contain infographics you can use.
If you’re in a hurry, switch to the ‘Images’ tab to have Google fish out the infographics for you.
Image sharing networks like Pinterest are also loaded with infographics you can feature.
Keywords go in, infographics come out.
Ready to use an infographic in your next blog post?
Don’t forget the following pointers:
- Gather the key takeaways – A well-designed infographic should clearly highlight the content’s key takeaways. Use them as the headings or subheadings and you have yourself a good content outline.
- Paraphrase existing content sections – Plenty of infographics contain informative bits of text that you can use in your post. Paraphrase them so your post won’t come off as a shameless copy of the original.
- Turn raw information into actionable steps – Despite being packed with information, a lot of infographics lack concrete actionable steps that readers can follow. Adding clear and tangible instructions to your blog post is a surefire way to elevate its value.
5. Borrow ideas from content directories
Before I talk about the next strategy, I want your full attention for a second.
On the internet, there are websites called “article directories” where authors from around the world submit content for free.
Some websites, like EzineArticles, allow other users to publish or reprint submitted articles on their own channels. It can be a blog, RSS feed, business website, forum, or print publication.
If something is published on EzineArticles, you are allowed to copy and paste the exact article on your blog.
Free content right there.
What’s the catch?
There are actually a handful of lines you ought to remember on EzineArticles’s “Terms of Service” page:
Read their full terms of service here.
Apart from the fine print, it’s worth mentioning that copying and publishing content from EzineArticles can negatively affect your SEO.
That’s why I strongly advise against relying on article directories to get free content for your blog.
Article directories, however, can provide you with tons of content ideas.
I mean, go ahead and search anything on EzineArticles.
You’re guaranteed to find thousands of articles that contain original ideas from legitimate authors.
If I were you, I’d compile ideas from these articles and use that information to create something new.
You can probably get away with republishing one or two posts from EzineArticles.
Sure, it may give your readers something new to read in the meantime. But, to be honest, the quality of content from EzineArticles isn’t worth risking a Google penalty for.
6. Curate blog posts
Curating content from other blogs and sharing them with your social media followers will help you keep them engaged.
You can also curate content and publish it as a list post on your blog.
It’s just like rounding up other blogs. But instead of compiling the blogs themselves, you’re only listing down specific posts.
Take a look at this example from Intelagree:
Why is this free content?
Because you can easily write something similar in less than 10 minutes.
Looking at the example above, two sentences are more than enough to describe what each post is about.
Besides, the post titles themselves should already give readers an idea of what to expect.
Looking for blog posts to curate
I know what you’re thinking.
You’re wondering if you can simply run a Google search and compile the first-page results.
It can technically work. But what’s the point of publishing a post if users can simply glance at the search results themselves?
To make your post valuable to readers, you need to dig a lot deeper.
Show them posts that they won’t easily find using a content research tool like BuzzSumo.
To look for content to curate, enter a relevant keyword or phrase, and click the search button.
Let’s try something basic, like “DIY home improvement.”
BuzzSumo will then present you with a list of the latest, popular posts that are relevant to your query. In addition, it will also pull in metrics that gauge the engagement generated by each post.
Curating your own blog posts
You can also get free content by curating your own blog posts.
This is useful for several reasons:
- Bring traffic to old posts – Curating old blog posts is a great way to bring them extra traffic. Not only that, you’re also encouraging readers to discover more of your blog and increase their time on site.
- Bolster your website’s internal link structure – Internal links help search engine crawlers index more pages from your website, helping them get higher rankings. Curating your own blog posts allows you to build internal links naturally.
- Improve user experience – Giving readers a central hub for relevant information will definitely boost user experience. With a curated list of related blog posts, they’re able to learn everything they need in one place.
Since you’re curating your own blog posts, writing descriptions for them should be a piece of cake.
I’m confident you can get it done in just a few minutes.
For an idea of how it is done, look at the example below from Harvard Business Review:
7. Use HARO
HARO, short for Help a Reporter Out, is a website that connects journalists with information “sources.”
Let’s go over how it works real quick.
On the site, you can sign up as either a journalist or a source.
Every morning, afternoon, and evening, HARO sends out queries to their sources.
A query is a request from journalists – asking sources to supply their opinions and expert insights on specific subjects.
Queries will then be compiled and forwarded to sources, who can then choose to respond.
In a previous post, I mentioned how signing up as a source on HARO will help you earn quality backlinks.
This time around, you’ll have to sign up as a journalist.
That way, you can request for contributions from sources, which you can use as building blocks for your blog post.
Did I mention that HARO has a network of expert sources who can provide you with up-to-date, fact-based insights?
You don’t even have to pay them.
They’ll be happy to provide you with top-notch writeups as long as you credit them in your post.
And that, my friend, is how you get free blog content through HARO.
Being a journalist on HARO
HARO specified a few qualifications for journalists.
First of all, your website must be a month old before you send your first HARO query.
Your website must also have an Alexa ranking of one million or less.
To check your Alexa ranking, head over to their website and scroll down to the “Browse Top Sites” tool.
Next, plug in your website’s URL and click ‘Find.’
You will be taken to an overview page that displays your Alexa rank.
If it’s less than one million, congratulations – you’re qualified to be a journalist on HARO!
There are also several rules you need to remember before submitting queries as a journalist.
You can find all of the details you need here.
8. Outsource content
Okay – outsourced content isn’t technically free.
But if you can find an excellent writer who charges a fraction of the price of western-based writers, you’re golden.
That, to me, is too sweet a deal to pass up.
I created this in-depth guide on hiring talented freelance content writers.
You may want to give that post a quick read.
9. Repurpose content
Got some old content gathering virtual dust in your blog?
Now might be a good time to learn about content repurposing.
In a nutshell, content repurposing involves updating old posts – sometimes converting them to a different content type.
You can take information from old posts and turn them into infographics, slideshows, emails, and so on.
Of course, you can also breathe new life into old posts by editing them.
I’ve done this a couple of times. After all, I’ve had a lot of leftover posts back when my site was called “BloggerTipsTricks.com.”
Finding content to repurpose
You can easily find your oldest blog content by jumping to the last page of your blog roll.
In my case, I can find old content by jumping ahead to page 22.
Also, remember that posts don’t have to be old for them to require an update.
If a blog post isn’t doing well, consider giving them another chance with a revamp.
With a tool like Google Analytics, you can gauge the individual performance of every page on your website.
Start by expanding the ‘Behavior’ tab, selecting ‘Site Content,’ and clicking ‘All Pages.’
On the “Pages” report, select ‘Page Title’ as your “Primary Dimension.”
This will display all your website’s posts using their page titles.
Finally, click on the ‘Pageviews’ column header to start the list with your least popular pages.
I don’t know about you, but I have plenty of content with almost non-existent pageviews.
Too much than I’d like to admit, If I’m being honest.
These are posts that I could revisit and repurpose – given, of course, I still find the topic interesting.
10. Upload interview posts
Publishing interview posts involve some preparation.
But if you do it a certain way, you don’t need to spend a single cent to create them.
That’s why I classify interview posts as free content.
You won’t have to think about what you’ll write, either. You only need to transcribe key parts of your conversation – perhaps with additional notes here and there.
That’s how most blogs do it, like Pronto Marketing right here:
But before you get ahead of yourself, you need to go through the tedious parts of creating interview posts first.
Step #1: Looking for a question
To create an awesome interview post, you need to come up with an awesome question.
Hint: getting question ideas from AnswerThePublic is a good start. But I suggest coming up with something more specific to make things significantly more interesting.
To create a great interview post, you can look for specific questions on platforms like Quora and LinkedIn.
For example, suppose you want something along the lines of “how email marketing makes money.”
Plug that into Quora and you’ll find better questions within seconds.
Look for something more specific, like “How can I make money from my email list through affiliate marketing.”
It’s not rocket science.
Better questions get better answers.
That, in turn, will maximize the value of your interview post in the eyes of readers.
Step #2: Turn that question into even more questions
When preparing interview questions, you should try to keep things as barebones as possible.
Overpreparing interview questions will result in a rigid flow.
Remember, interviewees may respond in a way that opens up interesting conversation topics.
In those moments, you should be ready to come up with new questions on the fly.
As a rule of thumb, come up with a total of 10 basic, open-ended questions. These are queries that don’t have a “yes” or “no” answer.
It’s also important to arrange these questions sequentially so the interview doesn’t abruptly jump between points.
For the question “how to make money from an email list through affiliate marketing,” here are potential questions:
Bonus tip: you can ask your followers for question ideas, which you’ll ask somewhere in the middle of the interview.
Tell the interviewee that it’s a question from one of your followers to make things a tad more interesting.
Step #3: Decide how you’ll record the interview
What’s that, you were planning to hold the interview purely through email?
That’s not the worst way to conduct an interview, but it’s not the best, either.
Interviews are supposed to be inquisitive, intelligent conversations.
You can’t have that if you only email a list of questions and just wait for a response.
The perfect scenario would be an in-person interview. This allows you to take photos and videos that can be included in the final interview post.
But since traveling somewhere takes money, that beats the purpose of trying to get free content.
Instead, I recommend interviewing someone over video chat and recording your conversation.
There are several apps you can use for this, like AZ Screen Recorder.
If you prefer to hold the interview on your computer, Skype has a built-in call recording feature you can use.
You can access it from the ‘More’ sub-menu during the call.
Step #4: Find the ideal interviewee
Now that you’re done with the necessary preparations, the next step is to find an expert to interview.
Google would be a good place to start.
Just enter a relevant keyword followed by “blogger” and you’ll have references for days.
Remember, you only need one interviewee in an interview post.
Interviewing more than one expert can be too time-consuming. Not to mention that the article will become an expert roundup instead of an interview post.
You can also look for experts in your niche on social media using the same steps.
Twitter, for example, will quickly show you popular people who are tied to your search query.
Preferably, you should look for experts who’ve been interviewed before, even with small blogs.
But if you have your eyes on a well-known expert, there’s no harm in reaching out.
After all, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Step #5: Blast those outreach emails off
There’s no grand, master plan in sending outreach emails to experts for a potential interview.
You just need to be quick, clear, and honest when composing your message.
Let me give you a few pointers:
- Don’t use a template – Industry experts get a ton of outreach emails from other marketers – day in and day out. If you want to be noticed, write the email yourself and don’t just replace the “[Name]” placeholder in a template.
- Include an introduction – Writing an introduction in your outreach email will help you hook your prospect’s attention. Just write a single line stating who you are and what your website is called.
- Pull up your stats – Whether you like it or not, experts care about what’s in it for them in an interview. If you get thousands of monthly traffic, mention it to pique their interest.
- Discuss the topic of the interview – Give them a hint of what the interview will be about, but don’t ask everything in the email. Giving away the details may cause the expert to prepare answers in advance, making them sound less authentic.
- Mention that you’re open to getting in touch – Finally, ask if they’re interested in learning more about the project and schedule a short discussion via direct messaging. As for the time, you can make a suggestion, but let the interviewee pick a time that suits their schedule.
Want to see how all that comes together?
Here’s an example to help you get started:
Bear in mind that the example above isn’t intended as a template.
An outreach email must be handwritten from top to bottom if you’re sending out interview requests.
Remember, participating in an interview is far different from answering questions for a roundup. Respect your prospects and send each of them the personalized email they deserve.
Step #6: Make it a great interview
Alright, the interview is set and you’re ready to take your blog’s brand to a whole new level.
The problem is, you’ve never conducted an interview before.
Worry not – I have here a list of pointers to make your interview great:
- Record a short introduction – Before starting the interview, record a short clip that introduces the interviewee to your audience.
- Write down new questions to ask – While the interviewee is talking, listen for things that may need further clarification. Write it down on a notepad or anything similar and ask follow-up questions.
- Stay calm – Mind the pace of the interview and don’t be shy to talk about unrelated stuff. Prioritize making the interviewee and yourself more comfortable about the interaction.
- Don’t make silences awkward – If the interviewee gets silent for a few seconds, let them think. Don’t repeat the question unless requested by the interviewee.
- Record a short ending – Lastly, record a “sign off” clip that will be played at the end of the interview. Say your thanks and end it with a call-to-action, like “comment below who I should interview next.”
11. Compile quotes
Seen quotes on social media lately?
That shouldn’t come as a surprise.
People love sharing tidbits of wisdom through quotes. And websites like Forbes and Lifehack.org capitalize on them to get free content.
Of course, there’s still some work involved when creating quote compilations.
For one, you still need to write an introduction and conclusion. You may also want to categorize the quotes, especially if you plan to make a huge list.
Still, the bulk of your post’s content consists of ready-made text.
Just take a look at how this post by Pagefreezer is structured:
Do quotes count as duplicate content?
Quotes aren’t considered duplicate content if you properly cite the source and use the right formatting.
You can effortlessly do both with WordPress’s “Quote” block for the Gutenberg editor.
If you’re not using WordPress, you may need to resort to simple code modifications.
Don’t worry – it’s really easy:
<blockquote> Insert your quote here <cite> Cite the author of the quote </cite></blockquote>
Looking for quotes to compile
Thankfully, there are websites like BrainyQuote that make searching for quotes a walk in the park.
It has an integrated search engine you can use to quickly find quotes related to a specific topic.
After running a search, BrainyQuote will present you with quote cards that you can instantly share or copy.
What’s impressive about BrainyQuote is its range of quote topics. You’ll find quotes about marketing, fishing, motivation, lifestyle, health, design – you name it.
Making quotes tweetable
Want to make your quote compilation extra spicy?
Here’s a suggestion: use tweetable quotes.
In doing so, you can leverage the power of social sharing to get more value out of your post.
WordPress plugins like Social Snap can make this happen for you through the “Click to Tweet” Gutenberg block.
Just remember that you won’t be able to add citations with tweetable quotes. That’s why you should only use Social Snap’s Click to Tweet block for quotes from you or an anonymous source.
12. Write your own content
Getting free content through the strategies above are cool and all.
But would you like to know my favorite way to get free content?
You guessed it – I write the content myself.
Writing blog posts isn’t enjoyable for everybody. And I don’t think I can teach you how to make it fun for yourself.
But if you’re serious about blogging, writing content is just something you need to do.
To help you with that, my blog is filled with content that will help up your content writing game:
- Step-by-Step Guide to Write High-Quality Content for Your Blog
- 12 Powerful Tips on How to Write Persuasive Blog Posts
- 10 Best Grammar Checkers for Ultra-Careful Writers
- Top 47 Blogging Tools to Make You a Smart Blogger
Conclusion
With the strategies above, you should have no problem generating free blog content for weeks to come.
Most of these tactics allow you to finish an average-length article in just a few hours.
You can try testing one strategy per day until you find something that works great for your blog. Let me know in the comments below about your results!
Of course, you can also leave a comment if you have any questions, suggestions, or opinions. Good luck!
You Might Also Like:
- 25 Strategies to Generate Blog Post Ideas Today
- How to Create the Perfect Blog Post Structure (with FREE Templates)
- How to Create a Blog Editorial Calendar (with Template)
For More Go to : Master Blogging
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