Write Something that
Changes People's Lives
Most bloggers write about what's going on in
their own lives, without much focus on whether it's helpful to readers.
Instead, think of what you could write that would make readers' lives better.
Can you give them hope? Teach them how to make
more money? Help them have happier marriages? Think of what important life
change you could create for readers.
"If you do this right, it will change your
career forever," Jon says. "People will remember, and talk about the
post, and follow you forever. So write something worth remembering."
Connect to Broad Topics
Most blogs have a niche topic they discuss. But
for your super-viral post, think of where the intersection is between that
topic and a broader topic -- something nearly everyone can relate to. In the
case of Jon's post above, his topic is illness, life and death...and how his
own illness and survival have shaped him as a blogger.
While not everyone blogs, everyone has a finite
life span and is interested in the issue of mortality. And everyone has a mother!
So this post immediately had a broader potential audience than a typical post
about blogging.
Evoke Explosive Emotion
Maybe your post really pisses people off. In the
case of Jon's post above, it made hundreds of people cry like babies (me
included).
"I intended for that to happen," Jon
explained. "You need to plan how people are going to feel about your
post."
Why do you want to trigger these violent,
uncontrolled emotions? Because tapping those emotions creates a strong
connection between you and the writer --and because people tend to share more
when they're emotionally moved.
How do you know you're getting it right? You'll
get the occasional email or comment from a reader who's so mad at what you
wrote that they are quitting your blog. "I'm happy when I read that,"
Jon says. If you're not provoking anyone, your writing is probably too bland to
attract a big audience.
Surprise or Shock People
There are a million blogs out there. To grab
people's attention, you have to tell them something they haven't read other
places before -- something that wakes them up. In Jon's post above, it happens
when a doctor tells his mother he will die in babyhood...but she refuses to
believe it.
Build suspense and then
reveal your surprise. You'll have readers on the edge of their seats.
"Say things people
do not expect," he says. "If it's expected, it's boring."
Put Your Best Posts on Bigger Blogs
Many bloggers tend to
save their favorite ideas and posts for their own blog. But that won't get you
wild virality. Instead, write your hottest, most provocative ideas as guest
posts for the biggest blogs you can, Jon says.
On a popular blog --
for Jon's niche places such as Copyblogger and Problogger -- you will get
orders of magnitude more traffic than you would on your own, smaller blog.
From there, you'll have
a better chance of catching what Morrow refers to as "the jetstream of
traffic" -- a huge crowd that troops over from Twitter, StumbleUpon, or
other social media platforms to view your post, and from there goes back to
your own blog to check you out. Those new readers then grow your own blog's
audience (and can be a great way to get you the exposure that leads to more
freelance writing gigs, too.)
To get the most mileage
from your big guest post, build relationships with prominent bloggers in your
niche beforehand. Comment on their posts, offer to guest post for them, connect
on social media, and respond to what they say.
If you know 20 big guns
in social media, you can send them each your provocative guest post. Then you
can sit back and watch it draw a huge crowd, thanks to the influence and larger
audience of your big-blogger friends.
If you think you can't
break in and guest post for big blogs, try them, Jon says. You may be surprised
at how receptive they are. Guest posting is a great way to build relationships
with top bloggers.
"They're always
looking for awesome content," Jon says.