If you think the way to the top of your niche is to follow the standard advice and write listicles followed by problem / solution advice followed by standard lists and the 50 other types of blog posts recommended by the gurus of the marketing world, then I’ve got some shocking news for you. If you follow the crowd, you’ll end up at the back of the pack sniffing some third-rate blogger’s doggy tail. My job is to prevent that from happening. That’s why I recommend writing blog posts that set you apart from your competition rather than follow in their coattails.

There’s really only one type of blog post: The one customized to the needs of your audience. Fortunately, that blog post can take on different variations in format.

Here are eight types of blog posts that are easy to customize for any audience:

1. 1. Tutorials – Tutorials might also be referred to as how-tos. The reason they make powerful blog posts is because you are showing your audience step-by-step how to do something. Information is valuable, and if you can demonstrate your knowledge of your subject matter by showing your audience how to do something worthwhile, it will increase their perception of you as an authority.

1. 1. News & Newsjacking Posts – If you fancy yourself as someone who has his or her finger on the pulse of your niche, there’s no better way to prove that than by publishing the latest news on a topic. Beyond just publishing the news, however, there’s a type of blog post than can show you to be an authority in ways that simply reporting the news can’t. It’s called newsjacking. This is where you take some breaking news and piggyback on it in order to position your brand as an expert at something, and the best part is the news you hijack doesn’t have to be related to your niche.During Super Bowl 2013, the power went out for a little more than half an hour. Oreo, never one to let a little darkness spoil the snack, sent a tweet that said “You can still dunk in the dark.” It’s still considered the best newsjacking event in history.Check out these other great examples of newsjacking.
   2. Comprehensive Resource Guides – A comprehensive resource guide is nothing less than a virtual bible of information on one topic. What makes it such a great piece of authoritative content is that it is completely comprehensive. If you have no intention of making your resource guide the most comprehensive guide in your niche, don’t bother. The only way to be the best is to train to be the best, then to execute like the best. Otherwise, you’ll just end up with a set of steak knives.

1. Case studies – Case studies are great examples of authority content because they illustrate your success in a way that simply stating it can’t. They involve your customers. Case studies are better than testimonials because they tell the stories of your most successful customers in their own words, whereas testimonials are simply your customers telling how great you are. Stories trump facts any day.
2. Expert Interviews – The best way to show that you are an expert at something is to show that you run with the experts. Take a well-known personality in your niche and interview them for a blog post. You’ll get lots of traffic and be recognized as an expert yourself in no time.
3. Podcast transcripts – Podcasting is taking off like a bottle rocket on the Fourth of July. Rather than simply uploading your podcast to your blog, however, or linking to it, provide a transcript of the podcast as well as the recording. The transcript will provide a textual record of your podcast and feed the search engines. It also appeals to people who like to read. After reading the transcript, many readers will go on to listen to your podcast while others prefer to read as they listen.
4. Video slideshows – Slideshows are great presentations, especially for B2B audiences. Video slideshows are even better because your audience doesn’t have to do anything. They can watch the video and enjoy the presentation at the same time.
5. Authority Round Ups – Authority round ups are short snippets of advice from a variety of experts in your niche. It can be 10 or 100. Either way, your blog audience can see what all the experts in your niche think about a given topic all in one place. This type of blog post screams authority.

Each of these types of blog posts have one thing common: They are powerful pieces of content that are not as common as other types of content. The reason they aren’t as common is because they require more work. Anything that requires more work will quickly fall to the bottom of most people’s priority list. If you want to be seen as an authority in your niche, go the extra mile and tackle these blog post types.

Are you ready to boost your authority? Looking for ways to expand your reach and deliver the best content for your niche audience? Download my free report, “14 Types of Authority Content“. Learn the 14 types of content that will keep your audience coming back for more and instantly make you an authority they can rely on.

* Trust me, I’m no fan of spam either. You can trust me with your contact information. I’ll use it only to deliver your special report, and occasionally may send out special offers or communicate with you on building authority with content. You can opt out any time.