It’s the season of ghosts and general soulfulness. The time of year for us all to check for monsters under the bed and wonder what’s out there in the woodshed. But whilst we’re wondering whether or not to go and check what that noise is down in the dark cellar (it’s just a mouse – don’t go down there) is there anything bloggers can learn from the season of the witch?
I’m going to look at some horror films to see what inspiration we can take from their perennial popularity.
Psycho
Hitchcock’s black and white masterpiece is still one of the creepiest things you can settle down to watch now the nights are drawing in. It’s a master class in suspense which pushed forward the boundaries of horror films forever.
Blog inspiration: sometimes you have to break the rules, as Hitchcock did by ***spoiler alert*** killing off Janet Leigh so early in the film. Remember guidelines are just that, they don’t have to be followed. Have your last few posts followed the same format? One too many titles that begin with ‘The 6 best ways to…?’ Shake things up. Get a guest blogger to vary up the tone. Give your readers a quiz or competition this week.
From Nightmare on Elm Street to Saw
The famous Nightmare on Elm Street saga went on for at least five films with Freddie Kruger terrorising the dreams of children. Hugely successful, the franchise spawned TV shows, merchandise, theme park rides and set up the horror sequel model that has been followed by many, recent successes including the Saw series which reached volume seven.
Blog inspiration: a series of sequels is a great way to get readers returning to your blog. Planning content that is thematically linked means that you can return to the same topic but move your subject along, sharing your expertise in detail. Keeping the titles the same but adding ‘part one’ or ‘part two’ works really well for keyword searches too.
The Blair Witch Project
This 1999 horror made millions worldwide, with trailers claiming it was real ‘found footage’ of some young film makers out in the woods on a spooky hike. The whole thing is shot in a handheld wobbly camera style, which only adds to the terror.
Blog inspiration: first person perspective is always a winner. Using a case study or telling the story of an experience firsthand is a great way to really get your point across. Readers will understand the close up view of what you are trying to explain if you take the insider view and give them a personalised narrative to follow.
The Ring
The film so good they made it twice, once in Japan, then again in America. In this terrifying story, once the characters have seen a certain video, they are doomed. Can anyone escape the curse?
Blog inspiration: video is a brilliant tool for all bloggers out there. You can use it just as effectively as in this film by incorporating it into your blog through Youtube. The uses of video are many; to display a product working, show a how to guide or illustrate your point with a clip of a show.
So remember this Hallowe’en it’s not just about the scariest costume or the best pumpkin carving you can do. Follow these tips for better blogging, but do try not to scare any of your readers to death.
