Blogging can seem like a daunting task for many business owners — who has the time? When we work with a client, we frequently recommend adding a blog to their website if they don’t already have one to establish thought leadership within their industry, which immediately elicits questions about what to write about (once they find the time, that is).
A great blog is topical and conversational, and it also makes your brand knowable, shareable, and relatable. The key to effective blogging is not to overthink it and keep your customers’ and clients’ interests in mind. So, if you’re struggling to create content for your blog, here’s a list of suggestions to help you get started.
See What Others Are Writing About
Part of being a good blogger is reading other blogs, so take time to browse industry blogs and look for topics you’d like to write about. You don’t want to re-state what’s already being said, but put your spin on a topic that people are already talking about and tailor it to your brand’s voice and audience.
Talk to Co-Workers
Talking to people in other departments can give you a fresh perspective on your company. Your customer service and sales departments are talking to customers, clients, and prospects every day. Find out what questions come up frequently.
Read Your Email
Emails from customers and clients can serve as a huge inspiration — what kinds of questions are they asking? What are their pain points? Let the people you serve be a guiding resource for topics to write about.
Write a How-To Article
Give instructions with photos or videos or a bulleted list of directions for a topic many people may unfamiliar with. This creates a valuable resource for your customers but also establishes you as an expert in your field.
Share your Expertise
Create an e-book or a white paper and post it on your website. Share an excerpt with a call to action to download it for the rest of the information. This is a great lead generation tool.
Presentations are part of daily work schedules and could also serve as valuable tools for your audience. Upload your presentation to your website for another way to establish yourself as an industry leader.
Work That Webinar
Are you hosting a webinar soon? Webinars are a great way to share your expertise with your community. Share an excerpt with a call to action to get the rest of the content in the webinar. Here are a few ideas and how to engage your audience for your next webinar.
All the News That Matters
Do a weekly or daily roundup of links to relevant news for your industry to keep your customers up-to-date.
Put That Conference to Work
Did you attend a conference or other industry-related event recently? What did you learn from it? Gather up your notes and write a blog article to share with your customers or partners who may have missed it.
Incorporate Other Platforms
Utilize Slideshare to create a presentation of new statistics related to your industry and share that in a blog post.
What’s New?
Put a fresh spin on research in your industry by offering your perspective. Your new perspective could help spark a conversation among your readers and with your partners.
So What?
Put topics into perspective for your audience by explaining what a current event or topic in the news means for your industry or community. For example: “What ____ Means for ____.” “Why _____ Matters for _____.”
Guest Bloggers
Guest posts from industry experts can bring a ton of new traffic to your blog, especially if they are a popular or credible source.
Be a Journalist
Are you in the know about breaking news in your field? If so, be the first to offer takeaways.
Speaking of Breaking News
Your blog is a great place to share company news. Be sure to talk about it in a way that makes it about the reader. For example, if you have a new service or product, talk about how it will benefit your reader. Always offer value.