Creating a blog can be a great way to help a business be found on the web. But sometimes it’s hard to come up with ideas to blog about – here are a few suggestions to get you started:
Turn Emails and Newsletters into Blog Posts. Many businesses send out a newsletter either though direct mail or email. This approach requires that you know the email address or mailing address of a contact. By putting newsletter content on the web as a blog posts, and optimizing them, you provide an opportunity for new customers to find your business.
Interview Customers, Peers, or Business Owners. Another great way to create content for your blog is to interview people about your business or topics that relate to your business. Simply develop a few questions and interview people in person, over the phone, or online (with their permission of course).
Find a Guest Blogger. Engage with someone who already blogs to see if they would be interested in guest blogging. This is a great way for you to expand the exposure for your blog by leveraging their following. Be willing to reciprocate.
Share Lessons Learned. Everyone appreciates insights, both positive and negative, about things we’ve learned and experienced in our jobs. It could be useful tips you share, or pitfalls to avoid. But share!
Ask for Ideas. Customers are a great source of ideas for blog topics. So is your staff – whether they are in sales, service, or office staff. Business partners and suppliers can be very helpful too.
Brainstorm on Blog Topics and Develop a Running List. Set aside a time each week to come up with blog topics. Try to write two to three blogs posts at a time (you can schedule when they will be published).
Read Other Blogs. What topics are people that influence you blogging about? Can you add your take on these topics? Can you pull the most interesting posts you’ve found as a resource to help people interested the topic? Content curation is a great way to develop blog content.