Maybe you’ve come to the realization that business blogging really could help you. Heck, you’re even excited about it and you’ve got a whole month’s worth of blogs under your belt. All of a sudden you realize that you’ve got next month’s deadline staring you in the face and your mind is a blank. You know you’ve got things to say—but how can you find interesting ways to say them? Here are five tips that can help you find content and ways to get your message across to your adoring public.
1. Pick Pain Points. Think about the things that cause your readers problems. People love to hear helpful solutions to nagging issues. Whenever possible, offer them helpful solutions. But sometimes people just like to know that someone understands what they’re up against.
2. Give Expert Advice. Scour the trade publications in your industry and give expert opinions on things that affect them—in layman’s language. Give them an “insider’s” look at the issues.
3. Use the News. Talk about national or local trends. Tie your clients’ businesses into what’s going on in the world around them. How does the news reflected in local or national headlines affect their business? Or, conversely, how could their business have an impact on things going on around them?
4. Tell Them More. If you had a popular post—something that struck a nerve—take a more in-depth look at the topic. Talk about new developments, or just get into more specific details.
5. Give Them Something to Look Forward To. Not every post has to be dead serious. Maybe you could throw in something fun and special at the end of each week or at the end of each month (depending on your schedule). Maybe it’s something as simple as This Month’s Stupidest Headlines. Sometimes people just need a break. And by giving them something fun, you’ll probably keep them coming back.
Where do you go for fresh content ideas?