[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default”][vc_column_text]Despite being the number one way to attract new and returning visitors to your website, I still see many businesses fail at blogging. Google even says it’s one the best ways to improve search rankings. Google!
I’ll admit, it’s actually kind of hard to blog. It takes time, and time is generally in short supply when you run a business. Most of our clients don’t have the staff or resources to dedicate to blogging. I totally get it.
Knowing how important blogs are, you need to figure out how to get them done. There’s no magic bullet to creating blog posts – you still need to write the darn thing! However, having a reservoir of strong ideas makes it that much easier. Here are some great ways to come up with new blog ideas for your business.
Review old emails for clues
You may have some great content just waiting in your inbox. If you have responded to a customer with comments, advice or support of any kind, you may be able to use some of that content on your blog. Look through old emails for problems you helped solve. Chances are you spent a paragraph or two explaining something or providing advice to someone. Is it a topic that comes up often? Even better! Old emails are a great way to discover potential blog content. Dig through recent emails and see if there are any conversations that could become blogs.
Phone calls with clients can inspire content
I schedule a lot of coaching and project review calls where we cover various marketing and business topics. These calls are generally chock full of ideas for a blog post and are often not unique to that client. If you find you are discussing the same topics with your clients, you have the framework for a perfect blog post. The next time you hang up after a conversation, take a few minutes to jot down an outline of the call. Before you know it, you have the beginnings of an informative blog article. Post it and share it.
Explain the benefits of your services
Without sounding too salesy you can always elaborate on how your services help your clients. I write regularly on ways email can improve business and why you need a mobile-friendly website. Two services I offer my clients by the way.
Share awards, accolades or achievements
It doesn’t hurt to brag about your business a little. Perhaps your sales team just received special training or your management team attended a powerful seminar. Explain why these are important and how they benefit your clients.
Steal headlines and share your viewpoint
You probably follow a lot of news sources in your industry. If there is an article that you agree with or even object to, tell your audiences why. Chances are they have seen the same article and when you provide your own personal commentary on what’s happening in the industry, you present yourself as an expert (because you are!). Share your opinion in the form of blog posts and share those ideas with your network on social media and email marketing.
As I mentioned in the beginning, blogging is hard work. Blogs don’t write themselves, and if they did, they probably wouldn’t have any personality. Which leads me to my final point… have a personality. It may take a few posts before you begin to find your voice, but be conscious of its development.
I’m happy to help you generate a few new ideas for your next post. Be sure to leave a comment or contact me to start a conversation. Thanks for reading![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]