How to Get More Topics for Business Blogs Now
When writing business blogs, it's easy to become frustrated. Depending on the industry, it's common for blog authors to think they're running out of good ideas to write about. Unfortunately, if you aren't keeping your blog interesting enough you'll lose readers and you won't attract new ones. Luckily, the Internet is chalk full of fresh ideas for business blogs, you just need to know where to look. Here are 10 steps for finding new and interesting content for your business blogs according to Kipp Bodnar's blog post "10 Simple Strategies for Business Blog Content."
Compile industry information. There's plenty of great information online. Make your blog all about collecting popular industry stats, photos, videos and articles. Put the information into your own words that will be easy for your followers to read quickly. Your readers will love being able to find all the up-to-date important industry information in one place. Since many people will be relying on your for breaking industry news, your readership will skyrocket and you'll gain more credibility online (a tough thing to accomplish). Make sure to always give credit to the source of the information when you're aggregating content.
Find Guest Authors. Seek out other experts and industry leaders and ask them to contribute an article for your blog. Many people will take you up on your offer (without expecting payment) in order to gain more exposure and links back to their own Websites or blogs. Getting a fresh perspective in your blog will give keep your readers on their toes and interested.
Answer Questions. Check your email and with your sales and support teams to figure out what customers really want to know about your product or service. After you generate a list of questions, write a blog post for each that answers them in simple language (without any industry jargon) that your customers can understand.
Write an opinion article. Every industry has controversial topics. Pick a couple of these topics and write an opinion article about the issue. Opinion blog posts usually attract more visitors and comments than neutral posts because people will have a positive or negative reaction to what you wrote and want to respond. A few opinion posts here and there will breathe some fresh air into your content and also allow your readers to connect with you more on a personal level, which will inspire more trust and loyalty.
Don't just rely on text. Publish videos and utilize photos, charts and graphs within your blog. If there is an industry event taking place, go and take photos. The next day, publish them with captions as your only blog post. It's okay to take a break from text once in a while. Think about what other information would be interesting and useful to your readers that doesn't involve text and try it today.
Make a list. Lists are quick and easy to read, which is why people love them. Summarize industry information in your own words using numbers or bullet points. Lists can be a how-to, best-of, truths and myths, do's and dont's, etc. They also are good for coming up with a new angle on a well-known topic.
Check out Website analytics. Analytics will show you who is reading your blog. You can see where they live, what kind of computer they're using, how they're finding you and other useful information that can help you cater to them more directly. It will also show you where you need to promote your blog more because you'll know how people are finding and reading it.
Review Industry Books. After reading some industry books (preferably new), make a video review or write a review for your readers. Make sure to point out both the good and bad aspect of the book and point out parts that you think your readers will especially love.
Use charts and graphs. Use interesting data about the industry to compile a chart that your readers might find interesting and/or valuable.
Be a reporter. Always stay up on the most recent and breaking news in your industry and try to post it as soon as possible. That way, your blog readers will begin to see you as a trusted expert in the field and rely on you for the industry news. Your blog will begin to show up on the search engine results pages more too because search engines value sites that are the first to discuss a subject above the rest.
Using these 10 tips to help generate content for your business blog will surely help increase your readership and build your credibility and reputation as a valued industry expert. Sign up for Google alerts with a keyword that pertains to your industry so each time a breaking news story is uploaded, you'll receive an email. Now that you know how to use the seemingly endless amount of information on the Web to your advantage, you'll never get the feeling of writer's block again.
Compile industry information. There's plenty of great information online. Make your blog all about collecting popular industry stats, photos, videos and articles. Put the information into your own words that will be easy for your followers to read quickly. Your readers will love being able to find all the up-to-date important industry information in one place. Since many people will be relying on your for breaking industry news, your readership will skyrocket and you'll gain more credibility online (a tough thing to accomplish). Make sure to always give credit to the source of the information when you're aggregating content.
Find Guest Authors. Seek out other experts and industry leaders and ask them to contribute an article for your blog. Many people will take you up on your offer (without expecting payment) in order to gain more exposure and links back to their own Websites or blogs. Getting a fresh perspective in your blog will give keep your readers on their toes and interested.
Answer Questions. Check your email and with your sales and support teams to figure out what customers really want to know about your product or service. After you generate a list of questions, write a blog post for each that answers them in simple language (without any industry jargon) that your customers can understand.
Write an opinion article. Every industry has controversial topics. Pick a couple of these topics and write an opinion article about the issue. Opinion blog posts usually attract more visitors and comments than neutral posts because people will have a positive or negative reaction to what you wrote and want to respond. A few opinion posts here and there will breathe some fresh air into your content and also allow your readers to connect with you more on a personal level, which will inspire more trust and loyalty.
Don't just rely on text. Publish videos and utilize photos, charts and graphs within your blog. If there is an industry event taking place, go and take photos. The next day, publish them with captions as your only blog post. It's okay to take a break from text once in a while. Think about what other information would be interesting and useful to your readers that doesn't involve text and try it today.
Make a list. Lists are quick and easy to read, which is why people love them. Summarize industry information in your own words using numbers or bullet points. Lists can be a how-to, best-of, truths and myths, do's and dont's, etc. They also are good for coming up with a new angle on a well-known topic.
Check out Website analytics. Analytics will show you who is reading your blog. You can see where they live, what kind of computer they're using, how they're finding you and other useful information that can help you cater to them more directly. It will also show you where you need to promote your blog more because you'll know how people are finding and reading it.
Review Industry Books. After reading some industry books (preferably new), make a video review or write a review for your readers. Make sure to point out both the good and bad aspect of the book and point out parts that you think your readers will especially love.
Use charts and graphs. Use interesting data about the industry to compile a chart that your readers might find interesting and/or valuable.
Be a reporter. Always stay up on the most recent and breaking news in your industry and try to post it as soon as possible. That way, your blog readers will begin to see you as a trusted expert in the field and rely on you for the industry news. Your blog will begin to show up on the search engine results pages more too because search engines value sites that are the first to discuss a subject above the rest.
Using these 10 tips to help generate content for your business blog will surely help increase your readership and build your credibility and reputation as a valued industry expert. Sign up for Google alerts with a keyword that pertains to your industry so each time a breaking news story is uploaded, you'll receive an email. Now that you know how to use the seemingly endless amount of information on the Web to your advantage, you'll never get the feeling of writer's block again.
