Inbound marketing can be built on a great business blog. And the more often you post, the better. But this requires a regular supply of blog post ideas.
Need Business Blogging Ideas?
If you are engaged in creating and publishing your own blog for your company, coming up with new blog posts can be a challenge. In fact, it can be frustrating at best, and - at worst - drive you to despair. If you are like most business owners, you're probably busy doing everything else your job requires of you.
And now you have this blog task to keep up with on top of all that.
The sobering reality of business blogging is, that unless you've been given a pre-made list of blog topics for every week for the rest of the year, you'll have to come up with your own blog post ideas.
Seven Tactics To Generate Ideas
Cheer up! There is hope and there is a way. In fact, there are several ways. Generating fresh ideas and topics can be approached as a science and a craft. Remember: every idea does not have to come out of your own head.
Here are seven sure-fire methods for coming up with dozens of topics for your ongoing blogging needs:
1. Create a list of customer questions
If you've been in business long enough you've already answered the same questions from customers and clients time and again. In fact, your website might have a list of FAQs posted somewhere just to address those common questions.
What if you were to create a list of the 20, 50 or even 100 most often asked customer questions? And what if you were to create a blog topic from each one of those questions? If you had at least 52 questions you could easily create a blog post idea for every week for a year!
2. Offer your own take on industry topics
You have opinions. In fact, you probably have quite a few thoughts on topics within your industry. Try taking a different approach when you read through industry publications and journals and start taking notes. Write down subjects for discussion and topics that are "top of mind" in your field.
Now draft your own take on these subjects and create a series of blog posts around them. They don't have to be controversial or novel - just informative and relevant. Remember: you are an authority in your business and in your field, so share what you know.
3. Explain your position that others don't agree with
Okay, so maybe you do have a controversial opinion on something. Perhaps you have thoughts about a subject that few others in your field agree with. A blog post is an excellent medium and forum for putting it out there. And if you really think about it, you probably can come with a number of topics that you have some strong feelings or opinions about.
At worst, you may find that most people tend to agree with you or have little to say. At best, you may stir up some controversy among your readers and generate some interesting comments and feedback. Good for you! Reader interaction is gold for bloggers and the more the better.
4. Interview a customer or client
People like to read about people.(And people really like to read about themselves!) So having an occasional interview post can change things up a bit, provide some valuable insights and perspective for both you and your readers, and give you ideas for future blog posts.
This same approach can be taken further by approaching and interviewing experts in your field and others who can offer valuable and relevant information, insights and experience for your readers. You probably have a handful of prospective interview candidates even in your own company!
5. Create a "newsjacking" post
This approach requires that you stay abreast of news and events that have at least some bearing on your industry or your customers. Newsjacking is a term that essentially means leveraging or capitalizing on a current news event. In our case by writing a post about it in almost real-time.
The event does not have to be in or about your particular industry, although that makes it easier, but it does need to be very recent and you need to make a connection to your business and your customers. This is a type of post that is difficult to plan for, but can be very successful and engaging for readers.
6. Write a book or product review
Just about every industry has something new being created that can be reviewed. For some businesses, books are written regularly and can provide a wealth of blog post opportunities. For many other industries there are new products and services being produced, all of which can also be reviewed and written about.
As an authority in your field, your readers will look to you to provide them with an expert opinion and perspective on products, services, and published works. And every new item can represent another fresh blog post idea for your blogging needs.
7. Create a regular feature
This is an approach that can provide you with a "ready-made" blog post either every week or every month. For example, a monthly review or round-up of topics, events, or even your own published blog posts can be a legitimate subject. Some blogs feature a video post once a week or once per month. This not only provides a change of pace for your blog, it can give you a welcome break in the form of one less post to write!
Posting a regular feature can also give your more loyal readers something consistent to look forward to each week, or each month. In addition, if you choose to produce a round-up of your own posts, this can generate increased blog visits from readers who may have missed particular posts earlier on.
The Value of Your Business Blog for Inbound Marketing
One of the foundational elements of inbound marketing is the effective use of business blogging. While a blog by itself does not constitute the entirety of an inbound, or content, marketing strategy, it is a big part.
Typically, the more frequently the blog posts are published, the better. Differing schools of thought prevail here, but it is generally agreed that a minimum of two posts per month are needed. Once a week is better.
In the spirit of providing you with the tools and inspiration you need to keep feeding your blogging habit, here is an infographic that illustrates a number of business blogging highlights:
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Getting Help For Your Business Blog
An additional tip for creating and publishing an effective business blog is to get outside help. Inbound marketing agencies, such as BroadVision Marketing, can offer expertise and tools that the typical business owner or marketing manager may not have.
It often helps to have an professional marketer's perspective to assess your content marketing strategy. Acquiring the insights and assessment of a third-party professional can be an investment that will bring a quantifiable return.
BroadVision Marketing offers all this and more. Get your Free Complimentary Inbound Marketing Session to help you make an informed decision or call BroadVision Marketing at 707-799-1238.
