One of the hardest things about business blogging is coming up with something to write about constantly. And I can tell you from personal experience that if you don’t plan topics ahead, you’ll be dead in the water in no time. Planning is critical.
What should be in your editorial schedule? Certainly not self-serving, heavily promotional stuff. Put yourself in the customer’s shoes. Think about their issues and concerns, and make your blog a place to come for helpful, knowledgeable assistance.
Want specifics? Here are some specific blog content ideas:
Re-purpose Existing Content If you already have whitepapers and case histories, you may be able to rewrite them as blogposts. Long whitepapers may even become two posts.
Conduct a Survey and Blog About the Results Ask your customers and prospects a question or three that are relevant to your industry. Gather the results. Then report them and add your opinion in a blogpost.
Share and Comment on Industry Articles Set up internet feeds on relevant topics. When something good shows up, create a “sandwich” blogpost: write an intro, share the link, and create a conclusion that showcases your thoughts on the article.
Infographics Look at some of your existing content. Can anything be pictorial-ized? If so, you can have a graphic designer create an infographic that can be the basis of a blogpost.
Crowdsource Blog Ideas Ask blog readers what topics they’d like you to cover.
Answer Customer Questions Your sales and customer service departments are great resources for finding out what questions people have. Common questions can lead to answers that become blogposts.
Comment on Current Trends Look through the articles in your feeds for a sense of trends. You can also watch competitors. When you spot a trend that affects your industry, write about it in the blog.
Interview Industry Experts Interviews can turn into how-to’s or commentaries on the state of the industry. Either makes interesting blog content.
Lists Create short lists of tips, especially information that’s in high demand but short supply. Or you could provide the kind of information that helps customers use your type of product. Today’s list could be tomorrow’s infographic, giving you another blogpost.
Use these ideas to create a plan for your blog. And please let me know what else has worked for you.
What should be in your editorial schedule? Certainly not self-serving, heavily promotional stuff. Put yourself in the customer’s shoes. Think about their issues and concerns, and make your blog a place to come for helpful, knowledgeable assistance.
Want specifics? Here are some specific blog content ideas:
Re-purpose Existing Content If you already have whitepapers and case histories, you may be able to rewrite them as blogposts. Long whitepapers may even become two posts.
Conduct a Survey and Blog About the Results Ask your customers and prospects a question or three that are relevant to your industry. Gather the results. Then report them and add your opinion in a blogpost.
Share and Comment on Industry Articles Set up internet feeds on relevant topics. When something good shows up, create a “sandwich” blogpost: write an intro, share the link, and create a conclusion that showcases your thoughts on the article.
Infographics Look at some of your existing content. Can anything be pictorial-ized? If so, you can have a graphic designer create an infographic that can be the basis of a blogpost.
Crowdsource Blog Ideas Ask blog readers what topics they’d like you to cover.
Answer Customer Questions Your sales and customer service departments are great resources for finding out what questions people have. Common questions can lead to answers that become blogposts.
Comment on Current Trends Look through the articles in your feeds for a sense of trends. You can also watch competitors. When you spot a trend that affects your industry, write about it in the blog.
Interview Industry Experts Interviews can turn into how-to’s or commentaries on the state of the industry. Either makes interesting blog content.
Lists Create short lists of tips, especially information that’s in high demand but short supply. Or you could provide the kind of information that helps customers use your type of product. Today’s list could be tomorrow’s infographic, giving you another blogpost.
Use these ideas to create a plan for your blog. And please let me know what else has worked for you.
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