Now What Do I Blog About?

Want to jumpstart the way you market your business? Consider using a blog.

Blogs are an easy way to communicate with your prospects and customers, and to expand your business community outside of your local area. In fact they are so popular, that according to Technorati, about 120,000 new blogs are created every day.

Not all of these are business related. But with that much competition, how do you know what to write about?

If you’ve ever sat down and stared at the screen with not a thought coming to mind, you know how difficult it can be coming up with things to write about on a regular basis. Yet with a blog, writing continuously is mandatory.

So what can you blog about? Let me give you seven ideas:
 
1. Have you read a great book lately that would impact your readers? Talk about it. Write up a book review, and tell your readers the good points, the bad points, what impacted you most, and how you are applying it to your own business.
 
2. When you sat down this morning with the newspaper and a cup of coffee, wasn't there a story in there that made you take notice? Something directly related to one of your clients. Or maybe something that you could have commented on to the reporter. Take up the cause, and write about it in your blog.
 
3. Every month has a holiday that you can “celebrate.” What specials are you doing for the holiday? Give your readers new ideas based on the upcoming holiday. Example: February is the month we celebrate Valentine’s Day. If you are a wedding photographer, what's the most creative engagement proposal you've heard? Or if you sell gift baskets, what's the best way to surprise your significant other? Give your readers ideas. Teach them how to use your products and services with examples.
 
4. What kind of groups are you a part of? Let your readers know about them, and your involvement. For example, I'm a part of a BNI group - I could easily write up a description of power groups, and tell people how to put together their own.  I can also teach people the benefits of joining referrals, and use many examples from my own experiences. Be sure to talk about both your online and more traditional networking groups.
 
5. Know of a great resource your readers could benefit from? Share your tips. From your blog, hyperlink your tips over to other websites to show people the resources. You can talk about software you recommend, products you use, or even show a video from YouTube if you find one very beneficial.

6. Know of some great upcoming educational or networking events? Share them with your readers. People like networking and socializing with like-minded people. If you have an interest in something, chances are your readers will too. Don’t limit it to your area of expertise. Just because you’re an accountant doesn’t mean you have to list all accounting related events. Maybe you’ll be attending an upcoming writers workshop. Talk about the benefits, and why you’ve chosen to attend.

7. Build helpful hints and tips throughout your posts. Give people additional ways to use your products and services. Or show them how to make your products and services more valuable when they use them in a special way. Don’t forget about money saving tips. If you can give your prospects a way to use your products and save money, they may turn into clients much quicker. Just don’t make your posts too salesy. Keep them friendly and helpful, and you’ll be well on your way to blogging successfully.