Corporate blogging is a great way to show the personal side of your business, showcase your interest in what's going in your industry, and establish thought leadership on important topics. Your customers benefit tremendously from sharing your stories and ideas. Blogging is a valuable marketing tool that requires consistency. However, running dry on appealing content is a situation every marketing team deals with once in a while.
If you have no idea what to write about, the blank white screen in front of you can be daunting. There's no need to feel embarrassed about it even if you're an experienced content marketer! If you find yourself caught in a blogging rut, check out these ideas you might not have thought of for some guidance.
1. Take a Break From Writing
Although content marketers and professional bloggers obviously only get paid to write the best content out there, don't think it's abnormal for them to have writer's block. If you feel like your content is really lagging behind in quality, stop the writing process right there! Blogging is indeed a fluid process, but that doesn't matter if the quality of your content is suffering.
Taking a break from writing blog posts might sound like a scary thing to do, but some important changes to your blog are clearly necessary. Use that break to rethink your strategy and have a much needed brainstorm with your content team.
2. Break the Rules of Corporate Blogging
A fallback option is to break all the known rules about corporate blogging. Sometimes you'll come across a corporate blog that has absolutely nothing to do with the company publishing the content. Instead, the brand or company focuses on themes like charity work or environmental issues. Some corporate blogs, for example, are filled with jokes and entertainment posts.
I agree, it does require some guts to think this far outside of the box. But, if you do it really well, it will pay off big time and give your brand a huge boost in positive perception!
3. Don't Publish a "Finished" Post
Leave your so called "finished draft" overnight even when you think it's finished, and wait (in some cases) until the next day before publishing it. You will be surprised how many new ideas will pop up over the course of a day. Maybe you'll tweak your post a bit, but most importantly, new sources of inspiration will pop up.
4. Be Open About Your Flaws
Think of it like this: 'Every mistake is a learning opportunity'. Not only for you, but also for your readers. Companies are so afraid to talk about their flaws. But why not take pride in your mistakes? Readers really appreciate it if you admit to making mistakes in the past, and you'll instantly make yourself more authentic and sincere.
Don't get me wrong, don't spill all your guts on the table. If you're a startup, for example, think of writing a blog post like this one: '5 Mistakes Our Startup Made in the Beginning and How We Survived Them'. What a great way to add a personal touch to your blog, right? The important thing is to share what you learned and how you reacted so your readers can feel inspired.
Important Note:
One thing you should always remain diligent about is to go for quality over quantity! It's easy to make a new post in just a few minutes. However, in order to keep your visitors coming back and recommending your product, you need to be creative and offer something beneficial to your readership. Put some creative effort into it, or people will just tune out your information!
This article originally appeared on the Engagor blog