Finding blog ideas to write about is one of the most common challenges bloggers face. So many small businesses decide not to even have one.
But did you know...
- Nearly 40% of US companies use blogs for marketing
- Companies that blog have 55% more visits to their website
- B2B companies generate 67% leads/month more than those that don't
The facts clearly show the value of blogging for your small business. But blogging alone won't magically return traffic and leads. Your blog has to be well optimized, promoted and rich with content. So if you're struggling with blog ideas, you're not alone. Here's a few easy ways to generate clickworthy content on your blog.
Lists - Lists are a great way to create content that is quick and easy to write. Plus, it doesn't hurt that people love to read lists. It's easy to digest and they can skim through content and read only the content they want to. It can be a list of your favorite things, a top 10 list, a list of worst things. No matter how you spin it readers will find your content fun and interesting.
How-to - How to guides are a great way to showcase what you know and teach others your skills. It positions you as a thought leader when you share useful information. It not only gets the attention from customers and people within your community, it also earn people's trust.
Photos or videos - give your blog some personality by posting multi-media content. Share a video or photo or post one of your own that relates to your blog topic. Also, take advantage of taking photo or video of your company. It humanizes your product or service and gives customers the chance to connect emotionally with your business.
Stories - Do you have a small business influencer in your space? Get in touch with them. Sharing a story can be inspiring, esp when it comes from a customer or thought leader in your industry. You'll be surprised how many people are up for a quick Q&A interview
Contests - Reward the customer by developing specific campaigns so you can retain the most valuable ones. People love winning things and free goodies. Offering deals and special offers are not only smart tactics for customer retention, but it enhances your business' reputation and credibility.
Podcasts - Sometimes it's easier to talk about something rather than write about it. If that's the case try audio blogging instead.
Guest blogging - There's absolutely no reason you should be the only person contributing to your blog. Whether you work in marketing or in business development there's no reason why you should be the sole contributor. In addition, consider opening up your blog for guest posts and allowing other industry bloggers to contribute, too.
Just like any social site it takes work to maintain your page, so don't fall off the map. Even if you have no new content to post, keep logging in so you can stay on top of comments, updates, friend requests, etc. so you're always up to date with the latest happenings on your blog.
Blogging gives you an opportunity to engage, which builds trust with your customers. It's engaging, it's entertaining, and it's a bigger opportunity to connect with customers than text alone. If you're willing to work hard and you have a little bit of charisma on in your writing style, then blogging is something to consider for your business.
Alex Hisaka works in marketing at Desk.com. You can find her on Twitter at twitter.com/alexhisaka