(This is the eighth article in my Online business basics series. You can find links to the other posts in the series on this page: Online business basics)
Blogging is great for online marketing – the steady stream of fresh content keeps both your readers and the search engines happy! The trouble is that sooner or later you’re going to have to ask yourself: “What on earth am I going to write about?” We all have trouble coming up with ideas every now and then. Don’t worry though – If you follow these quick tips, you’ll be on your way to producing great content in no time at all.
1. Explain an expert’s quotation
One great way to produce some killer content is to take some of your favourite quotes or expert ideas and use them as fodder for your content.
For example, if you’re running a business blog, you might take an idea like Donald Trump’s “it takes as much effort to think small as it does to think big, so you might as well think big” quote and turn that into a blog post about goals and planning.
2. Mistakes to Avoid
Another great way to write articles is to teach people what not to do. What mistakes have you personally made in your line of work? What are common mistakes other people make? You can either list several mistakes in one article, or go in depth on one common mistake that they should pay attention to and spend the whole article on that.
3. Share a Personal Experience and a Lesson
Is there a personal story you can tell that will help teach your readers a lesson? If you can tell your story in an entertaining and informative way, that’s bound to be a great article.
4. Browse Related Websites
If you’re really having trouble coming up with ideas, go and have a look around other websites in your industry. As you browse through what other people are putting on their websites, a great idea for your own will usually pop into your mind.
If it doesn’t, then go browse some forums. Pay attention to questions people seem to be asking again and again and see if you can answer some of those questions in your content.
5. Tell it Differently
If you feel like you’ve really exhausted everything you have to say, then take a concept you’ve already touched on and go deeply into it. Expand on it in depth. In the mind, body and spirit sector there’s one lesson that’s repeated over and over: “Be present.” This one concept is expanded upon again and again, filling up thousands of pages of content.
This concept doesn’t get boring because every time it’s told it’s from a different angle, with a different story or a different emphasis. You can do the same with your content. What’s one important concept you can expand on?
Want to know more about blogging to promote your business? Grab yourself a copy of my book Business Blogging for Beginners (only £2.29!)