The word blog is originally derived from the phrase web log. By its very definition a blog is a consistent online log that is regularly updated.
The question is… are you consistently publishing posts to your blog? Because if you’re not, you’re missing out on site traffic, customer engagement, and sales opportunities.
We understand that writer’s block gets in the way, plus who has time to write on top of running a business? However, we assure you that if you can stick with some of these ideas, you’ll be better positioned for entrepreneurial success. It’s worth it. And you may even find that they won’t take up as much of your time as you think.
1. Above all, know your audience.
If you have no honest clue what kind of people make up your audience, back up and figure that out by creating an audience persona. Everything you write should be filtered through what your audience wants. You’ll need an authentic voice, but use it in a way that speaks to your customers and makes you relatable. Filtering your thought process through your average customer’s day will enable you to generate endless content ideas.
Ask yourself: what are they searching for?; what will make their day easier?; what will make them more successful?; what do they do for fun?; what inspires them?
Then write about some of those ideas.
2. Check an annual calendar.
Holiday sales and events are a great blog-writing starting point. From Small Business Saturday to Valentine’s Day, or even more local events in your neighborhood — these are all opportunities to engage your audience. To start, we recommend checking out:
- Holidays & Observances Around the World – Don’t miss a beat with this comprehensive list of upcoming holidays.
- Today is National What Day – This is your jam for fun, goofy holidays like National Pizza/Cat/Cookies Day.
3. Expand your About Us page.
Web content on your site is for your About Us page, while a blog can be thought of more as your About Everything page. This doesn’t mean you need to publicly write about your relationship with mom, but do use your blog to share more of who you and your team are. Be real with your customers and expect big returns. Consider writing about:
- Vacations
- Milestones: Births, graduations, marriages
- Pets
- Fun office activities
- Customer testimonials Â
- Employee success
- Customer success
- Philanthropy
4. Create long-lasting evergreen content.
Evergreen blog content is the key to success because it’s designed to last a looooooooooong time. The more relevant a piece of online writing is over time, the better it is for SEO and for your business. These can be things like:
- FAQ’s – Listen to your customers and you’ll find that they often seek answers to the same frequently asked questions. Write these down and publish them in a blog post. Save yourself the time of answering them later, and proactively help out new clients.
- Product Descriptions – Describe the benefits of each of your products.
- Product Walkthroughs – How to use a specific product or service.
- Resources – Share tools or business resources that make you successful. Your customers will perceive you as an authoritative industry leader and thank you for it. Bonus: If you’re an affiliate, this is a great place to make a sale.
5. Write what inspires you.
Finally, write about what motivates you to succeed. Write about why you started your business in the first place and why you continue to carry on. Not sure what else inspires you? How about…
- Favorite movies
- Music
- Podcasts
- TED Talks
- Books
- Public speakers
- Family, friends, church
Robert Rose, the Chief Strategy Officer at Content Marketing Institute says “Traditional marketing and advertising is telling the world you’re a rock star. Content Marketing is showing the word that you are one.†Use these blog-writing ideas to show your audience who you are.
Have other blog-writing tips? Anything particular topics that have been most successful for you? Let us know in the comments!
Henry Green is a freelance writer based in Austin, Texas who helps small businesses and entrepreneurs improve their online presence through marketing, social media, and website optimization.
Great Post!
Thanks Henry!
That was great post but if you add few lines (People sometime choose to post content on their fav topic they don’t care about people they write what they really love in their life.) So add these line that
It is your choice to add one of your fav topic on your website/blog to make some more interesting content. Other people who exactly like this topic will continually visit your website/blog.
Thank you for awesome post Henry Green.