The open sign is lit, and your blog is live, so what’s next? Well, unless your blog is filled with engaging content, it won’t help you achieve your business goals. As a small business owner, you may be thinking, “I don’t have the slightest clue what to write about!” Don’t worry – finding engaging content for your readers is only half as hard as running a successful business. In fact, with these 5 tips, you’ll be finding and writing engaging content in no time.
Activate Google Alerts
Google is a great place to start for blog content. With Google Alerts, you can monitor the web for interesting content that will be relevant to your readers – anything from industry news, to articles about social media, e-commerce, or entertainment news. Plus, it’s super easy to use – just select the type of information you want to search (news, blogs, videos, or everything), your update frequency, how you’d like to limit your results, and enter your email address. It’s as simple as that!
Search Forums
Forums are a breeding ground for current, relevant information. Find one or two forums related to your niche and start searching. As you search through the newest posts, you’ll likely find arguments, questions, or current events that could generate a blog post. Topics with lots of responses are a great starting point for a blog post, because you know the content is interesting to your target audience. Not only will this help spark ideas, but you’ll also stay on top of the current topics and trends within your field.
Use LinkedIn
Much like forums, like-minded business professionals are constantly connecting and asking questions in the ‘Answers’ section of LinkedIn. By sifting through the conversations, you’ll likely find some topics to discuss, or rebut by taking your own stance. LinkedIn Groups are also a great place to find and participate in conversations that can give you ideas for blog content.
Attract Guest Bloggers
We know that time is often short for small business owners. One way to help alleviate the stress of posting content is to invite a guest blogger take the reins. This will help you fill gaps in your editorial calendar, and help your guest writer get links back to his or her site. Be sure to include a “Guest Posts” or “Guest Bloggers” section on your blog so it’s easy for interested parties to volunteer. You can also look for guest bloggers using free services like Blogger LinkUp.
Give Yourself a Shout-Out
We’ve seen this backfire many times. You’ll want to tread lightly on how many times you write content promoting your own business, but if it’s done sparingly, your readers won’t be turned off. Some ideas include new product announcements, live events, or event just an inside glimpse into your company culture.
How do you find thought-provoking and creative content for your small business blog? Let us know in the comments!