“Blog Post Ideas that Will Make Your Blog Hot”
“30 Day Blog Post Challenge”
“The Ultimate Guide to Blog Ideas”
We’ve all see the lists, and we’ve all clicked on them when we run out of our own ideas. Yep, I’m guilty of that too. That’s not to say that lists like these aren’t of value—some of them are. But when it comes to finding quality content ideas for your business, there are a few places you should turn first.
Your Audience
How often do you answer the same question from your customers or prospects? Wouldn’t it be nice if you could write out the answer just once? You’ve got yourself a blog post! Instead of answering the question again, send a link to your blog. “That’s a great question, and I recently wrote a blog about that exact topic. Here’s a link!” (Bonus! You just drove more traffic to your website.)
Your Competition
Chances are you read your competition’s blogs and social media posts. Good! No better way to learn about your industry than to turn to your competition. I do that too, but more to see what new trends are on the horizon that I missed—and other writers found. In fact, I am in networking groups with a few writers in my area and I come to rely on their expertise and ideas. Not in the I want to steal your clients sort of way, but in the I see you as an expert and I enjoy sharing ideas kind of way. Just be sure to take a new spin on ideas you “borrow” from your competition—no one likes a copycat.
Your Networking Circles
As you network and meet other professionals with similar values and interests, pay attention to the questions they ask you about you and your business. When I meet other small business owners, I’m often asked what “content” is and how I blog for others. These are both great blog topics and open doors for potential new clients.
Your Industry
Every morning I wake up to emails in my mailbox—emails that deliver (mostly) valuable content about my industry and the industry of several of my clients. Google Alerts searches the Internet for me daily, looking for articles and posts about the things I write about. Whether it’s for my own business (content writing and social media) or for my clients (health and fitness, estate planning, education, parenting, interior design, real estate, etc.), I can scan the headlines quickly and determine what trends are sprouting up. This helps me determine what relates to my business or my clients’ specific industries and what I should address in an upcoming blog or social post.
Use one or all of these ideas to help generate topics for your blog. Be sure to write down questions and save links to interesting topics as you come across them. Then, when the mood strikes, write your blog post!
