You already know how important it is to have a blog if you want to create a rapport with your website’s readers, who will, in turn, likely turn into your paying customers. Facebook status updates and Twitter tweets can only go so far when it comes to getting your thoughts out there and into the minds of your clients, customers, fans and readers. If you own a corporate site selling widgets, though, how many different ways can you think of to talk about widgets? Just the thought of writing post after post pontificating on the benefits of your product can bore you to tears, and to be honest with you, it’s likely that your readers aren’t all that interested, either. You need material that is going to pique your intended target’s curiosity enough to cause him or her to return to your blog. What’s the solution? Here are a few ways that you can come up with topics that will entice your readers to come back for more:
- Consider your target demographic. Think about what you’re selling. Is it something that appeals to middle-aged men, teen girls, pet lovers, people who love food? If you own a roofing company, for example, you want to attract homeowners to your website. They are, after all, the ones who will be putting roofs on their houses. You also want to attract those who aren’t going to be installing their own roofs, so they need to have the funds necessary to pay you for your services. You might consider that your target demographic is 30- to 50-year-old professionals who take pride in their homes. Suddenly, you might be able to think of a wide range of topics. Anything having to do with home improvement would be wise, as would topics having to do with balancing home organization with work or landscaping. Put yourself in the minds of your readers by considering what’s important to them in addition to your widget.
- Keep your eye on the calendar. Every month of the year promotes advocacy for something. There are also holidays that belong to each month, as well as obscure observances that you can easily search for. All of these offer fodder for your blog. No matter what your product or service, you can probably relate it in some way to the major winter holidays, New Year’s resolutions, romance around Valentine’s Day, the changing weather when spring finally arrives, summer vacations, the time that the kids go back to school, and on and on. Find out whether your product has a day dedicated to it (you might be surprised) and play that up for anywhere from a week to a month or more preceding the big event.
- Take advantage of social media. Whether or not you have a strong social media presence, you can use trending ideas to come up with topics for your blog. Glance at the list of trending topics on Twitter, for example, or see what’s new on Digg. You can even use sites like Instagram and Pinterest to find interesting new ideas to blog about. While you’re at it, sign up for Google Alerts; this free service will fill your inbox with the latest news on your chosen topics or keywords.
- Interact with your readers. Some of your best topics will come from your readers themselves! Ask a question on your blog or social media profile and really take a good look at the answers. If someone asks you a question, assume that several others are wondering the same thing, and write your answer as a blog post. Don’t let your readers get frustrated by leaving comments and questions that go unanswered; if you’re not able to answer right then and there, integrating some comments into your blog entries will keep them coming back in the hopes of seeing their ideas addressed.
It can be difficult to come up with ideas to keep your blog moving forward nicely. Remember that every entry does not have to be a full blog post; you can also use infographics, short observations, videos or photo montages or a list of helpful links. By thinking ahead and keeping a list of topics handy, you should be able to avoid blogger’s block, for the most part.