Last week, I was struggling with writers block… I couldn’t think of anything interesting to write about for my internet marketing blog. I figured that this kind of thing may happen to other businesses from time to time, so I thought it would be fitting to put a list together of things that help me when I’m trying to figure out what to write about. Â This way a business owner can refer to this list when suffering from writers block.
1) “How to” guides – Any special knowledge on your industry or topic? makes for a great blog article. Â Instructional guides tend to generate a lot of traffic. Â Write a step by step guide on “how to” complete a task.
2) Make a list – People love to read lists. Lists get a lot of click throughs and time spent on your blog. Create a top 10 list about a product you know well. Tip: Use an odd numbered list sometimes. They stick out of the crowd and your article will get more attention.
3) Have a guest blogger – It doesn’t need to be all the owner or marketer blogging for the business. Have a guest industry expert to post on your blog. Also, you may think about opening up your blog to other employees. Great ideas can come from this, and it will take some off the pressure to create quality content off of yourself.
4) Tell a story – Most posts are about information or to teach someone. Try using an actual real-life story or case study about a client, or something you did to change your industry for the better.
5) Take a video – If a picture is supposed to be worth 1000 words, I think a video is worth at least 1000 pictures. Take a video to add to your blog. It can be anything from a video from your processes to an event that you hosted. Also, try starting a series of short videos with a theme.
6) Interview an expert – Interviews can make for great posts to switch things up a bit. Set up some questions and interview another expert in your field. It sometimes helps to get a second opinion about the industry, and you may actually end up with a ton of other blog ideas that you didn’t think of before. Try recording the interview for a possible podcast.
7) Whats trending? – Do a little homework and research all the new trends that are topical at the time of the writing. Not only will this give you some ideas for a post, but you will coninuously keep up to date on your industry.
8) Use Infographics – Create an infographic about one of your products (ex. see image)
9) Read other blogs – Sounds simple, but make sure you bookmark a lot of the other thought leaders newsletters and blogs. Make sure not to steal someones ideas, but reading a lot of other successful bloggers can definitely “jog your blog”
10) Future Predictions – What do you think is going to happen in your industry this year? What new products do you expect? Where will your industry be in 5 years? Predictions can be great posts, especially around seasons and holidays. Go back later and see if your were right!
11) Tackle an industry contreversy – Is there a topic in your industry that is under debate and has differing opinions? Write about this, it will generate a higher level of comments and engagement than other types of posts.
12) Success Stories – Talk about your past experience. Examples of successes and what has worked for your business can be great articles. Make sure you keep them as informational and you don’t come off as “bragging” to your readers.
13) Answer a question – Do you have FAQs in your industry? Answer some of the questions that are repeatedly asked in your field. This should generate a lot of web traffic to find out the answers, along with branding you as the industry expert.
14) Review industry products – Are there any new products or technology in your field that you can write about? Rate them and talk about your experiences using them.
15) Ask your customers – Your customers can be the greatest source of information to write about. After all, your writing is geared toward them anyway. Ask some of your closest clients what is important to them.
Hopefully this list helped out and you already have a few ideas to start your next post. Â A quick tip for bloggers, when you get an idea… write yourself a note right away! Â The best creative ideas come quickly, but fade just as fast.
