I don’t know any one in business who blogs as much as they would like to. I do know a couple of things that have helped me. So here are a few ideas that might work for you as well.
- Get A Note Book: Ideas for blogs will come to you while you are reading the paper, talking to a customer, surfing the net or driving in the car. I recommend that you carry a little note book and get those ideas down while they are fresh.
- Create A Routine: Writing takes a lot less effort if you let it become a habit. I’d suggest that you blog on the same day at the same time each week. The routine will really work for you.
- Have A Writing Spot: Find a quiet place where you always write. Lock yourself in your room. Make sure you will not be interrupted. Make sure you can talk to yourself out loud. This helps develop the personal voice which is so important in blogging.
- Let Others Inspire: Read some other blogs. Have a favourite few that you read to warm up.
- What To Write About: There are a few things that you can reflect on when you are considering topics for blogs.
- What problems can I solve for my customer is a good question to ask yourself.
- Review your key words – any blog headings there?
- Reread your online enquiries – any blog topics?
- What questions do your customers ask when they are talking to you?
- Get It Down: My routine is to open a new draft post for each idea I have in my note book. After that I have a read through the draft posts that are already in there. I then decide which one I’m in the mood to write more about.
- Google The Topic: If I am going to write on a topic I sometimes Google it and spend some time reading up about what others have to say. It is good practice to acknowledge any quotes and link to an other blogs that have inspired you.
- Get Personal: Once I’ve done some research I then get down my personal thoughts. Try to imagine the person you are speaking to and think about the problems you are helping to solve. People don’t want a dictionary entry – they value your real insights and opinions.
- Proof Positive: I always get Glenn, James or Judy to have a look at my posts before I publish. This is a great way to get feedback on my content, sort out any spelling errors or tone problems. I find posts always benefit from this process and I feel more confident pushing the publish button.
Happy blogging.