One of my friends recently commented on the abundance of my writing. ‘Don’t you ever run out of things to write about?’ The answer is no! There is always something to write about. Whether it’s a new service, a twist on an old topic or an opinion piece, I seem to have a never-ending flow of ideas.
So in the interest of sharing, I thought I would pass on a few ideas for you to use next time you find yourself scratching your head and wondering what to write about for your next blog.
1. Your story
How did your business start? What obstacles have you overcome to get here? What is your why? These are all questions that your reader will be interested in learning about you. Make sure that it is authentic. Here is my story. It was my first ever blog post. Another idea is your philosophy or approach to business. I posted about my word of the year, which was a personal piece on how I proposed to approach business and life this year.
2. Answer FAQs
Do you have a few questions that you find a lot of people ask? Use a blog to answer these questions. My elevator pitch blog and explanation of what a virtual assistant can do for your business are examples that stemmed from questions people ask me.
3. Unusual ways your product or service could be used
Is there a way that a customer could use your product or service that is a little out of the box, or not obviously apparent? When people think about the tasks virtual assistants can do they don’t really think about things like transcribing video to repurpose the content into blog posts, tips or short articles. Think about ways in which you could add value to your audience’s everyday lives.
4. Unusual requests you’ve had
Have you ever been asked to make something a little out of the ordinary or to complete a task that has never been asked of you before? Create a story around this experience. Hopefully it’s been nothing too rude or suggestive!
5. Behind the scenes
This is a great one as people are always interested in what goes into creating a product or service. You could do a ‘Day/week in the life of {your business}’. Lots of photos will work well in this sort of blog post.
6. Why someone should buy your product or service
This is a great opportunity to highlight your unique selling proposition. What makes you stand out from your competitors? Do you use Australian materials, organic, fair trade? What is your values around customer service? All of these points could be the start of an interesting blog.
I like to pride myself on caring about your business as much as you do by providing a service that goes beyond the expected. I like to think of my service as highly personalised. That’s where where my blog about personalising your interactions stemmed from.
7. Overcoming objections
Do you know the main reasons why people don’t buy your product or service? If you have an online business it is often difficult to help people over their doubts as you don’t have the luxury of speaking with them. Use a blog to highlight the objections that they may have and use the power of your writing to overcome them. This is where my guest blog for Teapot Communications on busting outsourcing myths originated from.
8. Showcase your knowledge
This is a relatively easy one. What are you an expert in? Or do you have an opinion that would appeal to your audience? Dealing with information overload and 6 things to remember when seeking finance are both recent examples of this topic.
9. Tools you use in your business
Do you use apps or programmes in your business that could appeal to your audience? If you sell to the ‘public’ rather than another business, what do you use in your personal life that could help others? It may be a unique way that you use a planner or calendar, or perhaps an app that helps protect children from undesirable content on your devices?
10. Guest blog
If writing really isn’t your thing and you’re not up for investing in help then call out to fellow business owners in industries that are complementary to yours. Facebook groups are a great way to find collaborators. For a little love (including backlinks and promotion in your social media or newsletters) you can receive ready-made content for your blog.
I hope these ideas have kick started your creative juices. Drop me a line if you need help in transforming ideas into blog posts. I’m happy to help!
