When contemplating a blog topic to write, I came to an obvious conclusion. Write about what you are attempting to accomplish this very moment: how to generate subjects to write about in your blog.
Dear Expert, Write Blog Articles on What YOU Know
I have come across countless clients who haven’t started a blog because they have nothing to write about. That excuse should be kicked to the curb immediately because as an expert in your industry, you are sitting on top of countless bits of knowledge that people want to know. Just because certain topics may seem too elementary to you, doesn’t mean they’re too basic for your audience.
But what if your industry is too dull? People won’t be interested in a blog about something that is traditionally boring, right? That is simply not the case. The reality is, consumers shopping in your industry are looking for that detailed information about your product/service. They are scouring the net for this info. Give them what they want.
So where do you start?
Blog Content Creation Made Simple
Although there are countless ways to assemble blog topics, here are a few that I have found to be most helpful:
Use the audience profiles that you’ve created. You do a lot of research during the process of creating your audience profiles (buyer personas). A great deal of information is dug up about your ideal customer including pain points, demographics, interests, etc. Hidden within all of this research is an abundance of topics you already know will appeal to a specific audience profile. Haven’t established these profiles yet? Take a look at how we develop audience profiles here at Inflow.
• Ask your customers. People that have already gone through the sales process with your business are prime candidates for content creation. They can share their stories, questions, as well as information they would have appreciated having at their disposal through your website. Along with current customers, asking potential customers what they want to know more about can produce extremely useful ideas (and maybe even close the sale, once answered).
• Take a look at trends in your industry. If there is a lot of chatter in your industry about a new app/product/tool, write an article providing your analysis of the new item. If there is a recent occurrence in your industry that has caused a little controversy, construct a blog giving your point of view on the subject. Be careful with this idea though. You don’t want to step on too many toes, but your opinion could stir up good conversation on your blog.
• Conduct a brainstorming session. As I mentioned before, you and your fellow co-workers are the true experts. Encourage everyone to bring a few article ideas to a meeting and then let the fun begin. Bouncing ideas off of one another can lead to a limitless amount of topics for quality content pieces. No telling the possibilities when you all work together.
• Use content that you have already created. Within your business, there’s most likely a plethora of resources readily available containing information that your audience would love to learn about. Use eBooks, whitepapers, pamphlets, brochures, etc., and pull information from these already created documents to put on display for your visitors. Rewrite the content to better fit your purpose, and BOOM, you’re done. Repurposing content is a great strategy and one that makes the process a little easier on you.
• Use tools to help. There are numerous tools out there to help with creating blog topics. A free one you can utilize is Hubspot’s Blog Topic Generator. With this tool, a simple compilation of business related nouns could provide you with five ideas you can tweak/form into blog titles.
Experience in a Humdrum World
I have worked with clients in the mattress business, an industry that is not exactly booming with “interesting” content. Through exploring the industry, asking customers questions, brainstorming, keyword research and some creativity, we were able to compile a nearly endless list of article topics. Mattresses may not be an everyday topic that users search for, but when they do start digging, you want YOUR content to catch their eye.
Don’t back down from blogging due to lack of stimulating article topics. Put yourself in the users’ shoes, and present them with noteworthy content that will fill their needs. What are some of the strategies you use when constructing blog topics?
Nice post Mandy,
A 7th tip could be use a compelling image. It worked on drawing me in.
Great post Mandy! I recently purchased a hybrid memory foam / spring mattress and there was a big learning curve for me to figure out the right mattress (firm with a pillow top) for me. Indeed, I could’ve used some good content on that topic when researching!