Everyone knows that blog writing on a website helps with SEO. In addition, we know that a blog may help customers to find our business.
But many people find blog writing difficult. I have come up with a few suggestions to help you find subjects you may like to write about on your blog page.
Useful blog writing
Here are a few ideas that come under the general heading of useful blogs:
What about a checklist for your customers?
For example, if they buy product A, it may need fittings, or batteries? Or they may need to download an instruction sheet. How many of your customers leave your website without thinking things through? Coming back to your website later is not only inconvenient, it may put them off buying from you in the future.
Present a solution to your customers
Customers browsing the web are, in general, looking for the solution to their problem. You need to show how your product or service solves this problem. You may be able to illustrate your solution by including a recommendation or rating from a customer who has experienced this already? On the other hand, you could obtain a quote from your customer to say how helpful you were in solving their problem. Not only does this show what a great product or service you have, it also shows potential customers that you are great at what you do. Customer trust third party recommendations.
Have you read a useful book?
Have you recently discovered a book that has helped you, either personally or in your business? Write about the experience. Tell people how this book helped you and use specific examples wherever possible. The blog will resonate with others and they will start to read all of your blogs because they found this one useful.
In the same way, you may have read a good blog post that helped you. Feel free to recommend this one!
Educational blog writing
Here are a few example of an educational blog. I am sure once you get started, you will be able to think of many more for your particular business!
Common questions
Outline the common questions people ask when they email your business. Likewise, share the answers with your readers. Alternatively, you can talk about how you decided to set up an FAQ page when you realised that the same questions kept popping up on your email? Share your reasoning with your readers. They will be glad to know that you are sufficiently interested in your customers to set up a page to help them!
Business insights
You could write about how your business has changed during the last 12 months. Originally, I was going to suggest if something unexpected had happened? Our shared experience of the covid-19 pandemic gives you a great starting point. How has your business changed and what lessons will you be carrying forward to ensure you survive and become stronger?
If only I knew?
What do you wish you had known before you set up your business? Can you pick out say, seven or eight things you have learned that you wish you had known before? Share them on your blog, along with insights about how knowing beforehand may have saved you time or money, or from embarrassing incidents!
Compilation blog writing
Generally speaking, these are blogs that round up opinions or resources.
Interviews
Interview a well-known name within your industry. You can write their answers in a blog, or you could incorporate part of the interview as a video or podcast, just to make the blog a little different?
Ask the experts
Invite several experts to give their opinion on a subject that matters to your industry. Publish to your blog as a podcast, or write as separate short pieces within the same blog.
Blog reading
Outline some blogs you have read and found useful. Include links but remember to specify they should open a new tab otherwise customers will leave your site!
Fun blog writing!
Blogs don’t always have to be serious or about your business, you can write about fun things. Show customers a different side of your personality!
Something happened on the way to the office
A journey or going on holiday offers lots of opportunities for blog writing, especially if there are funny incidents to retell. These stories can be the sort of thing you would tell your friends in the pub after a busy day to work, but remember to keep it clean!
Something happened in the office!
Write about something funny that happened to the team in the middle of a zoom meeting or if there was a case of mistaken identity perhaps? Amusing things happen to all of us on a daily basis and sharing these stories with others helps us to appear more human. However, a word of caution. Don’t share stories that make your staff look incompetent or those that denigrate your products or service.
Behind the scenes
Focus on part of the process, whether in production of a product, or the supply of a service. “Have you ever wondered what happens when…”, is a good starting point. You can include video, introduce staff members. Show a more rounded picture of your business.
That is enough for this blog about blog writing. I will be back with more useful hints and tips in the next episode!