Web logs, or “blogs”, have invaded the small business community. Just search Google for “small business blog”, and you’ll get over 7,000,000 results. Blogs offer an opportunity to communicate in a casual atmosphere with your customers, often for free. Once small business owners are convinced of the promotional power of blogs, they often struggle with the next step: what to write about. Or they don’t blog about the right things to most effectively promote their businesses. Use the following list of topics to help guide your blogging efforts, and never worry about “Blogger’s Block” again!
- Keep an eye on what other small business owners/bloggers are blogging about, and link to related material in your own blog. Include your own thoughts on the topic, agreeing or disagreeing with the original poster.
- Post excerpts/tips from a book or Special Report you’ve written (then link to where your readers can purchase/download it! That’s a key marketing concept: make the customer aware of a product or service, convince her she wants it, then advise her where to get it. You can do all that on a blog.)
- Post links to positive reviews and/or media coverage for your book/products/services.
- Create your own version of an Editorial Calendar to combat Blogger’s Block. An editorial calendar can keep your blogging on track throughout the week: pick a topic to cover for each day of the week and stick to it. That way, you always know what topic to write about on a given day. Figure out what works best for you — choose certain topics for each day of the week, a certain category to post in, or a certain type of post format (interview, top 10 list, etc). Or if you plan to blog only three times a week, decide to blog on upcoming events on Mondays, company news on Wednesdays, and give a project idea on Fridays.
- Post a review of the latest resource book – your “insider insights” can help position you as an expert in your field. Or consider reviewing a book that is not marketed to your industry, but has valuable applications.
- Mention mainstream newspaper and magazine articles that relate to your field. Show how it is making an impact on general society. Provide your own commentary, then link to where readers can get more info on your books/products/services.
- Blog about upcoming book signings, appearances, classes, workshops, seminars, articles, sales/promotions, etc. Describe what you’re excited about, who you expect to see there, what topics you’re going to discuss, and where people can go for more information. If you’re blogging about a seminar, post a screenshot from your PowerPoint to lure people in.