I talk to a lot of people about the power of blogging and there’s a common question I hear all the time – “How on earth am I going to find something to write about on a regular basis?” One of the easiest ways to come up with fresh ideas is reading other blogs. You might find a topic someone else has covered that you have a different angle on. An opposing view can be powerful. It’s perfectly okay to tell people about interesting things that you’ve seen written elsewhere and make your own comments and conclusions. It’s okay to have controversial or opposing views however I suggest you are always courteous and soon you’ll start to become known as an interesting writer with a unique perspective.
Stay Flexible
It can be overwhelming starting a new blog. Some plan out what topics they are going to cover and when, others find their voice simply by getting started and evolving over time.
Sometimes small business owners get the idea they need to have a detailed plan for every marketing activity they are involved in. While that may be helpful in some instances, blogging isn’t one of them. Keep your topics flexible and you can respond to current topics your readers and the general public may be interested in at the time.
It’s worthwhile pre-loading a new blog with a few posts to build a foundation, but after that you really don’t have to be on there every day. Posting once a week, or even once a month is fine. The key is to stick to whatever schedule you choose. I suggest having a few blog posts ready to go and schedule them in so when you get busy with other things, you know it’s all taken care of.
Rework Your Content
Have you previously produced hard-copy newsletters, articles or flyers? You can save yourself time and effort by repurposing some of this material. It may even kick-start ideas that take you off on a completely new tangent. Starting with something to work from typically takes much less effort than sitting in front of a blank screen and hoping for inspiration! I’ve even been able to rework lengthy emails to clients where I’ve answered there specific questions.
Rework Someone Else’s Content
Don’t plagiarise but learn from other writers in various arenas. Always attribute the works where it is appropriate. There may be white papers relevant to your profession or field of business. These are often quite lengthy, and it’s generally possible to summarise the key points and create a blog post for each key point. Before you know it, one white paper has become a month’s worth of content. Also draw inspiration from current events, and use stories in industry journals or newsletters as a springboard. The important thing to remember is that customers will respond to concise and interesting information, that either helps them with an issue, or tells them something they didn’t know.
This content was originally published on Omnific Design before we rebranded as Uplift 360.