It happens the best of us, you know.
You’ve no idea what to write about on your blog.
You’ve completely run out of ideas for your blog posts.
Has your well of inspiration run completely dry?
This has happened the very best of writers too, from time to time.
It’s happened me too but what worked for me will almost certainly work for you too; the good news is that by the end of this post you will never run out of ideas again.
Business blogging
The starting point for your blogging with the purpose of generating new business and growing your client base should be your ideal reader. She, after all, should be your sole concern when you are blogging because ultimately you blog to help her and be seen as a genuine, trusted authority.
The best way to do this is by becoming a mentor for her.
Your business blog is not a journal or diary. Your reader doesn’t really care about you or your business-she has enough worries of her own.
Therefore, new members or staff or company news or takeovers you are planning are not what you should blog about.
Start with your ideal reader, who will, hopefully, become your ideal client.
What keeps him awake at night?
What are her worries and concerns?
What mistakes is he making that you can help him with?
What questions has she?
What internal pressures has he?
What external pressures and circumstances can you help him alleviate or eradicate entirely?
What really bothers him?
What you need to do is to educate, teach, and inspire your reader.
Once you become a trusted mentor selling is easy, and natural.
Types of blog posts
There are two types of blog posts that will provide you with an endless stream of content; it’s arguable that you could rely completely on these two types for your entire blogging career.
And in doing so, provided your content was good, you would not be short changing your reader in the least.
1. “How to” type posts
How to posts are simply helpful posts which tell your ideal reader how to solve a particular problem. These types of posts never go out of fashion-they are evergreen.
Let’s face it: if you have a problem that really bothers you and is, perhaps, costing you money or preventing you from reaching your goal, and some blogger shows you clearly and concisely how to solve that problem, you are going to be delighted.
You are going to look more closely at what that blogger is offering and you will be more than willing to sign up for his free offering to get on his email subscriber list.
2. “List” type posts
List type posts are immensely popular the world over. People like lists as they seem to promise a discrete, efficient way of communicating important information about a particular topic.
Here are 3 examples from this blog:
- 6 Steps to Publishing Your First Book
- 7 Tasty Tips for Easy, Effective LinkedIn Marketing (and ‘A Man Walks Into a Bar’)
- 5 Email Marketing Mistakes That Make You Look Dumb
Analogies, similes, and metaphors
Analogies, similes, and metaphors allow you to approach a subject matter which you may have covered extensively in the past in a new, fresh way. It can be fun for you and your reader.
A simile is a figure of speech which compares two things using words such as like and as e.g. blogging can generate new business for you as fast as lightning or a good business blog is like a good salesperson for your business.
Metaphors are similar but don’t use the words which compare two things; a metaphor actually states that one thing is another, unrelated thing e.g. All the world’s a stage (As You Like It, W. Shakespeare).
An analogy is a comparison made to show a similarity e.g. Life’s like a box of chocolates. (Note that this analogy is also a simile, which is a common occurrence).
Examples, case studies, and images
Case studies, images, and examples of other people, similar to your ideal reader, finding solutions to their problems implementing the types of solutions you offer also give concrete evidence to support what you blog about and teach.
What now?
Start with your ideal reader, study closely what problems they face, offer them solutions and examples of your solution in action, and demonstrate why you are a natural choice as mentor and trusted advisor.
Don’t talk down to them, share your story-warts, failures and all-be authentic, and watch your readership and client list grow.