Blogging is about informing your audience

Finding a subject for your next blog post is always tricky. Especially if you’re new to blogging or think your business doesn’t have much to talk about. Finding a constant stream of subjects your readers will find interesting isn’t easy. You want them to see your blog as somewhere to visit because it gives them great advice and useful information, and is a great read. Your blog posts need to hook them in so they see you as an expert in your industry and know who to go to when they need your services.

There’s a few simple guidelines to follow when thinking about what to blog about next. They’re not hard and fast rules but by sticking to these points, hopefully you’ll never be stuck for words.

Write about what you know

This old saying is as true now as it ever was. If you’re comfortable talking about a subject, it’ll be easier to write about. Think about all the different elements of your business and write short, informative blog posts on all of them.

Blog about your industry

People will expect your blog to talk about your industry. They’ll read it for the advice you impart and the expertise you portray. They want to get the insider’s view so keep it relevant. If you’re an accountant, blog about ways businesses can save money or how new regulations affect them. Solicitors should talk about law issues and gym owners should focus on health and fitness. You can throw in the odd curveball and talk about something else once in a while (like football, or kittens!) but on the whole, your blog posts should be about your business and the industry it’s in.

Capture the zeitgeist

Or to put is simply – blog about what people are talking about. Look at newspaper and magazine articles (particularly online sites), check social media streams like Facebook and Twitter to see what the hot items are. Then write about it. Relate the story to your business if you can. If you can offer advice and come at it from a different angle to everyone else, that’s even better. People will search for stories that are of the moment, so if you can get a blog online about it, it might just catch someone’s eye and, if you’re lucky, go viral.

Plan a series of blogs so you’ll always have something to write about

It’s worth giving some time to your blogging. Most businesses have loads of different services on offer or products to sell. This gives you lots to blog about. With a bit of thought and forward planning, you can come up with a number of things to blog about you can post daily, weekly or monthly. Do them alphabetically or as a series that make sense in a particular order.

Avoid the temptation to sell

Nobody likes a pushy salesman and there are other channels you can use for a hard sell. In a recent survey, 101 people were asked what they thought the purpose of a blog is, only 25.7% selected sell, the majority selected inform.

So there you have it. Finding a subject for your next blog’s not that hard, all you have to do is think of different ways to inform your audience. It just needs a bit of thought and attention. Keeping an eye on what’s going on, breaking your business into its component parts and doing a spot of organising means you’ll always have something to blog about.