COMMENTS
One of the easiest go-to techniques I've found is just to write about one of the work related challenges you've been facing recently and how you're trying to solve it. Also, topics that have come up in conversations with customers and potential customers can be interesting fodder as well -- especially if you were trying to persuade them to take a certain action.
We often use inspiration from our search "long tail". Find a phrase that someone has used to reach your website and expand on it. Also, you will be surprised how often you'll find someone has arrived at your site by asking a specific question - these make great blog topics!
The great thing about a blog is that you don't have to shine and polish it to perfection. As you say, "...it doesn't need to be perfect." That can be very freeing.
Thanks, everyone, for all the additional thoughts and ideas. A lot of companies find blogging daunting, but it can quickly become a natural process to add into the way you do business - answering questions and such. Ann, it's so true - once you realize a blog article doesn't have to be perfect, it can be quite freeing and calming.
Worrying about what to write about is usually unfounded once you start. Feedback from readers, and news of what is going on in your particular niche, provides more than enough topics for blogging.
All these points are good ones and are good to follow when blogging. One technique I have found to be extremely helpful is to keep a que of blog ideas. Always be looking out for ideas, and when you get one, write it down! I like to keep mine filed under "drafts" in my wordpress software. This way you can have a stash of topics for a rainy day. Some things to put in here are ideas you may research further before posting, topics that may not be relevant for a while, even links to other blog articles that are interesting but at this point, you could to better. I found this is a great way to beat writer's block. Also, once you follow these steps outlined by this post and others' comments, you should be inundated with ideas you can write down, as you probably wont be able to keep up ;).
I always see a connection between what happens in life and my work. My favorite subject is our six-year old son who I've featured in my blog for 4 years now. I simply tell the very cool story about him and then make the connection to
Understanding the Sales Force. I've written about him so much that I've created an
entire series.
Another blogging technique that I have seen work well is to identify 4-5 different people in your company that can contribute a blog article periodically (once a month etc). It reduces the pressure to pubblish considerably and give you more content
You can also register to rss feeds that are related to your business and blog about related topics. For example, you guys could read the Yahoo, Google and Microsoft blog feed every morning and write about new features offered by our search engine friends. :)
The problem I'm having is getting my CEO and CTO to actually write for our blog - even though they've agreed to it. Their main complaint is they can't think of what to write... I'm not sure how to motivate them to look at articles, etc in relation to how they could use that as blog fodder. Their answer is - "write it and I'll approve it" - which obviously doesn't work for a blog.
Hi Jayson, try giving them some titles to write to. Tell them they are best qualified to write the content!
Just start writing and the ideas will come naturally.
Great tips about what to blog about?
Blogs are used by many peoples to share their ideas and suggestions.it help the companies to know about the market value of their products.
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saravana
Blaze Infotech
Ofddly, it's nort lack of subject matter, it's lack of time that I run into. Getting someone to fill in helps.
Some good points here, thank you, good reading
I like your advice to Just Ask--so simple a concept, so often overlooked.
Great encouragement! You are so right. Why do you have BEFORE you start a blog? Nothing. So, what will you have after you start a blog and lose interest or if you never get a response? Nothing. Just what you started with. So, you have NOTHING to lose and EVERYTHING to gain. :)
We definitely believe that our blog has played a big part in our business. We only wish we had started it earlier.