In this content-driven marketplace, blogs have become a necessary accompaniment to business. Whether your selling a product or a service, having a website that posts relevant, informative content that the internet audience would find value in, in turn, adds value to your business. Does it translate directly to revenue? Not necessarily, but in the long-run, you’ll establish yourself an expert in your field and build a following of readers who will buy whatever you are selling.
But what if you’ve never written in your life? What do you do? Where do you start?
Zero in on an umbrella topic, and then go from there
This one is pretty easy. Your umbrella topic would be your industry, and your sub-topics would be anything at all that falls under it. Since coming up with blog topics will get more and more difficult as you go on, you could use the following resources for research:
- Your feedback chain — Listen to what customers have to say. Most of the time, these would be questions, or needs that need to be addressed. You could turn your response to these questions into excellent blog posts that are of value to consumers.
- Your competition — Needless to say, never plagiarize. How do you stop yourself from copying content, and instead, just be inspired by them? Read. Just read. Don’t take notes. Don’t bookmark. Simply absorb everything.
- Your experience — Be attuned to your own experiences as a consumer will make you an excellent resource for fellow consumers. Start observing your own patterns, needs and preferences. The wealth of topics you are looking for is within you!
Write a compelling title
The blogosphere is a tricky place. You need to stand out, but at the same time, follow a certain universal voice to easily come up in search engines. When writing a title, be efficient: every word has to matter. Deliver a concise thought — a headline that will either grab the reader’s attention, or promise an answer to a question.
Write what you know
As author Mark Twain so succinctly said. Find something that you are passionate about in your industry and write about that. Don’t worry if you’re not an expert. Facts can always be Googled and verified, anyway. But your point-of-view? You can’t fake that.
Offer solutions
Have you ever been disappointed after clicking on a link, to find that the article is just a paragraph offering just a little more information than the title? Yup, we’ve all been there. When writing a blog, deliver on what your title promises. If you’re not offering solutions or answers, offer entertainment and wit. Tell a story.
Say “no” to clickbait
Admittedly, clickbait titles do work. They let you get the “hits” you need for the day. However, what you lose in the process is your credibility as a source and as a business. Worse, you’re going to sound like a bad infomercial. If you’re going to write a title like “How I built my entire business with $100,” you better tell everyone how and it had better be with $100.
Hire a professional
We all have our different strengths. If you want consistent quality output, it’s best to hire a professional who lives and breathes words. Instead of toiling over your post for the day, this will let you focus on running your business or coming up with new ideas for your brand. At the end of the day, hiring an extra hand costs money, but it also saves a lot of time and much-needed energy.
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Exemplary Marketing offers IT solutions from marketing to content creation. For inquiries, email info@exemplarymarketing.com.