A few weeks ago, we discussed the 6 benefits of business blogging. But for many, while the advantages of blogging are clear enough – the challenge becomes creating enough content on a regular basis. Just how do you decide what to blog about?

In this post, we’ll break down some of the best sources for creating good blog content.

Idea # 1: Blog about your business (up to a point…)

The easiest resource for content creation is what’s happening in your business - after all, you’re living and breathing it every day! Your blog is the perfect forum to share important and exciting news such as:

• New product announcements
• Expansion and new locations
• New staff hires – especially if they’ll be dealing directly with customers
• Event wrap ups and important milestones (eg 5 years in business)

Up to a point!

While it may be tempting to blog about every single thing that happens in your business – the key is to select newsworthy and interesting events that your readership will be interested in. So it’s important to be selective in your content. While you might think a new pattern or colour variant (now available in fuchsia!) is the most exciting thing since sliced bread, most of your customers  will be interested in bigger announcements such as a new line or product range.

The 5:1 Rule. A good rule of thumb is to have at least 5 pieces of ‘other content’ to every 1 piece of content about your business. This keeps your blog more engaging and audience focused.
 

Idea #2: Blog about industry happenings (and your thoughts on them)

You’ll already be keeping your finger on the pulse of what’s happening in your industry – why not share your thoughts with your readers? You can blog about events, news and industry developments that are relevant to your business.

Add your own personal opinion and expertise. What did you think about Fashion Week? Do you agree with what commentators are discussing in the news? Why or why not? As we mentioned, a blog is the perfect forum to demonstrate thought leadership and expertise, so it’s a good idea to add value to what's going on by providing your professional opinion. It helps establish trust and offers readers a bit of personal insight that they won’t find anywhere else.

Pro-tip: Try to be timely in publishing these posts in order to stay relevant. You don’t want to be caught reporting on old and stale news – aim to get your post up within 48 hours from when the news is first announced.
 

Idea #3: Provide Tips and Lists on your Blogs

You see them everywhere – 5 fashion trends for 2014, 10 tips for losing weight fast, 7 things you’re doing wrong in eCommerce, 5 tips for blogging for business etc, and there’s a reason for that – these types of posts work!

“Listicles” as they’re sometimes called, provide a summary of suggestions and tips that aim to educate or inform the reader about a topic. The information should be bite-sized and easy to digest. No more than 100 words for any single “tip”.

Pro-tip: Use formatting to “chunk up information”. Break your information up into digestible chunks to facilitate online reading behaviour. Make use of bullet points and bolded text to highlight the key information.
 

Idea #4: Infographics and Visual Content

Visual content, especially infographics, are all the rage online.  Why? Because it’s visually engaging and a more enriching content experience than just plain text. So if you have the visual resources (eg a graphic designer or pro photographer) to help with creating a powerful infographic, make use of them!
Meanwhile, don’t fret if you don’t have the resources to invest in visual content. There are plenty of cost effective image sites available online. If using stock photos, try to select engaging and interesting images that tell a story and complement your text. The girl in the corporate suit holding the laptop has been way overdone.
 

Idea #5: Guest posts and bloggers

Don’t have time to write your own posts? You can invite others to create content for you – the trick is to choose the right person to contribute. Make use of your business contacts, maybe inviting a key client or supplier who might be interested in sharing their thoughts and insights. You can conduct “an interview” of a key industry figure or have someone write an original article with the promise of a link and bio. Be reasonable with who you expect to get, the likelihood a Pulitzer Prize Winning Journalist will provide an article for your business blog is pretty slim.

Pro-tip: make the most of your team. Ask your employees and team members to provide their opinions and insights on a particular topic. Then curate their answers into a single post for a diverse opinion piece. 

How do you come up with your blog ideas?