Writing Prompts For Your Business Blog

In a recent post, I wrote about the many reasons why a business should blog.  You can read it here if you missed it Why Should a Business Blog?

What I would like to talk about in this post is some suggestions and ideas for the type of blog posts that you may want to consider writing and sharing with your audience.

Perhaps you are ready to blog but are still short on ideas and inspiration.  If that is the case, I have listed some simple writing prompts below to help get you started.

What Have You Worked On In The Last Week?

This is always a great one for getting the creative juices flowing.

Have a think about the things you have been working on in the last week.  Have you worked with a new client?  Perhaps you have been involved in a process that is slightly different to your usual work?  Have you completed a new project? Is there something here that would be of interest to prospective new clients?  Share it, explain the process, tell your readers why it was successful.

Refer to your new client, if it was a business to business transaction, perhaps there is an opportunity for collaboration.  There is a good chance that it may be of mutual benefit to your combined audience.  There are several prompts here that are certainly blog worthy.

Niches That Need To Be Explained

Does your particular business have a niche that needs to be explained to your audience.  Is this something that could be set out over a series of blogs?  If clients understand what you do, it helps them to see why your services may be of benefit to them.  If they aren’t well informed they may not see how you could help them.  Make it easier for people to do business with you.

The Devil Is In The Detail

Don’t fight shy of detail.  You may be the expert at your business but your prospective client isn’t. Sometimes it can be simple blocks and misunderstandings that can prevent us from investing in a service.  Spell it out.

Anticipate Customer Questions

Are you asked the same question regularly about your product or service?  If so, this is certainly blog worthy.  Simple explanations and answers to popular questions make great blog material.  You can refer potential customers to your posts over and over again.

It’s Not Just About The Words

If you have a creative business, let photographs do the work for you.  We are always drawn to an image – look at how popular Instagram and Pinterest are.  Some of your fabulous images followed by a few words about the process or journey can provide a very interesting blog post for your readers.  Perhaps you have a gardening business – let the service work for itself through images.

New Products & Services

Are you about to launch a new product?  How exciting!  Have you told your customers?  If not, why not?  This is fabulous news and you need to be sharing it.  Perhaps you are looking for some feedback before launch?  Again, ask others for their thoughts.  This is also a great way to get a dialogue going through your blog comments section.

Don’t Forget We Want To Get To Know You

We are more likely to place our business with someone that we know, like and trust.  Allow us an insight into the face behind the business.  Perhaps you have a team?  Introduce them if so.  This could be a blog post of its own.  It puts faces to names and provides a personal touch.  Don’t be afraid to intersperse posts with snippets about yourself either.

Be Current

At the time of writing this post, the weather is scorching.  If my business related to fans, coolers, outdoor furniture or such like, I would be missing a trick not to talk about my products on my blog.  Today the hashtag #toohottosleep is trending on Social Media.  Imagine if your product was the solution!

So there we have a few suggestions which will hopefully be sufficient to help you to start popping some ideas down for a blog post.

Still struggling?

In my next post, I plan to share an example of a business blog.

If there are any business owners that are finding blogging difficult to approach or feel that their business doesn’t lend itself to a blog post, feel free to drop me a line via my Contact Page.  I would be happy to include your business as an example.

Good luck and thank you for reading.

Nicky

 

Why Should a Business Blog?

Have you ever considered using a blog to promote your business?

Blogging is a way to share your expertise and unique voice to engage with your clients in an informal, conversational style.

There is no better person to talk about your business than you.

You are, after all,  the expert in your field.

It is very easy to assume that others may know more about your business than they do.  As the business owner you need to make it as easy as possible for people to buy from you and to understand how you can help them.    A blog is the perfect medium through which to do this.  Let your customer know why they need your product or service.

People have moved to making their buying decisions in a more personal way.  They want to know more about who they are buying from as well as knowing that they are going to receive a good service and value for money.

Blogging offers a unique opportunity for your customers to get to know you better.  It is a way of talking about your business without making clients feel like they are being ‘sold to’.  ‘Know me, like me, trust me’ have a big bearing on how clients make their purchasing decisions.

Simple questions can be answered in a blog.  You can provide the solutions that your client is looking for.  Or better still – catch their interest before they have realised they need your services.  The comment section of your blog is also a great way to get chatting to potential customers and answers their queries.  Once your blog is established, it is also a place for people to comment on your good service – get your customers chatting even.  There is of course no finer recommendation than a happy client that is willing to share their experience.

We all favour making our purchases from someone with whom we can easily engage, that understands our needs and is able to offer sound advice.  Think of blogging as a way of building a relationship with your customer.

If your business relates to a product or service that you consider to be a little ‘dry’ or ‘technical’, and you are wondering how you can make it more interesting, think about it from the client perspective.  What information can you give them that helps their understanding.  Think about what their needs may be – invite them in to your world and teach them!  Try to pre-empt and break down any barriers that may be present.  There is always something to say.  Where words fail, use pictures – people respond more and more to images now – use them to your advantage.

Be a problem solver!

You can showcase your successes and help customers to understand the processes of what you do.

You may also find that other businesses become readers of your blog and it may present ideas and opportunities for collaborations.

There is no better time to start blogging and sharing your unique voice and brand.

Clients will get used to seeing your posts and expect them.  Once you get started don’t forget that your blog must be updated regularly in the same way as your website and social media accounts.  If you aren’t consistent it can be akin to not answering the phone or emails.  Always keep them coming.

Most importantly, enjoy it.

Your blog is the ideal place to share your passion for your business.

If you would like any further advice regarding blogging, please visit my Contact Page.