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

 

There Is No Such Thing As a Free Lunch

But there is such a thing as a free cup of coffee!

Who knew!

 

I certainly didn’t.

Having a had a bit of a bad coffee experience on my way to the tube which involved a bit of a machine explosion and delivery of a rank drink, I needed to top up my caffeine levels.

Being typically British I paid for the exploding coffee on the basis that I was supporting a local business and I know that their goods are generally tip top.

Mistakes happen.

When I arrived at Paddington I headed to the closest coffee shop – which happened to be Pret – where I ordered my usual Flat White.

As I reached for my purse, the Barista said ‘it’s on the house’.

Being typically British (again), I replied ‘sorry?’.

After several times of the delightful young lady repeating that it was indeed ‘on the house’ I sat down in shock and joined my friend.

She was less surprised as she had heard of this happening in Pret before and explained that she believed this is something that staff are free to do in lieu of a loyalty card scheme.

We wasn’t sure of the exact story and I wasn’t able to find any further details on the website unfortunately but let’s just say I was made up.

It was almost as though it was meant to be.  Not that the Barista would have any idea of the happenings of my morning but it felt like a bit of yin to my yang (or yang to my yin).

On the basis that there was no evidence of a milk froth avalanche on my person, I’m going for the yin-yang theory.

It was also a really good Flat White and it’s not often I say that so, thumbs up all round.

It did also get me thinking about how unaccustomed we are to being gifted unexpectedly as the consumer.

We automatically think that there is something wrong or some kind of mistake.

We are really not very good at not paying for things.

Maybe it’s the fear of the tap on the shoulder on the way out.

We can often be seen arguing with others about who will pay in a “I’ll get it”, No, I’ll get it” kind of way.

My daughter finds this whole practice very amusing.

The only exception to this rule is if you are with someone tight and on those occasions, you definitely ‘will get it’!

The law of averages says that you will probably get it the next time too.

Otherwise, there is that wonderfully British trait of saying ‘no thank you’ or ‘thank you’ too many times.

We even thank for thank you cards.

I was still mumbling my thanks for the coffee for several hours afterwards.

Isn’t it refreshing though.

An unexpected act of giving that really puts a spring in your step.

I am sure there will be others who have had their day made by this kind offering.

I thought it was a really nice touch and I wanted to share that.

It really made my beautifully sunny day sunnier.

Thanks Pret!

These little gestures really make the customer experience memorable.

Perhaps my lovely readers have had a similar experience or heard of this happening.  I would love to hear your stories.

Nicky