Blogging for Business: Everybody Benefits – Part 3: What Should I Blog About, and How Do I Get Ideas?

This is part three in the Blogging for Business Series. If you have not seen the previous posts, please check them out:

• Blogging for Business Part 1: Why Should I Blog?
• Blogging for Business Part 2: How Do I Start Blogging?

Today’s blog post covers Part 3: What Should I Blog About, and How Do I Get Ideas?

When you create a company blog, you can write about different things that may fall beyond the scope of your company’s main website. That’s the beauty of the blog — to go above and beyond what may be defined by strict company website boundaries. A blog essentially gives you the ability to expand upon ideas related to your company without sacrificing your company image. It’s a second more casual voice in online media.

When you write you company blog, you shouldn’t always be looking to pitch sales — at least not directly. Write a newsworthy story that is related to your blog, then tie in something that is related on your website. Linking to other pages is important — it encourages your users to look beyond the single article. Support your writing by referencing similar web pages. With that said, if you have a related news article, link to that too. If you stumble upon a blog entry that is also interesting (and that you would like to comment on in our own blog), link to that as well. This is a critical element in blog writing because when you blog about other blogs, you generate a Trackback response, letting other bloggers know you’ve written about them. Essentially, this creates a community and connects people who blog about similar interests and ideas. This is also another way to drive traffic to your blog (to be further discussed in Part 4: How do I Drive Traffic to My Blog?)

Here are some ideas you can and should blog about, depending on the nature of your blog:

• Product or service reviews. Say, for example, that you are offering a software product. Walk your customer through the software application and decorate your blog post with screenshots of that app. For a product you have for sale, photograph it on display and in action. For a service you’re offering, show people how you and others are using it.
• Updates to your product or service, or new additions: Your company website might feature a formal announcement or press release about a product offering. You can elaborate upon it with the excitement and the work that was put into it. Thank your customers and the people on your staff who have made it a reality. Write about the goals of this new service.
• News surrounding your product or service: For example, if you are a vacation provider and cruises are part of your offerings, you can write about the Reuters article featuring the new cruise ship prototype that was just announced. If you offer sports collectibles, write about sports happenings. Then tie it into one of the products you have for sale, and link to the product.
• Testimonials: It certainly is nice to have a guest writer contribute to your business image, perhaps discussing his/her use of your product or service. Write a blog post encouraging other people to offer their feedback.
• Tie your product in with another product: Essentially, you’re promoting two products, and as long as that individual is not your competitor, this is good and encourages them to return the favor. If you are offering shoes, write about how you feel greatest when you wear those shoes with that dress.
• Answer a Frequently Asked Question: But don’t take the formal approach. Take a personal spin on the question. Tie it in with a personal story.
• Controversy: Ever encounter controversy about a competing product, or perhaps something that is not necessarily competing but is somewhat related to your product and service? Write about it! Stir controversy if you feel appropriate; just make sure you do so in a professional way!
• Upcoming offerings: If you know that your company is about to launch a new service, blog about it. Tell your customers to expect something big and to stay tuned. Keep the excitement. A lot of corporate websites will announce it when it happens, but add that personable element to encourage your customers to keep checking back with you.
• Featured publications: It’s always nice to know when your designer bag has been spotted on a celebrity. Link to that article and photo. It’s also nice when someone writes a blurb for the local paper about how they love your restaurant. Link to that too.

A blog that is destined to succeed is a blog that is updated frequently, so make sure that you update your blog’s content a few times a week!