In Blogging For Business Success : Tip #1, I told you that your business blog is not a place for your press releases. So you might be wondering what to write about or how about just ideas on coming up with new articles. Well, welcome to Tip #2.
Research your competitors
You probably see companies doing this all of the time, keeping a close watch on their every move. You should be doing that same with your blog. I am not telling you to steal ideas or copy articles. But watching what your competitors are doing is a great way to pick some ideas for new blog posts. Here are a few things to look for.
Which blog post topics are receiving the most comments and feedback? If a specific post topic was popular on their blog, then you know that this is a hot topic that people are interested in. You may be able to offer additional information or deliver your point of view.
Do they have social sharing buttons installed? Are their blog posts being being shared on popular social sites like Twitter and Facebook? This is another great way to find out which articles people are looking to share.
Remember that writing an article about a topic that has been written about on another blog isn’t stealing an idea, it’s giving surfers another avenue to find the information they are looking for.
Talk to your customers
You want to write about information that people are searching for using their favorite search engine. Another great way to find what it is they are wanting to know, ask them. Do you request your leads to complete a survey to learn of their questions about your industry? Possibly a simple form right on your blog that lets your visitors submit a request for more information on specific topics.
Read the News
What is happening right now in the world we live in? Trends have proven that people are always searching the more information on the latest news. Keep a close eye on what’s happening in your industry because those are the things people will be searching out. List the article as a source and give your post credibility.
Get Social
Hundreds of millions of users on Facebook.com, Twitter.com, and other social networking and bookmark sites so that you can use them to find blog posts ideas. What are the trending tweets happening right now? Use the search feature with keywords in your industry to find out.
Facebook Group Discussions is another place to find questions people are asking or talking about. Join groups in your industry on Facebook and read through their discussion forum.
Digg.com may be the web’s most popular bookmarking website where millions of people are sharing and bookmarking their favorite articles across the entire web. Find out which articles they are bookmarking the most in your industry. Simply use the search to pull up a list of articles matching your keywords.
I also revealed my Four Secrets To Killer Blog Posts Series to my readers.
