At PageMaster we want you be successful in your online marketing. We create websites and provide you training to see you succeed. This post is part of our series from our Site Training Workbook.
Always keep your blog’s purpose in mind. What do you hope to achieve through your website? Let those goals guide how you create content for your site.
I enjoy blogging and love bloggers but often one of the most common questions I hear is “I don’t know what to blog about!” My first response to that is, “Have you asked your readers?”
- I have an autoresponder set up with a series of emails including a couple that asks for questions and ideas. I’m never at a loss for ideas. You can also do a blog post or page to ask readers for input.
- If you’re an author you’re an expert in your book. You have pages of information and research that never made it into your book. If you’re an artist you have inspiration you can talk about. Use it as blog posts.
- Do you have a phone that records voice? Congratulations you have a podcast centre. Post them to your blog and have iTunes pick it up. At PageMaster Publication Services we can help set you up as a podcaster. If you’re an artist or author talk about the creative process you go through or any other thing you’re an expert on. Interview other artists or authors.
- Find videos on YouTube that teach or make you laugh. Sharing what you like helps others connect with you. Shoot and upload your own videos. Record them on your laptop and put them on Youtube. Use the embed code on YouTube on your blog post.
- Share beautiful pictures. On Flickr people grant attribution license for their work. That means as long as you give them credit, they’re happy you share their work. You can search for pictures at http://www.flickr.com/creativecommons/by-2.0/
Consider mixing up your content with writing, audio, videos and pictures. I’ve just given you 5 content ideas for your blog. Since you can schedule posts on WordPress, if you were so inclined, you could schedule Monday – QandA, Tuesday Be the Expert, Wednesday Podcast, Video Thursday and Picture Friday… that’s five posts a week without writing what is on your mind for those days when you just want to rant or celebrate.
We didn’t even touch on running contests, answering blog comments with posts, using lists and top 10, having guest bloggers, hosting a blog carnival, hosting a virtual book tour, or the hundreds of other ways to get content for blogs.
You don’t have to post 5 times a week but you do need to be consistent and you do have to provide quality content. Don’t worry if you don’t start a lot of conversations at first. Consistent posting of quality content will, over time, create a group of people who connect with you. Do it because you have something to say. People who need to hear it will eventually come around.