Any small business owner with a blog knows the feeling of struggling with the whole content creation thing. Maybe you’re plum out of ideas. Or you’re in a busy time for your biz and totally swamped with work. Or you’re just plain not feeling your blog right now. The thought of writing another post makes you want to poke your eyes out.
This is totally normal. You’re not a professional blogger; you’re a small business owner. But you know blogging is important for your small business and that you need to keep at it. So why not change things up a little?
Break out of your small business blogging rut with these 5 ideas…
1. Blog about something personal
When you write about yourself, such as one of your interests, your personal life, or a favourite hobby, you’ll probably find that you have lots to say. Work in an angle that relates this topic to your business in some way, and away you go. Most people find it easier and more fun to write about themselves or about something they like.
I did this recently with a post about meditation, which is something that is a very important part of my personal life. This post was a breeze for me to whip up, and it gave me a break from the usual type of writing I do. It really resonated too with some of my readers, and gave them some insight into what I’m like as a person.
2. Use a video
Sometimes you just don’t feel like writing. Perhaps writing is not your forte, or you’re suffering from some writers block. So ditch the words and go with a video instead.You could do a video of yourself, your business location, your employees. Get creative! (Click for some more small business video marketing tips).
Alternatively, you could find a video created by someone else that relates to your business in some way. Write a short description and away you go. (Don’t forget to credit the video creator and send them a link – internet marketing karma baby).
3. Use photos
A similar idea to the video suggestion above, but this time using pictures. Grab a camera and start snapping your own pics. Or use someone else’s photos (if you’re going to look for free images online, make sure you use publicly available photos and properly credit the source).
4. Let someone else write the blog post
Who says that you have to be the one to write all the content on your blog? Get one of your staff to do it (you never know, you might find someone on your team with a hidden talent for writing). See if one of your industry connections or partners would be interested in doing a guest post for you. Or use the terrific free service over at My Blog Guest to connect with a blogger that writes about your particular industry and is looking for guest post opportunities.
5. Use lists
Ditch creative writing if you’re just not feeling inspired. Instead, do some pure research and compile a list of interesting info. Think statistics, quotes, blogs, books, tips – whatever would be interesting for your target market. “Top 10 ways to use product x” is an example of this type of blog post. You’ve probably seen alot of them around the web – they’re popular because they catch reader attention and have a tendency to go viral.
So go ahead and write something a little different on your blog than you normally do. Not only will it help to spice up your blogging routine, but you just might find that what you have posted really gets your readers going. Successful blogging is all about taking risks and experimenting. You just never know what will grab people’s attention.
Comments, likes and tweets are always appreciated! Did I mention that I LOVE your feedback?
Image source: digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
My name is Martina and I’m a 
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
These are all great Martina. I would add Podcasts in with videos. They work very well for the person who gets overwhelmed with content creation and doesn’t like being seen on video too much.
That’s another fantastic idea Robert! I haven’t done any podcasting myself yet, but it’s on my to-do list. So true that lots of people have issues with being on camera. Thanks for sharing your tip!
I’m a big fan of your suggestion number 4, “Let someone else write the blog post”. I think that inviting other voices and perspectives is one of the very best ways to add value to blogs. I’m surprised that more bloggers don’t use this as a strategy for growth, maybe it’s a control thing? – Niall
I totally agree with you Niall! Bringing in another blogger definitely helps to spice up your content and can help you cover topics that are of interest to your blog readers, but are outside of your expertise. I think that many blog owners feel a deep responsibility for their content and might hesitate to bring in another writer for fear of losing control, as you suggest, or of alienating readers with a new voice. Thanks for your comment!
Once again another extremely helpful post Martina!
I really like your five extremely practical blogging content creation tips!
Practically any serious small business owner/entrepreneur can and definitely should be taking advantage of the five strategies that you’ve shared!
And every body on some level or another can effectively utilize tip # one! because we all have more than our fair share of interesting and totally unique stories!
Thanks for sharing yet another totally excellent post!
mark recently posted..So How Does Watching American Idol Help Improve Your Small Business Marketing Plan?
You’re so right Mark! We all definitely have great stories to share 🙂 So glad the post resonated with you! Thanks for your comment.