Publishing articles & content on blogs, forums is the ideal opportunity to showcase your business. By sharing your knowledge and expertise, you build credibility as an expert, while spreading the word about your services and products.
While I’m sure that sometimes you have dozens of content ideas, I bet other times you find yourself staring at a blank computer screen… Here are 10 quick-witted (and smart) content ideas for when you’re in a pinch!
- Give real-life success stories: Describe a problem you’ve solved for a client/customer, and use that as a springboard to offer more general advice. Show your readers how you’ve helped customers address challenges — “case studies” if you will. This positions you as the expert in your readers’ minds more than coming out and saying so.
- Think of three areas in which you’d like your clients to think of you as a resource: Now develop content in those areas. For example, as a professional content writer, I really enjoyed writing for Websites. To help encourage my clients and prospects to hire me for these projects, I published several articles on how to write Web copy that sells. Simple, isn’t it ?
- Read industry publications for ideas. Are there any hot issues in your field right now? The more controversial, the better. Don’t be afraid to offer your own opinion — your readers want to know it. After all, YOU are the expert in their eyes.
- Jot down 8 questions your clients have asked you in the past: You know, the ones they ask you over and over. Answer each in a short article. If you publish weekly, that’s two months’ worth of content, right off the bat! And if you can’t think of any questions, send all your current clients/customers a quick email, asking them what topics they’re most interested in learning more about.
- Learnt anything lately from an industry conference, workshop, seminar, or an insightful article? No one says you have to reinvent the wheel of information! Pass on any gems of advice you’ve learned elsewhere — just give them full attribution. Or give your opinion of the event or article itself. Your readers will appreciate your honesty.
- Offer a list of your top 5 or 10 tips on a certain subject: It’s much easier to bang out a list of tips than to put together a real article. Of course, the tips can evolve into an article if you wish! Be sure to list your best tip first, or at least close to the top. (If you “fire your biggest gun” last, you risk losing your audience before they get to the good stuff.)
- Interview associates whose expertise would interest your readers: (While not competing with yours). E-mail interviews are incredibly easy to do. Just send your interviewee 3 to 5 questions via e-mail, edit their answers, and have them approve the final version. Be sure to give them a short plug in your article as a thank you. (A one- or two-sentence description of their business and their Web address should be fine.)
- Recommend books and resources that you use, and offer full reviews on them: After all, don’t forget they are looking up to you as an expert and anything you recommend they will trust! So be as honest as possible in your reviews.
- Invite clients or readers to write you with their own questions, and answer one in each issue: Right after their question, publish the person’s name, business, and Web address, with their permission. They’ll enjoy the attention and free publicity!
- Invite readers to send in profiles: Ask them to tell you about themselves — their names, businesses, locations, and how they use the information gained in your article. Feature one profile in each issue or one every few issues.
One last note: Keep in mind that if your articles main objective is to get you more clients and customers by sharing your knowledge – you end up being the expert! Remember our main goal is to continually showcase ‘you’ (what does ‘you’ mean ? your business, product or services, whatever your goal is!