If you're like most people who start a blog, you initially have a bit of writer's block. Good news- it will likely go away, and you'll find yourself thinking of new things to blog about frequently. In fact blogging becomes quite addictive. This was certainly true of me. When I began blogging, I would often struggle with things to blog about. Now, I have the problem of not having enough time to post on all the things I want to talk about! Here are a few tips to get you through that initial dry spell until you find your blogging voice. 1) Subscribe to other blog feeds for your industry/target market. If you have a blog about babies and toddlers, you'll want to have other similar (preferably high traffic) blogs on your RSS reader. It's a good way to keep abreast of what's going on in the collective consciousness of people. Just do a Google search for blog + topics of choice, and you'll come up with plenty. Keeping up with other blogs in your niche means that you can link to their posts (and you should always link to a blog that inspires your own post!) and add your own "spin" on the subject. 2) Look at trade magazines and newspapers in your niche Again, going back to the baby/toddler theme, read parenting magazines. Magazines are a great place to look for inspiration...the articles are mostly short, pithy, "quick fix" and solution oriented (similar to blog posts). They also change to reflect what's going on in the world and with your target market. Keeping up with the news is also a good idea...you can find news feeds to add to your RSS reader too. When something is happening in the world that impacts your target market, blog it. 3) Keep a notebook (or file on your desktop) of blog fodder When a thought or sentence hits you, write it down immediately. These sentences can be lengthened into blog posts (and later lengthened into articles...that's another ecourse!). The more you do this, the more aware you will become of the unlimited topics you can blog about, even in your niche. 4) Milk Your Content If you're publishing a newsletter and write articles, then blog a short intro paragraph along with a link to the rest of the content on your website. 5) Product Reviews Review products that you've tried and books you've read that relate to your niche. Anything that would help your blog readers make a decision (and we all need that help in a world with too many choices!) is a good thing. 6) Involve Your Visitors Your newsletter subscribers and blog readers can be marketing partners and content generators for you! How? When they email you with a question, ask their permission to post it (along with the answer) on your blog. May you soon find yourself in the predicament of so many blog posts, so little time! |
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