Ways to Find New Ideas for Blog Topics

After writing blog post after blog post, you may find yourself struggling to come up with fresh and relevant topics to elaborate on.  However, to keep your audience engaged, you need to continually generate simple yet powerful new content.  Here are some easy ways to find new ideas for your business blog.

Answer customer questions.

Your customers come to you with questions because they see you as a knowledgeable expert in the industry and value your opinion.  It’s likely lots of other people out there have the same questions as your customer.  Those questions you receive are the perfect starting point for a blog post.  There are a couple benefits to this type of post too.  First, you will establish yourself as an expert in your field.  Second, you’ll increase the chances that others will find your blog when searching for this topic and possibly earn yourself some new readers.

Photo via worthofweb.com

Read industry related blogs.

While you don’t want to completely steal other people’s blog posts, reading industry blogs can spark a new idea for a post and you can add ideas of your own to complement it.  If you see a post that you like, take the topic and discuss your own thoughts in relation to it.  Don’t forget to rovide references and data to support your thoughts.

Newsjack.

A great way to think of a new blog topic is to write a blog about a recent news story.  When something happens that makes the news, use the event to write a post.  Discuss the possible impact it may have and make a point to add value and provide additional insight to make your post stand out.

Share and discuss Infographics.

Look around for Infographics related to your blog’s focus.  Check sites like Mashable and Pinterest and upload the image, then do a brief write up on it.  You can even create your own Infographic and write a post about it too.  There are lots of reasons why your business should be using Infographics, and this is just one.

Hold an interview.

Instead of scouring online for ideas, seek a customer or thought leader who is willing to help you and discuss industry trends.  Hold a face-to-face interview or send the questions via email and use your response as content for your blog post. Interviews are nice in a lot of ways – they are also a great opportunity to collaborate with others in your industry.

An active blog with fresh content is a great way to boost your business’s bottom line.  Consider these tactics to generate more topics for content.

What techniques do you use to think of new ideas for blog content?

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Ways to Show Customers You Care in the Digital Age

Customers are the lifeblood of a successful business. Of course – any customer likes to feel appreciated – so it is important to express your thanks.  After all, a solid business is founded on good relationships so showing your clients you’re invested in them is a smart move -- it establishes trust and loyalty, pure and simple.  According to Gartner Group, 80 percent of your company’s future revenue comes from 20 percent of your current customers.  So it’s a must when it comes to customer retention and saying thanks will help you do just that.

Most businesses have the same ideas when it comes to saying thanks to their customers.  Instead of doing what the other businesses do, you need to think outside of the box to make an impression that will draw repeat business.  Here are some ways to show your customers that you care in the digital age:

Use a video to thank them

A brief video is a great way to personally thank your customers.  Address them by name and it will resonate like nothing else.  A personalized video is the equivalent on a handwritten letter in our age of digital everything.  It’s personal and unexpected and truly makes your customer feel as though they are appreciated.

Photo via onthecloud.mycroburst.com

Name drop

Thank your customer individually with a personal message or on your Facebook page.  You can even thank them in your blog or in your company newsletter.  Drop their name and it will let them know you notice them and show them that you value their business.

Brand outside of the box

It is as good of a time as any to be the business known for the cool… anything.  Skip the pens, coffee mugs and mouse pads – they’ve all been seen time and again.  What other ideas do you have?  Chances are anything you want to brand is possible.  If you give away another calendar, it is likely going to be shoved to the back of the drawer with all of the other calendars your customers already have from their dentist office and their plumber.  Brand something your customer will love – and you may even make their Facebook page too.

Handwrite a letter

In the era of digital everything, there is nothing you can do for (nearly) no cost that will make a bigger impact than sitting down and writing a thank you letter. The feeling of opening your mailbox and finding an envelope with a handwritten letter inside is unlike anything else.  Don’t underestimate the power of traditional snail mail – it can be a refreshing change from the world of technology.

You don’t have to do what all of the other businesses do when it comes to showing your sincere thanks to your customers.  Break away from the stale and unimaginative ways of expressing your gratitude and get creative.  You and your employees are likely an untapped spring of resources – you just have to dig beyond the surface to find them.

How do you show your customers you appreciate their business?

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5 Practical Reasons You Should Run Your Business Remotely

Running your company remotely is a feasible and very attractive option for many entrepreneurs.  The technological tools exist to share and collaborate on documents, you can communicate in real time and it’s attainable to meet your deadlines.  There are also many practical advantages.  Here are some reasons you should run your business remotely:

Photo via amistadbonds.com 

Lower startup costs.

This is a no brainer, but a very important advantage.  For a young company, lower overhead costs are a dream come true.  Saving on office rental and running costs allow you to hit the ground running with minimum expenses.  You can use those funds to best develop your product or service and make yourself more competitive.

Purposeful communication.

Not sharing a brick and mortar physical space doesn’t mean less communication. Often it promotes a need for more frequent and purposeful contact.  Without the ability to walk into an employee’s office at any given time or have a talk in the break room means each and every point of contact becomes essential.  Meetings have a new meaning and employees have a mutual respond for one another’s time.

Team quality.

On paper, remote working may seem like you’ll be more relaxed…and it’s a possibility with the right team.  Due to distance from your workforce, it’s essential to make the right hires.  Find a team of people that are disciplined with a strong work ethic. 

Give your employees space.

Space from your employees promotes a sense of trust.  If you have the right team, your employees can feel empowered and produce quality work, even without you breathing down their necks.  Working together, but at a distance encourages employee growth and hopefully they’ll thrive on the responsibility.

Extend your reach.

A business without a localized office gives you the ability to hire employees around the world. A global presence gives your company diversification while allow you to tap into problems with a different mindset and expose your product or serves to more markets.  Through hiring people that can’t commute to an office like working moms, you’ll see different ideas and innovation.

So many entrepreneurs live and breathe their startup. Their passion is the drive of the young business.  Sometimes being up close and personal can lead you to see problems in just one way or approach things from a specific angle.  Having some distance encourage you to look at opportunities differently.  Running your startup remotely is practical and more young entrepreneurs are seeing the undeniable benefits.

What are your thoughts on working remotely?

Lori is a work-at-home mom living in Noblesville, a suburb of Indianapolis.  She is mom to two young children and enjoys spending time watching them grow.  Lori enjoys shopping, spending time with her husband and kids, reading, and traveling.

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5 Reasons Why You Should Outsource Your Business Writing

Outsourcing used to be a bad world in the world of business, but not anymore.  If you opt not to outsource, you’re losing money and your business growth may come to a standstill.  More businesses than ever are looking for ways to make it possible to save money by outsourcing the tasks that make sense.

One area where this is especially true is in business writing. By outsourcing this writing, you loosen up the reins and delegate those tasks to professionals. 

Here are five reasons you should outsource your business writing:   

Outsourcing produces greater results.

A common misconception is that outsourcing results in inferior quality.  That’s just not true.  If you outsource to a high-quality individual or business, you’ll get the same result – high-quality and well-written work. 

Outsourcing promotes expansion.

Outsourcing also allows you to expand your services.  If you can give your customers more, you can retain more customers.  Let professionals help you in your business writing while you tackle the areas of your expertise.

Outsourcing leads to greater revenue.

Once you expand your services, you can make more money.  Plus, you make money when your outsourced employees are hard at work – work you don’t have to perform yourself.  You can have teams working on multiple projects simultaneously which means more work accomplished without the overhead traditions employees incur. 

Outsourcing allows you to focus on growing your business.

When you outsource your business writing, it leaves you to attend to other functions such as growing your business.  It frees up time so you can network and make connections that lead to better opportunities for your business.  Sometimes it’s hard to delegate tasks when you feel like you should be doing it all.  But it’s a good idea to step back, relinquish control and trust in a professional to do your writing so you can concentrate on generating income.

Outsourcing empowers you to enjoy your business lifestyle.

Many people go into business to get the life they want:  a large salary, freedom to take vacations and more time with their family.  But soon they realize that operating a business is very demanding and they don’t have time. Outsource your business writing.  It provides you with more time to enjoy your family and take vacations.

Outsourcing can build your business and increase your revenue.  At the same time, it frees up time so you can build your business and take a vacation.  While many owners take pride in having the business on their shoulders, realize that outsourcing your business writer is a smart investment you can make that will result in long-term business success.

How has outsourcing helped your business? 

Photo via backstreetmedia.com 

Lori is a work-at-home mom living in Noblesville, a suburb of Indianapolis.  She is mom to two young children and enjoys spending time watching them grow.  Lori enjoys shopping, spending time with her husband and kids, reading, and traveling. Feel free to leave her a comment.

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Are Social Media Accounts Helpful to my Business – or a Waste of Time?

As you look at your business to-do list, you may wonder if your social media efforts are really worth it, or if they’re just a waste of your valuable time. With 91 percent of online adults using social media regularly, why wouldn’t social media accounts be beneficial? I’m here to tell you that social media accounts are beneficial for businesses of any size, especially if you make it a priority to keep them active.  Focus on the big dogs of the social media network like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.   Let’s take a look at how these social marketing powerhouses are helpful when it comes to you and your business.

Facebook

If you’re hoping to create a community surrounding your brand, set up shop on Facebook. It’s a good place to seek out customer feedback and improve customer service.  Plus, Facebook business pages are a great place for reciprocal communication.  Just remember that your business page needs to be monitored and

Photo Resource: pingler.com

updated regularly.

With over a billion monthly users, it’s the biggest social media network worldwide, so the chances are your target audience is out there just waiting for you to do something that sparks their interest.  Keep in mind the key to Facebook success is to make your followers feel involved.

Twitter

Twitter has a fast-paced newsfeed that allows people to get real-time updates from the businesses they follow. It’s also a marvelous way for business owners to stay up-to-date on industry trends.

Twitter’s 140 character limitations per message make it a great source for sharing brief information, although it doesn’t do the job of building a close-knit community quite like Facebook.  Prioritize your time on Twitter and make your responses to questions or comments the first thing you address.  Stay consistently active, whether you’re sharing a blog post or a sale, in order to keep the attention of your followers.

LinkedIn

A great place to find employees and show off your expertise in the industry, LinkedIn is an account worth maintaining.  The pros of this social media account include a page that takes minimal monitoring and the lack of urgency when it comes to posting.

Use LinkedIn to showcase your business and its products and services. Your business page has a section where you can post business updates. LinkedIn is also a prime place to attract employees, make business connections or prove the legitimacy of your company.

Social media platforms all require monitoring and time to keep your customers and viewers happy.  However, the time spent is well worth it.  Social media accounts are a fun and rewarding endeavor that allow business owners to share their passion with people who are seeking the products or services they offer. 

Lori is a work-at-home mom living in Noblesville, a suburb of Indianapolis.  She is mom to two young children and enjoys spending time watching them grow.  Lori enjoys shopping, spending time with her husband and kids, reading, and traveling. Feel free to leave her a comment.

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