Blogging 101: What should you write about? Part 3 of 3

This article first appeared on XFactor Collective’s Campfire Community blog.

So, you’re convinced that it’s a good idea to write (or record) a regular blog (yay!) and you know the key things to include (if not, check out our recent post for a checklist).  

So, what you should write about?

As every organisation is different, and every content marketing strategy is different, we can’t suggest exact topics. But there are a few tried and tested methods for coming up with blog ideas.

One of the most effective is develop what we call content pillars. These are essentially themes or buckets or categories that can help you decide what to write, organise your thoughts and your content marketing strategy and ensure you stay on message – and on-brand – for your organisation. Some examples of content pillars are:

• How to guides
• In the media articlesFAQs
• Things / people that inspire you
• Your community
• Educational
• Industry insights or trends
• Common mistakes
• Fun and frivolous (be cautious with this – it will depend on the kind of organisation you are!)

There are plenty of other options too, depending on what you’re trying to achieve. You could choose to think about it in terms of audiences, or in terms of your clients’ challenges.

Establish between three and five pillars that your blogs will fall under and stick to these pillars. It’s okay if you break the mould every now and again but around 90% of the time you should be looking to your content pillars to guide what you’re writing about, and the style of piece that you write – either tips, or long-form analytical pieces, or case studies etc. You can change it up but a degree of consistency helps your writing and makes it easier for your audience too.

Over time, people will come to associate your brand and website with specific types of information on certain topics and you will become their go-to source when they need a question answered or when they’re looking for insight in a particular area. This will also help to keep your blog content organised and in line with your overall marketing strategy.

WRITING PROMPTS

Still not sure what to write about? Here are some prompts that might help to generate blog ideas or even figure out what your content pillars should be:

• Education
  • Think about the common questions you get from customers or clients and answer them.
  • ‘How to’ guides, step by step guides, comprehensive guides to XYZ: leverage your knowledge and expertise. (Just like this one 😊)
  • What were your ‘aha’ moments in relation to your product, service or business?
  • What mistakes do you see people making in your area of expertise? Share some insights on how to avoid them – or what to look out for.
• Reflection
  • Write about a time you switched up your approach. What lessons did you learn? What was the outcome?
  • Has a film, podcast or book sparked new thoughts on a topic related to your work?
  • Look back on your career journey. What do you wish you had known sooner?
  • Share your perspective on a topical issue (as long as it has some relevance to your business).
  • Explore trends or common misconceptions that exist in your industry.
• Celebration
  • Write about a project you’ve just finished. What did you learn? Would you do anything differently?
  • Write about any awards or achievements in your business.
  • Celebrate your clients’ wins and highlight any role you may have played in their achievement. You could even interview them, so you get them telling people how much you helped!
  • Celebrate the talents, milestones and expertise of your staff and team members.

Remember, blogging is about reinforcing your credentials and making sure people know that you can help them solve problems within your area of expertise, people back to your services If you want help, you can book in session and we’ll be only too happy to chat to you.

There are lots more ways to think about content generation, but hopefully these few tips will get you thinking. If you have questions or want to book in some time to help you develop your ideas further or create a content plan, get in touch via our profile page.