Are you tired of writing blog posts only to have nobody read or engage with them?
Who knew writing blogs could be so hard?
Sitting down and writing about a new topic every week or month that will grab your reader’s attention is easier said than done. Do you feel like you’re going crazy trying to come up with this week’s blog post? Are you dreading the idea of writing it?
I’m going to let you in on a little cheat. Ever wonder how magazines and other publications always have such interesting things to write about day in and day out? Writers and journalists strive to write about things that will be of the most interest to their audience. And to do that, they ask themselves these 7 questions before publishing anything.
1 Does it impact your audience?
What’s the significance of what you want to share? Is this important or interesting to a large number of people in your community, state, country or the world? The broader the impact, the more people will want to read about it.
2 Is it of local interest?
If you’re running a small pet business and you the majority of your business in-person, then this is a big one. People like to be engaged in their community, and they like businesses that care about things on a local level. So if your business is participating in a local event, charity, etc., be sure to let your blog readers know about it.
3 How long ago did it happen?
Not everything you write about on your blog is breaking news. You’ll probably want to write articles on trends, best practices, pet care, etc., and these things aren’t time sensitive. But if you can work trending topics into your content you can give your blog a little bump in traffic every now and again.
4 Is it important?
Are you having a grand opening event and the local mayor is attending? Are you hosting an event featuring influential business owners? Did you win an award from the governor? Events that involve well-known individuals or organizations can make something interesting to read. Other topics that may fall into this category are important issues, or topics that you think your audience wants to read about.
5 Is there a conflict?
Does your business stand for a cause or purpose? Let your audience know about it! If you’ve done the homework on your best customer, it’s likely they’ll feel the same way as you. Join the conversation by voicing your belief in important causes.
6 Is it weird?
Make note of the three “U’s”: unexpected, unusual and unorthodox. Think about your Facebook feed for a second. What were the last 5 articles that you clicked on? Most people have some variety, but it’s hard to not click on that blog post with 7 cats wearing kitty wigs.
7 Is it humanizing?
This is the story where a man saves a puppy from a storm drain, or someone overcomes adversity to achieve his or her dreams. Are you doing anything that people would find entertaining or enlightening? Is your organization changing people’s lives? Do you have a tearjerker moment to share?
Long Story Short
So before you go to outline your next blog post I want you to think about these 7 questions. Think about how many of these points you can touch on with your next blog post. And if you’re still having a little trouble getting started with your next blog post, try browsing trade publications, association blogs and other pet business resource to get ideas. You’ll be amazed at how they can charge your next great idea.
