Most companies have heard about the importance of keeping a blog on their website. The blog offers the opportunity to communicate and develop a relationship with potential clients, keep the websites fresh, and showcase industry knowledge. Coming up with regular topics and blog posts, however, can be easier said than done. Here are five techniques to develop excellent, engaging blog topics on a regular basis.

Informational Posts

These posts will work to answer common client questions or provide useful advice and information. Great topics can be found by perusing sites like Yahoo! Answers or Quora to see questions people have about the industry. Format the posts as a question and answer, myth versus fact, tips, ‘do’s and don’ts,’ or in another engaging layout.

Industry News

Help keep clients updated with industry news briefs, perhaps with a bit of analysis to help them make sense of it. Set up a Google News Alert or use Google Trends to help keep an eye on current events and receive an automatic notification when important news is released so your site can be one of the first to report on it.

Internal News/Announcements

When there are company changes like exciting new hires, internal changes, awards or recognition, or other interesting tidbits, make a post about it. These types of posts also help to build the relationship between the client and the company by making the blog a bit more personal.

Experience

Draw directly on past experience within the industry to offer wisdom and insight. Case studies, question and answer posts, success stories, and related pieces can help to demonstrate the company’s knowledge. These can also be a great advertising tool since the company can show the victories they have had with other clients without coming across as too sales oriented.

Lists

These posts can cover a wide range of information and typically follow a format such as “top five mistakes,” “top ten reasons,” or “three ways to get started”. These posts are easy for audiences to follow and give them step by step instructions to accomplish a goal. This style tends to be very popular with audiences and is great for expanding readership.

Writer’s block can afflict even the most seasoned writer. Fortunately, following these five tips will help keep your blog posts full of excellent, streaming content.