7 Easy Ways to Create Quality Content for Your Blog Posts

As a solopreneur, there are a lot of new and exciting steps to take to launch yourself into cyberspace and share your expertise with the world. Yes, you ARE an expert. And an e-newsletter or blog is one of the most simple means to share your expertise and earn your EXPERT status from your readers. That being said, I often hear this question from my clients: “How the heck do I put together content for a blog or an e-newsletter? I don’t have a degree in journalism!” Well, guess what? I have a few suggestions on how to get your creativity flowing and to help catapult you on your road to creating valuable content for your clients and prospects. -Look at the questions or struggles that your clients are bringing to you on a regular basis. (Did you notice the topic of this post?) The fact that you are reading this post right now shows that this is a reputable way to create valuable and relevant content for your target market! By addressing a common need or concern of your current clients, you are able to address the same need or concern for your prospects and other clients. It’s a win-win. -Keep it simple. People are drawn to short, concise articles. They want to know “7 easy steps…” or “5 ways to…” or “10 methods for…”. Have you ever found yourself reading an article titled, “283 ways to make more money?” Of course you haven’t! In my opinion, anything above the number 10 needs to be seriously reconsidered. Odd numbers tend to work best, too (except for the number 10). I advise my clients to keep the “tips” or “tricks” or “tools” to a manageable number. We live in an overwhelmed and overloaded society so please do your part and keep it simple for your clients and prospects. They will thank you for it. -What meetings, events, or books have you read lately? There is absolutely no need to re-create the wheel. Share your key take-aways or learnings and your audience will be incredibly appreciative. -Share success stories from your current clients. Who are they? What is the name of their business? What have they accomplished as a result of working with you? BAM! There is your relevant and valuable content! -Read industry publications to see what topics are “hot” right now. Offer your opinion, share your experiences relating to the topic and you will quickly find that your readers are engaged in the content you are sharing. -Send your current customers or prospects an email asking them what questions are on their mind. You can create an article about each topic or question that they have…if you get 10 responses, you have 10 different posts or articles to put together. -Interview people who are of interest to your clients. I recommend that you stay away from interviewing someone that is in the exact same line of work as you and instead look to someone who has a complimentary set of skills or knowledge that will benefit your target market. Many times, interviewee’s will even answer questions via email – so it is incredibly simple to conduct the interview and then compile the responses for your article. What methods have you found to be most successful for creating relevant and meaningful content for your target audience? Which of these ideas will you utilize first?