Develop a Plan for Your 2021 Blogs
One of the biggest challenges a blog writer faces is coming up with subjects. The best solution is to plan.
You probably know that C-Suite developed a calendar of blog topics for 2020. The subjects were general; for example, this month’s topic is “The Year Ahead.”
As you plan your blog topics, you may want to borrow the idea of beginning with a general theme for each month in your planning. See if that kind of structure generates ideas for individual posts.
You can also address issues that will come up based on the time of year: back to school (if ever), holidays, summer vacations, etc.
Depending on your business, you may identify other key times of the year. A company that sells gardening supplies might gear its blog posts to different stages and aspects of the growing season and, during non-growing months, focus on harvesting (herbs, for example) and planning the following year’s garden.
At this stage, you don’t want to create more than a general outline and maintain flexibility so that you can accommodate coverage of breaking news. If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that necessity.
What Blogs Do You Subscribe To?
And why? What attracted you to subscribe to them? Study these blogs. Do they have any clever tricks, innovative writing styles, engaging choice of subject matter?
If you don’t already subscribe to several blogs related to your industry or business, search for them. Choose the ones you like the most and follow them. Notice what article subjects or formats get the most attention. Read the comments. Do your research and write down what you learn.
A Model Blog
Reedsy (https://blog.reedsy.com) is a site that pairs authors with book and cover designers and other professionals. Their blog focuses on book design, book marketing, perfecting the craft of writing, news from authors, and related subjects.
If you’re a writer, run to Reedsy. Their blog is full of valuable material.
If you’re not a writer, go there anyway to study their blog. You can learn a lot from how Reedsy writers populate their blogs with interesting posts.
One valuable piece of information I acquired was this:
Reedsy likes to use numbers in their articles.
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In one blog post, they explain why they do this. They know, as you should, that using numbers, at a minimum, doubles click-through rates.
This, they theorize, is because the readers think they will get something concrete. “I will come away with five tangible methods to solve my problem.”
Therefore, if you have New Year’s resolutions about your blog, make one of them, “I will use more numbers in titles.”
Make another: “I will check in regularly at Reedsy.”
Is Your Company’s Blog a Group Project?
If not, would it benefit from more participants?
Private individuals, for example, a writer or solo entrepreneur, basically have responsibility for their blogs, although some of that responsibility can be assigned to a ghost writer.
A company blog, though, can more fully represent the business’s nature if different people, at a minimum, have input as to content and other features. Otherwise, it can become stale and repetitive.
Another Way to Get Input: Run Surveys
You can use various sites to run surveys. This can be valuable for both inhouse and general readers. Learn what people like and don’t like about the company blog. Incorporate these suggestions.
Your blog gives you a weekly, biweekly, or perhaps daily opportunity to connect with present and future clients and customers. Give it your best shot every time.
Pat Iyer blogs at patiyer.com and is the hostess of Writing to get Business, a C-Suite hosted podcast that focuses on how to write and capitalize on books.
Do you have an amazing business success you want to share? Pat Iyer has worked with experts helping them share their knowledge since she first began writing and editing books in 1985. Pat Iyer has written or edited over 800 chapters, books, case studies, articles or online courses. She delights in assisting people to share their expertise by writing a book. Pat serves as a developmental editor and ghostwriter.
Pat built a service business assisting attorneys with cases involving medical issues. After growing that business to a multi-million dollar one, after 25 years, she sold it in 2015 and now devotes her time to mentoring, writing and editing. Get tips for polishing your writing style and gaining business through the material you write: Listen to Writing to Get Business Podcast on the C Suite Radio platform.
Reach her through Patiyer.com|Do you have an amazing business success you want to share? Pat Iyer has worked with experts helping them share their knowledge since she first began writing and editing books in 1985. Pat Iyer has written or edited over 800 chapters, books, case studies, articles or online courses. She delights in assisting people to share their expertise by writing a book. Pat serves as a developmental editor and ghostwriter.
Pat built a service business assisting attorneys with cases involving medical issues. After growing that business to a multi-million dollar one, after 25 years, she sold it in 2015 and now devotes her time to mentoring, writing and editing. Get tips for polishing your writing style and gaining business through the material you write: Listen to Writing to Get Business Podcast on the C Suite Radio platform.
Reach her through Patiyer.com|Do you have an amazing business success you want to share? Pat Iyer has worked with experts helping them share their knowledge since she first began writing and editing books in 1985. Pat Iyer has written or edited over 800 chapters, books, case studies, articles or online courses. She delights in assisting people to share their expertise by writing a book. Pat serves as a developmental editor and ghostwriter.
Pat built a service business assisting attorneys with cases involving medical issues. After growing that business to a multi-million dollar one, after 25 years, she sold it in 2015 and now devotes her time to mentoring, writing and editing. Get tips for polishing your writing style and gaining business through the material you write: Listen to Writing to Get Business Podcast on the C Suite Radio platform.
Reach her through Patiyer.com
Pat built a service business assisting attorneys with cases involving medical issues. After growing that business to a multi-million dollar one, after 25 years, she sold it in 2015 and now devotes her time to mentoring, writing and editing. Get tips for polishing your writing style and gaining business through the material you write: Listen to Writing to Get Business Podcast on the C Suite Radio platform.
Reach her through Patiyer.com|Do you have an amazing business success you want to share? Pat Iyer has worked with experts helping them share their knowledge since she first began writing and editing books in 1985. Pat Iyer has written or edited over 800 chapters, books, case studies, articles or online courses. She delights in assisting people to share their expertise by writing a book. Pat serves as a developmental editor and ghostwriter.
Pat built a service business assisting attorneys with cases involving medical issues. After growing that business to a multi-million dollar one, after 25 years, she sold it in 2015 and now devotes her time to mentoring, writing and editing. Get tips for polishing your writing style and gaining business through the material you write: Listen to Writing to Get Business Podcast on the C Suite Radio platform.
Reach her through Patiyer.com|Do you have an amazing business success you want to share? Pat Iyer has worked with experts helping them share their knowledge since she first began writing and editing books in 1985. Pat Iyer has written or edited over 800 chapters, books, case studies, articles or online courses. She delights in assisting people to share their expertise by writing a book. Pat serves as a developmental editor and ghostwriter.
Pat built a service business assisting attorneys with cases involving medical issues. After growing that business to a multi-million dollar one, after 25 years, she sold it in 2015 and now devotes her time to mentoring, writing and editing. Get tips for polishing your writing style and gaining business through the material you write: Listen to Writing to Get Business Podcast on the C Suite Radio platform.
Reach her through Patiyer.com
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