October 24, 2011

Top 10 Topics To Blog About



Author: Sarah Carter
Business blogging has many advantages. Blogging gives your company a chance to engage with your customers in a less formal setting than on your company website. A blog serves as an online platform for you to let your customers and potential customers in on some behind-the-scenes details about your company, highlight new products, announce special promotions and more.  It can also be great for your SEO efforts. However, just creating a blog won't do anything; you need to actually write in it, a lot. Many companies blog weekly or even daily, which means you need some great content to keep your readers interested. Are you dealing with writer's block every time you sit down to compose a blog? Here are 10 great topics to help you get started.



  • Summarize an industry-related news story. At the end of your post, link to the original news story and say something like "read the full article here." If you do this often, people will start to think of you as a resource for the latest updates in the industry, which means they'll check back often to stay in-the-know.


  • Put the spotlight on an employee or current customer. This allows others to get to know people who use your product or service as well as your employees. It humanizes the company which makes it easier for people to trust and relate to you.


  • Share details about a recent company event. Whether you want to make an announcement about when, where and why the event is happening or share photos and details about how the event went, your business blog is a great platform to do so.


  • Post a video. Create an entertaining video that pertains to your company or industry and post it on your blog with a short summary paragraph.  If you can, make it funny, people are more likely to share a funny video with friends. Funny and entertaining videos will also help keep your brand in people's minds.


  • Write a how-to post. How-to's are one of the most popular blog entries. Did you know that 80% of people who visit a blog are visiting it for the first time? This is because they were searching for information (such as how to do something) that they found on the blog. Once they're reading on your blog, they're more likely to search through your other entries, then hopefully your website.


  • Describe little known 3rd party products that work well with your product. This is useful information that your target audience (customers or potential customers) would be interested to know.


  • Answer a common customer support question. This will not only help your customers but it also shows them that you genuinely care. Potential customers will see this and instantly gain more trust in your business.


  • Highlight a product or service. If there's a particular product or service you are promoting this month, feature it on your blog. Include a photo and let your readers know how this product or service makes their life easier, healthier, happier, more successful, etc.


  • Provide tips and tricks of the trade. Share some inside information on your industry with your readers. Giving them information they find interesting or useful but can't get anywhere else is one way to get them to come back and read in the future.


  • Ask your customers' opinion. Want to know whether or not people liked your newest product? Post a few poll questions as a blog. Encourage people to leave their opinion in the comments section. It's an excellent way to get feedback about your product or service from the people who matter most, your customers. It also shows customers your company cares about what they think and you're working to ensure they have an excellent experience.

The possibilities are endless when you're coming up with things to write about for your business blog. It's important to always put yourself in your target audience's shoes. Think about what they would be interested in reading about. What kind of information would entice them to read then motivate them to share with their friends? Then start blogging! They'll appreciate your thoughtful and original content and return to read. Readers will hopefully turn into customers who will then eventually turn into advocates for your brand.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/blogging-articles/business-blogging-tips-top-10-topics-to-blog-about-5303916.html

About the Author

Local SEO service provider, Local Splash, is headquartered in Santa Ana, California. Its proprietary technology and process secure high local search engine placement for single-location businesses and national chains with a local presence.

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October 8, 2011

3 Weeks To Form A Habit

Experts agree it takes 21 days to break a bad habit and form a new one.


Bad habits are easy to make, but extremely hard to end. Good habits, on the other hand, tend to take more time to make. Luckily, scientists agree that the average person needs at least 3 weeks to form a good habit.


If you're trying to start a good habit, then you probably had a bad habit to begin with. If so,
empty your house and work space of the thing you're trying to quit, or any item that may make you want to end the habit-making process. If you want to quit smoking, get rid of cigarettes. If you want to eat healthier, get rid of most unhealthy foods in you pantry etc.

There are so many things we do in our daily lives that have become a "habit". Brushing our teeth is habit. How you answer the phone is a habit. The way you sit in the car when your driving is a habit. Have you ever tried to change the way you do something, after you've done it one certain way for so long. It's easy to do as long as your thinking about it. The minute your mind drifts to something else, you go right back to the old way of doing things. What is a "habit" anyway? It's a way of doing things that has become routine or commonplace. To change an existing habit or form a new one, can be a tedious task.

Fatigue, boredom, depression, stress can all make it difficult to stick with your program. But having a relapse isn't as important as how you deal with the relapse. If you are so devastated by failure that you call your good intentions into question, that will make habit change harder for you. But, if you allow for an occasional relapse and treat it as nothing more than a slight misstep that teaches you something, then you're on the right track.

The following are some suggestions to follow each day in order to sustain motivation and determination:

1.  Review your list of reasons for quitting or changing.

2.  Create mental pictures of yourself as having already succeeded with your habit change.

3.  Make affirmations, positive self-statements about your habit change. For example, "I am filled with so much health and vitality now that I exercise four times a week."

4.  Reward yourself. Make up a list of self-rewards. Reward yourself verbally.

Remember to take one day at a time. If you do backslide, don't label yourself as having failed. Get out your list or reasons for quitting or changing and begin again.


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