10 Post Ideas For Businesses That Blog
Sticking with the ” we’re more than you think we are ” line of posts here, I’ve decided to take Chris Garrett’s tremendous post over at Performancing and expand it to show that even these 10 post ideas could be used by businesses that blog.
Hope Chris don’t mind too much, but Bob Bly has me all torqued up and now I’m in show-those-sobs mode and might just go hog-ass wild for a day or two.
1) How To - This is almost too easy. What company couldn’t benefit from showing their customers how to best use their product. Would you like them to use more of it ? Think of these phrases :
Lather-Rinse-Repeat
Brush and floss daily
For best results, use daily
2) Lists - What company wouldn’t like to show that their product is ranked highly by an unbiased listing service ? What company couldn’t benefit from listing the 107 best uses for their product ? How many times have you seen an ad that shows which truck manufacturer had been given ‘ Best In Class ‘ ? How many different uses are there for baking soda ? Why do you think they show you all those uses ? So you try ‘em all and c-o-n-s-u-m-e more of their product.
3) Campaign - Use a blog post to rile up consumers aginst your competitior or to get them behind you as you go to battle for them. How many corporate blogs were used to tell the public about all that individual companies were doing for the victims of Katrina ?
4) Interview - Another easy one. want me to get riled up enough to part with my dollars ? Interview some of your current customers. Interview my favorite singer and let me and 1,037,942 other people submit the questions, then allow us to listen to the interview or download a transcript. Sold !
5) Review - Put up a site for reviews of your product. DO NOT moderate out the bad posts - fix the flaw. We don’t believe anything is perfect, not even my new putter. But it’s damn close !
6) Case Studies - Got room on your blog for a few case studies ? Good, that means more sales. Gimme the down and dirty facts…all of them, and I’ll buy more readily.
7) Research Results - Same thing as case studies. Give me all the facts and don’t gloss over any imperfections. Why not leave out the bad parts, you ask ? You need to read some of the writings of John E. Powers, probably the first professional copywriter. Wrote a sales letter a day and got $100 a day in 1880. That’s big money for 1880. Hell, a lot of people don’t make that today.
What’s New, Trends - Keep up with your industry and let me use your blog as the place to go for news and info. Aggregate everything, make it readable, filter it and then call me to the table to eat. Don’t make me look all over the place, become my go-to guy.
9) Attack ! - Attack your market and become it’s daddy ! Take over the joint. When you walk in, find the biggest guy in the place and slap the hell out of him. If he don’t get up, you’re the man. If he does, keep your hands up and look for the door !
Seriously, this doesn’t really fit for businesess, but 9 ideas wasn’t as good looking as 10.
10) Ask The Audience - Want to know what your market really wants your product to do ? Want to know what part of the market isn’t being served ? Want to know which product to bring to market next ?
ASK YOUR CUSTOMERS !
Don’t know how to do this ? Ask me. I’ve got a great script to use and all we need is a list or enough traffic to run past our page to find out what they will pay for and we’re golden.
Thanks for the inspiration, Chris and thanks to Bob Bly for getting me all torqued up enough to break out this post.
Somebody jump in here and add to the conversation, I’ve gotta go take a cool shower and calm down.
{ 21 comments… read them below or add one }
Great post. You should get torqued up more often, I’m digging it.
Thanks Brian. I believe that’s a first for my simple little blog.
Aw! Mike,
You never take credit for when you do the spectacular! This one is outstanding.!
I’d take credit, but nobody reads this mess and if they do, I don’t move them to massive amounts of comments like you do.
In the end, massive amounts of comments are just that, massive ammounts of comments.
Mike,
This is great! I’ve bookmarked it for later reference.
And thank-you very much for introducing me to John E. Powers. Another keeper.
cat
You’re right Liz, as usual.
You’re welcome Cat. And thanks for coming by and for joining in.
Mr. Powers, along with Claude Hopkins, David Ogilvy John Caples , Richard Benson and several others are more than worth the time it takes to find their work.
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Posted on
Monday 10 July 2006
10 Post Ideas For Businesses That Blog (tags: Blogs Blogging Content Ideas Writin [...]
OK Mike, since this was so good (indeed it was), how about taking this one on: “10 Post Ideas for Middle-Aged Excecutives Who Blog” . I have a friend who needs the advice ;-). All the best.
Okay Starbucker, that may be my first official challenge and I may have to call in the A-Team, but I accept the challenge and will do my best.
Thanks for definitely adding to this conversation !
[...] July 12th, 2006
10 Post Ideas For Businesses That Blog A great post on Simplenomics, found via Successful Blog, talks about what Businesses can blog abo [...]
Great post!
Thanks Chad !
Thanks Mike, I especially liked the case study idea as well as the “ask your customers.” This is a keeper.
Thanks for the comment, Ellen. I needed a boost and you gave it to me !
Mike - you star, you legend
Not your normal, dry (aka dullish) list post - you’ve added your own sense of style.
This one’s printed up and placed in my own private swipe file folder, it’s that good.
Thanks Martin !
I’m batting about .300 with enough Home Runs and plenty of RBI’s, so I’ve got a chance at the Hall Of Fame if I keep it up for 20 years.
[...] ies; 7) Research Results;
What’s New, Trends; 9) Attack !; 10) Ask The Audience; via [ [...]
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[...] what I would have expected! Tech Tags: marketing video youtube godin seth List of the Day: 10 Post Ideas File it under “oldie but goodie” — 10 great [...]
[...] t Ideas for Business bloggers. Go on over and check it out. Click the shot to get there. This one is a classic. Thanks, Mike! I’m going now to print it out. ̵ [...]
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