Lately, our clients have been asking us what makes up a good blog post and how can they get some inspiration for creating interesting and relevant content.
What is Good Content?
What is going on in your industry right now? Look for interviews given by leaders, tips, opinion pieces, research, news, and posts from bloggers. Who are the main players in your field? What are their positions for popular issues? What context can you provide?
These all can spur ideas for your posts. While you might not be “scooping” big news, you should concentrate on generating thought leadership by stating your own view of what’s going on.
Finding Stories
- Become a Feeds Junkie: subscribe to leading newspapers, industry rags, and blogs in your field using a feed reader like Google Reader, Bloglines, or NewsGator
- Be Alert: actively monitor your world with Google Alerts, Technorati, Blogpulse, TailRank
- Get Social: see what others think is unique with Digg, Reddit, Netscape, Del.icio.us, Stumble Upon, and Furl
- Get a Nose for News: keep on top of big issues with news aggregators like Google News, Techmeme, Megite, Newsvine, and Topix
Then, go beyond the news and try to describe your own experiences, interests, expertise, case studies, etc. Personal stories can often resonate with your readers.
How Do You Know Your Content is Good?
Whatever metrics you are tracking, it’s easy to see what posts are bringing traffic, what stories are generating comments, and if your blog is getting any inbound links. These numbers can easily demonstrate that your content is making an impact.