15 Ideas for Your Business Blog

Blogging can be a great way to draw new customers to your business website. But if your blog hasn't been updated in months or all your posts are thinly disguised sales pitches, your blog marketing plan could backfire.

A great business blog doesn't sell. Instead, it shows customers why they should do business with you and not your competitors.

Here are 15 types of blog posts from entrepreneur.com that can draw new visitors and help build customer relationships.

1. Customer success story. When you receive a great testimonial from a customer, ask for permission to turn it into a post. Use the post to solicit more customer stories.
2. Mention a popular post. If you notice a post by a popular blogger in your niche getting a lot of attention, add your viewpoint and link to the original post. Be sure to let that A-list blogger know about your comment and link.
3. Disagree with a popular opinion. Get traffic by stirring up controversy and taking a contrary position.
4. Riff on the news. How are current events affecting your customers? Run a Google Alert on certain keywords related to your business or industry to find relevant news items to discuss.
5. Compile a link roundup. If you notice several interesting opinions on a topic, you can pull them together into a single post of the best ideas.
6. Play off the familiar. Mention a celebrity or a pop culture touchstone and your readers will instantly relate.
7. Answer the questions everyone is asking. An FAQ post shows you're responsive and saves customers time.
8. Pose your own question. What would you like to know about your customers? Just ask, and let your readers create the content.
9. Talk about trends. You convey authority when you tell how things are evolving in your industry.
10. Discuss future plans. Give readers a sneak peek at what you'll do in the coming year to start generating interest.
11. Review a book. If you've read a book you think customers might like, give it a write-up.
12. Review a product or service. This shouldn't be one of your own products or services or a direct competitor's offering, but rather a related item your customers might want to learn about.
13. Comparison test. Provide even more value by comparing two or more related products or services.
14. Post a video. Create variety with a video post. You can give a sneak preview of a new product or show a promotional event.
15. Make a podcast. Record a quick interview with an expert, or just give a few of your own useful tips.

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