Search engines are putting more emphasis than ever on fresh, new content. So how do you feed the content beast? That is where blog posts come in. In most industries (with the exception of marketing) a weekly post of 400 – 800 words is one of the best ways to add new, fresh, key word rich information to your site.

If you are in a business with lots of innovation and new technology, new regulations or new company news it is easy to come up with new, interesting topics to write about. But what if you are in a fairly stable industry like heating and air conditioning or carpet cleaning? How many different ways can you write about the same process.

And lets face it, if you’re bored while writing, your audience is going to be bored while reading it. So here are a few ideas to help you get out of your rut and shake things up:

• Interview a coworker. Even if you work side by side every day there may be things you don’t know about them, things which may be of interest to your clients as well. Ask them about how they do their job, things they think are interesting about the business, a funny experience they had recently or simply what they like to do on the weekend. These interview blog posts help put a personal face on your business.
• Interview a client. Chances are, you write about how you think you add value to your clients. What do they actually have to say? This doesn’t have to be self-serving; you don’t necessarily have to solicit testimonials. But ask them what it’s like to work with a company like yours. What changes has it brought to their business? What tips would they offer to people working with companies like yours? You might be surprised by their answers. Also if you get thank you notes via email or print, consider creating a periodic testimonial post.
• Look at your email. Every day you probably write email responses to questions from clients and prospects. With just a little editing to take out any personal or customer specific references you have the makings of a great blog post. The next time you get asked that same question you can simply share the link to the blog post.
• Start at the beginning. When you’ve written a blog for any period of time, there’s a temptation to go into detailed minutiae about your business, delving into every teeny quirk of your industry. But remember, most visitors to your website have never been there before. Most of your clients don’t have the same level of knowledge you do, and need reinforcement of basic concepts. Don’t be afraid to go back to entry-level information time and again.
• Go into detail. Yep, going to contradict myself within a bullet point. Big and broad can play well sometimes, but there’s also interest in finicky little oddities of your business. Dive in and explain one topic in glorious depth. Show your true passion and expertise.
• Take a break. When all else fails, you’re better off taking a week off than continuing to churn out sleepwalker content. Take a mini-vacation from your own blog. Just as you return from a real vacation refreshed and ready to go, the same might prove true of your blog. Just make sure you do come back!

Ok, time to stop reading this blog post and go out and write! Looking for more tips? Download our guide.