Do you often find you don’t know what to say to your audience? You agonise over what your next blog post should be about, or what you should share on social media.
Writers block can be a right pain in the backside!
You know you need to get your content out there to build connections with your audience, but you keep drawing a blank.
You barely have enough time to write in the first place. And when you do sit down it’s like trying to squeeze the last drops of juice from a lemon.
This whole blogging lark has become this black cloud looming over you and you’re just about ready to throw in the towel.
Have I kinda, sorta hit the mark?
If so, I have a tip to help you find quick inspiration for your blog posts so you’re never left racking your brains again.
Here goes…
Blog posts filled with useful insights and tips about pets are the kind of articles that attract and engage pet parents best.
This can be an article that answers a specific problem they have, or tips on a better way to do something.
Think along the lines of “How to clean a dog’s ears” or “5 organising hacks for dog mums.”
This kind of content is searched for by dog parents on a daily basis. And not only that, it’s evergreen. Which means it doesn’t have a shelf life and will be relevant for years to come. You can carry on receiving traffic and still have this content work hard for you 10 years later.
Can you see how powerful a strategy like this can be? Compared to, for example, if you write about a dog agility event in your area, or a story about the dogs that stayed with you over the weekend. This content will only be relevant for a couple of weeks, maybe only days.
Draw on your own experiences
But as a pet business owner you likely have your own pets, right? So you’re in the perfect position to get into the minds of your customers. To think about the problems they could be struggling with.
This is the way I come up with blog titles for my articles on GoneDogMad. I think about life with my mini schnauzer Loki, and consider what knowledge I can share that could help other dog owners.
For example, with a miniature schnauzer, there’s a heavy amount of grooming required. Her coat needs to be clipped every 6 weeks. (which I do myself) The inside of her furry ears needs regular trimming, and she needs to be brushed thoroughly a couple of times a week, or she matts like there’s no tomorrow!
This is the kind of knowledge other pet parents with long-haired breeds may search for. If I provide useful advice on popular topics like these, I can start to bring more and more pet parents into my world.
As another example, we play a lot of brain games around the home to keep Loki mentally active. I also like to get crafty and make brain games for her myself. And these are ideas that may interest my audience.
So I can share a post on how I make them or how we play certain games. In fact, my post on DIY brain games is one of my most popular posts.
I’ve also taken the time to train Loki and she now knows around 30-40 different tricks. So I can offer value by creating posts giving step by step instructions on how to teach these.
If you can tie your content in to the service or product you offer, more the better. For example, create training articles if you’re a dog trainer and grooming articles if you’re a dog groomer. You get the idea!
Coming up with blog post ideas doesn’t have to be a brain-ache. Just take a look around you and think about your own experiences as a pet parent. Jump into your customer’s shoes and consider how you can provide value and make your customer’s lives a little better.
For added inspiration, you can check out other pet bloggers and businesses and see what kind of posts they’re publishing. Obviously no copying their content though! Just use it as a springboard.
Or you can check out a fabulous website over at AnswerThePublic. Here you can type in a broad search term and you’ll get suggestions for the kind of questions pet parents are asking online right now. Try it!
And if you’re thinking, Karly that’s great, but I have no idea where to start. Well, let’s chat! Hit the chat button and let’s talk about how we can make blogging work hard for your pet business.