Business Blogs

If you read blogs on a regular basis, you’ll probably notice that popular or well established bloggers often take the time to interact with their readers, in the comments section or by replying to emailed questions.   There’s no doubt that one of the things that differentiates writing for the web from traditional media - on the net, your readers can (and will) participate, respond, and offer their own viewpoints.

I’ve written before about how bloggers should take the time to answer questions from their readers, but it’s also possible to use questions as more fodder for your blog. Here’s a list of five ways to use Q&A’s to beat blogger’s block.

1.   Reply to a reader-submitted question in the form of a post.  If one of your readers makes an interesting inquiry through email, chances are they aren’t the only one who could benefit from reading the answer.   You don’t necessarily have to post the entire exchange, but writing a post as a follow-up to a query can be an excellent to interact with your readers while adding compelling content to your blog.

2. Answer a real life question.   Are there a few questions that customers and clients ask on a regular basis?   Create a FAQ for them.   Did someone ask you a really intriguing question?  Write a response to them on your blog, where you can be more thoughtful and detailed than you can in person (plus you can link to sources).

3.  Respond to another blogger. Bloggers often pose questions to their readers. If you come across a good one that inspires you to write a lengthy comment, try making it into a post instead.  Don’t forget to link to the original question so that the other blogger and readers can follow the conversation through trackbacks.   Also, check out forums that are related to your niche and make note of any common questions, because they might make good blog posts.

4.  Follow up on search engine queries.   Look at your stats and the search terms that brought traffic to your blog.   Are there any relevant questions there?  If you consistently rank for search terms that ask who, what, where, when, why, or how, write a post or two responding to them.

5.   Turn the tables and answer yourself.   Is there something that you recently looked up?   Did you find an excellent resource or come across something great in the course of your research?   Others in your niche may have the similar questions and appreciate it when you share your findings.

Next time you find yourself suffering from blogger’s block, think about the questions you’ve recently asked and answered, and you may find yourself overflowing with ideas. You could even answer a more complex question with a whole series of posts.   Besides, responding to your readers and other bloggers sends a positive message of openness, helpfulness, and general goodwill.   Now, do you have any questions?