Freelance Business Writing

My last post talked about where to get ideas for your business blog. As I discussed my ideas, I noted that there are two main types of blogs used for business marketing – the how-to and what I like to call the “current events” blog.  

In the current events type of blog, writers comment on happenings that pertain to their business, their products and services, or events that might be of interest to their target demographic. For example, mortgage blogs are all over the current discussion as to whether Canada is or is not in a recession. (I know because I write a mortgage blog).  

For some businesses, like mine, the current events blog is not entirely applicable. As a copywriter, I rarely encounter breaking news that requires immediate sharing with the readers of my blog. But I do know where to find current news, and here are some tips for those of you who are stymied.  

• Google News – Have I mentioned that I love Google? If not I will be sure to do so in a future post about Google Analytics. To get to Google news, just go to your Google domain (google.ca for us Canucks) and click the News link at the top. Enter the topic of interest in the search box and Google will bring you the latest headlines. If you need a regular feed of current news items, search the pane on the left for the News Alerts link and set up an alert to have Google send you headlines on a daily, weekly or as-it-happens basis. Be warned that too many alerts will clog your Inbox and drive you nuts, but judicious use of this fabulous tool can be really helpful.
• Social News Sites – I personally use Digg, but there are many others out there, StumbleUpon and Reddit included. All of these sites provide links to new and cool information. They are searchable by category and keyword and rated according to popularity among their community of users. A lot of what you find will not necessarily relate to your business, or business in general, but you can find some valuable, useful and well-written articles and sites.
• Your Favourite Newspapers – Every national and local paper has a Website. Just check the sections that pertain to you. A couple of warnings: this method is not as efficient as Google News and it can lead to many distractions as you stumble upon stories that are too interesting to ignore but not at all relevant to your business.
• Other Blogs – Yes you want your blog’s content to be totally original, but you can still get news from others. If you see an interesting post, explore it online. See what others are saying and then offer your own opinion in your blog.   

There are lots of ideas out there. All you need to do is find them and get in the habit of commenting on them once or twice a week. Luckily, the searching is made easier by some really easy-to-use sites.