Published:

02/24/2013 07:32pm

7 Blog Ideas for Green Businesses

Stuck on what to write about next for your blog? Consider these questions and let the ideas flow!

1 - Why do you do what you do? Did you experience an illness or health concern that got you started? Was there a specific childhood experience or tradition that you loved? Be personal, but then expand on how individuals can take their own personal experiences and grow from them. Look for statistics and facts related to your experience to include in your blog. For example, 'A Gluten Free Diet Is Not The End Of The World' or 'Teaching Your Children To Love The Outdoors.'

2 - How did you get started? What was your personal journey like? As it relates to your product or service, provide basic step by step suggestions on how individuals can get started. Use your personal experience as a starting point and then translate this into how this experience could help others. Perhaps it's '5 Tips For Eating More Greens', or '7 Steps to Healthier Lunches', or '10 Easy Games to Play Outdoors'.

3 - What questions do you always get from friends/family and customers? Sit down and think about what questions you get asked the most. Talk to a friend or family member who is not as familiar with what you do and find out what information they find most interesting. When you are selling to customers keep a clipboard and record any questions asked. Answer these questions in your blog. If possible dedicate one blog to each question. Turn the question into a statement to create a title for your blog post.

4 -Have you told your customers about your individual products or services? Pick one and write about it. Why do you offer this item? How do people use it? What benefits does it offer versus mainstream options? How long does it last? What kind of feedback do you get about it? Be sure to include a photo and avoid being 'salesy'. Keep it informational with a touch of promotion.

5 - How does your product or service fit in with an upcoming event or season? For example, consider holidays - Christmas, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Thanksgiving, etc. Or consider the seasons - Spring/Summer/Fall/Winter. Would your product or service make a perfect gift at one of these times? What kind of production activities do you take throughout the year and which ones are impacted by the seasons?

6 - What facts or research could you share? For example, would your followers find information about the Dirty Dozen vegetables helpful? Do they know about the top chemicals to avoid in personal care products? If you sell second hand clothes, what are the current fashion trends? Some of this information can be negative - balance it with positive information or suggestions. Don't forget to clearly recognize the source of any statistics or quotes.

7 - Think about your day. As you go through your day, why do you make the choices you do? Eg. If you are a food coach - What do you eat for breakfast and why? What did you pack in your child's lunch? If you sell cloth diapers, did the sunny warm weather this week prompt you to hang diapers outside to dry? What kind of hanging system do you use, and how long did it take for them to dry? As with any post, use your personal experience as a starting point to generate ideas and then write the post as it would apply to your followers.

Providing information through a blog helps you share your story and is very educational for your followers. As your customers increase their knowledge so will their loyalty to your products and services.

Susan Ratz of Milkweed Marketing specializes in providing virtual marketing support for green inspired businesses. Her business background, as well as her marketing and not-for-profit experience help small business owners find and keep customers while generating more revenue. Get Susan's free report "7 Online Marketing Trends Green Inspired Businesses Need to Know" at http://www.milkweedmarketing.com