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I’ve been seeing all sorts of declarations across the web that small business owners have resolved to “write more blog posts” or “create a blog” for my business this year. Either of those is a great goal depending on where you are in your business. But you have to make sure you don’t start out and then go bust.

That happens to a lot of small business owners when they decide to create regular content by adding a blog to their web site. Things move along really great for a while (a few days, a few weeks, or a few months) and then it dies. And that’s not a good thing. 

There are a lot of different resources for creating content on your blog. And you’ll want to make sure you’re prepared in advance for the day when you run out of ideas. (Trust me, it will happen.)

I was thrilled last week when Small Business Trends published 100+ SMB Blogging Ideas to Kick Start 2010. This is a comprehensive list of ideas you should keep handy to help you come up with topics to create content for your blog. But there’s one small problem. Having an idea and being able to write about it are two different things. And that’s where most people fall short.

So how do you turn an idea into blog content when there are no words in your head? There are several different ways. Here are a couple of my favorites.

1. Use Free Reprint Articles

Free reprint article directories like EzineArticles.com are packed with quality articles that you can reprint on your site. The only requirements are that you do not edit the article in any way and that you include the author’s resource box at the end (including any links the author has included). This is a win-win situation.  The author gets free advertising. You, the publisher, get free content. But there are some drawbacks to using free reprint articles.

>> Sharing the same exact article as everyone else on the web makes your blog content look like other sites. If you use this approach, make sure you write an introduction to the article, and preferably a wrap-up statement or recommendation at the end.

>> Sometimes it can be tough to find quality content. Gone are the days of grabbing any old free reprint article. It might take some time to find just the right article that will fit with your blog.

2. Use Private Label Rights (PLR) Articles

This is one of my favorites! PLR articles are usually written by a ghostwriter and sold to a limited number of website owners. You have the freedom to edit the articles and publish them without being required to link back to anyone or give credit for writing them. You become the expert when using PLR articles.

PLR articles give you a lot of flexibility and they’re affordable too. You can customize the articles, tweak them for your market, insert examples, photos or case studies and publish them on your website — or you can just use them as they are. These articles are a ton of help to many people. One of the biggest stumbling blocks to creating blog content is the “blank piece of paper” syndrome. It’s much easier for most people to start writing when there’s already words on the paper (so to speak).

So, how do you find a good PLR service? Simple. Find a PLR site that’s been around for a while that offers professionally written and edited content that’s sold in limited quantities. That will ensure you’re not getting recycled PLR, and are getting your hands on top-quality content.

My favorite place is EasyPLR.com. They’ve been offering the best niche PLR article packs on the web since 2006. They have a great reputation and thousands of happy, repeat customers. The articles are really good quality.

>> Content is written by professional writers on staff and edited by an additional staff member.

    >> Articles have limited availability and are low cost. You aren’t sharing the articles with thousands of other people and it won’t break your bank account.

      >> Great reputation. Thousands of happy, repeat customers over the years.

        >> Run by respected internet marketer Nicole Dean. (Who runs her business by her gut and her ethics, not strictly by her pocketbook!)

          >> Excellent customer support. When you need help, they are there for you.

          I’m a customer at EasyPLR.com and have been very happy with the article content and quality. It’s saved me a few times when writer’s block has clogged up my brain.

          If you need to create content for your blog, I highly recommend you check out EasyPLR.com today (before you run out of ideas and let your blog die a slow death).

          Have you used PLR articles? What do you think?

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          More on this topic:

          1. The Best Ways To Promote Your Online Store
          2. A Business Blog – Where Do I Start?
          3. A Customer Loyalty Program Can Be A Recession Buster
          4. Creating Loyal Customers Can Sustain Your Business
          5. Are Your Small Business Fundamentals In Shape?



          4 Comments » This entry was posted on Sunday, January 10th, 2010 at 8:35 am and is filed under Small Business Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. -->

          Disclosure: I love providing tips, tactics and tools to small business owners and entrepreneurs like you who take the time to stop by looking for help. The information I provide on this site is free, but is often supported by external products. Please be aware that some links you click on from this site could result in me being paid a commission. Also know that I will never steer you toward anything I do not believe in. Thank you for your support. :-)

          4 Responses to “Ideas to Help You Create Content for Your Blog”

          1. Darren
            Twitter: darenslaughter
            Says:

            Found you doing a search for small biz advertising. You have a nice little blog here Denise! You have a new reader!
            -Darren

          2. deniseoberry
            Twitter: deniseoberry
            Says:

            Thank you Darren. Welcome to my world! Appreciate you taking the time to stop by and comment.

          3. Adam Wood
            Twitter: SocialBootstrap
            Says:

            I think using content mills like easyplr or ezinearticles.com is big mistake. Duplicate content at best provides no SEO value, and can hurt you in Search rankings.

            Apart from SEO, there’s humans. And most content mill articles read like content mill articles. Humans aren’t that interested in a lame “six important things to know about X” article that has no blood in it. People want personality, opinions, interest, innovation, creativity.

            I spend more time on this in my blog post about different types of web content. Check it out:
            http://www.socialbootstrap.com/thought-leadership-content/

          4. deniseoberry
            Twitter: deniseoberry
            Says:

            Adam — Thank you for your thoughts. I agree that you have to be very careful about where you get an private label rights articles. Some of them are regurgitated trash. I’ve had really good luck getting good quality content from EasyPLR. The secret to using plr successfully is to add your voice and your personality to the content – change it up, make it yours. Anyone who is using plr to just slap content in their blog is making a big mistake. It should be used as a starting point and customized, not as an ending point.

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