Start a blog, they said. It will be great for your small business brand and get you more visibility, they said. So you started a blog, and now, a couple of posts in, you’ve run out of things to write about already.
Sound familiar? Maybe you’ve read the posts other businesses write on their blogs and wonder why you can’t be inspired like them.
Don’t panic! We’ve listed below some top tips on how to come up with ideas for your small business blog.
Seven ideas for your business blog post
1. Create how-to guides or posts about using your product or service
Create a short guide on how to use your product or service. Or create a blog post helping them with a problem related to your business. For example, if you make kitchen benchtops you could post on how to care for the different types of top. Or, if you are a plumber, you might offer five ways to detect if you have a water leak. This type of post is good because it shows you are an expert in what you do. It can also appeal to people searching for answers to a general problem – like how to find a leak. If they can’t fix the problem themselves, they might become your customers if your blog post has got their attention.
2. Write about something topical
It’s a good idea to keep an eye on news and trends related to your industry. You can often piggyback off general trends and then tie them back to your business. If you are a locally based business, then keep an eye on local news and use your blog to publicise local events or issues.
3. Let your team loose on your blog
If you have team members who are willing to have a go, then why not let them write a post for you? They could write about their background, give a behind-the-scenes look or a fresh take on your product or service. Make sure you approve the post first to ensure it is in line with the image you want to put forward.
Bonus tip – you might even find that one of your employees is really into the blog or social media and is happy to run the site for you as part of their role.
4. Use your customers for inspiration
Do you get asked the same questions a lot by potential customers? If you do, then answer some of them in your blog posts. This helps new customers easily find out the information they need. It might also save you some time by not having to answer so many questions.
You could also ask customers for feedback about their favourite thing about your product or service and collect the answers into a post. For example, if you run a cafe, ask customers what their favourite dish on the menu is.
5. Share a case study
Have you completed a great project recently or worked with a fabulous client? Ask if they’d be happy to let you share details on your blog and maybe even give you a quote. This is a great way of sharing news about your company and also giving potential clients proof of the work you do.
6. Share inspirational quotes
This idea should be used with caution as you’ll find inspirational quotes all over the internet these days. But used sparingly and related to your business they can be a good thing to share. You could use them as the basis for a blog post sharing your thinking on what the quote means or how it relates to your work.
7. Create a video, infographic or images
Talking of mixing things up, what you post on your blog doesn’t always have to be text. You could create a video or picture gallery showing more about your business. Or make an infographic explaining something related to your products or services. These types of posts often get shared on social media, so they could help your blog reach a wider audience.
If you have time, you could also try and plan content out for a few weeks or months at a time. That way, you will have ideas already and won’t be left searching for inspiration at the last minute.
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