As an entrepreneur and small business owner, you want to spread the word about your unique products or services. But it can be super frustrating trying to stand out from the crowd. There are SO many businesses competing for attention on Google search pages that it’s easy to get lost in the flood of messages competing for attention.
So, how do you make your voice heard without getting lost in all the noise?
Blogging for small businesses!
If you aren’t already blogging for your business, now is the time to start! It’s the best way to simultaneously level up your brand awareness, increase visibility, build authority, improve search engine results, and support your business’ growth.
Need more convincing? Don’t worry. We’re here to save the day! Keep reading to see how valuable blogging can be for your small business and how to start a blog for your business. Plus, make sure you read to the very end for 10 ideas for blog posts (that work!).
What Is Blogging for Business? Why Is It Important?
There’s a few good reasons why blogging has been around since the early 90s! Blogging emerged as a way to share ideas, opinions, and experiences, create online personas, make connections, and create a globally diverse yet tight-knit community.
This movement was so powerful that businesses started blogging, too. Business owners quickly realized the potential to reach more clients than ever possible, and their blogs did the exact same things as those early adopters.
Blogging for small businesses is one of the most cost-effective yet impactful ways to build organic website traffic and industry authority. (It’s literally free!)
How to Start a Blog
Ready to take a shot at starting your very own blog? Before getting started, you’ll want to figure out a few things before diving headfirst into “The Written World” (see what we did there 😉 )
1. Define Your Blog Niche
A blog niche is a central topic you’ll base all of your content around.
It’s a topic you know better than anyone else and can provide unique value and perspectives to readers. Though you may be an expert on a variety of topics, it’s most effective to hone in on one or a select few blog niche topics through which you can convey your true superpowers!
Remember your ideal customers or clients are looking for valuable information related to your specific niche, and your small business blog needs to be the clear expert source for advice, insight, and solutions.
2. Create a List of Blog Ideas
Coming up with ideas for your blog posts can be daunting. Have no fear! Start right here.
There are a few ways to brainstorm blog ideas that will be engaging and impactful for your audience and search engine results.
- Use a trends tool like Answer The Public or Google Trends to see what’s getting searched the most in your industry
- Think about common questions (FAQs) your team receives from your clients or customers and create content around them
- Do a social media search for key terms in your niche and see the type of content others are creating and consuming around those topics
All of these resources are blog ideas you’ll probably come up with a lot of ideas – save the extras for later brainstorming sessions!)
3. Choose Blog Topic Ideas Relevant to Your Business
You’ll want to stick to topics related to your industry and what you can offer those who read your blogs.
They’ve stumbled across your blog for a reason, and if you have topics related to their initial interests, you’ve got the best chance to turn that into action instead of a one-time visit!
The three questions you just used to brainstorm should help keep you on track. The more focused you are, the more people will trust you to guide them. That said, don’t choose a blog topic you know little about or have minimal experience with. If you do, you’ll have to spend time researching (and remember, your time is valuable!)
Here Are 10 Blog Post Ideas (That Work)
Now that you have your niche and a list of topics – it’s time to write!
To get you started, here are 10 blog post ideas to get those creative juices flowing:
- Poll your customer service team or check your customer service email to create a list of the most frequently asked questions. Address their concerns or questions in a blog post.
- Is there a new industry trend, regulation, or breaking news story that your customers would find relevant? Write about it from an educational/informative perspective while also sharing your own thoughts on the topic!
- Share the faces behind your brand! Introduce members of your team in a single post or in a multi-post series. People relate so much more to people than a faceless brand.
- Do you disagree with a commonly held belief in your industry? Write a blog post about it! It’s always a good idea to write about something you’re passionate about (and people love reading controversies!)
- Roundup your best tips for success in your niche or with your products/services. If you’re a service provider, give your readers a few tips for improving their skills. If you sell a product, write a post showing your readers how to get the most out of your product.
- What myths or misplaced advice would you love to debunk? Do it!
- Post a client or customer spotlight/story. That social proof for your brand goes a long way in establishing trust and authority.
- Share what you’ve been working on! Give your readers a sneak peek behind-the-scenes of something big that’s coming.
- Write out your origin story. Though your about page may contain some high-level facts, a post from the perspective of your founder feels much more personal and relatable.
- Ask your audience. Allow your customers or clients to submit blog post ideas they’d like to learn more about. You can even create a submission process to allow for guest posts to be featured on your site!
Your Time, Your Effort (And Your Success)
Blogging takes time and effort. Like with any new initiative, results take time.
But, if you want to see results a little faster, or just simply don’t have the time to blog yourself, The Written World can help! Our heroic team of writers are dedicated to supercharging your online presence as small business owners, agencies, and entrepreneurs.
We’ve come to the rescue many times with blogging for small business and agency services, and we can’t wait to rescue you too!
Let’s keep in touch! Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram (@thewrittenworld) for our latest content.
