Blogging is a really important part of any content marketing strategy. From SEO to building brand personality, blogs are a gold mine of opportunities for businesses. When you start out, it’s pretty easy to think of topics to cover on your blog. But there comes a point when you run out of steam. This could be once you’ve covered all the products you offer or all of the main areas in your industry. Either way, once you’ve run out of blog post ideas, panic can start to set in.
And trust me, I’ve been there. Trying to think of new and interesting ideas for your blog can be a painstaking process, and often I’ll get ideas at the most random times, like when I’m dropping off my daughter at nursery! To save you having to rely on those moments of genius, I’ve put together 13 blog post ideas that you can use to shape your next posts with examples of when it’s been done really well. Whether you want to fill up a content calendar or you’ve taken to Google to come up with new ideas for your brand’s blog, this list will give you something new to try out.
‘How To’ Guides
‘How To’ guides are fantastic for really going into depth with a topic you care about. Not only can you show your customers how well you know your product or service, but you can also provide answers to some of the questions they may have all in one.
Email marketing company MailChimp does this extremely well. Their ‘How To’ guide on building an email list dives into each step of creating an email list.
Show Off Your Expert Knowledge
Your blog can serve many different purposes on your site, and one of those should be centred around building a reputation for being an expert in your field. If you’re stuck on things to write about, think about the areas that you’re an expert in. And if you’re not an expert in certain areas – become one!
Not to mention, targeting keywords in your industry will help bring new customers to your site too, as well as getting the attention of fellow industry experts and giving you the chance to expand your professional network.
A brand that does this really well is Sprout Social. As a social media management company, they should know their stuff – and they prove it on their blog. For example, this piece on Facebook reach is incredibly detailed and provides actionable tips on how brands can increase theirs.
Comment on an Industry Development or Trend
The business world, no matter your industry, is constantly changing and shifting. That means there’s always a new development or trend on the horizon.
Blogs like these have even more impact when they’re timed correctly too. You can be amongst the first ones to comment on a new presence, trend or shift in your industry by staying up to date with the comings and goings of your market. Make it your business to research what’s going on, keeping an eye on the industry leader (if it’s not you) and market statistics to notice when there’s something big happening.
For example, the coronavirus pandemic has been a force shaping pretty much every industry for the last year or so, and as we’ve come out of social distancing restrictions, industries are slowly bouncing back. Consulting firm PwC’s blog series called Take on Tomorrow looks at how the world will look post-COVID.
Innovative Ways to Use Your Products
You’ve likely covered the basics of how customers can use your products. It provides existing customers with helpful tips and can entice anyone new into buying your products. But this doesn’t mean this area can’t yield any more blog post ideas. Try to think of some more imaginative ways that your audience can use your product.
If you can’t necessarily think of any new ways to use your products, head to the weird and wacky world of social media! People are always sharing knowledge and tips, whether it’s TikTok or Reddit. These platforms can provide new perspectives and ways to use products that you can use in a future blog post.
Unexpected Benefits of Your Products
Your website will tell your audience about all of the benefits of using your products. It’s what will have shaped your marketing strategy as well as your brand itself. But there will always be other benefits of using your products that you can tell your audience about.
Say you sell paint by numbers sets. Of course, your products are a fun activity and make a great gift, but painting is also incredibly therapeutic. So if you’re looking for new blog post ideas, why not write a piece (or even start a series) on the benefits of painting for wellbeing and mental health.
Customer Case Study
Another great idea is to write up a case study based on a customer success story. This is a great way to level up a customer review because you can really get into the story of how your brand helped a customer. This kind of content builds trust with your audience as they can read in detail about how your company helps its customers. That proof gives them all the more reason to trust in your brand and buy from you.
For example, link shortener Bitly’s case study on work they did with a customer to increase their conversion rate by 106%!
Interview an Expert
Whether you’re in the beauty industry or automotive sector, there will always be experts around. These people are at the top of their game, have unique experiences and knowledge, and are highly trusted and respected. Organising an interview with someone like this in your market or industry space is a great way to not just find things to write about, but build connections and associate your brand with an expert. For an example of this, check out my interview with Meagan Williamson, who is an expert in all things Pinterest!
Answer Some FAQs
You might already have a designated FAQs section on your website, but if you find there are questions that customers are asking time and time again, it may be worth dedicating blog posts to the most asked questions. These could generate some organic search traffic to your website and give you the chance to really dive in deeply and give a detailed answer to people’s questions.
Promote a New Service, Product or Series
If you’re launching a new service, product or series on your website, blogging about it is a great way to drum up awareness and effectively promote it. This could be anything from a new item in your product range to a challenge you’re launching to help customers.
For example, Notion, the all in one workspace launched their Notion for Nonprofits program to offer subsidised packages to all registered nonprofit organisations. They wrote up a great blog about it to help get the word out and provide a comprehensive overview of the program for readers.
Dispel Myths in Your Industry
There are a lot of different players in each industry, with lots of conflicting opinions. However, as industries evolve and change, some industry norms become outdated and incorrect.
Take the world of marketing. For a long time, content marketing wasn’t regarded as an important part of a marketing plan, but now we know that Content is King. If there are some old-fashioned opinions in your industry that you want to go about challenging, then why not detail them in a blog post? It could spark an interesting conversation amongst your industry peers.
Versus Posts
If you’re out of blog post ideas, then versus posts will open up a whole new world for you. Whether you’re comparing service packages, the different products you offer or other industry-related content, versus posts also help your customers understand which of your product offerings are better for them.
For example, online learning platform SkillShare’s blog post about Analogy vs. Metaphor vs. Simile offers a useful comparison for writers.
Talk About Mistakes People Make with your Product or Service
Whether you offer a super simple product or a more complex concept, people are bound to make mistakes when using your product or service. And this doesn’t have to be specific to your company – maybe it’s an industry-wide error that people can make. Whatever it is, you can talk about these mistakes in a blog post and offer readers solutions and tips. We see this in action with recipe site Cooking Light’s post on airfryer mistakes.
Link a New Topic to Your Brand
If there are topics that you care about as a brand that aren’t directly related to your product or service offering, it doesn’t mean you can’t talk about them. In fact, you actually have a key opportunity for new blog post ideas! As long as you can make a link, for example, every company is made up of a team, so if wellbeing at work is something you’re passionate about, it doesn’t matter what you sell. It’s still a relevant topic to talk about for your brand.
These are just a few of the many blog post ideas you can use to spruce up your blog and avoid repeating the same topics over and over. And if you’re tired of writing your own blogs and want someone else to do it for you, the team at Writefully are at the ready!
As always, for more content marketing tips and advice, head over to the rest of my blogs.
