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Content creation

I wrote the original version of this post in February 2018. It was supposed to be a list of 52 blog post ideas — one for each month of the year. But I got to 52 and just kept running — with each new idea spawning more!

As it’s been 3+ years since I first posted it, I thought it would be a good time to revisit and improve it.

The original post had a list of 101 blog post ideas in no particular order.

This time I’ve split them into categories, so you can see how each set of ideas will benefit your business and help you get results.

How to get results from blogging

Blogging can have many benefits for your business if you get the content, angle and audience right. But many businesses don’t get the results they should, because their approach is wrong.

Your audience should always come first. The content should be valuable to them and there should be a compelling reason for them to read it. This is also known as a WIIFM or ‘What’s In It For Me’ and it should be integral to every article you put out there.

But you’re not just doing this out of the goodness of your heart. There has to be something in it for you, too.

101 Blog post ideas to benefit your business

The ideal blog content should satisfy your audience and benefit your business.

Here are 101 ways to do both.

20 Blog post ideas to drive traffic to your website

One of the main reasons for having a blog is to bring more traffic to your website. To do this, you need to create the kind of content your audience is actively searching for on Google.

Once you have the visitors on your site, give them reasons to stay and read more. Direct them to other relevant content on your site. Before they leave, give them the option to sign up to your mailing list.

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Image by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay

10 Blog post ideas to help your audience

  1. Answer the questions your audience is asking
  2. Create a guide on how to achieve a current look or trend
  3. Solve a problem your audience is searching for the answer to
  4. Write a ‘you may also like’ guide with add-ons, accessories and complementary products
  5. Produce a how-to post and show them how to do or make something
  6. Compile a list of helpful hacks, tips and tricks
  7. Create a look-book with the latest fashion, colour and styling ideas
  8. Share a tried and tested selection of useful apps and online tools
  9. Write a troubleshooting guide
  10. Explain the difference between two or more industry terms

10 Blog post ideas to create useful resources

  1. Create an inspiration guide filled with creative ideas.
  2. Conduct your own first-hand research/survey and publish the results
  3. Compile an ultimate resource list for an aspect of your industry
  4. Create a glossary of the terminology used in your industry
  5. Review or compare the software, apps and/or online services you use at work
  6. Curate a round-up of valuable content for your industry and post the links
  7. Create an infographic or statistics resource
  8. Compile a calendar of the events happening in your industry over the year
  9. Put together a regular rundown of the best freebies, discounts and offers
  10. Write a destination guide with inspiration for things to do.

30 Blog post ideas to demonstrate E.A.T.

I’ve written about E.A.T. on this blog before. It stands for Expertise, Authority and Trustworthiness and refers to three of the criteria Google uses to rate your website.

But E.A.T. is important to your audience too. And if they’re searching for a company to work with or buy from, they’ll be looking for evidence of all three.

Your blog is a good place to demonstrate E.A.T., to satisfy Google’s criteria and build more credibility for your business.

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Original photo by Charles Deluvio from Unsplash

10 Blog post ideas to demonstrate your expertise

  1. Explain why your audience might be having a problem and what they can do to rectify it
  2. Write about common mistakes/pitfalls in your industry and how to avoid them
  3. Write about a time you went above and beyond to help a client
  4. Talk about changes you’re making and the benefits they’ll have for your customers
  5. Explain how you used your expertise to solve a complex problem
  6. Create a description, flowchart or video to demonstrate one of your processes
  7. Explain why a popular course of action might be a bad idea
  8. Use your expertise to answer some of your frequently asked questions
  9. Give an explanation of a technique, process or recommendation and how to apply it
  10. Talk about quality control and how you ensure every product/user experience is up to standard.

10 Blog post ideas to demonstrate your authority

  1. Write an industry update focusing on the latest statistics and research
  2. List links to the articles/books/journals you’ve read this week and add your comments
  3. Write about an event, trade show, conference or seminar you’ve recently participated in
  4. Give your perspective on a current issue affecting your industry
  5. Talk about how your industry is represented — or misrepresented — in the media
  6. Talk about how you’re using new innovations and technology
  7. Explore a topic of concern for your audience in detail
  8. Discuss a common myth or misconception in your industry and tell it how it really is
  9. Write a post to show how your business has changed over the years and what you do differently now
  10. Predict how your industry might change over the next 5, 10 and 20 years.

10 Blog post ideas to demonstrate your trustworthiness

  1. Give a sneak peek behind the scenes of your company
  2. Interview a key member of your workforce
  3. Recount an experience you had and what you learned from it
  4. Talk about what makes your business/product/service special or unique
  5. Write a compelling case study or client story
  6. Create a timeline to show the history of your industry/company
  7. Show how you’ve adapted to meet the changing needs of your market
  8. Talk about what it’s like to work for your company and the training/opportunities you can offer
  9. Write about a major problem you encountered and how you overcame it
  10. Address an issue or problem that has impacted on your customers.

20 Blog post ideas to help sell your products and services

The purpose of content marketing is not specifically to sell, but you can create occasional content that aids the sale. This kind of content inspires, advises and explains, with the purpose of showing your prospects how your products and services are right for them.

Image by mohamed_hassan from Pixabay

10 Blog post ideas to sell your products

  1. Introduce your new product/new features in a blog post
  2. Tell the story of why your product was developed and how it was made
  3. Write a Buyer’s Guide, comparing different products, including your own
  4. Compile an inspiration guide for your product using lots of photos and images
  5. Create a before and after that shows how your product makes a difference
  6. Explain the features customers should consider when buying a product like yours
  7. Create a piece of content showing all the ways and unexpected ways your product can be used
  8. Tell your customers’ stories and show how your product helped them
  9. Produce a series of posts taking visitors through the stages of a typical buyer journey
  10. Show how your product can be customised with add-ons or accessories.

10 Blog post ideas to sell your services

  1. Write a post that details your process and demonstrates the value
  2. Feature a project you’ve worked on and detail it from start to finish
  3. Show how your service helped a client and what they achieved as a result
  4. Write a post detailing what you’ll expect from your client if you work together
  5. Answer a series of FAQs about your service
  6. Focus on a specific aspect of your service and how it helps your clients
  7. Explain why your prospects aren’t succeeding at something and how your service will help
  8. Talk about your background and how/why you got into doing what you do
  9. Write a post about what makes you or your service different from your competitors
  10. Compare businesses that use your service with businesses that don’t.

10 Blog post ideas to get more email sign-ups

Blogging is more about informing, inspiring and entertaining than selling. But when visitors sign up to your mailing list, you have a better chance of converting them into paying customers.

Some visitors will automatically sign up to your mailing list. If they think you might be able to help them at a later date, they’ll want to keep you on their radar. Others might need a bit more of a reason. This section is aimed at converting those people.

Image by ribkhan from Pixabay
  1. Introduce a free lead magnet you’ve created exclusively for subscribers
  2. Write a post about what your email subscribers received from you this month
  3. Run a survey and encourage those who submit their email to sign up
  4. Introduce a new product/service and offer a 10% discount voucher on sign-up
  5. Write a tips or hacks post, then promise bonus tips or hacks in your email
  6. Blog about your new product collection, then give an exclusive preview to email subscribers
  7. Create a post about the exclusive benefits of being an email subscriber
  8. Introduce a limited edition item and make it available to subscribers first
  9. Discuss an industry topic, then share your thoughts exclusively with your email list
  10. Host a competition or giveaway and encourage those who submit their email to sign up

10 Blog post ideas to demonstrate your brand values

Numerous studies have shown that people are more likely to buy from you if they share your values. Your values are anything that’s important to you in your business. For example:

  • Being an ethical brand with integrity and principles
  • Openly standing up for causes you support and believe in
  • Environmental practices e.g. saving energy, recycling, cutting pollution
  • Commitment to charity e.g. fundraising, pro bono work
  • More inclusive hiring policies, giving chances to deserving people.
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Image by Photo Mix from Pixabay
  1. Post about your green values and how eco decisions are made
  2. Show what you’re doing to reduce waste, recycle more, save energy or cut pollution
  3. Create a post about a green initiative you’re implementing
  4. Talk about a cause you’re supporting and why it’s important to you
  5. Write about work/fundraising you’ve done for deserving causes and the difference it’s made
  6. Show what you’re doing to make your staff feel included and appreciated
  7. Talk about your ethical brand and what you stand for/against
  8. Show how your waste is being recycled and what it’s being used for
  9. Discuss ways in which an expired product, or its components, can be reused, recycled or upcycled
  10. Write an opinion piece to show where you stand on a particular issue and explain why.

10 Blog post ideas to attract the right customers

Attracting the right customers and clients is vital — as is repelling the wrong ones. You can do both of these with the content you’re creating and in this section, I’ll show you how.

If you’re creating this kind of content for your business, I’d strongly recommend reading ‘Content Fortress’ by Martin Huntbach and Lyndsay Cambridge, which has some excellent ideas and tips.

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Photo by Евгения Егорова at Pexels
  1. Create a guide to show what it’s like to work with you and how your process works
  2. Tell your audience what they’re doing wrong and show them how you can fix it
  3. Write a post about how to choose a business such as yours and what to look for
  4. Explain why your product/service is a good investment and give examples
  5. Describe the ideal conditions and scenarios for your prospects to get the best results from you
  6. Give a list of reasons why your prospects should specifically choose you
  7. Show your audience why choosing to economise on your product/service is a bad idea
  8. Talk about your pricing — what it costs to work with you and what that cost is based on
  9. Tell clients why they might not be ready to work with you yet
  10. Write a list of the people you don’t work with and explain why not.

And finally… 1 blog post idea that always works!

  1. Ask your audience what they’re struggling with and write a post to help them
    You can do this on your social media and it usually results in some good content ideas.

Remember:

  • Use a range of different types of posts to keep your audience engaged
  • Be prompt when writing about current issues and make sure you catch the wave
  • Use Search-Engine-Optimised (SEO) keywords that will make your content easy to find
  • Space your copy out with short paragraphs and headings to make it easier to read
  • Use pictures, graphics and videos to add interest — create your own or scour the free image sites on the web
  • Always do your research — and use credible sources
  • Credit where credit is due — always post links to your original source material and give photo/image credits where required.

Do you need a content writer?

I’m a freelance content writer based in Leicester, UK. And — as you can see — I’m full of good ideas for content that works.

Having helpful content on your website is a huge boost for your business, bringing in new traffic and giving you more opportunities to convert visitors into customers.

But many business owners don’t have the time or SEO skills to write their own content and they struggle to come up with enough new ideas. This is where a content writer, like me, can help.

I’ll work with you to create an effective content plan for your business, then write all the content for you. All you have to do is approve it and publish it on your blog.

If that sounds good and you’d like to find out more, here are the links you need: