The internet is a busy place – here’s how to stand out with brilliant blog topic ideas
It’s a fact that the internet is choc-full of nonsense. This means that when you’re searching for blog topic ideas or feverishly Googling how to find trending blog topics, it’s easy to get bogged down in the mess! Ultimately, we all know this and because the internet an open field, there are few rules as to who posts what. Luckily, people (and Google!) are extremely savvy when it comes to sorting the wheat from the chaff.
Remember though, this is a good thing. Business owners who understand the importance of quality content and who are prepared to put time and effort in, can reap the rewards. However, for people who are new to content creation, people who are just beginning to post on a regular basis – it can also be overwhelming to be faced with page after page of competing content – a proportion of which seems to all intents and purposes, useless.
And there’s a lot of that out there.
It’s rather like a wall or billboard that’s been pasted full of posters and flyers for many years. It’s hard to see the good stuff because of the faded, outdated and poorly executed samples that have been stuck on top.
The trick is to take absolutely no notice of that stuff. It’s not relevant to you – because you’re going to create great content. Content that gets traffic, content that people value and which will bring them back to your site time and time again because your blog topic ideas will speak to them personally.
To rise to the top, you need to make sure that what you write stands out. It must be valuable, it must be well-researched and it must be well-written.
A well-written blog is vital for your business
How do you approach the creation of a blog? How do you come up with a constant stream of blog topics which offer your audience exactly what they need? And how do you know what your audience need?
This is the quandary which many business owners find themselves in when they begin to seriously look at starting and maintaining a blog for their website. They may know that a blog is vital for the success of their business but many don’t know why it’s vital or how to create a blog that has value.
This article from HubSpot explains more about that because what we’re focusing on today is ideas for blog topics.
Coming up with content ideas for your blog is only overwhelming at the start. Once things are established, it becomes part of your daily routine and your cache of content will soon begin to do its job – which is to bring more traffic to your website.
If you haven’t already, you should consider creating buyer personas for your business. A buyer persona is a semi fictional character which has all of the same characteristics as your ideal customer. There are many online guides to creating a buyer persona and if you haven’t already looked into this, you probably should do before you write your blog.
A professional blog is always targeted very carefully.
You have something that’s worth sharing – your best blog topic ideas should reflect what you already know
Don’t think for one moment that you don’t have anything interesting to say. As a business owner, what you have is valuable inside information. You’re an expert.
Consequently, whatever sector you’re in, you have access to facts and also opinions which people are hungry for and these make a great starting point for your blog topic ideas. In order to work out what to share via your blog, you need to put yourself in your buyer’s shoes. What do they need to know about your products or services? What are they looking to find out before they buy? That’s what they’re searching for when they hit Google and if the answers are to be found on your website, then that’s where they’ll land.
Write well and they’ll go further than just reading your blog, they’ll start buying.
Indeed, by targeting content which is laden with the information your audience are looking for, you’ll be better equipped to grab those sales because people will not only trust you as a business but begin to see you as a thought leader.
What do we mean by targeting content? Supplying people with the information they need. In corporate blogs, that’s usually information related to what you’re selling. No matter what industry you’re in, no matter which products or services you provide, your audience is thirsty for knowledge. They want to know all about your area of expertise.
Find blog topic ideas that help your audience make a decision
Consumers of all types want to know how to make a decision on which type of product or service is best for their needs. They want to know which deals are better. Ultimately, they want to know which products are ideal for them personally and why that is. They’re keen to know the ins and outs of everything you do and everything you offer because one thing the internet has made sure of is that consumers are now master researchers. They have more choice than ever before.
People don’t go out and buy anything without checking all of the available options and learning as much as they possibly can about it. People have different styles of research – some like to look up reviews and leave it at that, others prefer to delve deeply into the subject at hand and snatch all of the information available.
Then they might buy.
If your business is reliably at the top of Google’s search results because you’re supplying that valuable, fact-rich content, then you’ll be at the top of the list for the consumer too.
That’s how it works.
SEO (search engine optimized) blog content is what will get you to where you want to be. Create well-researched, targeted content for the people you’re trying to attract to your website and you’ll find that your sales will improve.
This list of 50 blog topic ideas is separated into sub-categories in order to give users a way of organizing their blogs right from the start. So let’s get into it – here are our top 50 blog topic ideas to get more traffic.
Educational blog posts
Educational blog posts are vital when it comes to grabbing those readers. One of the broader popular blog topics they’re a great place to start when looking for blog topic ideas. These are the things people are Googling when they’re looking for information related to what you’re promoting, whether that’s a product or a service.
1: How-to post– This is a simple idea but a really good way of hooking readers. You’re offering your targets a helping hand with a blog post like this. You’re not giving them the hard-sell but a helping hand. If you’re selling running shoes online then you can write a blog outlining the most important considerations for purchasing the best pair depending on need. List the different features of different versions of what it is you’re selling and add links to your own products.
2: Top 10 – This can be a list of top reasons to use, top reasons to buy or top products and their features. Of course you don’t need to stick to the number 10. You can list as many positive reasons as you like.
3: Historical posts – the history of your product or service; this is good for businesses which are well-established of course but for newer businesses it can also be useful. Providing people with a background on your product or service can be a great way to add interest.
4: A FAQ post – A great way to shoehorn lots of SEO search terms into one post – be careful not to get too spammy though. It’s better to keep the list shorter if possible and really go into detail on your businesses FAQ.
5: Interview posts – Interview your staff or even your suppliers. An in-depth interview can provide your readers with some valuable insights they might not usually have access to.
6: A step-by-step post – Take your reader through a process related to your product or service. Even showing how cleaning of the product should be undertaken is useful.
7: A roundup post – Good for the end of a season or year; what have you learned that might be interesting for your audience? Share your plans! Recap on the best parts of the year, share photos again and discuss the challenges you faced and what you think about them now.
8: Share a speech – If you’ve recently given a speech or presentation, turn your notes into a blog post and share it. Explain what it was for so that your audience feel part of your process.
9: How to join the industry – For people interested in your industry, give them top tips on becoming part of it. What courses are there on offer? Link to accredited ones and share your own journey.
Practical blog posts
These are the sort of posts which attract people who want answers to specific problems and they want them from people who know what they’re talking about. That’s you! Your blog topic ideas can be informed by your knowledge base.
10: The solution post – Think of some problems your target might have come across and provide a solution – related to your product or service of course. An example might be for a retailer of educational toys – their targets could be Googling questions such as “How to help toddlers learn to talk?” You present an article detailing how your toy can assist in language development.
11: Checklist post – This is very adaptable and offers a recourse for your target – it should concern something that they might have to deal with which is challenging. Your checklist will be valuable because it helps them organize their thoughts.
12: Resource list – Share your most important resources. These could be suppliers for crafts or raw materials, they might be your favorite photographers or graphic designers – it’s interesting and sometimes useful for your customers to know these things.
13: Time-management – Let your audience know what your day looks like and how you make use of every hour.
14: Creative inspirations – Where do you get yours from? Share your process. You can share inspiration boards or even a page of doodles from your notebook. Talk about the sort of TV shows you enjoy, especially if they’re related to your industry.
15: Working from home – Covid-19 has affected everyone, let your audience know how you’re managing and ask for them to comment and share their own coping mechanisms. Share images of your team’s home-working offices. Compare and contrast these with their usual working spaces. See what they think of one another’s set-ups too!
16: Digital tools post – Which are your go-tos? Which do you recommend and why?
17: Other blogs – Which industry blogs do you like? Share them with your audience and talk about why you enjoy them and what resources they offer.
18: Book recommendations – People love to read about their interests, why not do a book review?
19: Problem-solving – Consider the most common problems faced by your customer. How can your product or service solve them? List the ways and add reviews which outline how your product solved a problem.
Fun or team-related blog posts
These can be useful for branding and useful to humanize your business. Remember that humanizing your business is important because it shows your audience that you’re real people with the same thoughts and concerns as them – they can relate to you. It’s a great way to approach finding good blog ideas.
20: How did your story begin – This is a great idea because it offers your audience more insight into your core business ideals and aims. When did you get the inspiration for your business? If it’s not your business, interview the owner and ask them all about it. You can also use this as an opportunity to create video or podcast content. Three pieces of content for the time of one!
21: Infographic posts – These are very open and can be used to illustrate the struggles encountered by your audience in a lighthearted way or to show how your process works.
22: Behind-the-scenes – A great way to show-off your team and your working space. You can take photographs of your working day and share these on your other social media pages too – linking things together and using content for more than one platform is a time-saver.
23: Competition announcements – Always great for garnering more followers on social media.
24: Survey post – Share the results of a recent survey or announce a new one. There are lots of great survey tools out there.
25: Special event posts – Have you and your team recently won an award or attended a conference? Share it. Make sure to show off any videos or photos of the event.
26: Challenges – Can you think of a challenge your audience could take part in? Write a blog about it and share on your social media channels.
27: Team member interview – Interview one of your team members, learn more about them and give them a chance to share their side of the story.
28: Weird history – Discuss any unusual or strange stories related to your products or services. Ultimately, they don’t need to be things you’ve experienced personally,but could be related to historical events.
29: Inspirational quotes – People love these and if they’re related to your industry or product, even better.
Timely blog posts
By timely, we mean time to coincide with special industry or world events and celebrations. People’s search habits change constantly and the seasons are one way for content creators to control their readership and interest.
30: Holiday posts – Christmas, Easter, Hanukkah or Eid – there are many, many more special celebrations you can take notice of and share some special thoughts or ideas.
31: Relevant industry news – Keep your eye on news and events and write about it.
32: Product reviews – Look out for new products which have a link to your own. Share them – especially if you’ve tried them yourself.
33: Latest trends – Stay abreast of the trends by reading industry news on a regular basis – share your thoughts.
34: News stories – Post about big news or use Twitter to find interesting stories that are related to what you do.
35: Socially aware posts – Are there any social issues which your company likes to get behind? Are you passionate about eco-living or animal rights? Take note of the news and speak about current events related to your alignments. For example, the Black Lives Matter campaign has drawn attention to social injustices which your clients might feel strongly about. Topical and supportive posts are important for your brand identity.
36: Seasonal posts – Do the seasons affect how your audience use your products or services? Illustrate the effects as each season changes. For example, sellers of cleaning products might see more activity right before big holidays or springtime. If it’s a big holiday, share seasonal recipes or decorating ideas. How is your office decorated?
37: Now and then posts – Do a retrospective comparing the industry today and in the past. Depending on which industry you’re in, you could go back pretty far and create a fascinating blog.
Promotional blog posts
Remember, it’s a good idea to celebrate yourself occasionally and self-promotion is important. People can use these blogs as a way to learn more about your brand as well as to see new products or opportunities.
38: Case studies – Completed a case study recently? Share it on your blog.
39: Customer reviews – Collate some of your best reviews into a short blog post. Discuss the comments and back them up with facts.
40: Top tips for new users – List the nuggets of extra information which will really help your customers get the most out of your product. Are there any hacks?
41: Product update – Have you made any changes or improvements to your product or services lately? Write a blog post detailing what you’ve done and why.
42: Top tips – Write about best practices to help your customers make the most out of your products or services. For example, how to clean or maintain your products. Similarly, if you offer a service, you can detail some of the features and how they work together.
43: Myths and facts posts – Collate some myths and facts about your industry and share them. You’ll be helping your audience demystify your products.
44: Why is your company special? – List the things which make you stand out. Why are you different?
45: Share a job opening – Or share a new staff member’s story. Why did they join the team and what are their ambitions? What do they like most about being on your team?
46: Creative uses for your products – Are there any unusual or creative ways in which customers use your product? Talk about them. Ask your customers to share their photographs on social media and use these on your blog or link to them.
47: Office tour – Show off your workspace. Let people see where the magic happens. People love to see behind the scenes, especially if there are any creative activities going on. You can also video a tour and share this on Instagram Stories. Remember too that LinkedIn also has a relatively new feature called LinkedIn Stories – not available in all parts of the world yet but check!
48: Customer profile – Got any extra-special customers? Reach out to them and see if they’d be interested in an interview and blog post. This works well if they have a business they’d like to promote too. You can interview them by telephone or Zoom and then write up the conversation later.
49: Future plans – Let your audience know what’s in store for them – what big plans have you got in the pipeline?
50: Community work – Do you do any work with your local community? This can be something as simple as sponsoring a local sports team or even showing some high school students around your office. Share it.
Your blogging journey should be fun
And if you’re interested in the subject matter, it really will be. You just need to remember that unless you’ve been writing regularly for some time, it won’t come easily at first. In fact, it might feel like an uphill slog.
It’s not going to magically happen overnight so you have to stick with it. The best way to make this happen, if you’re the person responsible for content creation, is to create a routine and stick to it.
Choose a time of day when you’re very alert. Don’t try to blog right before bedtime when you’re all tired out. Set aside an hour a day – just an hour – and use it to work on the blog. It doesn’t matter if you only write a small amount. Ultimately, you can go back into the blog the next day and carry on. Plug away at it and before you know it, things will be happening much faster.
Blogging is like any skill. It takes time and it takes practice. Read blogs which are related to your industry. Study the best. What are they doing well? How can you learn from them? Which ones do you like best and why? Make a list of the best aspects of your favorite blogs and think about ways in which you can incorporate similar tactics in your own blog.
SEO and Blogs
You may know a little or you may know a lot – either way, SEO is vital to your blog. If you don’t know much about SEO, visit HubSpot and take their free course. There’s always something new to learn but this will be a great starting point for you.
Alternatively, if you’re in a position to do so, you can employ an SEO expert to help you work out which keywords to use and how to ensure your blog is up-to-scratch and competing well on Google.
To take away
A great blog comes with a lot of work. There’s research, coming up with timely and useful blog topic ideas and of course the actual writing. It’s a lot for an already busy business owner. However, the good news is that if you’re simply too busy or don’t want to learn the additional skills necessary, you can enlist help in the form of writers for hire. Here at Speedlancer we have a team of expert content writers who are adept at writing blogs for businesses in need of assistance.
In fact, the great news is that once you decide to work with a our content writing service, the team need little supervision. You can be as involved as you choose – input your own ideas or leave it us and just enjoy seeing the fresh content roll out on a regular basis – and that’s what matters right? Fresh, regular content that offers value to your customers.
If you’re ready to start your blog, then put some of the ideas here into action today. Create a buyer persona (or maybe more than one) and start listing topics! Your blog will soon be well populated and doing what it’s meant to do – bringing in more business.