Jemima Writes

There are so many great reasons to start a blog for your business. Fantastic content can add diversity and interest to your social media feeds, and build your authority in the eyes of your audience. It can drive new traffic onto your website, and keep customers coming back for more! However, what might have left you scratching your head is what to blog about. How can you keep things interesting for your readership, while casting as wide a net as possible for attracting new potential customers?

Happily, there’s a wonderful spectrum of different blog types that you can incorporate into your digital marketing schedule. As for selecting topics, the place to start is in considering why you’re blogging in the first place, and who exactly you’re blogging for. Of course, every business is going to want to cover a niche selection of topics that reflect their unique product or service offering – so I can’t provide a one-size-fits-all topic suggestion list. But, with a little bit of luck, by the end of this article, you are likely to have a clear picture forming in your mind of where to begin!

The Whys and Whos of Blogging

You might have imagined that the sole destiny of your blogs is going to be questing out to bring new customers into the fold, but that is not entirely the case. Most definitely, all of your blogs should provide excellent value for your audience in one way or another – whether they entertain, advise, or inform. However, there are a number of different motivations that should drive the content you create. As you plan your blog schedule, you can aim to include:

• Content that will attract new visitors from your brand’s target demographic
• Ideas that will interest your existing customers, reinforcing brand loyalty
• Content that illuminates your brand’s expertise, ethos, and energy
• Posts that specifically highlight your products or services
• Content that supports your customer base, taking the pressure off your customer service team
• Feel-good content that makes your brand a welcome online presence, and fosters a sense of community

Each of these functions will be useful on its own – and each might indeed land you sales that wouldn’t otherwise have come about. However, when combined, something really magical happens. You begin to paint a picture of a brand that your audience can relate to and will aspire to be a part of. Thus, a brilliant brand identity is born!

7 Different Blog Types To Consider

We all know that diversity is the spice of life, so how else do we build variety into our blogs? Beyond the diverse motivations that we can explore, several different blog types can also be recruited to spice things up. Here are seven great blog types to consider as you plan your blog strategy moving forwards:

1. Informative Articles
   The goal with informative articles is to pick topics that are loosely related to what your business provides, but that will stimulate interest in their own right. Break these articles up with catchy sub-headings for easy reading.
2. Listicles
   This cutesy term describes articles that are presented in a list format – rather like this sub-section of my article! This is a great vehicle for showcasing tips and ideas that your audience will find useful.
3. How-To Guides
   When you want to do something that you’ve never tried before, but aren’t sure how to start, what do you do? In all probability, you ask Google! Instructional articles are one of the cornerstones of digital marketing because they are so powerful for driving organic traffic towards websites.
4. Cheat Sheets
   Cheat sheet or checklist articles are another useful resource that you can offer your readers. Consider the expertise of your business, and explore whether there is something that you can share comprehensively, without giving all of your secrets away!
5. Interviews
   While interviews do require a little more input in terms of time and investment, they can bring a fresh voice to your audience, expanding how your brand is perceived. Choose interviewees that your target demographic is likely to want to hear from, and make sure that the conversation provides real value!
6. Guest Posts
   Inviting someone from outside your business to provide a guest post is another savvy tool for injecting fresh personality. An expert from a different but related field is a great choice. As your blogs gain traction, you may find that people approach you, seeking the opportunity to contribute.
7. Personal Posts
   People love knowing who is behind the brands that they buy from. That said, personal, anecdotal posts can be the trickiest to get right. If venturing deep within the first-person realm of writing within your business blog, consider what moral your story is going to offer, and make sure the integral message is a positive and valuable one. If unsure what sort of tone to take, read the editor’s letter in your favourite magazine for inspiration.

So, How do We Put This Into Practice?

Hopefully, your imagination is beginning to fire at this point – thank you for staying with me so far into this blog strategy-themed journey! To help you formulate your game-plan with even more confidence, let’s explore some examples. Why don’t we imagine a landscape gardening company, and consider how we might use the blog types above in their content strategy? Here are some of the kinds of examples that I might suggest:

1. Head Outside to Master the Art of Shinrin-Yoku!
   This informative article would explore the many health benefits of being in nature, which the Japanese call “shinrin-yoku” – a term that literally translates as “forest bathing”! The article would close by highlighting the value of well-tended outdoor spaces, with a call to action for the business’ service.
2. 10 Fantastic Ground Cover Plants to Transform Your Garden
   This listicle piece would describe the appearance and value of each plant, before highlighting the company’s expertise in selecting and maintaining ground cover.
3. How To Light Your Outdoor Spaces
   This how-to article would guide readers through assessing which areas to light, and the types of lighting available, before – you’ve guessed it – mentioning the brand’s associated services!
4. The Ultimate Plant Checklist for Ensuring Flowers All Year Round
   This cheat sheet style piece would offer a selection of plants that bloom across different months of the year. Readers can pick-n-mix their favourites to create ever-blooming outdoor spaces – or hire this business to do it for them.
5. Joe Blogs Shares Which Birds To Watch Out For This Summer
   I can’t say that I actually know someone called Joe Blogs, but a bird expert providing insights on local wildlife and using bird tables, water baths, and birdhouses would be a lovely complement to a garden-focused brand.
6. Jane Blogs’ Summer Cocktail Ideas For Your Garden Party
   Partnering with another local business owner who can provide a guest post is a fantastic way of creating a publicity boost for all parties involved, as respective audiences are merged.
7. Why We Are Increasingly Recommending Drought Tolerant Landscaping
   When something is increasingly impacting the experience of your customer base, this can be a poignant moment to make a personal gesture. In this case, discussing why the business is changing its strategy, and what is being seen in the field, will foster trust and connection.

The Keyword Connection

Another handy tool that should help to inform your blog topic selection is keyword research. Keywords can in fact be single words or entire phrases – fundamentally, they are search terms that people might type into Google. Exploring search terms that relate to your business will help you identify what people are ultimately hunting for online, and you can tailor your blogs to meet that need. If you aren’t sure what keywords are, head over to my recent keywords blog for a formal introduction!

So, there you have it. Are you ready to begin brainstorming your upcoming blog strategy? Whether posting blogs daily, weekly, or monthly, planning a varied drip-feed of content will keep your readership hooked – and help to create a steady flow of newcomers too. For my regular Fiverr clients, I am always happy to make title suggestions, so do just ask!