Coming up with great blog post ideas and regular content can be daunting but don’t give up.

Blogging is a proven way to enhance your SEO. Besides yielding higher rankings on search engine results pages, companies that consistently publish interesting content generate about 1,200 monthly leads, have 55% more website visitors, and give readers a solid reason to follow their brand.

Sounds great, but the question remains, “what should I blog about?”

Blog about what you know.

What you know — and the connections you have — can be powerful sources of information, and inspiration, when it comes to blogging. And writing about the familiar is a lot easier than trying to write about something you know nothing about.

Now, I know you want to rush to get some great blog post ideas but first, let’s talk a little about content — great content.

The importance of creating great blogging content

When creating a blog post, knowing what keywords and phrases to use throughout your blog content is important for search engine optimization. However, it’s more important that your blog is engaging.

Creating engaging content not only makes for a great read but also helps you tell search engine algorithms that your website is relevant to what people are searching for, which drives traffic to your site.

Great content inspires others to cite your posts and backlink them on their own sites. When more websites include backlinks to your content, it’s more likely to rank higher in a Google search.

Did you know? More than half of content that doesn’t appear in a search isn’t backlinked anywhere on the internet.

What makes a great blog post

Great blog content is unique, informative, and establishes your credibility.

You want to start with a title that compels people to click on your post. After this, offer enough information in the first paragraph to generate interest and make them want to read more. 

Next, use the body to expand on your first paragraph. The body is where you put your supporting information. Back it up with research so that you stay credible. Finally, include a strong call to action or conclusion. Whether you’re summarizing key information or compelling readers to take action, they ought to have a clear sense of the value you’ve provided from beginning to end. 

9 Great blog post ideas

1. Share what you know

Whatever your passion, chances are you’ve spent years learning new skills and perfecting your job. Now, you can use blogs to share your knowledge with others. Choose how-to topics that appeal to a broad audience. 

If your goal is to attract new customers, write articles showing them how to use your products and services to make their lives easier. You can also offer insights on ordering products online and being happy with them once they’ve shipped. 

Online retailer Good as Gold recently started carrying a new shoe line from Veja. While the line isn’t available for purchase yet, the company published a blog called “Veja Fit Guide” so that shoppers unfamiliar with the brand can order sneakers that fit once the site launches. 

example of an informative blog post
Offering tips on how to size online merchandise helps Good as Gold seem more credible to customers. It shows that they know their inventory and are committed to customer satisfaction.

2. Answer questions

Even if you have a frequently asked questions (FAQ) page, your blog is a great way to go in-depth about the things customers are always asking. Use your FAQs to generate blog post ideas. Think of different ways to answer some of your most common customer concerns. 

Baskin Robbins, for example, has a robust FAQ page with drop-down menus related to topics. Many of these questions relate to customized cakes. Since this topic generates a lot of questions, Baskin Robbins could focus a few blog posts on customized ice cream cakes. 

FAQ pages can help generate great blog post ideas
FAQs are a great place to start when looking for new blog post ideas. For this example, Baskin Robbins’ content team might write an article about why you should order a custom cake for your next party and then link to this FAQ page.

3. Connect to your customers

If you have a strong social media following, tap into their reviews and comments to generate blog post ideas. If someone wrote you a glowing review on Yelp, contact them and see if they would be willing to share their story in a blog post.

Your blog posts should aim to be informative. In general, stay away from being overly promotional — save that for your advertising. Instead of writing how your product or service can benefit customers, use customer reviews to tap into the needs you can fill with your customers. 

For example, if someone wrote that they loved your restaurant because you specialize in regional cuisine, you could write a blog post about comfort food and how it helps people settle into a new city.

4. Announce new releases and updates

Some of your blog posts can focus on your products — just try to keep it informative. If you operate an online store and just started carrying a new product line, use your blog to introduce the brand to your readers.

If you’ve made significant changes to one of your products, write a blog post explaining them. Talk about why you decided to make the changes and how the new and improved product will help your customers. 

5. Share industry news and trends

As a business owner, you’re probably in tune with your industry. Whether you operate a home services business or a small bakery, you’re likely reading trade magazines and going to conferences to see what’s up. New trends in your industry make great blog post ideas. 

For example, if you own a plumbing company, you might keep up on wastewater laws and regulations. Although this is pretty dry technical content, you can use it to help your customers stay compliant whether they’re in an old house or a new build. Adding a title like “How new wastewater regulations could cost you money” will grab your customers’ attention. 

6. Participate in your community

When you run a brick-and-mortar shop, your business becomes part of the fabric of your community. A local nail salon becomes a place for friends to hang out and catch up. A local dog groomer serves as a way to pamper pets and show them how much you care. 

As part of the community, give back. Use your blog to talk about other businesses in the area. Or post a monthly column about upcoming events in the neighborhood. If you run a small clothing store, post about local fashion and beauty events, or partner with a hair salon to cover trends. 

7. Introduce the team

Many people like to know the workers at their favorite businesses. Do a series of blog posts or video interviews highlighting your staff. As long as they’re comfortable being featured, interview everyone on your team — at all levels of your business. 

Doing so gives your subscribers a chance to connect with your employees. They might even find common ground that they had never considered before. 

8. Ask your customers for suggestions

There’s an easy way to find out what your customers value beyond looking through reviews and online engagement — just ask. Send out an email survey to your current subscribers, asking them what matters and what they want to read about. 

Even if you don’t get a good response, you can look at your blog analytics to see which posts get the most engagement and use those to generate related post ideas. 

9. Use mixed media

You’re not limited to written posts. People might get bored if you only post articles, listicles, and other word-heavy content. Switch it up by adding videos and high-quality photos to your blog. You don’t have to be a photographer or professional videographer to post pictures and videos. 

Most phones offer cameras similar to more expensive models on the market. If you’re speaking at a conference, make a video promoting your upcoming session and inviting people to attend. Shoot some behind-the-scenes footage of what you do to bring your products to life. 

How to come up with (great) blog post ideas

One of the easiest ways to develop great blog topics is to keep a journal or a file on your computer and add ideas when they strike. You might think of three different concepts while you’re working on one blog post.

If you’re at a loss for ideas, read other blogs and industry publications to see what people in your field are talking about. From there, highlight common topics and think of your unique spins on them. Asking your customers is an option, too. Send out polls to see what they want to read about.

Write what you know

These blog post ideas are just the beginning. Use them to start a list of potential ideas and create a content calendar to get started. With the nine categories on this list, you might even be able to generate enough blog posts for a whole year.

Choose a category that speaks to you and use it to come up with one or two topic ideas. Once you’ve gotten the hang of it, you’ll likely find more topics than you ever thought you could.