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4 Super Fun (and Easy) Blog Types for Your Small Business
Regularly blogging is a game changer for small business owners.
Amid the overwhelming small biz advice online perhaps you’ve heard that blogging is dead, or that video is everything now. But, that’s just not the case. Different types of content all have their place- stand-out captions for LinkedIn, reels for Instagram and TikTok, maybe even a podcast on Spotify.
Your small business website needs blogs.
There’s nothing else that will drive website traffic, prove your consistency, help your website rank on Google, demonstrate your authority, get you ranking for keywords, and give you evergreen content. Sure, I’m biased, I’m a word- lovin’ copywriter, but I’m always honest. There’s no disputing it, blogs are everything.
The thing is, just because they’re great doesn’t mean they’re easy.
Luckily for you, I’m an expert SEO blog writer for small businesses and I’ve got four types of fun, easy blogs you can bash out in an afternoon or two. I’ve even included a bunch of SEO- friendly blog titles in each section for you, because I’m nice.
ONE: Three easy blog writing tips for small business owners
Let’s kick off with three super quick tips for any small business blogs you write, regardless of style.
Tip one: you definitely need a content plan
Taking the time to sit and mind map all your potential blogging ideas is important. Note down topics you’d love to write about, questions your audience might have, SEO keywords you want to rank for, products or services you’d love to sell, what season is coming up, and debunking myths in your industry is a game changer.
You can even dig out your favourite pen and a brand-new notebook for the occasion. There’s nothing worse than coming to a blank page, knowing you have to write, and having tumbleweed in your head. Or worse, having loads of ideas and going around in circles because you can’t pick one. Planning takes all of that away.
Tip two: you definitely need to do a little SEO keyword research
One of the best things about blogging for small businesses is that it drives visitors to your website from Google. But, the only way that can happen is if your blog is Search Engine Optimised. That means you have SEO keywords in your headlines and headings (H1/ H2/ H3), body text, URL, and meta data. The only way to get those keywords is to do a little keyword research. Semrush, Ahrefs, or Google Keyword Planner are all great places to start with your research.
Tip three: you definitely need a little author bio and a call to action at the end of your blog
You need a mini bio because not all readers are going to find your blog from your home page. They may google the relevant keywords and Google could take them straight to your blog, without the reader having a chance to know who you are and what your small business does. So, the bio lets the reader know you’re an expert.
Likewise, one gentle CTA at the end of your blog will encourage the reader to go to a relevant website page, or to have a look at your services. Keeping your reader on your website for a little longer, allowing them to find out more about you, and how you help people is never a bad thing.
OK, now the basics are out of the way, it’s time to get into the different types of blogs perfect for small businesses.
TWO: Easy Fun Blog Type One- The Listicle Blog
A listicle is a piece of writing effectively a big list with explanations. The word “listicle” comes from smushing together the words “list” and “article”, and it’s a style made super popular by Buzzfeed.
Here’s an example of a Buzzfeed listicle called 16 Things You’ll Only Understand If You Love Dogs, and A) surely everyone loves dogs, and B) it’s mainly adorable Instagram pics of puppers. They’re quick to write and ridiculously easy to read, so Buzzfeed are able to churn listicles out at a speedy rate and get tonnes of traffic to their website. (Hello advertising revenue…)
They even have a guide for contributors on how to write a great listicle.
How to write a listicle blog for your small business
So, if you’re not Buzzfeed, how can you make a listicle work for you?
First off, consider a topic which links to your business and you have a lot to say about. Then, consider what lists are relevant in that topic. The trick is to get super specific.
Let’s say you’re a residential interior designer. Spend a bit of time researching SEO keywords for a few potential ideas. These can guide you as to seasonal spikes, what’s popular now, and which keywords have the least/ most competition. Then, get writing.
Aim to keep it simple. Write listicles about your top 5 homewares stores, or the 5 best styling hacks in a kitchen, or the 5 best home interiors accounts on Instagram right now, or the top 5 primary bedroom trends in 2023. It’s always helpful to link to 5 different other businesses too, it’s great for SEO. (*Cough* backlinks.)
The first thing on your list is paragraph one, the second is paragraph two, and so on. Six headings, a little introduction, five paragraphs, and boom. You’ve got yourself a listicle blog for your small business.
Just make sure the relevant keywords are in the H1/ H2/ H3 tags, and in the meta data.
The Listicle Blog Headline Examples
Every time you see the word “glasses” or a synonym for “glasses” swap it out for a product or service you sell. In fact, make it as specific as you can about what you do and who you do it for. If you can add in a location, even better.
- 10 super easy ways to style your glasses, even if you have a fringe
- My Favourite Five: 5 brilliant blogs/ podcasts/ people to follow who wear gorgeous glasses
- Maintenance is key: 7 things every glasses-wearer needs to know
Listicles TL: DR
Pros of listicle blog: they’re quick and easy to write, fabulous for backlinks, super readable, great for chunking into social media captions, excellent for local SEO when writing about local businesses.
Cons of listicle blog: It can be hard to get to a good SEO- friendly word count of 800- 1000 words, because the topics aren’t super in depth.
THREE: Easy Fun Blog Type Two- The Q&A Blog
This one is my secret favourite because it’s super under-used and is immensely powerful.
A Q&A blog is one of two things:
ONE: You use social media to gather questions from your audience and answer them in the blog. Make sure you keep the questions super tight to one manageable topic. So, something like “what’s the best way to make smoothies?”, rather than “how do you run a smoothie/ juice business?”. (Top tip, you can write your own questions if you want, who’s gonna know?)
TWO: Interview someone else and write up their answers in the blog. They can be an expert in your industry or a complimentary industry (graphic designers and photographers, copywriters and website designers, coffee shop owners and everyone). This one’s especially great as you are networking, your interviewee is going to share your blog with their audience, you both get backlinks, and its easy AF to write.
How to write a Q&A blog for your small business
If you’re thinking about the panic of interviewing someone, I have a super cool tool to recommend. Have you heard of Otter AI? It transcribes your speech as you’re talking. So, jump on a 30-minute Zoom with your interviewee, click record on Otter, and you’re practically done.
A Q&A blog is really easy to structure. Simply have the questions as the subheadings and the interviewee’s answers as the paragraph below.
It’s so easy to turn this into a blog series. Keep the formula of questions the same, (e.g., describe your biz in 20 words, why do you love Bristol, what challenges have you overcome, what’s a business high you’ve had, how do you help your audience, why do you love your job, etc.) and interview 5, 10, 20 people. Bam, you’ve got a whole bunch of Q&A blogs.
Simply include SEO keywords in the headings, perhaps lead with a short juicy quote in the main headline and get it on your website. Easy peasy bloggin’s squeezy.
The Q&A Blog Headline Examples
Every time you see the word “glasses” or a synonym for “glasses” swap it out for a product or service you sell. In fact, make it as specific as you can about what you do and who you do it for. If you can add in a location, even better.
- Interview with an optician: The pros and cons of glasses and contact lenses
- How to know if your varifocal glasses are worth it from a long- time varifocal wearer
- What inspires Bristol glasses designer Lens McSpectacles
Q&A TL: DR
Pros of Q&A blog: they’re easy to write (especially with Otter AI), great for location specific SEO, fabulous for backlinks, super readable, excellent for chunking on social media, ideal for fresh content, prime content for sharing online by both interviewer/ interviewee, AND you align your values with another business’s values. All round good stuff.
Cons of Q&A blog: it can be hard to find a relevant interviewee and can be time consuming to set up the interview/ record it.
FOUR: Easy Fun Blog Type Three: The ‘How to’ Blog
Ok, this type of small business blog needs a little more effort, but, arguably, you get more of a reward.
A ‘How to’ blog is exactly as it sounds. You inform your audience how to do something, based on your experience, authority, and expertise. They’re an opportunity to really dig into a myth, or a misconception in your industry, or to explain something step- by- step. Their function is to educate and inform, but the benefits aren’t just for your audience.
Because there’s so much detail in a ‘How to’ blog, it’s easy to repurpose your blogs for social media captions, to share in more detail on a podcast, to convert into a newsletter, and to turn into reels for Instagram.
How to write a ‘How to’ blog for your small business
’How to’ blogs are chunky, and typically very detailed, so they take longer to write. But, they’re not hard to write. You’re an expert in your business and industry, so you’ve got lots to share. As long as you’re writing about something you know a lot about, the words are going to flow.
Once you’ve got a strong topic idea, and you’ve done a little SEO research, you’re good to go.
Start by breaking down your topic into the step-by-step actions your audience needs to know. Let’s imagine your blog is ‘How to create chocolate truffles for Christmas’. You might think the first step is “melt the chocolate”, but no. Your first section needs to be something like ‘what equipment you need’, or ‘how to choose which chocolate to buy’, or perhaps even ‘who these truffles are perfect for’. Think carefully about each step of the process, so your reader feels supported each step of the way.
Likewise, if you want to focus on a product you sell, you want to position your product as a solution to a problem, without being sales-y. Something like ‘How to style the perfect outfit for a UK festival this summer’. Write your blog with clear instructions, focusing on helping your reader, and sprinkle your products throughout the blog.
Aim for around 1500- 2000 words for your blog, which tells Google your blog is quality, detailed content, and allows you to get really specific with your expertise for your reader.
The ‘How to’ Blog Headline Examples
Every time you see the word “glasses” or a synonym for “glasses” swap it out for a product or service you sell. In fact, make it as specific as you can about what you do and who you do it for. If you can add in a location, even better.
- The number one question my clients/ customers always ask me about glasses
- How to know if your bifocal glasses are worth it
- What do to when your glasses aren’t working- my eight tips for wonky specs
- Red flags when you’re buying chunky framed glasses- how to spot them, and how to avoid them
‘How to’ TL: DR
Pros of ‘How to’ blogs: ‘How to’ blogs show your authority, they’re easy to pack with SEO keywords, they’re evergreen content which will be searched for throughout the year/ seasonally, they build trust in your audience, they’re great for social media, and they’re the most helpful content to your audience.
Cons of ‘How to’ blogs: ‘How to’ blogs are more time consuming to write and are more complex/ detailed.
FIVE: Easy Fun Blog Type Four: The Personal Blog
This type of blog is great for small business owners. It’s super popular because it allows the writer to explore their unique experiences.
With a personal blog you have a great opportunity to share your values and why they’re important to you in greater depth than you can go into in your about page. You might want to cover how you chose your job, the challenges you’ve faced, your wins, lessons learned, and even your goals. Perhaps you can discuss your feelings about a topic as well as your past. Blogs about why you love something, or why you hate something can only be written from a personal point of view.
What’s tricky about personal blogs for small businesses is keeping the content professional, relevant, and must be valuable to your reader. It might give them a blueprint to follow in your footsteps or be inspiring in some way. Drawing the line between sharing just enough information and not sharing too much can be difficult. This is where a strong edit can really help.
How to write a personal blog for your small business
Having a super clear objective at the start of writing your personal small business blog is a good idea to keep you on track. Keeping the value to the reader in mind is a good idea throughout.
The personal blog absolutely needs a powerful headline to grab the reader. It could be shocking, it could be impressive, but it needs to be captivating.
Break your story into smaller sections to keep the reader engaged and focus on the message you’d like to get across. You can really step into your authority and expertise as you reflect on your experiences, and this can build a great deal of trust in your reader.
The Personal Blog Headline Examples
Every time you see the word “glasses” or a synonym for “glasses” swap it out for a product or service you sell. In fact, make it as specific as you can about what you do and who you do it for. If you can add in a location, even better.
- Sustainability first: here’s how I make sure my glasses don’t cost the earth
- How I became an optician: the highs, the lows, and why I’d never change my job
The Personal Blog TL: DR
Pros of the personal blog: builds your authority, useful for your audience, great for repurposing into social media posts, they’re pretty easy to write, they can be inspirational, you can share your values.
Cons of the personal blog: less likely to be relevant for SEO keywords
There you go, four types of blogs for your small business and tonnes of tips to get you going. Check out this blog on how to write a blog, or this one on how to write a content plan to help you feel more confident for blogging.
Check out my Blogging Strategy Sessions, or with my blog writing services if you have questions about blogging for small businesses.
