Content Creation, Rebecca Writes

Content Creation

How To Find Blog Post Ideas For Your Small Business Blog

Created: 09 Mar 2022 / Categories: Blogging for businesses, Content Creation, Small Businesses

Every so often, the perfect blog post idea drops out of the sky and into your lap. But for many small business owners and entrepreneurs, it’s rarely that easy.

Creating and maintaining a blog takes time and effort — and finding fresh new blog post ideas is no exception.

But with the right tools and inspiration, you can hunt down great new content ideas with ease. It’s all about knowing where and how to look.

Establish your audience

Before you start thinking of ideas, you need to know who you’re writing for and what they want to know. This will help you stay focused on your objective.

Consider the age, gender, income, wants and needs of your ideal buyer. Note these down. Now you have a broad picture of who your reader is, you should be able to focus on finding the most relevant content for them.

Knowing your audience is crucial to any good content marketing strategy. If you don’t know who you’re writing for yet, figure this out before you go any further.

Establish your objectives

Once you know who your readers are, you can start to hone in on your objective. Do you want to help them solve a problem? Spark their imagination? Educate them about a subject? All of these — and many more — are valid objectives in your blog.

You’ll also want to consider your objective from a business perspective. Do you want better SEO? To be seen as a thought leader? Or shareable social media content?

When you start searching for blog post ideas, hundreds will suddenly dawn on you — so knowing your objectives will help you sift through your ideas to find the golden ones.

8 ways to find great new content ideas

With your audience and objectives nailed down, you’re ready to start hunting for content ideas that will help your readers find your website with ease. Use these 8 tools and techniques to find brilliant new blog post ideas.

1. Google Keyword Planner

Google Keyword Planner should be the first port of call for any business blogger looking to boost their SEO.

Open up the tool and enter some keywords associated with your product or service. Keyword planner will then tell you how often these terms are searched each month, and offer alternative keywords that could also be relevant to your business.

Choose the best keywords and form titles around them, using common phrasing like “how to” and “10 ways to.”

2. Google Trends

If you’re looking for ideas on a broader scale, take a look at Google Trends. You can search the popularity of your entered subjects and search terms over time, and use this information to plan future blog posts.

Google Trends also offers geographical search data, so it’s ideal if you’re looking to reach a global audience. Plus, it recommends other relevant topics, helping you find other topics you can blog about that you may not have considered.

3. Reddit

Reddit is a treasure trove for business bloggers. Find the relevant subreddit for your industry — trust me, there will be one — then sort by new and hot posts to see which posts Redditors are most interested in. You can then use popular topics and regularly-asked questions to inform your next blog title.

This is a great way for businesses to find blog post ideas, particularly in modern innovative sectors such as cryptocurrency and renewable energy.

4. Your existing content

Sift through your existing content to see if it sparks inspiration for a new post. Many blog posts only address some of the key questions on a particular topic, so if you feel there’s more you can offer on a subject, elaborate on it in your next post.

Repurposing content is a valuable skill, but self-plagiarism definitely isn’t. When searching through your previous content, resist the urge to copy and paste chunks of text. It’s not valuable to your readers (or search engines) to see the same content repeated throughout your website, so use your existing content for inspiration only.

5. Answer The Public

Answer The Public is a useful tool for finding popular search terms around a particular topic. It’s much more intuitive than Google Keyword Planner, although not as detailed. You only get 3 free searches each day, but used wisely these can give you plenty of great blog post ideas.

6. HubSpot Blog Title Generator

If you’ve already got some potential topics to write about, but just need to find the right title, use Hubspot’s blog title generator tool. Enter up to 5 subjects and receive 5 blog title ideas for these terms.

These are just ideas, so you shouldn’t use them blindly. Make sure they align with your audience and your objective before you settle on a title.

7. Social media

If you’re part of an active social media community, ask your followers and connections what they’d most like to read about from you. This is a great way to engage with your readers online, and show that you value their input and suggestions.

Trial Twitter and Instagram polls as well as open questions to find out the best way to communicate with your followers and get ideas for your next blog post.

8. Current events and trends

Everything from national holidays to industry news can be a source of inspiration for business bloggers. Take a look at the calendar and see what days of interest are coming up. As well as the big ones like Christmas and Eid, think World Book Day and National Apprenticeship Week.

You can then plan, write and distribute your blog posts in plenty of time for the big day.

A foolproof 3-step plan to writing a blog post

Coming up with blog post ideas is just the first step. You then need to write the thing.

Take a look at this 3-step blog writing formula that breaks the process down into simple, manageable chunks.

How To Write A Blog Post In 3 Simple Steps

Created: 23 Feb 2022 / Categories: Blogging for businesses, Content Creation

Blogging can feel like a huge undertaking — but it doesn’t have to be.

With a simple formula, you can start writing great blog posts for your content marketing plan with ease. No matter how long your blog post will be, the same rules apply. All you need to do is follow these 3 steps.

Jump to:

Planning your blog post
Writing your blog post
Reviewing your blog post

1. Plan your blog post

A detailed plan is the backbone of any great blog post. It gives your article structure, purpose, and direction.

During the planning stage, you’ll do all your research so you know your argument inside out — before you start writing. Create a list of headers you want to use throughout your article, then flesh out the topics in bullet point format. This should help you see how well the content flows.

Here’s an example plan for a blog post titled 5 Reasons To Visit London’s West End:

2. Write your blog post

With the skeleton of your blog post in place, writing it is a breeze.

Don’t get tied up in using fancy vocabulary or flowery sentences. When it comes to blog writing, simpler is always better. Feel free to get creative if the mood strikes you, but don’t let it hold you back.

If in doubt, write how you speak.

Above all else, though: just write. This is your first draft, so nobody will even see what you’ve written.

Which brings us to step 3: the review.

3. Review your blog post

You should never publish your first draft. Leave it in draft for at least a few hours — ideally a day — so you can come back to it with a fresh pair of eyes.

When you return to review your blog post, read through and check for the following:

Spelling and grammar — use a free tool like Grammarly to help with this if you like
Overly long sentences — if you have to go back and reread a sentence to get the meaning, it’s probably too long or complex
Missing words — when you’re typing quickly it’s easy to skip an “and” or a “the”
Missing points — is there any missing information your reader would appreciate knowing?
Keyword density — if you’re writing for SEO, make sure your keyword density is 1-2%
Strong call-to-action — make sure your blog post encourages readers to take action

When you’re happy with your blog post, hit publish! It’s time to share it with the world.

Create your content marketing strategy

Blog posts are the cornerstone of any killer content marketing strategy. Find out why you should invest in a content marketing strategy for your business.

Why Invest In A Content Marketing Strategy For Your Business

Created: 11 Feb 2022 / Categories: Blogging for businesses, Content Creation, SEO

There’s a saying in modern marketing: content is king.

Bill Gates coined the expression in a 1996 essay that would transform the world of marketing. And there’s a reason the saying endures.

In 2022, content marketing is arguably the most effective way to make your business a success. Even zeitgeisty digital concepts like video marketing, influencer marketing, and affiliate marketing all come back to content.

Without content, your website is just a shell — so even by having a website you’re already doing some kind of content marketing. But Google is constantly hunting for fresh takes and up-to-the-minute information. If you’re not continuously revisiting your content and analysing the results of your online presence, your website could already be outdated.

Skip to section:

What is a content marketing strategy?
10 reasons to invest in a content marketing strategy
Working with a copywriter to create a content marketing strategy

What is a content marketing strategy?

To avoid letting your website waste away in the unvisited corners of the internet, you need a content marketing strategy.

A content marketing strategy is where your business objectives meet your web presence. By making a plan for the creation and dissemination of useful, informative content, you can transform your dusty old website into a thing of beauty.

With the right content marketing strategy, you can drive more traffic to your website, make more sales, and become an authority in your industry.

10 reasons to invest in a content strategy for your business website

Check out the top 10 reasons to commit to a content marketing strategy for your business in 2022.

1. Bring more visitors to your site

Stronger SEO is the number one reason many businesses turn to content marketing. Search engine optimisation has never been bigger for business success — and it doesn’t look like it’s going to be toppled by any other marketing strategy any time soon. A successful content marketing strategy looks at your current SEO success, and finds ways to produce content that will bump your website up the SERP.

Better SEO means customers will find you online more easily. It can take time to build up a bank of content that Google sees as trustworthy and authoritative, but once you’re in, you’ll soon start seeing an increase in leads and/or sales.

2. Get noticed online

Great content in the right place has the potential to get your brand noticed by a lot more people. With a strong content marketing strategy, you’ll plan highly shareable content — whether it’s a blog post, a video, or a podcast — and get it in front of readers, viewers or listeners.

As your band of content consumers grows, you’ll begin to see big leaps in brand awareness and social media engagement, which should eventually translate to a jump in sales.

3. Help your customers

Content may be king, but strong customer service is still the cornerstone of any great brand. That’s why your content should feed your customers with knowledge and information that helps them make the right buying decision.

Not only will they see you as a trustworthy brand that deserves their custom, but you’ll also weed out the customers who don’t align with your values before they buy. That means fewer unhappy customers, and more brand-loyal buyers who’ll want to shout about the great experience you’ve given them.

4. Revitalise your website

If your website is looking a little tired, an injection of fresh new content could be just what’s needed. You don’t necessarily need to invest in a full website overhaul — a refresh of your brand tone could be enough to pep up your web presence.

A content marketing strategy can also help you create alignment between your marketing channels. Fresh website content gives you something to share on social media, or talk about at your next networking event.

5. Put method into the madness

As a small business owner, writing blog posts is always the task that gets pushed to the bottom of the agenda. And it’s understandable — there’s always a bigger priority when you’re running everything yourself.

But a content marketing strategy gives you a structure and an objective, so you’re not blindly churning out less-than-helpful blog posts anymore. Instead, you’re creating purposeful content that’s informative, authoritative, and convincing — and is designed to get results. This structure and purpose can help you understand why you’re creating content, making it easier to get it done. And the sooner you get it done, the sooner you’ll start seeing results.

6. Make the best use of your time

For small business owners, there aren’t enough hours in the day to do everything you need to do. But with a content marketing strategy, you can get organised, and make sure you have enough time to get everything done — including posting that fresh new content.

A good content marketing strategy is built around a content calendar. Your content calendar keeps you on track, so your site is always being updated with new, relevant content. All you need to do is stick to it, and you’ll soon start seeing big strides in the success of your content marketing.

7. Become an authority in your industry

Google uses the principles of E-A-T to rank websites in its search engine results pages: Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness. To rank well, your content needs to meet — and exceed — these criteria.

If Google sees your site as an authority on a certain subject, chances are your readers soon will, too. That means great content can help you become a big name in your industry — even if you’re a small business.

8. Modernise your company

It’s never too late to join the content marketing game. Creating great online content is the hallmark of any forward-looking business, so give your company a modern-day overhaul with a content marketing strategy.

It’s more than a fresh lick of paint, too. Bringing more of your marketing online can help you reach a whole new subset of clients and customers, so it’s time to take the leap into content marketing.

9. Help people understand your product

This one’s for those B2B businesses who have a hard time conveying the value of your product or service to your potential customers. Your leads are more likely to convert if they understand your product — so make sure to provide useful information that helps them make a purchasing decision.

The beauty of content marketing is that it’s a slow burning process, so if your sales cycles are naturally long, it’s definitely worth creating a content marketing strategy to build momentum for your sales.

10. Make more sales

Ultimately, the goal of any business is to make more sales. And with a well-planned and well-executed content marketing strategy, you will.

Whether it’s because your leads have a better understanding of your product, a more informed mindset, or because you’ve reached that coveted #1 spot in Google, there are lots of ways a content strategy can help you win business.

Working with a copywriter to create a content marketing strategy

There are lots of digital marketing agencies out there who can help you craft a content strategy. They’re a great option for many established, larger businesses — but they charge for the experience of a team full of people, so the costs can quickly rack up.

For a small business, working directly with a copywriter with extensive digital marketing experience could be the way to go. I’ll work with you to create a bespoke content marketing plan that suits your business, and execute it to a T.

Find out more about how my content marketing service works here.

17 Free Tools To Make Blog Writing Easier

Created: 19 Jan 2022 / Categories: Blogging for businesses, Content Creation, Small Businesses

It’s not always easy to commit to writing a blog when you’re running a small business. Whether there aren’t enough hours in the day, or you find the blank page a little intimidating (which is a real thing even with the most seasoned writers), keeping your blog up-to-date is rarely the biggest priority for business owners.

But there are real benefits to having a business blog. From climbing in Google rankings to boosting your social media presence, a blog with a great content marketing strategy behind it can bring serious results. You can make more sales, connect better with customers, and grow your business faster.

17 free tools that will help you write better, faster blog posts

Sitting down to write a blog post becomes a whole lot easier with the right tools at your fingertips. These 17 tools are widely used by bloggers everywhere — and best of all, they’re free.

Use these handy links to find the right tool for your biggest blogging bugbear:

Idea generation
Finding the right words
Writing better and faster
SEO blog writing
Blog formatting
More blog resources

Free Tools For Blog Idea Generation

1. Google Trends

If you’re ever stuck for ideas, Google Trends should be your go-to website. Here, you’ll find tons of information about the latest searches, which you can refine by region, year, and more.

You’ll find out how popular your search topic is, and find other related queries you can research to add more value to your blog posts.

2. Answer The Public

For business bloggers, Answer The Public is a godsend. While only your first 3 daily searches are free, this is more than enough for small business owners looking for great ideas.

Simply enter a 1-2 word search term and find out what people around the world are asking about that topic. The easy-to-understand mindmap format is great for understanding which searches crop up most.

3. Reddit

If you already use Reddit as a casual browser, you’re halfway to seeing how you can use it as a mine of information for your business blog. Subreddits cover all kinds of topics — seriously, all kinds.

Search your industry to find and join related subreddits, then take a look at new and hot topics to find out which questions are generating the most interest. You can then use these questions as the basis of your next blog post.

4. Portent Content Idea Generator

If you’re unsure what title to use for your next blog post, use Portent’s Content Idea Generator to find lots of ideas around your subject.

While this tool is useful if you’re really stuck for inspiration, it uses generic templates to come up with specific ideas for your topic. That means you won’t get suggestions that delve into the nitty-gritty of your industry, or help answer the burning questions your customers are asking. For those suggestions, use Reddit, Google Trends, or Answer The Public.

Free Grammar Tools For Blog Writing

5. Grammarly

If you’ve browsed the internet for more than half an hour, you’ve probably encountered a Grammarly ad. And with good reason — the app is among the most popular writing software in the world. It’s easy to use, informative, and super helpful.

If you find spelling and grammar difficult to deal with, Grammarly is one of the easiest ways to tackle it. It will notify you when you misspell a word or misuse a punctuation mark, and even make suggestions for simplifying your writing.

6. Thesaurus.com

Get creative in your blog posts with a little help from thesaurus.com. If you’re sick of writing words like great or easy, find an alternative with an online thesaurus.

A word of warning, though: only use words if you’re 100% sure what they mean. And make sure they’re appropriate for your context. For example, obvious is given as a synonym for easy — but there’s a lot of difference between an easy solution and an obvious solution.

7. Dictionary.com

This is the sister site to thesaurus.com, so you’ll notice a lot of similarities in the design and user experience of dictionary.com. Here’s where you can check you’re using words correctly — which is especially useful if you’re also using a thesaurus.

It’s also useful to use a dictionary if you’re using a word with multiple meanings. Sometimes a word that sounds the same isn’t always spelled the same. For example, complementary colours are very different from complimentary colours.

Free Tools To Help You Write Better And Faster

8. Hemingway App

Writing with direction and finesse is an art — it takes a lot of practice to get it right. The Hemingway app (named after the famously spare-with-words writer Ernest Hemingway) helps you cut through the babble of your writing and get to the point.

Simply copy your text into the editor and watch the app work its magic. It’s a great way to help you get into the habit of writing concisely, with readability in mind. Plus, it takes a lot less time to write shorter sentences when you get used to it, so this app can help you save time on your blog writing, too.

9. Google Docs

If you don’t already use a word processing program, sign up for a free Google Docs account. You’ll get all the functionality of a program like Microsoft Word, but your documents will be stored in the cloud, so you can access them anywhere.

Google Docs allows you to collaborate with colleagues, friends, or editors on a single document. Simply send the link to your blog post draft to someone you trust, and they can proofread it before you hit publish. It’s a great way to spot errors before your blog post goes live.

10. Trello

If organisation isn’t your strong suit, a project management program like Trello can help you get your ideas in order before you start writing.

Use Trello to write down all your blog post ideas on separate cards. Then move them between three separate buckets: To Write, Written, and Published. Not only will this help you plan future blog posts, it’ll also give you a little motivation boost to see your cards moving through the workflow.

11. Evernote

Like Trello, Evernote is useful for helping organise your ideas before you start writing. I believe a good plan makes blog writing a lot easier, so by using a note-taking app like Evernote, you can plan on-the-go — so when you sit down to write, all your notes are ready and waiting.

12. The Most Dangerous Writing App

This one is only for the hardcore. The Most Dangerous Writing App is designed to force writers to concentrate on your project by deleting your work if you stop writing for more than a few seconds. I’ve used it, and it is pretty harsh.

When you stop writing, the screen begins to blur and fade. If you start writing again before the timer runs out, your work will be saved. If you make it to the end of the timer (choose from increments from 5 minutes to 1 hour) your work won’t be deleted, so you can copy it over from the app into your blog platform.

This tool is fantastic for helping you get words down on the page — but you should only use it if you’re confident you can write consistently for a sustained period of time.

most dangerous writing app text disappearing example

Tools To Help With SEO Blog Writing

13. Keyword Planner

Keyword planner is the number one tool you need to make sure your blog posts are SEO-friendly.

The keyword planner in Google Ads tells you how many people have searched for any given search term in a set period of time. You can use this information to decide whether it’s worth writing a blog post based on that search term — and whether or not you’re likely to rank well for it.

Keyword planner isn’t the most user-friendly tool out there for beginners, but it’s among the most useful tools you can use if you want to get serious about SEO in your blog writing. Google also offers this guide on how to use keyword planner effectively to help you get started.

14. Yoast SEO

Yoast SEO is the most commonly used plugin for monitoring SEO best practice on your website — and if you don’t already, you can use it for your blog, too.

Yoast tells you where you need to make changes to your webpage to give it the best possible chance of ranking in Google. You’ll enter the keyword you want to rank for, and Yoast will help you optimise your page. Best of all, Yoast SEO uses easy-to-understand language, so all business owners can make well-informed decisions about your website’s SEO.

Free Blog Formatting Tools

15. You Can Book Me

Not sure where to send your customers when they reach the end of your blog post? This handy tool is ideal for lead generation. You Can Book Me enables potential customers to schedule a meeting with you or a member of your team. Simply link it to your calendar to show when you’re available.

By embedding this form at the bottom of your blog posts, you’ve got an automatic lead capture tool — and a strong call-to-action you can use whenever you need to. It’s a great way to make sure you can connect with as many potential customers as possible.

16. Button Optimizer

Buttons are a great way to draw attention to the action you want your readers to take when they reach the bottom of your blog post. But it can be a bit fiddly to create buttons, especially if your design skills aren’t up to scratch.

Tools like Button Optimizer makes it easy to create and embed simple buttons in your blog post.

17. Canva

This one is great if you’re a whiz at writing blog posts, but less confident when it comes to design. Canva is a free design website that gives you tons of functionality over your images. So if you want to add photos, graphics, or other imagery to your blog post, you can give them a professional makeover with Canva.

More Useful Blogging Resources This Way

If you’re looking for more ways to make business blogging easier, take a look at my resource pages. I’m always adding new content to help small business owners grow their online presence. To make sure you never miss a trick, sign up to my newsletter — I’ll only send you content I think you’ll love.

Why Do Businesses Need A Blog? 4 Ways A Blog Can Transform Your Business

Created: 23 Nov 2021 / Categories: Blogging for businesses, Content Creation

Starting a blog is easy - but updating it isn’t. For many businesses, having a regularly updated blog doesn’t always seem like the most important task at hand.

Whether you don’t have time to update your blog, or you can’t see how a blog will benefit your business, maintaining a blog is rarely number one on the priority list.

But blogs aren’t just nice-to-have features that make your site look nice. They’re not just a place to keep your customers updated on company news. A blog can have a big impact on sales - you just need the right blogging strategy.

Climb Google rankings

The number one reason many brands choose to have a blog is to climb Mount Google. To reach that coveted first page, you need content - and lots of it. A blog is a great way to get relevant, informative content out there in the search engine sphere.

Hitting the top of Google can have a big impact on your business. You’ll start to see a lot more traffic to your website, which can lead to an increase in sales. To make the most of your newfound internet popularity, make sure you write a great landing page that is clear, concise, and optimised for making sales.

Boost your social media presence

If you find yourself reposting the same tired old memes, it’s time for a revamp. Writing a blog can give you fantastic, useful content that you can post across your social media channels. Each new article presents an opportunity to share your knowledge and expertise with the world.

Great social media content is sure to earn you followers - so building a blog can be a great way to boost your social media presence.

Become a thought leader

From Steve Jobs to Malala Yousafzai, inspirational leaders are everywhere - and a well-written blog can give you a platform to join them. A blog allows you to become known for your expertise in your sector, helping potential customers see you as an authority - so they’re more likely to seek you out when they’re ready to buy.

Thought leadership is also an opportunity to boost your personal brand. With well-argued opinion pieces, you can help shape the conversation and influence the direction of your industry.

Establish a band of brand ambassadors

Regular, informative blog posts will attract regular readers. And once readers are on your site, you’re halfway to helping them make a sale. By giving people need-to-know information in your blog, you’ll be seen as a reliable source - so when they’re ready to buy, they’ll know just where to go.

Add widgets to your site to turn your blog visitors into social media followers and mailing list subscribers, too. It’s a great way to build a loyal collection of engaged customers.

How to decide on the goal of your business blog

Updating your blog becomes a lot easier if you have a goal in mind. But which of these goals best suits your business? Can you choose more than one? And how easy is it to achieve?

To decide on the goal of your business blog, consider the following:

1. What’s the most important goal for your business as a whole?

If you’re looking to drive sales, helping your website rank highly in Google is the most impactful thing you can do. SEO isn’t easy - but it’s very effective. A great blog enhances your chances of reaching those coveted top spots.

2. How much time can you dedicate to maintaining a blog?

If you’re already starting early and working late, it’s going to take a long time to generate enough content to help you impact SEO. If this is the most important target for your business, consider outsourcing your blog writing to a freelance content writer. Alternatively, select a goal that demands less time, such as creating content for social media - a single blog post can be reposted and repurposed at your leisure.

Time and targets are 2 key factors that can help you shape your blog. And once you know why you’re writing, the whole blogging process becomes a whole lot easier.

Find time to write a business blog

If you’re not ready to outsource your blog to a content writer, but you want to get the ball rolling, it’s easier than you think to get started. Find out how you can make time to maintain your blog.