To blog, or what to blog? 50 ideas for creative businesses
To blog, or what to blog? That is the question. If you are wondering about the relevance of maintaining a blog for your creative business, or you are feeling uninspired about creating content, fear not. Blogs are still seen as reliable sources of information as buyers look online to answer their questions. Done well, blogs further express your brand personality, help identify your niche, and enable you to connect with your clients or customers.
Over the past several years blogging has evolved from personal journal to marketing platform, given the rise of social media. While platforms such as Instagram, Twitter and Facebook may come and go in popularity, a blog is home to all your platforms. A directory for your portfolio, podcasts, products, services, and information while creating additional online visibility.
Given that blogging is slower and more expensive than social media, the key is quality over quantity. Below is a list of 50 blog topics to inspire you to create original, authentic content for your client base, while building community. Whatever your creative business or niche, you will find inspiration for your blogging content.
Ok, here we go!
Image: Christina Lowry
Restate your brand vision. Your why.
Q&A - They ask, you answer. Comb through your client emails for your most commonly asked questions, or use social media to put a call out for client questions, then answer them in this post. Invite readers to leave further questions in the comments.
Create a library of free training – a one stop post for any tutorials, how to’s, lists of tips etc
Include client testimonials and photos of clients using your products – the more creative the better
Share behind the scenes of look books or photoshoots – shout out to the team, the location, relay stories from the day
Create a mosaic of your nine favourite images from Instagram with a call to action to follow you on Instagram
Share your successes – awards, features, published work, do a recap on your/ your businesses achievements
Travel diary – going away for the weekend, heading overseas on a holiday or buying trip? Create a travel diary with tips from your experience
Summer reads – books that fit your niche that they may not have heard of and will thank you for
Curated gift ideas – Create a collection of products from your range that would be perfect for a special occasion, like Mother’s Day. Or, inspire with a selection of local makers products for a Christmas wish list
‘Meet the Maker’ interviews – take five with a crafter you employ or represent, interview a staff member
Recipes – whether your brand is food related or not, recipes often add a sense of connection
Seasons – from seasonal products, to imagery of the seasons, nature is always a great starting point
Tips or advice – your favourite apps, the best way to do something, how to get a job in your industry, share your knowledge
Behind the scenes – everyone loves to take a peek behind the exterior and see the details of how things are made
Insider’s guide – share the secretes of your niche, your hometown, styling etc.
A studio/ workshop/ shop/ office tour – allow the audience to connect with and be inspired by your spaces and what they say about you or your brand
How To – use a product, make something, fix something. People love to learn.
The making of – a step by step visual of how something is made
Sneak peeks – create excitement about an upcoming collection
For the love of – share beautiful images relating to your audience. For the love of linen, gardens, lipstick, stationary
Highlights from the previous year, season or market – create a round up of images and info
Launch details – whether it is a book, product, event, share share share
Half yearly check-up – open up on how you working towards your goals, or encourage others to make plans for the next half of the year
Summer bucket list – things to do this Summer
Brand history – what has changed, what has stayed the same. When and where did you start out and where are you now?
Personal or funny stories – what you wanted to be when you grew up, how you thought Tasmania wasn’t a part of Australia, how you got a nick name
Create a regular feature – you can create a monthly challenge, feature a maker each week, a weekly editorial, a collection of inspiring images and quotes
Future plans – what are your big dreams? What direction do you see the business going in? If you knew you couldn’t fail, what would you do?
Write a list of your favourite accounts to follow on Instagram/ podcasts
Travel essentials – what do you pack when you go away overnight, overseas, with children?
A ‘day in the life' post – people are always fascinated by a day in the life of an entrepreneur or business owner.
Your routine – morning/night – do you wake at 5 am to do yoga and write your diary, or are you a night owl?
Share videos – video content is getting bigger and bigger. You can make a video out of most of the topics in this list.
Celebrate your businesses birthday – do a giveaway, celebrate your achievements, thank your customers
Your must-haves – what’s on your rider? Is it kombucha and lip balm? Coffee and a great bag? A certain pen, organiser or night cream?
Overcoming a creative funk – how do you find inspiration? What is your go to for self-care?
Explain one of your services – imagine a client came across your page for the first time and you were explaining what you do, or how a product works.
Your road to success – the path to overnight success is usually a long one.
Overcoming failure – think of a time when you used a failure to achieve a bigger goal, or to motivate you to do even better.
Things you won’t ever do – perhaps you won’t sell your originals, perhaps you will never buy caged eggs, we are as much what we do as what we don’t do.
Organisation hacks – do you batch production, are you a compulsive list keeper, are you terrible and being organised and have found ways to make it easier?
Create a roundup of your best content – save them from reading the whole blog and create a post that has the best of the best in one place.
Staying motivated – what keeps you motivated when business is slow, or you haven’t reached goal, or someone has copied you
Charity – do you support an organisation, do you fund raise, do you work with a company that pays living wages in third world countries?
How to style – a dress, a cushion, an office
Which _____ is the right one for you? This is great if you offer several similar products
Re-publish your email newsletter with a call to subscribe
Share something new – a product, team member, idea, business cards. People are attracted to new things.
Steps you have taking to have less environmental impact – recycled packaging, non-toxic dye, compostable mailers, timeless style.
Now, it’s time to get writing! Grab a cuppa and a notebook and brain storm some of the ideas on this list to create blog posts of value, with personality, that connect with your audience. Use you blog to inform, entertain and ultimately, give them the details that help them decide to work with you.