• Survey
  • Book Becky to speak
  • The book: Small Town Rules
  • Shop Local video
  • SaveYour.Town

Small Biz Survival

The small town and rural business resource

A row of small town shops
  • Front Page
  • Latest stories
  • About
  • Guided Tour
  • Subscribe
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • RSS

18 Blog post ideas for any small business

By Becky McCray

Want to start a blog for your small business, but not sure what to write about? The best posts are like personal notes to your customer. Here’s a starter list of topics to get you going.

    Lochcarron Weavers
    1. How our business was founded
    2. Just yesterday, a customer asked…
    3. Meet one of our employees
    4. Meet one of our customers
    5. One thing we are doing to support the community
    6. Here are some great tips from our customers
    7. Meet one of our home-town suppliers
    8. What would you do if you ran the place?
    9. More about our town, and why we’re here
    10. Here’s a cool upcoming local event
    11. One secret that could help you
    12. A customer sent us this photo
    13. I read something I thought you could use
    14. Some trends I see coming at us
    15. What I learned at an industry event that you could use
    16. One thing I’m really proud of
    17. A cause we support
    18. A few websites that might help you

    Secret #1: You can do these as written text, or record them in audio or video. Your customers would love it if you’d do a mix of all three.

    Secret #2: These are perpetual topics that you can do over and over. This list never expires. 

    Do these sound too small-business-y for your bigger company? Take a look at this list from Chris Brogan: 50 Blog Topics Marketers Could Write For Their Company for some topics that are more useful for medium sized businesses.

    What would you add to your list of perpetual topics?

    Photo by Becky McCray

    New to SmallBizSurvival.com? Take the Guided Tour. Like what you see? Get our updates.

    • About the Author
    • Latest Posts

    About Becky McCray

    Becky started Small Biz Survival in 2006 to share rural business and community building stories and ideas with other small town business people. She and her husband have a small cattle ranch and are lifelong entrepreneurs. Becky is an international speaker on small business and rural topics.
    • Downtown is your town’s core: How to make your case - February 22, 2021
    • Zoom Towns: attracting and supporting remote workers in rural small towns - December 10, 2020
    • In an economic crisis, spend your brainpower before your dollars - November 25, 2020
    • Video: How to fill empty car dealership buildings for the holidays - November 6, 2020
    • How has 2020 changed the challenges rural small towns face? Tell us here - October 20, 2020
    • The Idea Friendly Method to surviving a business crisis - October 6, 2020
    • Join me for the Rural Renewal Symposium online Oct 13 - September 26, 2020
    • Cheap placemaking idea: instant murals - September 11, 2020
    • Refilling the rural business pipeline - July 7, 2020
    • Huge vacant buildings: grants to renovate? - June 9, 2020

    July 6, 2009 Filed Under: Best of, marketing, Small Biz 100, social media

    Wondering what is and is not allowed in the comments?
    Or how to get a nifty photo beside your name?
    Check our commenting policy.
    Use your real name, not a business name.


    Don't see the comment form?
    Comments are automatically closed on older posts, but you can send me your comment via this contact form and I'll add it manually for you. Thanks!

    Comments

    1. Bradford Shimp says

      July 6, 2009 at 1:05 pm

      Great list! I think too often we think we need to write about our products or services. This is not the case at all. Writing about people is always a good move. Providing helpful information for customers on a regular basis will keep them coming back.

    2. Kevin Ferrasci OMalley says

      July 6, 2009 at 1:05 pm

      Becky:

      How about these…

      What I love most about being in business ?

      Why is it that….?

      Write about a fellow local business

      all the best
      kevin
      http://www.twitter.com/KFOM

    3. Becky McCray says

      July 6, 2009 at 1:20 pm

      Bradford, you’re right that we default to talking about products rather than people. And that’s not the best idea.

      Kevin, thanks for three great additions!

    4. tara g says

      July 6, 2009 at 1:35 pm

      Great post! I’ll be sure to use these with my blog design clients and point them back here for more helpful information.

      2 others to add to the list:
      1. behind the scenes tour
      2. question for customers to answer to increase site interactivity!

    5. Stefanie Devery says

      July 6, 2009 at 1:54 pm

      Becky-

      This is a great list! You definately got me thinking.

      I am excited to use some of them. Thanks!

    6. Becky McCray says

      July 6, 2009 at 3:00 pm

      Tara, thanks for the extra ideas.

      Stefanie, glad you found some useful info.

    7. Stefanie Devery says

      July 6, 2009 at 3:58 pm

      I just tweeted two of your blogs also. I am so glad I found you!

      You can thank @GrantGriffiths for that. He tweeted this post.

      Stefanie (@StefanieDevery)

    8. Becky McCray says

      July 6, 2009 at 4:03 pm

      Thanks, Stefanie, and I’ll be sure to say thanks to Grant, too.

    9. Marianna Hayes says

      July 6, 2009 at 4:10 pm

      What about the people behind the products – ie. a great product line with a great story – guest posts from the creator’s of the line add credibility to the local business and often there are at least SOME products in a store backed by another small business. They’d love to tell THEIR story which creates a strong connection between your customer and your products. Love the human angle and the perpetual recycle-ability of this list!

      As always, Becky, as a small town farmer’s daughter who makes my life helping small business owners, I bow to your connection with real life as a small business owner. Fabulous list!

    10. Becky McCray says

      July 6, 2009 at 4:21 pm

      Marianna, another great addition. Thanks! And thank you for such a kind compliment.

    11. Dr. Wright says

      July 6, 2009 at 5:51 pm

      Great ideas, this will get us off our butts and writing!

      Dr. Wright
      http://www.wrightplacetv.com

    12. Bobbie Stacey says

      July 7, 2009 at 10:55 am

      Becky,

      I found you a few days ago. I’m starting a new non-profit in a small town. Everything you’re writing about is applicable in our arena as well, especially since we are approaching social services from a social entrepreneurial standpoint.

      I’ll be using your list to launch a new blog soon.

      Thank you.

    13. Becky McCray says

      July 7, 2009 at 6:15 pm

      Thank you, Bobbie. I hadn’t thought about them as nonprofit topics, but it’s still a personal note to your customers. Thanks!

    14. Kenny says

      August 31, 2009 at 3:37 am

      Thank you with your list. This really helps for most people who have no ideas what to blog about for their business. A good start list for blogger

    15. RSP - Womens Coaching says

      September 2, 2009 at 5:43 am

      Hi Becky,

      Is it possible to share your article if I include your author information. We have a in person womens business coaching program but I also post articles on our blog that would be useful for them? Great article by the way. They have a lot of trouble blogging.

    16. Becky McCray says

      September 2, 2009 at 12:35 pm

      Kenny, thank you!

      RSP, you certainly may share this, and anything else we publish. It’s all published under a Creative Commons Non-Commercial Attribution Share-Alike license. That means you can use it for noncommercial purposes, with just a few limits (explained at CreativeCommons.org).

    Howdy!

    Glad you dropped in to the rural and small town business blog, established in 2006.

    We want you to feel at home, so please take our guided tour.

    Meet our authors on the About page.

    Have something to say? You can give us a holler on the contact form.

    If you would like permission to re-use an article you've read here, please make a Reprint Request.

    Want to search our past articles? Catch up with the latest stories? Browse through the categories? All the good stuff is on the Front Page.

    Shop Local

    Buy local buttonReady to set up a shop local campaign in your small town? You'll need a guide who understands how we're different and what really works: Shop Local Campaigns for Small Towns.

    Best of Small Biz Survival

    What is holding us back? Why does every project take so long in small towns?

    How any business can be part of downtown events by going mobile

    Concert-goers talking and enjoying the evening in downtown Webster City, Iowa.

    Why do people say there’s nothing to do here then not come to our concerts?

    Retailers: Fill all empty space, floor to ceiling

    More of the best of Small Biz Survival

    Copyright © 2021 Becky McCray
    Front Page · Log in