What to Blog About – Post Ideas to Get Your Creative Juices Flowing 

September 20, 2024

Just last year the MayeCreate website had over 87,000 page views on our blog – that’s 51% of our total page views! And 62% of the users viewing those pages were new to our site. 

So yes – blogging still works! (I mean you’re here reading our blog…right?!?) And MayeCreate is not the only one still doing it. 9 out of 10 marketers use blogging to achieve their content goals (SEMrush, 2023).

That’s because blogging can start and build relationships. 

It allows you to:

And that, my friends, is all I’m going to say on this topic right this minute. If you’re on the fence about blogging or continuing your blogging efforts, hop on over to our blog post/podcast combo: Blogging Q & A – Is it Dead? How Often Should You Blog? Do you have to? And More! for answers to the questions I hear on repeat about blogging.

Now on to…

What to Blog About

Blogging is about building relationships. 

AKA Connecting. 

And what better way to build relationships than to help other people solve their problems – right? When planning blog topics, what we’re trying to uncover is what people need to know or believe before they choose to work with you.

And the answer to that question highly depends on who you’re speaking to, their goals, and their current education level about what you do.

Now when I say education level, people often think I mean, “how many years of schooling have you had?”

But that’s not it…

I mean, “Does your audience know you are what they need?”

We have a lesson dedicated to planning out what goes on your website in the very first module of our Better than DIY Website Program. And at the beginning of that lesson I pose the exact same question to our participants to guide them through planning out the meat and potatoes of their sites. (Side note, that program is open for enrollment at any time and we set up the design and templates for your website and then train you to put the information inside of the site).

Here’s the deal – usually audiences fall into one of two buckets:

BUCKET 1: They know what they need

BUCKET 2: They know who they are (and maybe the problem they’re trying to solve)  

Let’s talk through these buckets so you can decide where your audience lands.

BUCKET 1: They know what they need

They know enough about what you do that they believe a business like yours can solve their problem. They just need to know that you’re the right company to make it happen.

Examples:

• Painter
• Plumber
• Dentist
• Restaurant
• Web Designer

When people search for these services, they often search directly for the provider. 

Here’s how I know.

(Thank you Google Keyword Planner for this lovely data. Go try a search yourself! It’s free to use with your free Google Ads account.)

Across the US there are an average of 8,100 monthly searches for ‘toilet repair’ vs 1,000,000 average monthly searches for ‘plumber near me’.

Across the US there are an average of 18,100 monthly searches for ‘teeth cleaning’ vs 2,240,000 searches for ‘dentist near me’.

For some companies, the search terms may be more specific. For example, not everyone knows to search ‘HVAC’ for air conditioning repair, but they aren’t searching for the answer to ‘why is my house hot’. They know why…their air conditioner is broken!

For organizations who fall into this category, your audience KNOWS they need a dentist or a plumber. The question they’re trying to answer is ‘which company can I trust to solve my problem?’

Your blogging priority is to:

Stay Top of Mind and Educate

Your audience is closer to the end of the buying cycle, they are developing preference and intent to a specific company.

Focus your efforts on what makes your way the best way. Why are you better than the other guy? But not in a salesy way, it needs to be driven with the buyer in mind – what’s in it for them? 

In our last podcast episode we spoke with Ian Chamandy about Purpose and what makes your business uniquely remarkable. That’s what we need to get across in your blog posts – the thing that sets you apart from your competition and keeps bringing your clients back.

Make sure your topics are hyper-focused on what you do.

It may feel fun to talk about the randomness that pops into your head, but randomness confuses Google. Keep focused on what you do, so when Google sees your posts it will understand what you do and be even more likely to serve your site for searches related to your business. 

I’ll suggest more ideas as we go, but here are a few related to our earlier examples to get your wheels turning.

If you’re a dentist you might blog about:

• Methods to ease teeth sensitivity while cleaning
• Why regular cleanings are important
• Caring for a loved one after a dental procedure
• What dental insurance covers and what it doesn’t
• Top toothpastes you recommend
• Does charcoal toothpaste really work?

Plumbers might blog about:

• Tips and tricks for faucet repair
• Reasons why you need to turn off your water when you go on vacation
• How to properly prepare your home for winter
• Signs you need a new water heater
• Why updating your plumbing fixtures adds value to your home
• Things you think you can flush down the toilet but really can’t

A quick sideline…

If your goal is a quick and steady influx of new customers…

If you fall into this bucket and you want NEW business quickly, you may consider NOT adopting a full on blogging strategy at all. You might consider running Google Ads instead. Because these people are at the end of the buying cycle when they start their search and Google Ads is a great solution to pop you right up to the top of search results and get in front of them when they’re ready to buy.

Now, you still need to update your website. And fill it with things like photos of your work or testimonials from your customers and answers to frequently asked questions. You might just not need to invest your time in blogging and instead invest money in ads. 

Blogging in the long run WILL help you show up in Google search results more frequently and higher in the listings, but that takes time. And the ‘buy now’ search terms will still show ads at top of the search results, so if you want to compete for new business online you may still have to run ads anyway.

Every online marketing strategy has a time and a place.

If your goal is to nurture existing and new customers…

A blog is a good marketing strategy to add to your mix. You can showcase new solutions and technologies, build a relationship by offering continuing solutions, and remind  your audience you are the expert they need to solve their problems.

It is ALWAYS easier to close business with someone you have a relationship with than with someone you don’t. But if you just do business with someone once and then don’t ever speak to them again…you don’t actually have a relationship. You’re just an acquaintance and they may not even remember you when they need your services again.

Blogging can fill that gap between transactions.

BUCKET 2: They know who they are 

(and maybe the problem they’re trying to solve)  

On the flip side, some people only know who they are and the problem they’re trying to solve.

If you:

• Spend a lot of time answering the question, ‘what do you do?’ 
• Have to explain the problem that you solve. 
• After explaining what you do people say, “huh, I never thought of that”, or “how does that even work?”

These are key indicators your audience has a low education level about your product or service. They are just entering into the awareness phase of the buying cycle. They realize they have a need or a problem they want to solve, they just don’t realize that you’re the solution…yet.

Because you can probably solve all kinds of problems for them.
They just don’t know that your solution exists!

Businesses that fall into this category tend to be:

• Businesses offering highly specialized solutions, engineering, software, or tech companies that provide a very specific niche service to a targeted audience.
• Progressive or holistic healthcare providers like specialized massage therapists, dietitians, and functional medicine practitioners who provide non-traditional treatments.
• Coaches and therapists.
• Many nonprofit organizations fall into this category as well.

Your blogging priority is to:

Understand Needs and Offer Solutions

Your blog content (and website content) needs to show them you understand the problem they’re trying to solve and you are a viable solution they should consider.

Let’s say that you are a specialized massage therapist and you help reduce and alleviate migraines. 

Much of your audience just knows they have a migraine or severe headaches, they don’t know that you’re the answer to reducing their symptoms. They only know about conventional medicine and practices.  

Search Term	Average Monthly Searches in US
alternative medicine for headaches alternative remedy for headache	14,800
natural cures for migraines natural migraine treatment	8,100
massage therapy for migraines massage for migraine headache	3,600
migraine massage near me	1,900

More people are looking for a solution to their migraine, but many don’t know massage is a potential solution to treat their migraine symptoms.

In this instance you would want to blog about things like:

• Proven migraine remedies that don’t include narcotics
• Migraine myths
• Common causes of migraines
• Why simply treating migraine symptoms isn’t the answer to being migraine-free

Ok so now that you know how to decide if a blog idea is right for your audience, by evaluating it against what your audience is looking for to find you, let’s move on to the fun part – the blog idea factory!

Idea Factory!

Project Highlights and Case Studies

• Showcase successful projects with before-and-after photos.
• Include client testimonials and project challenges.

Success Stories

• Share stories of individuals or communities that have benefited from your work.
• Highlight the positive change brought by your work, or for my nonprofits – donor contributions.

How-To Guides and Tips

• Write about common problems and how to solve them.
• Provide maintenance tips or safety advice.

Industry Trends and News

• Discuss the latest construction materials, tools, or techniques.
• Share your perspective on industry developments.
• Your investments in new technology, equipment or training to make your service even better (and why).

Client Education

• Explain complex processes in simple terms (e.g., permits, zoning laws).
• Offer advice on how clients can prepare for your product or service.
• Bust myths – address common misconceptions
• Address common objections to buying, volunteering, donating.
• Share resources or tips related to the problems you solve (e.g., environmental tips, health advice).

Behind-the-Scenes Content

• Introduce your team and their expertise.
• Give a glimpse into the daily operations of your business.
• Volunteer spotlights featuring interviews of why they volunteer and how that helps impact your mission.
• How your company gives back to your community
• Company kiddos or fur babies
• New company swag
• Holiday parties
• Staff enrichment

Event Recaps and Announcements

• Recap past events with photos and highlights.
• Announce upcoming events and how readers can get involved.

Favorite Planning Tools

I find my blog topics using four tools:

Last Tips

Keep a document with all your ideas. 

When you turn into an idea factory, you want to capture all that awesomeness. Just because you write it down doesn’t mean you have to write about it right now, or ever for that matter. But when the time comes to write, you’ll have plenty of ideas to get you started.

Recycle Your Blog Content

Your blog content can literally FUEL your marketing. Don’t just post it on your site – talk about it EVERYWHERE. From social media and email newsletters, to podcast guest spots or features on partner sites. Push your content out as far as it will go. You spent so much time on it and it deserves to be read. Not only that – people NEED it!

It’s a Marathon, Not a Sprint – Don’t Give Up

Your solutions and content are important. And they will help people solve their problems and improve their lives. But it takes time to gain momentum. So don’t give up! With a regular cadence, open ears, and an open mind, your blog will be driving traffic to your site and building relationships in no time! 

For more blog start up advice and answers to blog FAQ’s check out our recent podcast/blog post combo: Blogging Q & A – Is it Dead? How Often Should You Blog? Do you have to? And More! 

And of course, if you need one-on-one help planning your topics, I’m here to help.
Just give me a shout: monica@mayecreate.com.