100+ SMB Blogging Ideas
With so many social media studies showing that companies are looking to up their involvement in social activities this year, I thought I’d help cure that age-old “what should I blog about today?” question. Or at least give you a healthy head start for the year by providing 100+ potential blog topics for your small business blog. Consider it my contribution to your yearly editorial calendar. I know you’re creating one, right?
So, here are some potential topics. Grab a pen and jot down your favorites. [Or maybe just hit Print.]
Focus on your Industry
- Write 10 ways your industry will change this year
- Break down the new laws that will affect your niche in the coming year
- Create a list of the best industry resources
- Talk about why things are better today (or not) than they were 10 years ago
- Attend industry events and blog about them
- Your best marketing tips
- How your industry is like Your Favorite TV Show [I suggest using Glee. Because that's my favorite show.]
- The ugly truth about your industry
- The 8 people in your industry you want to meet
- What someone needs to consider before getting involved in your industry
- Comment on an industry-related conversation going on in LinkedIn or Google Groups
- Talk about the “thing” that would rock your industry if invented or put together
- Create a chart that breaks down a complicated industry issue or problem
- Interview someone well-known in your world and profile them
- Rewrite an old post with fresh eyes and new ideas
- Publish a presentation you gave somewhere else (with permission)
- Have a chat with a competitor and blog about it (again, with permission)
- Search Google News for relevant press releases and news about your industry. Write your own take.
- Debunk a long-standing myth
- Host a seminar or meetup and blog about
- Create a list of the 10 books that someone in your industry should read.
- Post about what you’d like to see fixed in your industry
- Conferences people in your industry should attend/speak at
- Your favorite untapped traffic sources in your industry
- Issues in your space that deserve more attention
Go Social
- How you’re using Twitter to increase earnings
- Post a video that has nothing to do with your industry but that you think people would enjoy.
- Post a picture. [Browse StumleUpon for inspiration]
- Participate in a blog meme like last month’s Best of 09
- Share the best social media campaigns you’ve seen, big and small
- Hold a contest and pit people against each other
- Create a poll. Blog the result.
- Invite a guest blogger to post on your blog
- How social media increased your ROI this year
- How social media did nothing but confuse you this year
- Search Delicious for popular posts on your topics and take a new stance
- Go to your industry’s Wikipedia page and see what people are talking about in the Discussions area. Comment on it on your blog.
- Post photos from your company party/team building workshop
- Find a question on Yahoo Answers or OnStartups and respond on your blog
- Create a list of the Must Follow Twitter people in your industry
About your Business
- Why you’re different (and better) than your competition
- A video tutorial showing how to use your most popular product
- The problems your sales people hear about most
- The answer to the most common email you get
- Share the tools do you use to do your job
- The secret ways to use your site/product
- The top 10 WordPress plugins you use on your site
- How you use your favorite social media site
- How you built your email list
- How you’re using Facebook
- Look at your site logs & answer customer questions
- How you delegate tasks (or what you mucked up by not delegating)
- Use Wordtracker’s Keyword Question Tool and answer popular questions
- Write about why you’re not using social media at all
- Answer questions left in your comment section
- Write about the personal branding tactics you use
- Give 5 reasons to sign up to your email newsletter
- How you learned to do what you do
- Create a list of your favorite X
- What you’re doing to beat the summer slump or winter blues
- Share a case study
- Provide an end of the week link roundup
- Review something
- Reveal the best niche blogs to guestblog for
- What keeps you up at night
- Share a time when you got it wrong in 2010
- Your strategies for coming up with blog topics.
- Branding tips that have worked for your business
- 50 reasons why someone should hire you
- 5 things people should be focusing on but aren’t
- What can other industries learn from yours
Highlight Your Customers
- Put the spotlight on your most active commenters
- Praise your best customers
- Post a question and let the community to answer it
- How customers can woo your customer service department for free stuff
- Give something away to one of your blog readers.
- Feature a video detailing a customer’s success with your product
- Share your biggest screw up with a customer and how you made it right
- Publish a customer testimonial
- Explain the benefits of being a customer
- Share local organizations you support and ask customers to share their favorites
- How customers can connect with you on social media
- Hold an event for Twitter followers to meet and blog it
Get Personal
What have you read lately that inspired/angered you?- Introduce your staff
- Share the best decision you made as a SMB
- Your biggest challenge as a SMB owner
- What you love best about being a SMB owner. What you don’t like.
- The danger of doing everything by yourself
- Write about the achievement you’re most proud of
- A time when you got it right in 2009
- Create a video introducing your team to your community
- Get your rant on
- How to remain productive working at home
- Introduce a new employee and what they bring to the table
- Share the local vendors you trust
- Give people a video tour of your building
- Describe your company culture
- Your new baby (whether that’s a real baby, a pet, a new project for 2010, the car you’ve been restoring for the past two years, etc)
- Share your company’s history or story
- Tell a story not about your company
- Share 10 things you’re thankful for
- What’s next for your company
- A list of your most trafficked posts
The point is, there are TONS of things for a small business owner to blog about and share with their audience. Now that I’ve helped get the ball rolling, get to it. 
About Lisa Barone
Lisa Barone is Vice President of Strategy at Overit, an Albany Web design and development firm where she serves on the senior staff overseeing the company’s marketing consulting, social media, and content divisions. 
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All I can say is WOW! Thanks Lisa. This is definitely print-worthy.
Great list! I have already bookmarked it.
Thanks Lisa for this great list of blog topics. I’ll definitely bookmark for repeated reference in 2010. I am reminded of Scott Ginsberg (Name Tag Guy) who also provides thought provoking lists. You are in good company!
Deborah
Thanks Lisa, This list will go up on my wall to be referred to when I am trying to figure our what my next post will be about. The cure for braincramp.
Superb article! I will be sure to print this out and use it as roadmap for 2010!
A well thought out and useful list, just about covers everything.
Rifki
Good list although isn’t it frowned upon to blog about your own business specifically?
Katie, I think the opposite: people want to read about your business. Not if you write about it ad nauseum and not if you sound arrogant, of course. But people are curious — we LOVE to know what’s happening in a business. For instance, one of my favorite parts of websites is the “About Us” page, especially if it’s creative and well done. — Anita
Wow, this is the MOST comprehensive yet generic list I have seen. Most of the “big” lists of ideas apply only to the blogging or social media consulting businesses. This is the best I’ve seen that gives us ideas to use for actual small businesses in any industry who write a blog as part of their marketing/engagement efforts. Thank you! Printing, sharing and bookmarking!!
Karen
100+ SMB Blogging Ideas to Kick Start 2010 | Small Business Trends…
Blogoláshoz ötletek…
Great list – I have tweeted it and emailed it to a few people with writers block. It’s a great resource. Thanks!
Great blog
Awesome post
I always enjoy your information
Thanks for such a great post! I’ve had the blog blahs and have taken on this list as my mission to blog about in 2010 on The Marketing Eggspert Blog! Thanks for reinspiring me!
Great list! This is an absolute must to help come up with ideas when your creativity is blocked. Thanks!
According to the study, the most important tool for small businesses to succeed in 2010 is search engine marketing, while email marketing, public relations and social media cited as crucial for success.
23.8% of all small businesses reported that search engine marketing was the tool most needed for their business to succeed in 2010.
Lisa: Great list! I will go through it, point by point… I know that I will be able to find inspirational material for my new site and about page.
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Great stuff! Very valuable information, It will be a good idea to spend some time everyday to make the most out of these idea’s, as long as your determined and passionate for your blog niche, Success is Inevitable for 2010.
Thanks for the ideas.I sometimes have difficulties of coming up with great blogging ideas.I will bookmark this for sure.
100+ SMB Blogging Ideas to Kick Start 2010…
With so many social media studies showing that companies are looking to up their involvement in social activities this year, I thought I’d help cure that age-old “what should I blog about today?” question. Or at least give you a healthy head start for …
I think these are great suggestions – especially if someone is just starting out or feels a little stuck.
I would add that the blogging idea(s) must be aligned with your audiences interest and your overall blogging objectives. Doing your keyword research to find the niche search terms that can generate traffic and that are not overly competitive would also be a good practice.
Great Post!
We are launching a new blog and there are some great ideas in this post.
Thanks Again!
Great list – I know that this will come in very handy this year!
Great post. Thanks for the list and the great suggestions.
[...] was thrilled last week when Small Business Trends published 100+ SMB Blogging Ideas to Kick Start 2010. This is a comprehensive list of ideas you should keep handy to help you come up with topics to [...]
Great post, Lisa. I use many of these strategies, but this list was so large and expansive that I pulled a few ideas, immediately, as I was going through it. Thanks for the inspiration!
Great list Lisa! I normally don’t have too much trouble thinking of ideas but your list gave me even more ideas!! Thanks!
Kelley
http://Fearless-Selling.blogspot.com
Fantastic, comprehensive advice for someone about to start a blog
Thanks
[...] was thrilled last week when Small Business Trends published 100+ SMB Blogging Ideas to Kick Start 2010. This is a comprehensive list of ideas you should keep handy to help you come up with topics to [...]
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Precious advice, now I have a lot of inspiration, thank you.
thanks Lisa for helping me out – i will try my best to follow above list.
thanks again.
yas.
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Totally loving this list! There are days that I HATE my blog because I cannot think of anything to post. Thanks for all the wonderful ideas!
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Wow-this post helped me. I struggle with ideas a lot! Thank you!
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Thanks Lisa! I will use a lot of these tips on my blog.
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I fell on this a bit late for 2010 but it’s going to make my writing for 2011 a heck of a lot easier! Thank you so much for your generosity in compiling and sharing a brillient list … of course, that’s another blog topic … “100 tHINGS tO dO IN 2011″!
Great post, Lisa.
How do you keep the hits coming.
I’ll probably get my rant on a few time this year. You?
The Franchise King
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Wow, Lisa, what a great list. We run a blog on roofing but I’m sure I can apply some of these ideas to our industry/market. Thanks a bunch!
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What a fantastic resource. I have bookmarked this. Although it is a a year old it is still as relevant today. Thanks.
When you think to start a small business you have to follow certain things. Lisa tells everything what you have to do.if you follow this instruction you will be a smart businessman some days later. thanks Lisa for writing an awesome post.
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[...] With so many social media studies showing that companies are looking to up their involvement in social activities this year, I thought I’d help cure that age-old “what should I blog about today?” question. [...]
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As always, great ideas, Lisa!
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This info is, and will be, very helpful to me. Thanks!