300+ ideas for your business website, news and blog posts
One of the things I hear regularly from business owners is:
“I know I should put something new on the website, but I don’t know what to write about.”
The problem usually isn’t that there’s nothing happening in the business. It’s recognising that the ordinary things happening every day can be worth talking about.
A customer asks an interesting question. A new product arrives. Somebody completes some training. You solve an unusual problem. There’s a change in your industry. You read an article you agree with — or completely disagree with. A customer leaves a great review.
Any of those could give you something to write about.
So this isn’t really an article to read from beginning to end. It’s an idea bank.
Bookmark it. Come back when you’re stuck. Scroll until something makes you think:
“Actually, we could write about that.”
If you want the quick version, I’ve also turned the best ideas into a simple printable cheat sheet you can keep on your desk and glance at whenever you’re stuck.
Download the “What On Earth Do I Post About?” printable cheat sheet
Customers and customer questions
- A question a customer asked today
- Your most frequently asked question
- A question you’re asked every week
- A question customers should ask
- A question nobody ever asks
- An unusual customer question
- A difficult question to answer
- A surprisingly good question
- Something you explained to a customer today
- Something you find yourself explaining constantly
- Something customers commonly misunderstand
- A common misconception
- A common assumption
- Something customers worry about
- A common objection
- Something customers hesitate over
- A question about price
- A question about timing
- A question about quality
- A question about guarantees
- A question about your process
- A question about maintenance
- A question about alternatives
- “Do I really need this?”
- “Is it worth it?”
- “How long will it last?”
- “What happens if…?”
- “Can I do this myself?”
- “Which one should I choose?”
- Something customers are surprised to discover
- Something customers don’t realise
- Something customers should know before contacting you
- Something customers should prepare beforehand
- A common problem customers bring to you
- A problem customers don’t realise they have
- Warning signs of a particular problem
- A mistake customers regularly make
- Something that makes your customers’ lives easier
- Why customers choose you
- Why customers come back
- Why customers recommend you
Products and services
- A new product
- A new service
- A new feature
- A new option
- A new range
- Your best seller
- An old favourite
- An underrated product
- An overlooked service
- Your favourite product
- Your favourite feature
- A hidden feature
- The biggest benefit
- An unexpected benefit
- A clever design feature
- An innovation
- A recent improvement
- A product update
- A service update
- Why you offer it
- Why you chose that particular brand
- Why you stopped offering something
- Who it’s ideal for
- Who it isn’t ideal for
- Entry-level versus premium
- Product A versus Product B
- Service A versus Service B
- Upgrade options
- Accessories
- Add-ons
- Complementary products
- An unusual use
- An alternative use
- A seasonal use
- How it works
- How it’s made
- What’s inside
- What’s included
- How to choose
- How to look after it
- How long it should last
- Repair or replace?
- Buy or hire?
- What’s worth paying extra for?
- What you probably don’t need
- Something customers regularly overlook
Your knowledge and expertise
- A useful tip
- A shortcut
- A trick you’ve learned
- Your best advice
- Advice you gave a customer today
- Advice you give repeatedly
- Something you wish every customer knew
- Something complicated explained simply
- Industry jargon translated into plain English
- A technical term explained
- How something actually works
- How to recognise quality
- How to recognise poor quality
- Warning signs
- Red flags
- What to look for
- What to avoid
- What not to do
- A common mistake
- Three common mistakes
- The biggest mistake you see
- A beginner’s guide
- A quick checklist
- A step-by-step guide
- A simple how-to
- Your preferred method
- Why you do something a particular way
- Why you don’t do it another way
- Something you do differently
- A useful rule of thumb
- A myth worth busting
- Bad advice you regularly hear
- Advice that’s become outdated
- Something you’ve changed your mind about
- Something you used to do differently
- Something experience has taught you
- Something you learned the hard way
- “If I were buying this myself…”
- “If I were starting again…”
- “If I had to choose just one…”
- “The first thing I’d check…”
- “Before you spend any money…”
- “Before you call someone…”
Real work and projects
- Something you’re working on today
- This week’s project
- A recently completed project
- Work in progress
- An unusual project
- A challenging project
- A straightforward project
- A particularly satisfying project
- An interesting brief
- A strange request
- A tight deadline
- A tricky problem
- An unexpected problem
- How you solved a problem
- Why you chose that solution
- An alternative you rejected
- Something that went better than expected
- Something that didn’t go to plan
- A last-minute change
- Before and after
- What changed
- The thinking behind a project
- One small detail that mattered
- An interesting constraint
- A customer’s unusual requirements
- The starting point
- The finished result
- What you learned
- What you’d do differently next time
- Something a customer taught you
- An innovation that came from a project
- A project you’re particularly proud of
- An old project worth revisiting
Customer stories
- A customer success
- A customer achievement
- A customer milestone
- A customer anniversary
- A customer expansion
- An interesting customer
- An unusual customer
- A long-standing customer
- A new customer
- A customer spotlight
- What one of your customers does
- Why you enjoy working with them
- How somebody uses your product
- An unusual use of your service
- A customer before-and-after story
- A customer problem you solved
- An interesting customer story
- Something a customer said
- A lovely customer email
- A great Google review
- A particular line from a review
- Something your reviews repeatedly mention
- Feedback that surprised you
- A customer suggestion you acted on
- A customer photograph
- A customer video
- A testimonial and the story behind it
People and team
- Meet the team
- Introduce a team member
- A new starter
- A long-serving employee
- An employee anniversary
- A promotion
- A new qualification
- A new skill
- Recent training
- An award
- A personal achievement
- A professional achievement
- A team member’s specialist knowledge
- Their favourite part of the job
- What they actually do
- A day in their life
- How they got into the industry
- Why they joined the business
- Their first job
- Something people don’t know about them
- Their favourite tool
- Their favourite product
- Their best tip
- Something they’ve learned
- Advice they’d give a customer
- What they’re currently working on
- A team outing
- A team celebration
- A birthday
- A farewell
- A welcome
Inside the business
- Behind the scenes
- A normal working day
- A particularly busy day
- How you start the day
- How you prepare for a job
- How an order gets processed
- What happens after an enquiry
- What happens before delivery
- How you prepare a quote
- How you check quality
- How you choose suppliers
- How you test something
- How you make something
- How you pack something
- How you deliver something
- Your workshop
- Your office
- Your warehouse
- Your vehicle
- Your equipment
- Your favourite tool
- New equipment
- Old equipment still going strong
- Technology you use
- Software you use
- A process customers never see
- Something you’ve improved
- Something you’ve automated
- Something you’ve simplified
- An investment you’ve made
- A small operational change
- A major operational change
- Something that saves time
- Something that improves quality
- Something that reduces waste
Your business story
- How the business started
- Why you started it
- Where the business name came from
- Your first customer
- Your first product
- Your first office
- Your first employee
- Your first big job
- An early mistake
- An early success
- A major turning point
- A difficult period
- A funny moment
- An unexpected opportunity
- A decision that changed the business
- How things used to be done
- Old equipment
- Old photographs
- Old advertising
- Your old website
- Previous branding
- Previous premises
- A long-standing customer
- A long-standing supplier
- A product that’s changed over time
- A service that’s evolved
- What has changed in ten years
- What hasn’t changed
- Where you’re going next
Business news
- A new customer
- A new contract
- A big order
- An interesting order
- A new supplier
- A new partnership
- A collaboration
- New premises
- An office move
- Renovations
- Expansion
- A new service area
- A new market
- New equipment
- A new vehicle
- A new website
- New branding
- New packaging
- New technology
- A new system
- Recruitment
- A job vacancy
- A new team member
- A promotion
- A qualification
- Accreditation
- Certification
- A new licence
- An award
- An award nomination
- Being shortlisted or becoming a finalist
- A media mention
- Press coverage
- An interview
- A speaking engagement
- An exhibition
- A trade show
- A conference
- A workshop
- An event
- A business anniversary
- A company milestone
- A record month
- A record year
- Number of customers served
- Number of projects completed
- Something you’re celebrating
- Something you’re proud of
- What’s coming next
Industry news and opinion
- Latest industry news
- A new regulation
- A new law
- A rule change
- A standards change
- New technology
- New research
- Interesting statistics
- A new industry report
- A new product
- An innovation
- A new technique
- An emerging trend
- A fading trend
- Changing customer behaviour
- Price changes
- Supply issues
- An industry challenge
- An industry opportunity
- An industry controversy
- Something overhyped
- Something underrated
- Something you’re excited about
- Something that concerns you
- Something you agree with
- Something you disagree with
- Your reaction to an announcement
- What the news means for your customers
- What the news means for your industry
- Your prediction
- What happens next?
- Where the industry is heading
- What has changed in five years
- What hasn’t changed
- What your industry gets wrong
- What outsiders misunderstand about your industry
- Something one of the big players is doing
- What a small business could learn from a big brand
Other people’s content
You don’t have to originate everything you talk about.
- An interesting article
- An industry news story
- A useful website
- A useful guide
- New research
- An interesting report
- Useful statistics
- A good infographic
- A useful video
- A great podcast episode
- A good interview
- A useful newsletter
- An interesting social post
- An expert opinion
- A quote worth discussing
- Someone worth following
- A useful account to follow
- A great book
- A new book
- A useful tool
- A useful app
- A useful online resource
- A government resource
- An industry association resource
- A free resource
- Something you agree with
- Something you disagree with
- Your take on somebody else’s article
- “This is worth a read…”
- “I spotted this and thought…”
- “This explains it brilliantly…”
- “Here’s why this matters…”
Other businesses
- A supplier spotlight
- A manufacturer spotlight
- A business partner
- A complementary business
- A local business
- A business you admire
- A business doing something clever
- A business doing something differently
- A business providing great service
- A business with an interesting product
- A useful specialist
- A trusted professional
- Somebody you regularly recommend
- Somebody who regularly helps your customers
- A collaboration
- A joint project
- A referral partner
- An industry leader
- One of the industry’s big players
- An interesting startup
- A new local business
- Another business’s anniversary
- A supplier innovation
- A visit to a supplier
- A factory visit
- A trade visit
- Interview another business owner
- Ask another expert for their best tip
- Gather several experts’ opinions
Buying decisions
- How to choose
- What to look for
- What to avoid
- Questions to ask
- Questions to ask a supplier
- Questions to ask before requesting a quote
- What should it cost?
- Why prices vary
- What affects the price
- Cheap versus expensive
- Budget versus premium
- What does premium actually mean?
- What’s worth paying extra for?
- What isn’t worth paying extra for?
- What should be included?
- Hidden costs
- Ongoing costs
- Running costs
- Maintenance costs
- How long should it last?
- When should you replace it?
- When should you repair it?
- DIY versus professional
- Buy versus hire
- New versus used
- X versus Y
- Which option suits which customer?
- Common buying mistakes
- When not to buy
- What you don’t need
- What you might need later
- What warranty matters
- What support matters
- What happens after purchase
- Why you recommend one option over another
Lists and recommendations
- Your top five
- Five favourites
- Five things to avoid
- Five things to check
- Five useful websites
- Five useful tools
- Five useful apps
- Five people to follow
- Five businesses you recommend
- Five industry resources
- Five books
- Five podcasts
- Five videos
- Five common mistakes
- Five customer questions
- Five things that have changed
- Five predictions
- Five trends
- Five examples
- Five lessons
- Five things customers overlook
- Five things worth spending money on
- Five things you don’t need
- A beginner’s toolkit
- An essential checklist
- Recommended reading
- Recommended watching
- Recommended listening
- Useful links
- A resource roundup
- A monthly roundup
- Things you’ve been reading this month
Local and community
- A local event
- An upcoming event
- An event you attended
- Local news
- A local development
- A new local business
- A local business you love
- A local supplier
- A local customer
- A local success story
- A community group
- A charity
- A fundraiser
- A sporting club
- A school
- A sponsorship
- Volunteer work
- A community initiative
- A local award
- A local achievement
- A local landmark
- Local history
- A local change
- A local problem
- A local opportunity
- A local guide
- Local recommendations
- What’s happening this weekend
- Seasonal local information
- Local changes that affect customers
- A local collaboration
- Interview a local business
- “Our favourite local…”
- “Where to find…”
- “If you’re visiting…”
Seasonal and timely
- Summer
- Winter
- Autumn
- Spring
- Wet season
- Dry season
- Christmas
- New Year
- Easter
- School holidays
- Public holidays
- End of financial year
- Start of financial year
- Tax time
- Back to school
- Holiday preparation
- Holiday opening hours
- Seasonal maintenance
- Seasonal products
- Seasonal services
- Seasonal problems
- Weather-related advice
- An annual deadline
- Upcoming legislation
- An industry calendar event
- Trade show season
- Your busy season
- Your quiet season
- Booking ahead
- Year in review
- What changed this year
- Best of the year
- Biggest lesson this year
- Predictions for next year
- Plans for next year
- What you’re looking forward to
Numbers, facts and data
- An interesting statistic
- A surprising statistic
- An industry statistic
- A customer statistic
- A company statistic
- Number of jobs completed
- Years in business
- Products sold
- Customers helped
- Distance travelled
- Hours saved
- Money saved
- Waste reduced
- Time reduced
- Before-and-after numbers
- A survey result
- A poll result
- Industry research
- Government data
- A trend over time
- A price trend
- A historical comparison
- An industry benchmark
- “Did you know?”
- A number that surprised you
- A number that changed your thinking
- Useful statistics from several sources
- Run a small customer survey
- Ask customers one question and publish the result
Opinions and perspective
- Something you believe strongly
- Something you disagree with
- Something everyone says that you don’t believe
- An unpopular opinion
- An industry pet hate
- Something that frustrates you
- Something that makes no sense
- Something you’d change about the industry
- Something customers deserve better
- A practice you refuse to use
- Why you don’t sell something
- Why you recommend something
- Why cheapest isn’t always best
- Why expensive isn’t always best
- Something that’s overrated
- Something that’s underrated
- Something that’s getting better
- Something that’s getting worse
- Something you’ve changed your mind about
- Something you were wrong about
- A lesson from a mistake
- A prediction
- A hope for your industry
- “If I ran X…”
- “If I were the customer…”
- “Here’s what I’d do…”
- Your response to somebody else’s opinion
Visual triggers
Sometimes don’t start by trying to think of something to write. Find a photograph and work backwards.
- A photo from a job
- A before photo
- An after photo
- A work-in-progress photo
- A customer photo
- A product photo
- A detail shot
- A close-up
- Something unusual
- A new delivery
- Something being unpacked
- New equipment
- Old equipment
- A team photo
- Your office
- Your workshop
- The view from work today
- An event photo
- A supplier visit
- A customer visit
- Something funny
- Something beautiful
- Something broken
- Something fixed
- Something messy
- Something finished
- A screenshot
- A diagram
- A sketch
- A whiteboard
- An old photograph
- A photo from five years ago
- A photograph that needs a story
Open your phone and scroll through the last month of photos. You may already have half a dozen posts sitting there.
What happened today?
This might be the simplest place to start.
- A question
- A conversation
- An enquiry
- A phone call
- An email
- A meeting
- A quote
- A sale
- A delivery
- A new order
- A cancellation
- A problem
- A solution
- A mistake
- A fix
- A win
- A disappointment
- A surprise
- A compliment
- A complaint
- A review
- A recommendation
- A referral
- A customer visit
- A supplier visit
- Something you learned
- Something you taught somebody
- Something you explained
- Something you noticed
- Something you discovered
- Something you tried
- Something that worked
- Something that didn’t
- Something you changed
- Something you bought
- Something you repaired
- Something you finished
- Something you started
- Something you’re looking forward to
Still stuck? Go looking.
If none of those has triggered anything, don’t sit staring at a blank screen trying harder to be creative.
Have a look through:
- Your inbox
- Your sent emails
- Customer enquiries
- Quotes
- Support requests
- Google reviews
- Your competitors’ reviews
- Questions submitted through your website
- Google Search Console
- Your website analytics
- Your most visited pages
- Your most successful old posts
- Google autocomplete
- Google’s related questions
- Social media comments
- Facebook groups
- LinkedIn discussions
- Industry forums
- Industry news
- Trade publications
- Industry association websites
- Supplier websites
- Manufacturer websites
- Competitor websites
- YouTube
- Podcasts
- Your calendar
- Your CRM
- Old projects
- Old blog posts
- Old newsletters
- Staff conversations
- Customer conversations
- Your desk
- Your workshop
- And, again, the photos on your phone
Keep the printable version handy
The full list on this page is deliberately extensive. The printable version is the shorter, desk-friendly version — just the strongest prompts, grouped so you can scan them quickly when you need an idea.
Download the printable content ideas cheat sheet
Found one? Don’t stop there.
Once you’ve found an idea, don’t assume it only has one use.
A useful website article can become a Facebook post, LinkedIn post, Google Business Profile update, Instagram post, newsletter item, short video or something you send directly to customers.
And one article often contains several more ideas hiding inside it.
That’s exactly why I created my other Lessons From The Lab cheat sheet, One Good Idea to More Content. It shows a simple process for taking one useful website article and making much more of it. Read it here…
The objective isn’t to constantly invent more things to say.
It’s to notice how many worthwhile things your business already has to talk about.