Blog writing

I have a quick but hopefully helpful one for you today. A list of CTAs (Calls To Action) that you can use in your blog posts as a small business owner to build your audience, boost your engagement, and get more sales.

So here are some types of CTA that you might want to include in your blog posts (either as a button or just a text link), and some examples of the wording you could use:

1. Encourage email sign-ups

If you have an email list then chances are you’re always looking to add more people to it. So if you mention the benefits of signing up to your email newsletter in a blog post, then include a CTA at the bottom to encourage people to hand over their details.

Examples:

• “Sign me up!”
• “I’m in!”
• “Keep me in the loop”
• “Sign up for weekly tips”

2. Encourage social media shares

Ask people who read your blog post to share it on social media.

Examples:

• “Share this post”
• “Spread the word!”
• “Share this with someone who would love it”

3. Promote a product or service

If you’re selling something, either a product or a service, then make it easy for them to buy.

Examples:

• “Buy now”
• “Book now”
• “Grab yours today!”
• “Yes, I need this!”

4. Lead people to related content

Keep readers on your site by directing them to more relevant content at the end of your blog post.

Examples:

• “Read this next”
• “Unlock more tips here!”
• “Discover more insights!”

5. Ask for comments or feedback

Boost engagement on your content by asking readers to share their thoughts.

Examples:

• “Leave me a comment”
• “What do you think?”
• “Share your thoughts!”
• “Do you agree or disagree?”
• “Anything else you’d like to know?”

6. Share a free download or resource

If you have a free resource or download that would be useful to people reading your blog post, then encourage them to grab it!

Examples:

• “Download now”
• “Get your free guide!”
• “Yes, send me the ebook!”

7. Encourage people to contact you

If you’re a service-based business and have written a post about how you can help people, then encourage them to get in touch or book a consultation with you at the end.

Examples:

• “Contact us”
• “Let’s talk!”
• “Schedule your free consultation”
• “Let’s start something together”

8. Promote your free trial

For businesses offering software or subscription services, encourage users to try before they buy.

Examples:

• “Start your free trial”
• “Try it for free!”
• “Experience it for yourself!”
• “Get started for free”
• “Join free for a month”

9. Shout about a discount or special offer

If your blog post mentions a discount code or a special offer you have running then add a call to action at the end to encourage readers to take advantage of it.

Examples:

• “Get the deal”
• “Unlock your discount”
• “Gimme the savings”
• “Sign up and save”

10. Ask for a review

If your blog posts talks about your products or services, then ask people who’ve already tried them to leave a review in the comments.

Examples:

• “Leave a review”
• “Share your experience”
• “Tell us what you think!”
• “Love it? Hate it? Let me know!”

11. Encourage people to follow you on social media

Drive traffic to your social media accounts to boost your following and engagement.

Examples:

• “Follow us on Facebook”
• “Stay connected”
• “Get more on LinkedIn”

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If you know you need to get a blog post written for your small business but only have a few hours to spare, don’t worry.

It’s absolutely possible to knock out a good post that’ll benefit your business without sitting in front of your computer for hours on end. You just need to know what to write about!

So here’s a list of blog posts you can write for your small business that’ll hardly take you any time at all to put together:

A list of useful resources

Put together a list of resources (with links) that will be helpful to people reading your blog.

So if your business is aimed at parents you could write a list of useful websites where they can find information on things like sleep, weaning, play ideas etc.

A list of people to follow

In the same vein, write a list of people that your customers or clients should be following for inspiration (or just for fun).

So if you sell skincare products then you could write a list of beauty bloggers and TikTok influencers who share useful information on taking care of your skin.

Or if your brand is fun and a bit off the wall then you could share a list of YouTubers who make skits and comedy videos.

A weekly round up

If all you have time for is 1 blog post a week then think about creating a weekly round-up of what’s been going on in your business, what’s happened in your industry, a new product or app you’ve used and loved, etc.

A quick tip or trick

Keep a running list in your notes app of ways that people can get the most out of your products or services, and then when you have time to quickly put together a blog post you can pick one to write about.

Host a guest post

Reach out to other business owners or influencers who are related to your field but aren’t your direct competitors and ask them if they’d like to write a guest post for you.

You get the benefit of their knowledge and they get the benefit of getting in front of your audience. Win win.

A ‘how-to’ guide

Write a quick step-by-step guide to something that you know how to do (that relates to your business) that most people don’t know how to do.

A photographer could write a post on how to frame a photo well.

A stylist could write about how to style a particular dress for 3 different occasions.

A bakery could write a guide on getting the perfect rise on a cake every time.

You get the idea!

A list of your top products or service

Write a round up of your best-selling products or your favourite services that you offer.

Include details of who they’d be good for, the best ways to enjoy/use them, and add in a link to the page on your website where people can buy/contact you.

A list of the questions you get asked the most

Repurpose your FAQ page into a quick blog post listing (and answering) the questions you get asked the most about your business.

If you don’t already have this information then think about the sorts of things your customers/clients would want to know. This could include things like:

• Prices
• Delivery costs and times
• How to use your products
• How to prepare for working with you
• How to contact you
• If your products are eco-friendly/vegan/gentle etc

A list of quick tips that are useful to your customers (or clients)

These don’t have to be directly related to your products or services, just relevant to your ideal customers.

So if you sell baby products you could write a list of tips to help new parents adjust to life with a baby, or if you own a café you could offer tips on the best drinks to try each season.

So you know you need to have a blog for your small business, but aren’t sure whether keeping the thing updated regularly is something you should do yourself or outsource to a writer.

The thing is there are pros and cons to both approaches, and you might find that actually a combination of the two works best for you. So you could hire a copywriter to create a handful of blog posts for you when you’re swamped with the rest of your to-do list, and then write some yourself for awhile when you have a bit more time available.

The key here though is to not waste your time deliberating over this for too long. Just consider the options and make a choice! To try and make it a bit easier on you, here are 5 reasons you might want to write your own blog posts for your small business:

1. You enjoy writing

If you actually enjoy writing, and have the time to put blog posts together regularly, then absolutely stick to writing them yourself!

As long as you have plenty of ideas for content to put out there and have a decent idea of how to write for the internet then there’s no reason not to go for it yourself. Just try to set yourself up for success by planning your content ahead of time and batch creating it when you’re feeling creative and have the time to focus on it.

2. You want your blog posts to really sound like you

A good copywriter can learn your brand voice and write blog posts that sound like you, but they’ll always sound more authentic if you write them yourself. We all have unique patterns of speech and particular words and phrases that we use, so if you can write like you speak you’ll be able to write blog posts that really show the person behind the business.

Just keep in mind that if (like me and most older millennials) you were taught to write pretty formally in school, then it might take awhile to unlearn all the rules that were drummed into you all those years ago. So don’t panic if it takes a few attempts to start letting your writing relax and to feel comfortable breaking those rules (like starting sentences with ‘so’!)

3. You don’t have the money to spend on a writer at the moment

Pretty simple really. If you don’t have the cash in your budget right now to hire a copywriter then the best thing to do is make a bit of time in your calendar to write some blog posts yourself.

They don’t have to be long or complicated. You can use some of these ‘quick win’ ideas to get you started and to keep things ticking over.

4. You want complete control over your content

Of course if you hire a writer you’re still in complete control and you can tell them what you want your blog posts to be about and the style you want them written in. But you’ll still be trusting someone else to handle an element of your business for you and I know that can be hard to do!

You might also want to write your blog posts yourself so that you have the flexibility and freedom to shift things around. So if something comes up that you want to blog about quickly, like an important bit of news in your industry or a great client story you want to share, you can have the freedom to get it out there without having to discuss it with your writer.

5. You want to master the skill of writing

If you don’t love writing but know that it’s a really useful skill to have as a small business owner then writing your own blog posts is a great way to learn.

You can slowly stretch those creative writing muscles, learn about the psychology behind writing content that converts, and build your confidence in the rules of writing (so you know which ones you can break).

The beauty of this is that over time you’ll get quicker and better at writing and can transfer those skills to all the other kinds of content creation you need to be doing for your small business.

Still not sure if you want to write your own blog posts? Don’t worry, I’ve got another post coming up soon with reasons to hire a copywriter to write them for you which will hopefully help make things clearer for you!

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If you’re running a small business in 2024, chances are you’re already juggling about a million things, and have another million waiting on your ‘to do one day’ list. But if there’s one thing that should come off that list and into your weekly work plan, it’s adding a blog to your website.

Whether you’re a one-person show or have a small team, a blog can seriously boost your business. And I know we all question if we really need one, but honestly yes, you do! Here’s why you really do need a blog for your small business in 2024.

1. To get found more easily on Google (and show people you’re still in business)

We all know how important it is to show up on Google when someone searches for what we do. You want to be the business that pops up when someone types in “best hair salon in Manchester” or “handmade candles in Bristol.” Well having a regularly updated blog on your website can help you do just that.

Blogging is one of the simplest and most cost-effective ways to improve your SEO (Search Engine Optimisation). Every time you publish a blog post, you’re adding new content to your site, which is something Google absolutely loves. The more you write, the more chances you have to rank for relevant keywords that your potential customers are searching for.

Let’s say you run a café in Brighton. You could write posts like “Top 5 Coffee Roasts to Try This Winter” or “How to Create the Perfect Brew at Home.” By creating useful and relevant content, you’re giving Google more reasons to put your business in front of the right people.

But it’s not just about getting more eyes on your website. Having a regularly updated blog also shows customers that you’re still active and open for business.

2. To position yourself as an expert and attract more leads

Ok, I’m not actually a massive fan of this idea of needing to position yourself as an ‘expert’. But you do need to be able to show potential clients and customers that you know what you’re talking about! And having a blog on your site helps you do that. So think of your blog as a platform you can use to share your knowledge, offer advice, and talk about trends in your industry.

When people see that you know what you’re talking about, they’re more likely to trust you and, importantly, buy from you. For instance, if you’re a personal trainer, writing posts like “How to Stay Motivated in the Gym” or “Top 10 Tips for Building Muscle Safely” not only helps your clients but also positions you as someone who knows their stuff. Potential customers are more likely to reach out because they see you as a trusted source of information.

Blogs are also brilliant for lead generation. Think of every post as a mini sales tool. You might have a blog about common tax mistakes for small businesses, and within that post, you can subtly mention how your accountancy services can help avoid those mistakes. Or if you’re a photographer, a post on “5 Tips for Nailing Your Brand Photoshoot” can end with a gentle nudge to book a session with you. It’s not about hard selling – it’s about educating and showing how you can help.

3. To give you content for social media and email newsletters

One of the biggest perks of having a blog? The fact that once you’ve written a post, you can repurpose it across your other marketing channels, giving you loads of bang for your buck.

For example, if you’ve just written a blog about “How to Choose the Best Plants for Your Home,” you can easily pull snippets from that post to share on Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn. You can even use it as the basis for an email newsletter, keeping your customers in the loop without having to start from scratch every time you need content.

A good blog post is like a content goldmine. You can break it up into smaller, bite-sized pieces for social media, or even turn it into a short video. By using your blog content across multiple platforms, you’ll save yourself time and effort while still keeping your audience engaged and interested.

Not only that, but the content will continue to work for you long after it’s been posted. Unlike a quick social media post that might get forgotten after a day, blog posts have a longer shelf life and can continue to bring in traffic and leads for months – or even years – to come. That’s a huge return on a relatively small investment of time.

In 2024, if your small business doesn’t have a blog, you’re seriously missing out. It’s one of the easiest ways to get found on Google, prove you’re still active, and build trust with your customers. Plus, it’s a goldmine for creating other content like social media posts and newsletters.

And blogging isn’t just for big businesses with marketing departments. With a bit of planning, it can be a straightforward, low-cost way to grow your business, attract more leads, and keep your customers engaged. So, if you’ve been on the fence about starting a blog, now’s the time to dive in.

Really don’t see how you can fit writing a blog into your working week? Then let me do it for you! I offer a blog writing service for small business owners who, for whatever reason, need that part of running their business taken off their plate. So get in touch and I’ll get you up and running in no time!

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If you’ve never written a blog post for your business, or you have in the past but it’s been looking lonely for a while, then what you need are some quick win posts you can knock out without too much time or effort.

These posts are brilliant for showing people what it is that you and your business do, as well as showing the Google gods that you’re still active and worth sending internet traffic to. But the beauty of them is that they don’t need you invest too much brain power to put them together.

Sound good? Then here you go – 10 quick win blog posts you can write for your small business, perfect for kick starting your blog-writing habit:

1. Introduce yourself

This one is pretty self explanatory. If you’ve never written a blog post for your business before then the best place to start is with a little introduction.

You can include things like:

• Who you are, where you’re based, and why you started the business
• What the main goals of your business are
• The types of products and services that you offer

2. 10 quick facts about your business

Go a step further with a list of interesting or fun facts about you and your business that people might not know. Getting flashbacks of having to think of a ‘fun fact’ about yourself at a networking or team building event? Don’t worry, here are some ideas of things you could include:

• Why you choose the name you did for your business
• How you got started
• A hidden talent/party trick that you have
• The first job you ever had (whether it’s related to what you do now or completely different!)
• The drink/snack that you can’t get through the day without
• Where your business is based and what you love most about it
• Your favourite product/service that you offer
• Your best-selling product/service
• If you have qualifications in your niche or if you’re self-taught
• What you wanted to be when you were a child
• Your favourite local businesses/brands
• Your plans for where you want your business to go

3. A List of your services or products

Run through the different services or products you offer. If you have loads then highlight your bestsellers or your favourites.

Include some details on who they’re for, the benefits of buying them, or the results people can expect to get from working with you/buying from you.

4. Highlight one particular product or service

Pick a new service you’re offering or a best-selling product and go into a bit more detail about how great it is!

5. A round up of what you’ve been up to lately

Let people know what’s been happening in your world over the last week or month.

You could mention:

• Recent successes in your business
• Any new products you’ve added to your shop
• Any new qualifications or accreditations you’ve achieved
• Your favourite/most popular product or service
• Your most popular social media post recently
• The TV show you’ve been obsessed with
• The new restaurant or coffee shop you’ve visited in your local area

6. A round up of your favourite tools to use in your business

Another pretty self-explanatory one. Just list the tools, apps, and services that you use to make your business run smoothly.

You can also throw in a few that you use in your personal life too, to add a little human edge to the post. Maybe the to-do list app that helps you juggle work and life in general?

7. A list of your favourite local businesses

These can be a mix of places you love from a business and a personal point of view.

8. Share a tip that your clients/customers can use

Depending on what your business is there are a few ways you can go about this one.

If you’re a product-based business then share a tip to help your customers get the best out of one of your best-sellers. So say you sell skincare products, then you could write a blog post about how to include your best-seller in a daily skincare routine. The best time of day to use it, how much to use, how long to wait after putting it in to apply make up, how to store it. You get the idea.

And if you sell services then share a little tip that will help your clients with whatever your service helps them with. If you help people write blog posts for their small business, then you could share a list of quick win blog posts they could write to get them started. See what I did there!

9. Share the top 5 questions you get about your business

Think about the questions you get asked the most about your business or your industry and share the top 5, along with the answers.

If you already have an FAQ page then you’re golden, just use that for inspiration!

10. Share the top 5 mistakes people make when using your products or services

Think about the common mistakes you see people making and explain what you should do instead.

So if you’re a florist you could write about the 5 things people do that stop their flowers lasting very long. And that skincare brand I mentioned before could write about 5 ways you’re stopping your skin looking its best and include things like not getting enough sleep and not drinking enough water.

 So there you have it. 10 quick win blog posts you can write for your small business to get your blog up and running in no time.

If you can dedicate just a few hours to these and get a few knocked out in one go then you can schedule them to go live over the next few weeks. So your blog can fill up with content without you having to stress each week about what on earth you’re going to write about.