Logo

Start with the questions you already get asked

Most small business owners sit down to write a blog post and immediately get stuck. The blank page feels enormous, and "content strategy" sounds like something a marketing agency charges thousands for. Here is the good news: you already have all the material you need. It is sitting in your inbox, your phone log and your memory.

Think back over the last month. What did customers ask you before they bought? What did they worry about? What did you have to explain twice? If three people asked the same question this month, hundreds of people are typing it into a search engine right now. That question is your next blog post.

The trick is to use their words, not yours. "Do I need to pay a deposit up front?" makes a far better heading than "Deposits: an overview". One sounds like a person. The other sounds like a leaflet nobody asked for.

Keep a running list of real customer questions

You cannot rely on remembering these when you finally sit down to write. Keep a note on your phone, or a page in the back of your diary, and add to it as things come up.

• Log every enquiry, even the ones that never turned into a sale.
• Note the exact phrasing. "How long does a full rewire take?" is gold; "timescales" is not.
• Write down the awkward ones too — the price objections, the "why are you more expensive than the bloke down the road?" questions.
• Review the list every few weeks and group similar questions together. Five variations on the same theme is one strong post.

Within a couple of months you will have enough material for half a year of writing.

Three types of post that genuinely help

Not every post needs to be clever. In fact, the plainest ones often work best. Aim for these three formats and rotate between them.

• Solve a problem. Take a common fault, worry or mistake and walk through it. A plumber might write about why a boiler keeps losing pressure, including the two-minute check a homeowner can do themselves and the point at which they should call someone. You are not giving away your trade — you are proving you know it.
• Explain your service. What is actually included? What is not? How long does it take, roughly what does it cost, and what do you need from the customer beforehand? A post titled "What happens on the day of a house move" or "What to expect at your first appointment" removes anxiety and cuts down on the phone calls you repeat ten times a week.
• Compare options. Repair or replace? Laminate or engineered wood? Sole trader or limited company? Give an honest pros and cons list, including the situations where the cheaper option is the right one. Customers remember the business that told them not to spend money unnecessarily.

Write in plain English, not trade speak

You know your trade inside out, which means you have forgotten which bits are confusing. Assume your reader knows nothing and does not want to feel stupid.

• Keep sentences short — under twenty words is a good target.
• Swap formal words for normal ones: "use" instead of "utilise", "to" instead of "in order to", "help" instead of "facilitate".
• Explain any technical term the first time you use it.
• Speak directly to the reader. "You" and "we" beat "the customer" and "the company" every time.
• Break the text up with subheadings, short paragraphs and bullet points. Nobody reads a wall of grey text on a phone.
• Read it aloud. If you would not say it to a customer across the counter, rewrite it.

Aim for around 600 to 900 words. Long enough to be useful, short enough to read with a cup of tea.

Always finish with a clear next step

A helpful post that ends with nothing is a missed opportunity. Every piece should leave the reader knowing exactly what to do next — and "get in touch" on its own is too vague to work.

Be specific. "If your boiler is more than twelve years old and the pressure keeps dropping, book a service before the cold snap. Call us on the number at the top of this page, or send your postcode through the contact form for a fixed quote." That is a next step.

Other options that work well:

• Check one specific thing on their own property, car or paperwork.
• Download a simple checklist or price guide.
• Book a free fifteen-minute call.
• Read a related post that answers the obvious follow-up question.

One clear action beats four vague ones. If you can, put a one-line version of that next step near the top as well, so busy readers see it straight away.

Make it a habit you can actually keep

You do not need to publish daily. One useful post a week, or even one a fortnight, will quietly out-perform a frantic burst followed by six months of silence.

Try batching: sit down once a month and draft three posts from your question list in one go. Update older posts rather than always writing new ones — a post from two years ago with last year's prices is doing you more harm than good. And keep an eye on which posts actually bring in enquiries: ask every new customer how they found you, and note the answer.

Finally, do not wait for perfect. A straightforward, honest post that answers a real question will beat a polished piece of nothing, every single time.