It can be challenging to come up with new blog topics every day, especially if you manage the blog for a business and have a very niche arena. There’s only so many times you can blog about the importance of paintless dent removal, proper dog grooming or personal injury law topics before you start to run dry. Creativity is great when blogging, but there are some topics that remain taboo no matter how stuck you are. As a business blogger, how can you tread the line between engaging and overstepping boundaries?
It all depends on what type of business you’re with and confidentiality. For example, if you manage a reputable property management company, your clients are trusting you with some very sensitive information. That recent eviction debacle you managed might inspire you to write a blog, but be careful about hinting too heavily at a real life scenario. Just like any author, you need to respect the privacy of those who inspire you.
Here are some of the biggest blog topics to avoid as a business:
1. Many holidays
It’s most important to avoid holidays with religious connotations (unless, of course, your business directly relates to such religions). Luckily, there are ways around this: “holiday season” or “winter holidays” instead of Hannukah or Christmas and the like. Even some commercialized holidays such as Halloween can have negative connections for some, so it’s best to just steer clear or remember that there’s no such thing as too politically correct when blogging about holidays.
2. Disasters in any manner except showing concern
Is it too soon to make light of a tragedy? As a blogger, yes, it’s always too soon. Unless you want to show your support for a disaster, it’s best to avoid mentioning them altogether. This goes for natural disasters such as Sandy or terrorist attacks. Recently, a yoga studio made light of the 9/11 anniversary much to the chagrin of just about everyone who saw the tweet advertising a patriot’s special.
3. The basic sex, religion, politics
Just like you shouldn’t discuss sex, religion or politics at a dinner party, you shouldn’t blog about it unless your business specifically works within one of these pillars. Otherwise, it might be tempting to get a bit cheeky or chime in on a big political campaign, but you’ll only drive away readers.
4. The competition
Even if you’re not directly complaining about the competition, it’s best to just avoid this subject. Plus, mentioning a direct competitor will simply improve their search engine optimization (SEO), so you’re really just harming yourself.
To get better blog inspiration, sign of for Google Alerts with keywords related to your business. You’ll enjoy tips direct to your email without having to start research from scratch.
Originally posted on September 17, 2014 @ 3:51 pm
