During my copywriting training workshops, it is not unusual for someone to say that they find it difficult to think of what to write about for business blogs, social media updates, press releases and newsletters.
If you are faced with the ‘what can a business write about’ challenge, you are not alone.
Here is a checklist of topics and ideas, presented in alphabetical order:
CHARITY
Charities that you support
COMPANY
Company expansion
Merger or acquisition
Opening a new office
CUSTOMER
Case studies about your customers
Client signup
Customer service, new forms of
Customers, ask them what they would like you to write about
Customers, new, increase in numbers
EVENTS
Exhibitions or events where you have an exhibition stand
Open days, i.e. to attract new staff
Speaking at an event, conference etc
Workshops or seminars that you are running
EXPERTISE
Expert opinion or statement on a current news item
FAQ
Produce a Frequently Asked Questions list
FAILURE
People are fascinated by failure. If you don’t believe me, pick up a newspaper and skim through the pages; you will find examples of entrepreneurial, government, family and technology failure. If your enterprise has failed and learned from the experience, consider writing about it. It would be a refreshing change, wouldn’t it?
FINANCIAL
Annual financial results
Investments that you have made in your enterprise
GOING GREEN
Carbon neutral announcements
Energy reduction programmes
Sustainability programmes
INDUSTRY
Industry (i.e. the industry or sector you operate within) events or news
LEARNING
Certificates or learning accreditations that you have been awarded. Company wide learning initiatives. Training programmes that you or your colleagues have attended.
LOCATION
Moving offices, moving location or launching into new markets
MARKET RESEARCH
Market research results, surveys etc
MARKETING
Marketing campaigns that you are launching
MEDIA (PRESS) RELATIONS
Media (press) coverage
NATIONAL DAYS
Visit: https://www.awarenessdays.com/venue/united-kingdom
PARTNERSHIPS
Partnership with another enterprise
PATENTS
Patents, inventions or new ways of doing things
PREDICTIONS
Predictions that you are making (especially at the start of the year)
Trends that you have noticed
PRICE
Price changes (especially price reductions); however, a price rise may also be worth writing about, in that customers may wish to buy now, before the price increase
PRODUCTS / SERVICES
New services or products / New ways to use your products or services
Product or service tips and helpful ideas
PROMOTIONS (MARKETING)
Free shipping
Sale, special offers, incentives etc
RECOGNITION
Award events that you are holding
Awards given to your enterprise
Awards given to members of staff
Standards achieved (ISO etc)
SEASONAL
Seasonal topics including new products and seasonal advice
SOCIAL MEDIA
Hashtags, comments received, number of followers reached
SPONSORSHIP
Sponsorships that you have won or are providing
STAFF
Human interest stories
Inspirational stories
Personnel changes including new members of staff and long serving staff who are retiring
TECHNOLOGY
Technology that you have started to use i.e. cloud-based services, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, robotics
TIME RELATED
Anniversaries, i.e. the date or year that your enterprise was founded
The length of time that your most popular product or service has been around
TRADE / PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
Tie-ins or other news
TRAINING
Training programmes that you are running
VOLUNTEERING
Volunteering to help a good cause
WEBSITE
Website, new – particularly if it has some interesting features and content
WEIRD NEWS
The world’s most expensive ______ / Youngest _______ appointed
WRITING
Books or e-books that you are writing or have published
Book recommendations that you are making
Reports or white papers that you are publishing
I hope that this ‘what to write about’ checklist is helpful. I am writing a book on copywriting and the above is an extract from the book.
