Blogging for Your Small Business: A Practical Guide

Thinking of starting a blog for your small business? I’ve been there and I nearly gave up before I even got going.

Like many business owners, I kept hearing that blogging would help customers find me, improve my SEO, and bring people to my door. It sounded great… but I resisted it for years. I'm not a writer, or so I believed.

The idea of blogging was intriguing though, and deep down I knew there was value in it - I just didn’t think I was the right person to write anything worth reading. My old school teachers would probably nod in agreement.

Focused small business owner typing on a laptop in a woodworking workshop, surrounded by tools, boxes, and a coffee mug, representing blogging for business.

My Difficult Start

I think I wrote one or two awkward posts for my newly created website - early on in 2018 and that was it. I wasn’t impressed with my own writing at all. In fact, the last time I had written anything properly was in school in the 90s and it wasn’t exactly memorable back then either.

I remember thinking, Why would I want to inflict my clumsy words and random thoughts on anyone?

So I left it.

The blog sat idle and gathered virtual dust. A few years passed and it barely got any views. This seemed to confirm my belief that it was a waste of time. In 2023 however, I decided to give it another go; properly this time. I stopped worrying and just started writing. I let the words spill out, cleaned them up a bit, and hit publish. Then I did it again. And again.

The first few were edited and re-edited many times. Even now, after 60+ posts, I still do it the same way, write like I talk, then polish a little and share. I'm a lot more confident in my published articles these days but I still come back to them a week, a month and then six months after to check if my work still stands up and flows easily.

Why Every Small Business Can Benefit From Having a Blog

It takes time for Google to crawl your blog pages and understand who you are and what you’re about. So don’t worry if you don’t see a spike in website visitors right away - it takes time. Blogging is a long game, not a sprint.

Blogging isn’t just for influencers and recipe writers, it’s one of the most powerful tools a small business can use. It can help you:

Build trust and credibility with customers
Improve search visibility (SEO)
Increases conversion – readers who trust you are more likely to buy
Share your personality and story
Answer FAQs once and for all
Drive more organic traffic to your website
Creates content you can reuse – turn posts into email campaigns, flyers, or video scripts

Real Example: How Blogging Helped Me

I found that posts about Tools and Wood Products started yielding views which then translated into sales and I was able to direct website queries to those posts which also helped customers make their choices.

I also noticed that certain products mentioned in other posts were selling a little more than normal. So there, I had direct proof that blogging worked. It wasn't overnight by any means but I did notice the uptick.

It helps to think of a blog as a long-form Facebook post but instead of writing for superficial likes and shares, you're aiming to build trust and convert readers into buyers. If someone’s reading your posts, chances are they’ll also browse your store.

Getting Started: The Basics

To get started, you need a platform. If you have your own website then you probably already have the facilities to launch your own blog section. You are already paying for it, why not use it? Below is a quick overview to give you some pointers.

How to set up your blog (quick overview):

Choose a platform (Own Website, Blogger, Wix, WordPress, etc.)
Keep it under your business domain or link clearly to it
Pick a theme that matches your brand style

First steps:

Add an “About” section and Contact Page
Write a short welcome/introduction post
Add a good and relevant image or banner
Decide whether your voice will be formal, casual, or a mix
Decide what your message is going to be in line with your business model
Stick to those choices and only write about your own business world

Time Management: Making Blogging Fit Your Schedule

Time is something we are all short of in the self-employed world. Pick a week to just go and do it to get you started. You will actually find it an exciting prospect once you start so get to it! It feels like starting a new business once you get going, trust me - I've been there.

Let’s be honest, time is tight. So:

Start small: aim for 1 post every 2–4 weeks initially
Use a content calendar or reminder system for new posts
Write in bursts when you’re feeling productive
Recycle content (turn a social post or email into a blog post)
Don't feel pressured to publish until ready
Write multiple post drafts on different subjects or products
Come back to each draft when you feel inspired and then publish

What I’ve found most helpful is keeping several rough drafts on the go at the same time. If you’ve got three or four ideas buzzing around, get them down quickly while they’re fresh - don’t just pick one and start polishing. Instead, jot down a working title and a quick intro to lock in the idea. That way, when you're ready to return, you're not starting from scratch - just picking up where your momentum left off.

Sometimes your ideas may not work out, and you’ll reshape them into something better. Other times, you’ll strike gold. The key is to think of blog writing as non-linear, especially in the early stages.

Tools that help:

Google Docs + Grammarly
Blogger’s built-in scheduler
AI tools to help outline or polish drafts (you should still use your own voice!)

But honestly, the most important tool is you - practicing. Just write, regularly and imperfectly, and you’ll get better over time.

Be careful not to let AI do all the work. Readers can tell, and it’s not a good look for your blog. Use AI tools as helpers to outline, tidy up, or get past a blank page but always write in your own voice, with your own words.

What Should I Blog About? Topic Ideas for Small Businesses

This is often the most difficult part of starting a blog, not knowing what to write initially. My Advice is walk around your business and turn everything you do or see into a question a customer might ask.

Even something as simple as a cluttered desk or work area in your own office can become a post: 'How I Tidy My Workspace to Get Things Done'. or how about 'The 3 Tools I Use Every Day and Would Replace in a Heartbeat if They Broke.' for any work tools you use? Throw in a few plugs for your business as you are at it and away you go.

It really is that easy and all you have to do is get the first few posts under your belt. Here's some more ideas:

Start with what you already know:

Behind-the-scenes of your work (e.g. “How I Pack Orders”)
Product spotlights or how-to-guides
Seasonal posts (Christmas gifts, summer events)
Local guides (e.g. “Things to Do in Tralee” – great for tourism-linked businesses)
Case studies or testimonials
Insider tricks on how you run your business effectively

Pro tip: Create a list of 10 topics in advance to draw from when time is short.

My Experience on Blogger

Before I conclude, I thought I should add this bit first. Although I had experience blogging on my main website, I never really felt free to open up and just write about any old ideas, happenings, how-to guides, or the little things I saw in my day-to-day. I felt restricted, like every post had to be perfectly polished or directly tied to a product and that held me back from sharing more. I was also very conscious about diluting my brand which I eventually did by writing some non woodworking posts.

As a child, I had a very vivid and creative imagination but I seemed to lose all that as I grew up. Upon starting this new Blog, I'm happy to discover that it wasn't gone after all - but lying dormant, waiting for the right outlet and inspiration.

Blogger - Getting Started

Switching to Blogger as a second blog has been a revelation. Ideas pour out of me every day now. It’s gotten to the point where, as soon as a title or intro pops into my head, I open a new draft just to pin it down before I forget. I often find myself writing three posts at once, which is unheard of for me.

If you’re blogging on your main business site, keep the content focused and specific. But if you want to explore a broader range of ideas - and give your voice some freedom - platforms like Blogger are ideal.

Blogger lets you create up to 100 separate blogs with unlimited posts, though there are image and post size limits to keep in mind. If you enjoy writing and want to build momentum, just go for it. It’s been a game changer for me.

A Good Tip Before Publishing a Post

Here’s a tip from my own experience: even if a post feels ready to go, try scheduling it for a day or two in the future instead of hitting publish right away.

That extra bit of space gives you the chance to come back with fresh eyes. More often than not, you’ll catch a small mistake or find something you want to tweak before it goes live and you’ll be glad you gave it that final review.

A Word of Caution

Google is very slow to crawl Blogger so be prepared for a delay before being discovered. Instead of worrying about it, write a blog post about it or think of new ideas while your last post has yet to be found. Get to know the ins and outs of Google Search Console which will become your guide when launching new pages or posts and you will be fine. I may do a GSC post in the future.

Conclusion - Blogging, Are You Ready Yet?

Just getting started is the hardest part of it all, trust me, I've been there. Just write what you know and if need be get someone to proofread or double check your post before publishing. Also, try and read it like someone who doesn't know you or your business. Does it flow well, is it repetitive, is it boring?

Encouragement: You don’t need to be a professional writer — just start
Keep it real, be consistent, and your blog will pay off over time
Invite readers to comment or share their own blog ideas
Link to your own blog categories as examples

I hope this has been helpful and even inspiring to you enough so that you will make a start. Don't worry if you fall down along the way. Pick yourself up and get cracking at it again.

Thanks for Reading and good luck with your new Blog, David

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