Starting a blog is one of the hardest steps in the whole blogging process. Uncertainty about how to do it, what to write about, what people will think of it … all leads to never actually doing it.
But you realise it’s a good tool for sharing valuable content on social media, to drive traffic to your website, and to come across as a bit of an expert on that location. The latter of course means that when people are searching for info on that particular area, they’ll turn to you.
So, what to do?
Simple – the answer is to plan.
Planning is great in many areas of life, and it works for blogging too. Lots of people start blogging as a fluid process, only to blog themselves into a corner. Writers block. Or lack of time.
To prevent this from happening to you, here’s our list of tips to get you started.
1. Create a shortlist of broad topics to write on
You don’t need too many, but four or five areas would be a good starting point. You might keep these basic, i.e.:
• See
• Eat
• Do
• Experience
… and so on. Alternatively, you could have sections for different activities, such as skiing, walking, cycling, and such like, if your holiday let is in an active location where things like this are regularly undertaken by visitors.
Check out our previous article on this topic for more ideas – Getting Started with Your Holiday Let Blog
2. Brainstorm a list of blog post titles or topics
It doesn’t even need to be a list. If you prefer, grab a big sheet of paper and scribble whatever comes into your mind. You can always turn it into a list later.
Be aware that this tip and the shortlist tip above are interchangeable, too. If you can’t come up with any ideas for topics to write about, brainstorm first. You’re guaranteed to find some topic ideas in there, because you’ll find different ideas for similar posts can be categorised together.
Think of places to go nearby, seasonal stuff, local attractions, local walks, and so on.
3. Think visually
Since you’re promoting your holiday rental to potential guests, it makes sense to add photos to as many posts as you can.
So when you’re wandering around the local area, think of how an image might bring an idea for a blog post. Snap a photo to include in the article (remembering to take a moment to get the composition right – light, angle, background and foreground elements, etc.).
And also get into the habit of carrying a small notebook and pencil around too, so you can jot things down when they come to you. Or use your Smartphone voice recorder. Either way, those ideas are sure to be lost without making a note as you see them.
So there you have three manageable tips.
The better you know your holiday let and the surrounding area, the easier it will be to find great topics to write about.
But we’ll leave you with one bonus tip …
Bonus: Put yourself in the shoes of your ideal guest. What would they want to read about on your blog and via your social media channels that would encourage them to make a booking?
Whatever that information is, write about it.
Make it thorough, well written and valuable. That’s all you need to do. Afterall, you’re not trying to win awards for your blog (well not yet at least), you’re simply trying to encourage more bookings. So write about the things you would like to read if you were thinking of staying in a holiday let in that location.
Happy blogging!
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