So, you’ve decided to blog about your tourism business. Congratulations! It’s going to be fun – and, if you’re committed, it will pay dividends. There’s just one tiny issue. What on earth are you going to blog about? You’ve maybe got an idea for your first couple of posts – but what then? Fear not, I have good news for you. Posting inspiration is all around! And I’m here to show you 10 places where your next great blog post idea might be lurking… 1. Your own brain The process I am about to describe may sound a little retro. Stick with me, ok? Yes, I know there are loads of online places you can go for inspiration (we’ll be covering these in a moment!) but nothing beats sitting down with a big (I’m talking A2) piece of paper, some coloured sharpies and just letting your mind generate as many ideas as possible. Some of these ideas will not be worth pursuing, others will be pure gold. And keep a pen and notebook beside your bed. How many times have I woken up in the small hours with a brilliant idea, thinking ‘my next post is in the bag!’ only to wake up the next morning to find it has disappeared? (Answer: a lot). Good ideas are flighty little critters – don’t let them slip away. 2. Your DMs Think of your DMs as a repository for FAQS. Then mine these DMS for potential blog posts. For example, visitors to Shetland (where I live) might ask questions like: Any one of these questions could be the basis of a great blog post. And it’s not just questions you’ll find in your DMS. You’ll also find feedback (both positive and negative) which could spark inspiration. For example, what do your customers particularly like about your tours? What particular tour highlights do they mention, and how could you blog about them? 3. My free resource My free resource (available here) catchily titled 30 social media post ideas for tour guides and tour operators can also be a great leaping-off point for the beginner blogger. Behold – here are just three of its suggestions for social media posts: Just writing these ideas down is getting my creative juices flowing! Download my freebie (if you haven’t already) and get writing. Or filming. Or podcasting. (Remember, blogs don’t have to be written.) 4. Your own social media posts Linking on from my previous point, let’s talk about repurposing. Not every blog post you write for your tourism business needs to be a brand new idea (if you take this approach, you’re going to reach blogger burnout fairly quickly!). Scan your social media posts for posts that could be developed into blog posts (bonus points if you choose ones that have got good engagement – this means they’re likely to appeal to your customers). Then expand upon them. For example: Don’t worry about being repetitive. Bear in mind that a tiny percentage of your followers will have seen your original social media post, and even if they have, they’ve probably forgotten it by now. 5. Other tour bloggers’ work Other people’s blogs are always a great source of inspiration. It’s not going to hurt a tour guide on the other side of the world (or even the country) if you copy the style and format of one of their blog posts, is it? For example, if you’re a tour guide in Paris reading a blog post on ‘5 family-friendly days-out in New York’ why not do the same for your city? Here’s a blog post I wrote, where I interviewed a local birder about Shetland’s top ten summer birds and their dialect names. Could you write a similar post about your local wildlife? 6. Outside of tourism Once you’ve got into the habit of blogging, you’ll find ideas everywhere you go. Sometimes we get so immersed in our little tourism bubble, that we forget to look further afield. Next time you’re checking out a blog on one of your other interests (come on, I’m sure you have at least one!) stay alert to format, style and content. Whether it’s a blog on miniature modelling, health and wellness or DIY, you’re likely to find content ideas you can adapt for your own tourism blog. 7. Your own backyard Okay – you may need to go slightly further than this. But get up, go for a walk. See your destination with fresh eyes. If you were visiting for the first time, what would you want to know? Remember – people love to feel they are discovering a city’s secrets. Are there any off-the-beaten-track places you could share? A retro clothes shop? A community garden? A cake fridge?* *In Shetland, cake fridges are a thing! Imagine being out for a walk in the middle of nowhere and stumbling across a box full of homemade goodies! 8. Google I’ll be covering SEO tips later on in this blogging mini-series, as this is vital stuff to know when you’re blogging. Writing content that answers frequently asked questions is one easy way of making sure your content gets read – and it’s also a valuable source of posting inspiration. In the meantime, playing around with Google Search can be a great way of finding out the topics that people have been searching for. And if people have been searching for these topics, you can bet they’re going to want to read about them. This article is a handy step-by-step guide to help you generate blog ideas on Google. 9. Your customers Why not ask your customers directly what they’d like you to blog about? Social media polls are a great way of doing this. Your customers will feel you care, and you’ll get some great content ideas! Win win. 10. Your life Hope you haven’t thrown away the sharpies and paper we were using in number 1. You’ll need them for this bit. Although last on the list, this item is
