When you hear the word “blog”, what do you think of?
Maybe your mind goes to stories about travel, yoga, and exciting new restaurants to try.
What if I told you that, although these thoughts may be valid, other terms and phrases should be coming to mind? These include conversions, a boost in revenue, calls to action, inbound marketing, and improving customer relationships.
Blogs are powerful business tools. They improve conversion rate, foster relationships between your business and audience members and customers, boost revenue, promote brand awareness, increase your ranking on search engines, and positively impact your bottom line.
In this guide, we’ll review the different types of blogs there are and examples of each. We've also added a "Niche Industries" section, because there's a blog for everything out there, including your industry. These will give you a better understanding of the various ways your business can write and publish content to help you achieve the benefits we listed above … and more.
Before we dive in, what is a blog?
Any type of business — whether it’s focused on ecommerce, retail, technology, or services — can benefit from publishing and maintaining a blog. By writing about topics that resonate with your audience and incorporating optimization tactics your business can experience a variety of benefits that result from having a blog.
Speaking of the benefits of a blog, we mentioned some of them above. Let’s dive into them in more detail. This section will help you answer a commonly asked question around the topic: why blog?
Benefits of Blogging
There are a variety of reasons why your business should blog. These all explain why it’s a beneficial time investment and addition to your business’s branding, marketing, and sales efforts.
- Rank on search engines and build authority online so your content and website appear first on the search engine results page, or SERP, when people look up specific terms and keywords. Human Marketing does this well with their mix of blogs and pillar pages (or topic clusters).
- Drive organic traffic to your website, social media profiles, and other forms of content in a way that feels natural and doesn’t interrupt your audience. Cloud Elements is an example of a company that has seen an increase in organic traffic due to their blog.
- Educate your leads and customers by helping them stay informed on industry trends and development, and educated about your products, services, and how you can solve their challenges.
- Contribute to your inbound marketing tactics so you can avoid having your content feel pushy and “salesy”. Grand Rapids Chair is an example of a company that uses their blog to improve their inbound growth.
- Convert leads and prospects into customers by including helpful and educational information in your blogs so they can understand why your product or service is right for them.
- Become known as an expert in the industry and stand out against your competition by writing about the various topics your business and product line is known for or relates to. These may include content marketing, public relations, or software for small businesses. 3PL Central is an example of a company who has become known as an industry expert and separates themselves from the competition thanks to their blog.
- Foster a sense of community so your audience members know there are hundreds (or thousands, depending on the size of your blog) of other people equally as interested in your information and content.
- Engage audience members and customers so they keep coming back to read your content every day (or as often as you publish your blog) and potentially check out your products or services.
- Promote your business and products or services by writing about their benefits and linking to information where your readers can learn more … and convert into customers.
- Boost revenue with calls-to-action (CTAs) and links to your website pages where your audience can learn about and purchase your products or sign up for your services.
- Support all of your marketing and greater business initiatives by staying consistent with your branding and tone throughout all of your blogs.
Now that you have a basic understanding of what blogging is and how it can benefit your business, let’s dive into some examples. You can these examples for inspiration and as a point of reference as you start your business’s blog.
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The following blog types are targeted at various industries and audiences, and I include real examples of each below. You’ll notice each blog description includes main takeaways to help you apply these examples to your own business’s blog.
Before we start, you might be wondering: Is there anything all successful blogs have in common that I should be keeping an eye out for?
Fair question — and in terms of the examples we’re about to review, the answer is yes.
What do successful blogs have in common?
Successful blogs have a specific purpose that’s clear to readers. Whether or not a blog relates directly to the product or service the company sells, each blog has a defined purpose readily apparent to readers. You’ll notice this is often the main takeaway for the examples we’re about to review.
Now, let’s dive in.
Marketing Blogs
Marketing blogs cover a wide array of topics related to inbound marketing, social media, content creation, and organic growth. They may focus on one specific field within marketing or cover broad, industry-related trends to help you develop a marketing strategy specific to your business.
1. DWDigitaWeb Blog
DWDigitaWeb is an inbound marketing agency. Their blog educates marketers on useful inbound tactics to help them grow their business and drive organic traffic. They write about lead generation, SEO, and how to use your blog to convert readers into customers.
Main Takeaways:
- The blog educates readers on the importance and impact of inbound marketing on any business.
- Relevant subtopics, such as social media, inbound recruiting, website strategy, and sales enablement, educate readers on all aspects of the marketing trend.
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2. HubSpot Marketing Blog
The HubSpot Marketing Blog is also focused on inbound marketing. It teaches readers about the level of organic growth and traffic inbound marketing promotes. The blog attracts a large audience due to the wide variety of inbound marketing topics that are written about, which apply to virtually every type of company.
Note: HubSpot also has a Sales Blog, Service Blog, and Agency Blog.
Main Takeaways:
- It includes several resources (such as closely related CTAs and articles) to support the topics being discussed throughout the blogs.
- The blog’s tone remains the same across all pieces of content which creates a sense of consistency for readers.
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3. Scholes Marketing Blog
Scholes Marketing publishes a blog for anyone looking to optimize their website and improve their organic traffic with inbound marketing. Their content educates readers on related subtopics including how to build a great, searchable website and how to generate leads and revenue through content.
Main Takeaways:
- The main function of the blog, which is to teach and educate readers about how to enhance their business and broaden their reach through inbound marketing, is clear to readers through the content they provide.
- The blog gives readers a number of applicable ways to grow and expand reach through inbound marketing.
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Manufacturing Blogs
Manufacturing blogs are used to inform those in manufacturing and closely-related field (such as supply chain, distribution, and logistics) about best practices, news, and trends in the industry. These blogs keep you up-to-date and well-versed in this ever-changing business sector.
1. Dustless Blasting Blog
Dustless Blasting uses their blog to promote their product, the Dustless Blasting machine. They share real stories and write about common situations in which their target audience may find themselves in need of the product. They create guides and instructional pieces (as well as instructional videos) to teach customers how to use the machine.
Main Takeaways:
- By describing real scenarios in which their target audience may find themselves needing the machine, they’re able to determine whether or not the product is right for them.
- The blog includes applicable information about how to use the Dustless Blasting machine so readers can better understand how the product fits their needs (and potentially convert into customers).
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2. Epec Engineered Technologies Blog
The Epec Engineering Technologies blog covers a wide variety of topics about electronics manufacturing. There are Q&As, interviews with industry experts, directions on how to assemble specific electronics, cables, and more, and even information on technical writing for similar businesses looking to begin their blogs.
Main Takeaways:
- The blog is a one-stop-shop for all types of electronic manufacturing solution knowledge and queries.
- The blog posts are written in a variety of formats to engage readers and provide unique content for everyone.
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3. Marlin Steel Blog
Marlin Steel’s blog covers all things related to steel production, use, and technology. Blog posts and listicles cover everything from how to use specific steel tools and products as well as how to use steel in various situations. There are also several posts about developments and changes within the steel industry over the years.
Main Takeaways:
- The blog has an array of content about steel products and use to educate readers on their options and keep them up-to-date on industry trends and advancements.
- Even though steel may be a niche topic, there are blogs written in a number of engaging formats including interviews, how-to's, and listicles.
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Healthcare Blogs
Whether it’s policy, law, treatment, technology, or research, healthcare blogs exist to help businesses and individuals stay informed of the newest and highest impact innovations made in the field.
1. Six Month Smiles Blog
The Six Month Smiles blog is a place where individuals can participate in clinical conversations and learn more about short-term orthodontics. Blog posts are written by industry experts, including people who work for companies that create and design dental tools. Writers also include hygienists and doctors who perform dental cleanings, surgeries, and more. The blog has a variety of interviews, Q&As, and informational pieces for readers.
Main Takeaways:
- Industry experts, doctors, and dental hygienists can collaborate and talk about their work and developments in the field through this blog.
- The blog provides a way for potential customers to learn about the services they may be interested in paying for.
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2. Algamus Gambling Recovery Blog
The Algamus Gambling Recovery Blog is for anyone who is (or knows someone who is) going through gambling addiction recovery. The blog covers all topics related to gambling addiction and gambling addiction recovery including treatment, ways to get support, and how to support a loved one going through treatment. The posts are formatted in a variety of ways such as guides to self-help, guides to support, and scientific studies.
Main Takeaways:
- The blog has content for everyone including gambling addicts and the people supporting them through their recovery.
- By including scientific studies, their blog content feels trustworthy and legitimate which is important since they’re covering a real medical issue.
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3. StayWell Insights Blog
StayWell helps businesses, healthcare providers, and others discover and create health empowerment solutions. Their blog, called StayWell Insights, does this, too — their pieces provide readers with a wide range of information about health habits, insights, studies, and trends. All of their content is supported by scientific studies and news.
Main Takeaways:
- Blogs are written about a variety of topics within healthcare such as information about providers, trends, and industry events so all readers can find what they’re looking for.
- By backing their content with official studies and news, they feel trustworthy to readers — this is important considering they’re writing about healthcare and healthcare providers.
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Ecommerce Blogs
Ecommerce blogs help online businesses and retailers of all kinds learn about the best technology, trends, and tools in the industry to help them grow and reach their short and long-term goals. These blogs cover ecommerce marketing and strategy, online shop development, and more.
1. M.M. LaFleur Blog
M.M. LaFleur is a women’s professional apparel brand designed to bring ease and comfort into the lives of their customers. Their blog, called The — M — Dash, promotes female empowerment.
Women who work in virtually any industry can read the blog to feel inspired by other businesswomen as well as learn about different aspects of being a woman in the workplace (gender equality, stereotypes, etc.). Lastly, there are blog posts related to attire including topics about what to wear on your first day, casual Fridays, and to job interviews.
Main Takeaways:
- The blog promotes education and discussion around the topic of women in the workplace, all while relating this content back to their clothing line.
- They discuss these societal issues in a way that makes readers feel good which leads them to feel good about the brand as a whole.
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2. JustBats Blog
From baseball and softball bat reviews to bat gift ideas, the JustBats blog covers all topics related to finding the right bat for every individual. JustBats sells hundreds of baseball and softball bats, so their blog does a great job of explaining to customers which options are best for them.
There are blogs about bat brands and specific models, as well as posts about technique and how to improve your baseball or softball skills and knowledge.
(Note: JustBats has such a large product line that they also have a separate website for baseball and softball gloves, called JustGloves, with a respective blog.)
Main Takeaways:
- The blog’s purpose is to educate readers on the business’s product line so they can make the right purchase.
- JustBats’ product line is so vast that their blogs help simplify the purchase process for customers.
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3. G FUEL
G FUEL is an energy drink, and the company has a blog they use to promote their product line. The blog content G FUEL shares includes news about their business as well as their products. Rather than trying to discreetly talk about their drinks, it’s very obvious to readers that G FUEL is trying to provide education around the benefits of their product and what makes them stand out against their competition.
Main Takeaways:
- The blog teaches readers about the benefits of G FUEL and why it’s a better drink than those of their competitors.
- The blog provides customers and fans with a unique inside look at their business they wouldn’t be able to find anywhere else. This promotes relationship building between customers and the company.
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Technology Blogs
It’s no secret that the tech world is always evolving. With so many advancements being made every day, it’s critical that businesses do what they can to keep up with the cutting-edge developments that impact their ability to grow and reach their target audience.
1. Dotloop Blog
Dotloop is a real estate transaction management solution used by professionals and clients to conduct and close deals. Dotloop’s blog covers all topics related to real estate automation, what it’s like to work in the field, industry trends, and product offerings. They also write about the ways their product can help simplify all aspects of the real estate process.
Main Takeaways:
- The blog distills the broad topic of real estate down and organizes it by role (for example, agent vs. broker) to simplify the reading experience.
- The real estate education the blog provides readers with is expert-level. This allows visitors to leave the site feeling confident in their new or improved knowledge.
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2. Adaptive Insights Blog
Adaptive Insights is a business and financial planning software company. Their blog provides insight into how active financial planning processes drive success. Their blogs include tips, latest news, and best practices related to active financial planning. Adaptive Insights even writes about specific causes and events that matter to them as a company (such as social causes, employee and customer success, etc.) so readers get to know them on a deeper level.
Main Takeaways:
- It educates readers and visitors on the various ways active financial planning is beneficial to their business which helps the company promote their software.
- Adaptive Insights also gives visitors an inside look at their company and what matters to them (and their employees) through their blog — this helps them build relationships with readers.
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3. Inside Design by InVision Blog
Inside Design by InVision — a digital product design platform — has a blog for technology, UX, UI, and product designers. Designers can turn to the blog for inspiration or to learn about industry trends, resources, and best practices. There’s also a section of the blog that covers design news and information about design workshops.
Main Takeaways:
- The blog’s content covers all aspects of digital design — no matter what type of digital designer visits the site, there’s blog content for them.
- The way the blog is organized makes it easy for these different types of designers to quickly find the type of information they’re looking for.
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Education and Nonprofit Blogs
Education and nonprofit blogs provide teachers, administrators, volunteers, and leaders with a way to learn about each other’s findings and strategies. Most importantly, they give these people the opportunity to collaborate and share knowledge to help each other grow.
1. Teach Away Blog
Teach Away is an education-focused company that recruits individuals in North America to teach abroad. Their blog provides interested teachers and site visitors with a look at everything they need to make an informed decision about whether or not Teach Away is right for them. Blog topics include teaching abroad vs. teaching online, teacher training, teacher success stories, teaching destinations, and more.
Main Takeaways:
- Since the teachers who participate in Teach Away experience a large lifestyle change, the blog is a place they learn about all parts of the program and decide if it’s right for them.
- All aspects of the program are separated into different sections of the blog so teachers and prospective teachers can easily locate the information they’re looking for.
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2. Trinity College London Blog
Trinity College London is one of the leading exam boards for the performing arts and English language. They also offer the Arts Award qualification, which encourages young people to participate in and engage with all art forms.
They have several blogs including the Trinity College London UK blog and the Arts Award blog. The way the blogs are separated allows visitors to easily log on to read, or subscribe to, the content that matters most to them.
Main Takeaways:
- Trinity College is an exam board with blog content organized by audience need for easy navigation.
- No matter which topics students are studying or educators are teaching, they can review dozens of articles in their central blog locations.
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3. GuideStar by Candid Nonprofit Blog
GuideStar by Candid is a well-known clearinghouse of nonprofit financial and leadership information. No matter the type of foundation you work for, this blog is a place where you can learn about all sides of running or volunteering for a nonprofit. Their blog posts provide a summary of nonprofit news, best practices, and information about leaders.
Main Takeaways:
- The blog covers all aspects of non-profit work including latest trends, tips, and news so there’s information for volunteers and leaders of all kinds.
- Blog posts educate readers on what successful organization are doing and which strategies they’re implementing so they too can give them a try.
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Digital Agency Blogs
Digital agency blogs allow your business to get help and advice from certified agencies and consultants. The following blogs belong to service providers from across the globe that help businesses implement successful digital and inbound strategies.
1. Synx Blog
Synx is a digital agency, marketing, and technology company based out of Australia. The Synx blog covers all things related to digital marketing including tips and tricks about content, inbound tactics, mobile marketing, and more. They share their blogs in an array of formats including listicles, interviews, success stories, and thought leadership pieces to cater to all types of readers.
Main Takeaways:
- The blogs are written in a variety of formats and styles to suit every visitor’s business needs and preferences.
- The blog content promotes Synx’s services by explaining why businesses need it and how it differs from the competition.
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2. Dotdynamic Blog
Dotdynamic is a digital marketing agency based out of Ireland that provides businesses with the techniques and strategies they need to generate qualified leads and convert more people into customers, both on and offline.
Their blog provides businesses with key insights and tips on how to achieve an impactful and effective digital marketing strategy. They also educate readers on the latest industry trends and tactics to attract, engage, and convert more audience members.
Main Takeaways:
- All blog content relates in some way to the business’s mission of empowering and educating other companies on digital marketing.
- The blogs are organized by specific topic within digital marketing for easy access — examples include SEO, PPC ads, digital marketing strategies.
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3. HAL Company Blog
HAL Company is a digital agency and consulting company based out of Argentina. Their blog shares applicable advice and information about the latest trends in marketing, sales, and automation platforms throughout their variety of posts and listicles.
Main Takeaways:
- Blog topics support the overall mission of the business: help companies grow while boosting conversions and brand awareness through specific marketing, sales, and automation tactics.
- The blog posts recommend specific automation tools, software, and technology to help businesses grow better using digital marketing tactics.
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Whew, that was a lot of info … but, hopefully you’re feeling inspired and ready to begin (or improve) your business’s blog. Don’t be afraid to experiment with the type of blog content you produce and share — after all, blogging is an iterative process. And remember to remain open to new ways to engage your target audience with your blog down the road.
Niche Industry Blogs
These blogs are business blogs that exist in niche industries. For example, the blog of a local hardware store, or the blog of an independent jeweler. Niche blogs tend to be about a specific industry or topic and support the business's brand — here, let's explore a few of them, as well as takeaways you can provide to your own marketing strategy.
1. A Concord Carpenter Blog
This blog is from an independent contractor based in Concord, Massachusetts. Rob Robillard started the blog to share his knowledge in home improvement. The blog covers a variety of subjects, from tool reviews to DIY projects.
Main Takeaways:
- The blog covers specific, intricate subjects, such as building deck showers or painting basement floors. The structure of posts often begins with a short introduction, shows a picture of the completed project, then goes into a step-by-step tutorial, with photos after each step.
- The specificity of the blog posts, paired with the expert advice and visuals, make this blog welcoming for every type of reader. As someone who is not handy at carpentry, I found myself feeling empowered to do a project of my own.
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2. Nazmiyal Antique Rugs Blog
Nazmiyal Collection is located in New York, NY, and houses one of the world's largest collections of antique rugs, offering many of them for sale. Their website details the types of rugs they have available, as well as purchase information, and gives a deep dive about antique rug origins.
Main Takeaways:
- The company's blog offers posts about multiple different rug types, including geometric, intricate, mid-century, modern, vintage, boho, and expressionist. It provides details about each kind of rug and how to style a room with them.
- The blog also offers many types of posts about how to style rooms with the company's rugs. The common structure seems to explain the purpose of the room — including many pictures — and offer rug options depending on the style for which you're aiming.
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3. Teleflora Blog
Teleflora is based in Los Angeles, California, and connects customers with the best florists across the United States. On the website, you can order bouquets from florists in your area and receive same-day delivery, so as not to damage the flowers. The company's blog is all about flower arrangements.
Main Takeaways:
- Blog topics range from flower tips and ideas, flower trends news, and the meaning of flowers. A lot of the content centers around holidays, such as International Women's Day or St. Patrick's Day.
- The blog post structure seems to vary by post type. For example, a post can either be an explanation post, offer advice, or present news. Depending on the type, the post will either be long or short form, include vibrant photos, and offer a deep description of the flower arrangement presented.
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4. McKissock Learning Blog
This blog is a part of McKissock Learning, a company that provides learning experiences to those looking to advance in their real estate career. Their services cover appraisal, real estate, home inspection, land surveying, engineering, and banking.
Main Takeaways:
- Though the company is centered around offering learning services in various areas of a real estate career, the blog covers three categories: Real Estate, Appraisal, and News. It's a good idea — if your company is small but offers a variety of services — to pick a few large ones to focus on in the blog.
- The blog offers tips and insights within the real estate industry and does a lot of roundups with trends and news.
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5. Jewelers Mutual Insurance Group Blog
Jewelers Mutual has been providing insurance for jewelry for over 100 years and is partnered with several organizations in the industry. The company's blog provides information about keeping jewelers knowledgeable about safety and success as it pertains to their possessions.
Main Takeaways:
- Blog posts are usually roundups, sharing tips about how to prevent theft or shipping options for jewelry. There are a few contributors, and they post at least once a week. Categories include coverage, customer service, marketing, and webinars, among many more.
- The structure of blog posts usually starts with a compelling, informative intro, then dives into the body of the post, providing the takeaways of each point of advice near the end of the post.
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Blogging Helps You Grow Better
Blogging can be an effective way to positively impact your business’s bottom line. No matter your industry or business size, you can start and manage a blog that brings in leads, converts them into customers, and boosts revenue.
You’ll also likely see an improvement of your brand awareness once your blog begins ranking and growing. Remember — building a blog takes time and patience, but the results are worth the wait. So, determine what type of blog is right for you, use the examples we’ve reviewed above for inspiration and guidance, and start writing.
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