Creating relevant, newsworthy content is one of the basic tenets of content marketing.
That’s because updating your site regularly shows Google that the site is in use. As its bots crawl the web and come across new content, they add the page or post to the Google index and start to rank your site higher.
Ideally, every business website should deliver high-quality blog posts every single week (or more frequently), but coming up with a fresh new post can be challenging. We’re here to help! We’ve put together this list — one idea for every week of the year — to help you fill up your editorial calendar in 2017.
52 Content Ideas for Your Website
Week 1
Start the new year with renewed energy. Create content that establishes your brand goals for the coming year. You might include loyalty programs, new products in the works, and improved customer service policies.
Week 2
Use content to promote large discounts on old inventory in order to “make way for new products,” including the Valentine’s Day gear that will hit your shelves in a few weeks.
Week 3
List posts are among the most popular, so give your followers 10 tips, 9 ways, 5 reasons, 8 signs, or, you know, 52 content ideas for your website in 2017.
Week 4
Elvis Presley made his national debut January 28, 1956. Showcase a rock star, actor, athlete or other type of celebrity who is related to your industry or who will resonate with your target audience.
Week 5
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. Run a contest on Facebook that offers dinner for two to the person with the best romance story.
Week 6
Use Google Alerts to curate daily industry news snippets from around the globe. Short, relevant, and newsworthy Twitter posts will score points with your fans.
Note: apart from creating new posts or articles, try curating content for your blog as well. According to Hootsuite, content curation is “the act of discovering, compiling, and sharing existing content with your online followers . . . to provide extra value to your brand’s audience and customers.”
Week 7
Introduce a new hire on your team or celebrate a key employee from the customer call center or help desk. Include a professional-quality image of the person in their element.
Week 8
Create a YouTube video that demonstrates how to use your product or service. Take our Web Basics series, for example.
Week 9
Write a review on a “must-read” book for business owners, entrepreneurs, or startups that has helped and inspired you and that is relevant to your audience.
Week 10
Online security is a huge concern for many shoppers.Write a post that explains what you do to ensure your website is safe and offer steps or tips for your readers to protect their privacy and security.
Week 11
Create a “Quote of the Day” image to share on your blog and social channels. Choose something inspirational, humorous or industry-related.
Week 12
Create a resource page (like Unbounce did) that includes all your how-to posts or guides, categorized by topics. Then let your fans know on social media.
Week 13
Interview someone in your niche. It could be an employee, a colleague, a loyal customer, an expert, or a social influencer. And if there’s a tie-in, explain how your products or services contributed to his or her success.
Week 14
Refresh your business pages — Yelp, Google+, Google My Business, Brightlocal.com, Yahoo Local, YP.com and Insider Pages — with helpful information, ratings and maps.
Week 15
With Easter on the 16th, this week could be a good time to offer readers decorating ideas, recipes for family gatherings, or interesting facts about the celebratory events. Remember, not every post needs to be about your business — in fact, doing so will likely turn off readers — so offer them something of value that has nothing to do with your bottom line.
Week 16
The first day of spring falls on the 20th. Remind your audience that now is a good time for a little spring cleaning: homes, offices, computers. Write a helpful listicle or how-to post about organizing your physical space for better productivity or doing a content audit to assess your website’s content and plan future marketing activities.
Week 17
Highlight a customer review and invite your loyal followers to submit their own.
Week 18
Host a Periscope or Facebook Live Q&A session about your product or service and interact with your customers.
Week 19
Mother’s Day falls on May 14th. Recognize the mothers in your organization, mothers of invention in your industry, or special women in the community.
Week 20
Update your FAQ page so your readers can find quick answers to the most common issues. Add a live chat widget for easy access to your company when customers have questions not answered on the page.
Week 21
Link to informative local pages. Better yet, write a “Top 20 Things to Do Locally” article to promote your community pride. Don’t forget to mention your Memorial Day Sale and commemorate the occasion.
Week 22
While the most common months for hiring are January, February, September, and October, help your readers get a head start on job seeking by sharing what makes a candidate stand out to you. This week would be a good time to post some unemployment stats, new business openings in your industry, or tips on updating résumés.
Week 23
Start an Instagram campaign that asks your followers to upload photos of them using your products.
Week 24
June 18th is Father’s Day. Recognize the fathers in your organization, fathers of invention in your industry, or special men in the community.
Week 25
Summer has arrived! Write a summer-flavored post that entertains, informs, or inspires that has nothing to do with your business, like a roundup of favorite activities, refreshing cocktails or recipes, travel destinations, or gadgets.
Week 26
Create a stunning infographic to help your readers learn visually. Different types of infographics include visual articles, flowcharts, timelines, and pros and cons. Check out some of our most popular infographics.
Week 27
July 4th is this week. Write a brief history about a pioneer of our nation, your industry, or your company.
Week 28
Compile a list of interesting facts or amazing statistics in your industry and make them Tweetable.
Week 29
Build credibility with influencer relationships. Get an industry expert to guest post on your blog.
Week 30
Encourage reader comments and engagement by asking them via social media posts what type of content they would like to get from you. Publish the poll to your Facebook page.
Week 31
Ask your readers for name suggestions for a new product and include a teaser photo of it as well as a short, anticipatory write-up.
Week 32
Use a GIF-maker with original text to create a GIF (a moving image on a short loop) that resonates with your brand followers. Find inspiration on giphy.com.
Week 33
Part of keeping your content production flow moving is to remove outdated blog posts, web pages, social accounts, and refresh photos and stats.
Week 34
Introduce an external partner or vendor. Write a short post about who the owner is, what the business does, and how he or she founded the company (if applicable).
Week 35
Post a weekly recap of your most relevant news and events or put together a roundup of favorite articles in your field from the past week. Busy readers will appreciate the easily-digestible summaries that help keep them informed.
Week 36
Host a free webinar. Choose experts for your panel and offer a transcription, PDF summary sheet, or SlideShare of the information at the end of the session.
Week 37
Everyone has an opinion. Create a survey or poll to capture more data about your audience and (depending on the size of your business and how many people respond) offer a prize for the first five contributions or a discount coupon for everyone who participates.
Week 38
Get readers talking about your brand by creating a Reddit thread or participating in one that is of interest to your fans.
Week 39
This month families are celebrating Grandparent’s Day, commemorating 9/11, and participating in Native American Day and Citizenship Day. Write something meaningful that you feel passionate about.
Week 40
Offer to write a guest post for thought leaders in your niche market or industry. Sharing your work with well-respected brands expands your marketing reach.
Week 41
Six weeks until Thanksgiving! Get into the mood by talking about family, winterizing the house, or suggesting gift-giving lists.
Week 42
Create and post short gratitude videos by your employees in which they state something for which they are thankful. Then invite your blog and social followers to submit their own.
Week 43
Create a behind-the-scenes video shot in your manufacturing plant or service center to give fans a close-up look at what goes into making your products. Showing off the human side of your brand creates more loyalty.
Week 44
Write a whitepaper or e-book about a key element of your business or industry. From HubSpot: “A whitepaper is a persuasive, authoritative, in-depth report on a specific topic that presents a problem and provides a solution.” You can also use this whitepaper as a downloadable content upgrade (or lead magnet) for related posts.
Week 45
Press releases keep the public informed. Write pieces for print and online publications whenever anything newsworthy happens within your organization.
Week 46
With Christmas only a few weeks away, this is a terrific time to start publishing “teasers” on your social sites to draw followers to your website to check out holiday pricing.
Week 47
Recap the year with a list of your most popular blog posts or social media updates.
Week 48
Create a holiday countdown promotion and install a colorful timer on your landing page.
Week 49
Write a thank-you note to let your social media fans and website regulars know how much you appreciate their support throughout the year.
Week 50
Create a list of gift ideas for your demographic. This year we published 25 Great Stocking Stuffer Ideas for Small Business Owners.
Week 51
Now is a great time for a special seasonal message. If you need festive ideas, check out 50 Holiday Content Ideas to Keep Your Website Merry and Bright.
Week 52
Predictions for the coming year in your niche, such as The Internet in 2017: What Changes and Challenges Should You Expect, are always a popular read.
We hope this list of content suggestions inspires you to get creative and keep your online content fresh and engaging in 2017. And remember, if you are thinking about upgrading your web hosting services, we invite you to contact a representative today to discuss reliable, low-price point options for businesses of all sizes.
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