12 Types of Blog Content Small Business Owners Should Know
- Rachel Meyer
- 1 day ago
- 6 min read
Updated: 11 minutes ago
You're sitting down to write a new blog post. You know what topic you want to write about. You already have an idea for your CTA.
But before you start writing, have you decided what type of post you’re going to write? Did you even know there are multiple types of blog posts, all with unique formats and optimal uses?
If the answer is no, don’t panic. You've come to the right post, no matter how much you do or don't know about blog post types and how to use them.
In this post, I’m breaking down twelve types of blog content you can use for your small business. As a freelance content writer, I've used all of them at one point, so I want to share my professional insights so you can create a better blog.
Why Does Content Type Matter?
Before we get to the types of blog content, you might wonder why it matters. Why can't you use any format for any post? It matters because:
It aligns with search intent. If someone is searching for “how to make a bouquet”, it means the searcher wants a post showing them how to do something. If you write an introspective thought piece on what bouquets mean to you, they might find it interesting, but not what they’re looking for. They'll click away from your post (if they even open it) faster than you can say "don't go".
Not all topics work for all content types. If you want to write a post about exciting company news, you wouldn't put it in list format. If you want to share an in-depth overview of gardening, it shouldn’t be a case study. Your topic and content type need to fit together like puzzle pieces.
It changes how you write the post. The type of content you choose will affect everything about your post, from the angle you take to the format. For example, a post about “kinds of cookies” will look completely different if you decide to write a listicle versus a guide.
A Quick Note
Before we get into the actual kinds of blog posts, I want to share a quick clarification. Several of these content types are quite similar and may overlap.
Because of that, not every post you write will fall into a neat box. You may write a guide that also includes elements of a how-to post, or an essay that's somewhere between a personal story and a thought leadership post. These post categories are more to help structure and guide the post you write than to be a super strict guideline.
Types of Blog Content
1. Listicle
What is it? A listicle is a post with a list format. They get a bad rap for being basic or boring, but the facts remain that they're one of the most popular types of posts to read and write on the internet. Heck, this post is a listicle!
Best for: Engagement, easy-to-skim topics, overviews
Examples:
3 Ways to Clean an Oven
13 Best Halloween Movies
The Top 5 Streaming Platforms
2. How-To
What is it? A how-to post shares how to do something, generally broken down into easy-to-follow steps. It's a wonderful way to share original content, especially if you include pictures you've taken for each step. Because they provide immediate value, they're fantastic for driving traffic to your website.
Best for: Recipes, tutorials
Examples:
How to Start a Flower Garden
How to Write an Essay for Beginners
How to Make Chocolate Syrup from Scratch
3. Guide
What is it? A guide is an in-depth exploration of a topic. Most of them are several thousand words long to provide as much value to the reader as possible. There’s a lot of overlap between guides and how-tos, but the how-tos focus more on the steps to do something, while the guides provide a more rounded view of a topic.
Best for: Providing value, complex topics
Examples:
Your Guide to Baking Bread
The Ultimate Guide to Backyard Birding
Everything You Need to Know About Weight Loss
4. Case Study
What is it? A case study is a post breaking down how you helped a customer overcome a problem. They’re often used by service-based businesses (like mine!) to showcase what they can do for potential customers by providing real-world examples and data.
Best for: Service businesses, conversions
Examples:
Missie and Jake’s Engagement Photoshoot
How We Helped Small City Bakery 3x Their Income With Bookkeeping
Creating Lily’s About Page: A Case Study
5. News
What is it? A news post shares news about your company. Pretty simple, right? You won’t use this post very often, but it’s a great way to share significant changes, important updates, or exciting developments outside of social media.
Best for: Announcements, industry updates
Examples:
Gold Reaches an All-Time High: What This Means for Us
Small City Bakery Opens Its Second Location!
Important Update Regarding Tariffs
6. Personal Story/Essay
What is it? Personal stories are anecdotes about you, your life, or your thoughts on something. I don’t generally suggest using these for a small business blog unless you are the main topic or you have something to share that your customers would genuinely find interesting.
Best for: Personal insights, behind-the-scenes, relevant thoughts
Examples:
Our Trip to Prague
Behind-the-Scenes of Our Newest Collection’s Photoshoot
A Personal Health Update
7. Checklist
What is it? A checklist is a blend of a how-to and a listicle post. While a how-to often has extra suggestions and ideas, a checklist is a straightforward list that readers can follow to a T. These are great to pair with a custom infographic for readers to share on social media.
Best for: Shareability, simple topics
Examples:
The Ultimate Packing Checklist
How to Spring Clean Your Bathroom: A Checklist
Your Checklist for Creating Blog Posts (Plus, Free Printable)
8. Guest Posts
What is it? A guest post is any blog content not written by you. It's fantastic for collaborating with other people in your niche who can get your content in front of a new audience. Many people do guest post exchanges so both parties benefit. Note: A guest post can be any type of content.
Best for: Backlinks, exposure, collaboration
Examples:
Rosie’s Favorite Spring Makeup Products
How I Learned to Eat Healthier: A Guest Post
12 Must-Have Wardrobe Staples: By Lily from Lily's Closet
9. Reviews
What is it? A review is an evaluation of a product or service. While most businesses probably won’t use them, it can be a great way to share products you enjoy or showcase your authority to potential customers. For example, a candle business might review matches to see which ones work best.
Best for: Service blogs, product recommendations, SEO
Examples:
Our Review of SEMRush for Small Businesses
Hydroflask: Our Thoughts After 1 Month of Use
Goodreads or Bookmory: Which is Better?
10. Round-Ups
What is it? A round-up is a post containing links to other people’s content. They’re sometimes considered a cop-out, but they can be a good way to provide value to your readers by putting many helpful resources in one spot. It’s kind of like a listicle, but each item on the list contains a link. They're also good if you get a lot of questions about the products you use.
Best for: Backlinks, resources
Examples:
The Best Free Printable Planners on the Internet
Our Favorite Writing Resources
The Art Supplies I Use Daily
11. Interviews
What is it? An interview blog post is where you share a discussion with a guest. This could be an authority in your space, a fellow small business owner, or anyone else your audience would be interested in hearing from. Like a guest post, it can benefit you and the interviewee, since you can promote each other to your separate audiences.
Best for: Collaboration, driving traffic
Examples:
An Interview with Chef Laura of Laura’s Clean Eats
John Shares His Favorite Music in This Exclusive Interview
Creating an Art Habit: An Interview with Vincent Van Gogh
12. Thought Leadership
What is it? A thought leadership post shares unique insights into something related to your industry or niche. This could be first-hand research you've conducted, or a more speculative thought piece on an industry trend. Because they're so unique, you probably won't write them often, if at all, especially if you're not in a business-focused market.
Best for: Experiments, research, industry news
Examples:
How We Tripled Our Website Traffic with One Tweak
The Future of the Sustainable Fashion Industry
Why I Think Reading Is On the Rise
Knowing the types of blog content and their uses helps make your posts more interesting and aligned with the topic they're about. Make sure to save this post for future reference!
Are you interested in getting help to create a blog strategy to keep your content fresh and interesting? Let’s chat! Click the button below to set up a free intro call today.
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