Not too long ago, I posted a blog, entitled: Content ideas for small business blogs, which gave 5 different general blog article ideas.  These were vague enough that almost any small business could find them helpful to generate new ideas.  On the other hand, I realized that some might find the information a little too broad to be able to use it.

So this article is more tailored to the construction trade and general contractors, providing a number of specific examples of blog posts and content ideas people in that profession might want to try out.

Readers may ask me why I care so much about general contractors, and the fact is that most people in that profession have not yet taken their businesses online yet, so I see a great opportunity.  Because there is very little competition, now is the perfect time for general contractors to start blogging!  Feel free to try out the best of the following ideas, and feel free to take a peek back at my article – Content ideas for small business blogs – for more information.

Bring blogs together –

The big blog idea here is to use content from other sources, so that you don’t have to do very much work.  These type of posts increase the credibility of the company that posts them, because they demonstrate that the business is paying attention to its field, and is putting information together, coming to conclusions, and learning how to accommodate new developments in the industry.

For general contractors, that can mean new materials, technologies, or trends.  Green construction is huge right now, and I bet anyone in the construction trade would see a potential customer’s eyes ignite at the sight of those words on their web page!

But the beauty of this type of blog idea is that the information does not need to be your own, so all you would need to do is find an article on green construction, let’s say on a new type of glass that increases energy efficiency.  Then you can find an article on solariums – maybe one that complains about how inefficient they are, or how cold in the winter.

Then a general contractor would paste in the most relevant quotes and pictures from each source, write a few sentences connecting the two – many of my customers have been interested in solariums but have been afraid about the energy cost, both to them and the environment – and suddenly, they would have a thought-provoking blog entry that would: a) promote their business; b) increase their credibility; and c) increase their online presence!

Consumers love these posts, too, because they feel they are receiving dense information.  They are getting 3 blog ideas for the cost of one!

Customer Interviews –

You know how a picture can say a thousand words?  Well a video is a thousand pictures…  Written testimonials will help convince potential customers that the company is honest, credible, and professional, but a video of a satisfied customer – who someone can see smiling, shaking hands with the owner, and talking about their positive experience – is a much better blog idea!

All you need do is ask a recent customer to talk about their experience as a customer of yours.  Almost everyone will say yes, if only because they will want to talk about their new purchase!  Then upload the video to your blog.  A few sentences about what the company did for them might help, but really there is no writing necessary for this type of post!

How-to Guides –

Home contractors have so many skills that the average consumer could really benefit from!  How-to articles are a great way to bring in a bunch of traffic to a company website.  A lot of these people may not be interested in hiring the company, but they will still spread brand recognition and more importantly, make your site more appealing to search engines.  The end result is that when potential customers are looking for a construction company, online, your site will be the first they see, giving you a big edge over the competition, and bringing in additional customers.

All you need to do is share a minor skill, something that would be easy for people to do, by giving a simple guide.  There are plenty of examples on eHow to guide the process.

Well, I hope that these blog ideas help some general contractors improve their websites.  And in the meantime, look for my upcoming article on what not to include in a small business blog.

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