5 Gold Mines For Finding Hotel Blog Ideas

Writing a blog post usually isn’t the hard part – it’s coming up with a topic that’s a killer.

But putting all that energy into crafting a compelling article will be worth it. After all, a blog can help supercharge your hotel website’s SEO resulting in plenty of extra traffic. It also provides a new way to connect with potential guests.

One CEO of a hotel consulting group even went so far as to say that “your hotel website is dead” if you don’t blog.

But just any old blog won’t do – you need quality content (a great travel blog name doesn’t hurt either). The odd post about your special rates or new promotions are fine, but that’s not the stuff that will really drive traffic to your hotel website.

To do that you need engaging content that your target audience wants to read, ideally based on a content strategy. Ah, but coming up with great ideas every week is tough. And if you’re in the hospitality business, I’m willing to bet your time is incredibly scarce.

Hopefully, this article will make blogging a little easier for you.

Here are 5 places that you can mine for blog post ideas for your hotel website. A few of them might surprise you.

Community calendars

Maybe you’ve already been blogging about a few of the bigger events taking place in your community. And that’s a good idea. But make sure you don’t ignore the smaller festivals and gatherings while you’re at it.

Google your town’s name and the word “events” to find a (hopefully gigantic) list of community happenings. Then start scanning the calendar for anything that might interest the type of travelers most likely to stay at your hotel. Once you find an event that works, create a story around it.

For example, let’s say you’re a Toronto hotel located near where the Hot & Spicy Food Festival takes place. I’m willing to bet a plate of wasabi hot wings that there’s plenty of content that simply details the basics about this event. So instead, hunt for a unique angle. Maybe try writing an article like: ‘5 Sizzling Foods You Must Try At Toronto’s Hot & Spicy Food Festival.’

Just be careful not to go overboard with creating content that will become stale in a few weeks. A few event-based articles are fine, but always think long-term and post at least 75% “evergreen” content that’ll still lure clicks a year from now.

Municipal websites

This is a good one to spark your imagination for more inspirational articles. When you’ve lived in a community for a long time, you might forget about some of the great stuff people can see and do right outside your hotel.

Most city websites have some kind of ‘things to do’ section that lists everything from beaches to museums and sports fields. Keeping with our Toronto example, here’s what their official website provides.

These pages are a great place to spark article ideas. Think about stories like ‘The Ultimate Guide To Toronto Pubs’ or if you cater to a more cultured crowd, maybe try ‘7 Toronto Theatres Worthy Of Your Applause.’

Just keep the content focused on the type of things your prospects will want to experience most (ah, here’s where the content strategy comes in again).

Newspapers

newspaper

Sift through local newspapers to find inspiration for hotel blog articles.
Photo: NS Newsflash_CC

This is a great one for smaller communities as well. If you’re a daily reader of local news, that’s great – always be scanning the headlines with your blog in the back of your mind. Think about what’s happening in your community that would make a solid blog post.

As mentioned before, events are always great fodder for articles. But also think about what else travelers might be interested in learning about. Is a new art gallery opening up? Has one of the local aquatic centers been completely renovated? Is there an interesting local study that has just been released?

People are naturally drawn to news headlines – we’re curious creatures by nature. And if travelers see a news-worthy blog post about a destination they’re heading to, you’ll certainly snatch their attention.

Chamber of commerce websites

Have you tried writing articles that make recommendations about the best restaurants, beaches or theatres in town? If so, perfect. But after a while, you run out of ideas.

That’s where chamber of commerce websites come in. Almost all of them list their member businesses on the website, which can spark blog post ideas. If you run a hunting lodge just outside of the city, for example, maybe do a post about the ‘5 Best Stores For Outdoor Gear’.

Or better yet, get more specific. Write a list post about the best pizza restaurants, for example, rather than a generic ‘best restaurants’ post. You’ll also be tapping into some long-tail keywords as well.

Your guests & employees

A tip that’s so obvious yet so easily forgotten. Often, we don’t think about blogging until we’re actually sitting down at the computer. So change your mindset and ask around for ideas when out working.

Perhaps your servers or chefs have some insight about a great food-based blog post. Maybe the concierge’s daily dealings with guests will spark an idea or three.

I’m sure you’re already listening to your guests, but try keep your ears open for tidbits that might help you shape the type of content you produce.

Maybe they’re interested in a specific type of attraction or food, for example.

No matter where you look for ideas, always aim to produce articles that are useful and unique. There’s far too much enough bland content out there already.

Where do you find your blog ideas? Share your tips in the comments below.

–Dustin Walker

 

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