Hi, I’m Nikki. If you’ve read Durable’s blog before, you might know me as the writer behind some of the content here. But beyond that, I’m a content marketer and strategist who has spent my career helping businesses build blogs that attract and retain loyal customers. My 9-to-5 (and let’s be honest, sometimes my 9-to-9) has been dedicated to crafting content that not only engages audiences but also drives real business growth.

But my experience with blogging didn’t start in marketing — it started long before that. I first launched my own blog back in 2012 on Blogspot (remember that?), and eventually, I turned my love for writing into a successful travel blog. That blog took me around the world, creating content for brands, growing an audience from scratch, and learning firsthand what makes a blog thrive.

Over the years, I’ve seen what works, what doesn’t, and what I’d do differently if I were starting fresh today. 

If you’re a small business owner looking to start a blog, here’s the exact advice I’d give you to set yourself up for success.

What Is a Blog and Why Does Your Business Need One?

Before we jump into the details, let’s talk about what a blog actually is — and, just as importantly, what it isn’t.

At its core, a blog is a collection of regularly updated articles or posts on a website. But for businesses, it’s much more than just a space to write — it’s a powerful marketing tool that can:

• Attract new customers and clients
• Build trust and establish yourself as an expert in your industry
• Keep your audience engaged between purchases or bookings
• Improve your website’s search engine rankings (SEO)

Some of the most successful businesses today started as blogs before turning into full-fledged brands. Here are a few examples:

• Glossier: Emily Weiss started Into the Gloss, a beauty blog, before launching her skincare and makeup line.
• The Minimalists: A simple blog about minimalist living that led to books, documentaries, and a massive online community.
• Pinch of Yum: Started as a personal food blog and grew into a full-scale recipe business, leading to online courses and brand partnerships.

Your small business blog might not turn into a global empire, but it can help you build an engaged audience that trusts and supports your brand — and that’s just as valuable.

What a Blog Is Not

While a business blog is a great tool for marketing, it’s not:

• A running list of product ads or descriptions: Yes, you can mention your products or services, but your blog shouldn’t be a constant sales pitch. Instead of just listing what you sell, share why you created it, the process behind it, or helpful ways customers can use it.
• A place to rant about your customers: Your blog is part of your professional brand. Complaints about difficult clients, refund requests, or behind-the-scenes business frustrations should never be part of your content.
• A short-term strategy: Blogging is a long game. If you expect instant results after publishing a handful of posts, you might be disappointed. But over time, a blog can be one of your most valuable marketing tools.

At the end of the day, a blog is about building relationships, not just selling. It’s a place to share your expertise, engage with your audience, and create content that provides real value.

Why Every Small Business Should Start a Blog

One of the best things about small businesses? Passion. 

Whether you run a hair salon, dog grooming business, or consulting firm, you likely have tons of knowledge to share.

• Blogging allows that passion to shine through and connect with your audience.
• It builds trust. When you consistently share valuable insights, customers see you as an expert.
• It creates community. People don’t just buy products; they buy into brands they feel connected to.

For example, if you own a hairdressing studio and start a blog about hair care, styling tips, and product recommendations, potential clients who have read your blog will trust your expertise before they even walk through your doors.

That’s the power of blogging — it turns strangers into readers, readers into customers, and customers into loyal fans.

How to Start a Blog for Your Small Business: A Step-by-Step Guide

After a decade of building blogs, I know what works — and what doesn’t. 

If I were starting fresh today, here’s exactly how I’d do it.

#1. Choose Your Blog Niche and Define Your Audience

Before you start writing, the first step is figuring out what your blog is actually about. This might seem obvious — your business, right? But a great blog isn’t just about what you sell; it’s about what your audience cares about.

Think about your industry and the topics that naturally connect to your business. Let’s say you run a bakery — your blog could focus on:

• Baking techniques and tips
• Behind-the-scenes stories from your kitchen
• Ingredient deep dives (e.g., “Why sourdough is trending”)
• Seasonal recipes your customers can try at home

Or, if you’re a landscaper, you might write about:

• The best low-maintenance plants for busy homeowners
• Lawn care mistakes to avoid
• Before-and-after transformations of client gardens

At this point, it’s also helpful to think about what you want your audience to take away from your content.

Spoiler: If you’re only creating blog posts to get people to buy your product or book your service, you’ll likely be disappointed.

Your blog is not a never-ending sales pitch — it’s a community. It’s a place where your audience learns from you, connects with your brand, and finds content they genuinely enjoy.

Think of your blog as a conversation over coffee with your ideal customer. You wouldn’t spend the entire time hard-selling them. You’d share stories, offer advice, and answer their questions.

If you treat your blog the same way, your audience will stick around, and eventually, they’ll trust you enough to become customers.

#2. How to Get Blog Ideas: Ask Your Audience First

One of the easiest ways to come up with blog topics? Ask your audience.

Your customers, social media followers, and email subscribers are an untapped resource when it comes to content ideas. They already engage with your business, have questions about your industry, and — most importantly — can tell you exactly what they want to learn.

Simple ways to get ideas from your audience:

• Post an Instagram Story poll: “What’s the biggest challenge you face when it comes to [your industry]?”
• Check your FAQs: What are customers constantly asking you?
• Read through your social media comments and DMs; what are people curious about?
• If you have an email list, send a quick survey with 2–3 content ideas and ask which one they’d like to see next.

By getting your audience involved in your content process, they’ll feel more connected to your blog — and be more likely to read, share, and engage with your posts.

Let’s say you own a pet grooming business, and your clients frequently ask, “How often should I bathe my dog?” That’s not just a great blog post idea — it’s content your audience has already told you they need.

Or maybe you run a personal training business, and people are always asking, “What’s the best way to stay motivated to work out?” That’s your next blog post.

The top-performing content I’ve worked on has almost always been tied to what my audience asked for the most.

When you listen to your audience and create content that serves them, you’ll never run out of ideas — and you’ll build a blog that people actually want to read.

#3. Set Up Your Blog on Your Business Website

Now for the technical stuff.

The most important thing when setting up your blog? Make sure it’s connected to your business website.

A mistake I see a lot of small business owners make is creating a separate website just for their blog. You don’t want to do that. 

Your blog should live under the same domain as your business — otherwise, you’re splitting your traffic and losing out on the SEO benefits.

✅ Your blog URL should follow this format: www.yourbusinessname.com/blog/blog-post-title

❌ What not to do:

• Creating a separate blog domain like yourbusinessblog.com
• Hosting your blog on a different platform like Medium or Wordpress.

By keeping your blog on your main website, you:

• Improve your site’s SEO (Google favors websites with fresh, regularly updated content).
• Keep your audience in one place — they don’t have to jump between multiple sites.
• Make it easy for visitors to explore your business while reading your content.

If this all sounds very technical, don't worry. All Durable websites are built with business blogs in mind. When you build your website with Durable, you can set up a blog on your site in minutes. The design, layout, images, and even copy can all be handled for you — making it easier than ever to get your blog up and running.

How to Set Up a Blog on Durable in Just a Few Clicks

When you use Durable, setting up a blog is quick and easy — you can be up and running in minutes. 

Here’s how:

1. Go to your website editor on Durable.
2. Click the "+" button and select "Add Blog."
3. Durable’s AI Blog Builder will guide you through setting up your first post.
4. Customize your blog — choose a layout, add images, and adjust the design to match your brand.
5. Start publishing!

Durable’s AI makes blogging even easier by helping you come up with ideas, generate blog content, format posts, and even schedule future articles — so you can focus on running your business while your blog works for you.

From idea to blog post in seconds. Let Durable do the work →

With your blog set up and connected to your main website, you’re ready to start creating content that attracts and engages your audience. 

#4. Don’t Shy Away From AI: Use it to Create a Blog Faster and Smarter

Not a natural writer? No problem.

For a long time, marketers (myself included) were a little nervous about AI-generated content. And honestly? I get it. AI has come a long way, and when used properly, it can generate high-quality blog posts that are polished, well-structured, and ready to publish.

Step-by-Step: How to Use Durable’s AI Blog Writer

If you haven’t tried it yet, Durable’s AI Blog Builder is one of the easiest ways to create high-quality blog content, fast.

Here’s how it works:

1. Log into your Durable dashboard and navigate to your “Blog” tab
2. Click “Add Post”
3. Enter a topic (e.g., “How to Groom a Dog at Home”) or choose one of the blog topics Durable suggests
4. Durable generates a full blog post — including headlines, sections, and formatting
5. You can edit, refine, and customize the content to match your voice
6. Publish directly to your website with just a few clicks

The best part? Durable AI doesn’t just write blog posts. It also suggests relevant topics, structures your content for readability, automatically publishes, and optimizes it for SEO — so your posts have a better chance of ranking on Google.

If you’re running a small business and don’t have hours to spare writing blog content from scratch, using Durable’s AI can save you time, effort, and stress. Give it a try and see how easy blogging can be!

AI that writes for you; just edit and publish. Try Durable’s AI Blog Builder →

#5. Make Your Blog Stand Out With Your Unique Voice

What is the best way to make your blog stand out? Your voice.

Anyone can start a blog, but what makes it memorable is the personality behind it. Your audience isn’t just looking for information — they’re looking for connection. They want to hear from a real person who understands their challenges, shares their experiences, and offers advice in a way that feels relatable and human.

If you’re writing from scratch, your tone and personality will naturally come through. But even if you’re using AI, there are plenty of ways to make the content feel uniquely yours without major rewrites.

How to Make Content Feel More "You":

• Add personal specifics: AI can generate great blog posts, but only you know the details of your pricing, location, services, or unique business approach. Incorporating these elements makes the content more tailored to your audience.
• Include personal insights: If you have an opinion, a unique take on an industry trend, or a lesson you’ve learned firsthand, add it in. It’s what makes your content different from competitors.
• Use your natural tone: If your brand is more casual, feel free to edit AI-generated content to match your usual way of speaking — but you might find that Durable's Blog Builder already gets you close.

Tip: Use AI Tools That Mirror Your Tone

AI-generated content doesn’t have to sound robotic. Tools like Durable’s AI Blog Builder can learn and adapt to your writing style so your blog posts already feel aligned with your brand.

How does that help?

• Saves you time by generating content that already matches your tone
• Keeps your brand voice consistent across all blog posts
• Reduces the need for heavy editing — just tweak or personalize as needed

Pro Tip: If you use an AI tool that lets you train it on your style (like Durable), it’ll keep getting better at writing the way you do.

So whether you’re writing from scratch or using AI to help, your voice is what makes your blog engaging. Don’t be afraid to let your personality shine through!

#6. Get Comfortable With Basic SEO for Your Small Business

If you want people to actually find your blog, you need to understand Search Engine Optimization (SEO).

SEO is what helps your blog show up on Google when someone searches for topics related to your business. If you’re a personal trainer, for example, you want your blog post on “Best Post-Workout Meals” to rank high when someone searches for that phrase.

The good news? SEO doesn’t have to be complicated — and with AI-powered search changing the game, small businesses have more opportunities than ever to get discovered.

SEO Basics: What Small Businesses Need to Know

SEO is all about helping search engines understand your content so they can show it to the right people.

Watch this video for some simple SEO basics to keep in mind:

Pro Tip: If you’re using Durable’s AI Blog Writer, it already structures your posts for readability — making it easier for search engines to recognize and rank your content.

How AI Search (Like Google Gemini) Is Changing SEO

With AI-powered search engines like Google Gemini, SEO is becoming more about content quality than technical tricks.

• AI search prioritizes expertise and relevance: This means well-written, informative blogs will rank better than keyword-stuffed content.
• Conversational search is growing: More people are searching in full sentences and questions (“How do I start a blog for my small business?”) rather than just short keywords (“start blog”).

Why This Is Great News for Small Business Owners

In the past, SEO felt like a game of chasing algorithms — but AI search rewards useful, engaging content.

Translation? If you’re creating great blog posts that genuinely help your audience, you’re already on the right track.

We’ll be linking to in-depth SEO guides for those who want to go deeper, but for now, just remember:

Write helpful, well-structured content, and Google will take care of the rest.

Learn more about SEO with these guides: 

• What is SEO? A 7-minute Guide to Understanding the Basics
• The Ultimate SEO Guide for Small Businesses
• The Beginner’s Guide to Keyword Research 

#7. Stay Consistent With a Content Calendar That Works for You

One of the biggest challenges with blogging? Sticking with it.

It’s easy to get excited about starting a blog, but if you don’t have a realistic plan, you’ll burn out fast.

I always recommend underestimating how much content you can commit to — especially if you’re running a business, managing a team, or juggling a full-time job. Saying you’ll publish every day while also handling clients, sales, and admin? That’s a recipe for frustration.

Find a Posting Schedule That Works for You

Instead of aiming too high, think about:

• How much time can I realistically spend on blogging each week?
• Would posting once a month, twice a month, or weekly be sustainable for me?
• Can I batch-create content in advance to stay ahead?

My recommendation? Start with one to two posts per month and build from there. It’s much better to stay consistent with fewer, high-quality posts than to post daily for a week and then disappear for months.

Use Tools to Stay Organized

The easiest way to stay consistent is by planning your content in advance.

• Use Notion, Asana, or Trello: These tools help you keep track of blog post ideas, deadlines, and publishing schedules.
• Brainstorm topics in batches: Spend one day a month planning out topics so you’re not scrambling for ideas every week.
• Use Durable to schedule your posts ahead of time: This way, your content keeps flowing even when you’re too busy to write.

Automate Your Blog Posts With Durable’s AI Content Strategist

If consistency is a struggle, Durable’s AI Content Strategist can take a lot of the work off your plate.

Durable’s AI can auto-generate blog posts and even publish them for you on a set schedule — so your blog stays active even when you’re busy running your business.

To activate the Durable Content Strategist:

• Navigate to your Durable Dashboard and select the 'Agents' section.​
• Locate the 'Content Strategist' Agent and click 'Enable'.​
• Confirm activation by clicking 'Enable now' after reviewing the features.​
• Configure settings by clicking the gear icon next to the agent and selecting 'Configure'. Here, you can:​
  
  • Enable 'Notifications' to receive SMS alerts for new posts (available in the U.S. and Canada).​
  • Set 'Draft mode' to have new posts created as drafts for manual review before publishing.​

Once enabled, the agent will automatically generate and publish blog posts every three days.​

Staying consistent doesn’t mean writing every day — it means creating a plan you can stick to. Once you do, your blog will become a powerful tool for growing your business over time.

#8. Write Your First Blog Post And Hit Publish With Confidence

Hitting “publish” on your first blog post can feel a little intimidating — but it doesn’t have to be.

The truth is, no blog post is ever perfect. Even the most experienced writers and marketers tweak their content over time. The most important thing? Just start.

What Should Your First Blog Post Be About?

If you’re stuck on where to begin, here are a few easy first post ideas:

• “Why I Started My Business & How I Help My Customers”: A personal introduction that connects with your audience.
• “5 Most Common Questions My Clients Ask”: A helpful post based on real customer inquiries.
• “Beginner’s Guide to [Your Industry]”: A great way to share your expertise and build trust.
• Let Durable decide your first topic! When you create your blog posts with Durable, our smart AI will suggest some topics that are trending in your industry or are known FAQs for your customers. This will help you get through writer's block in no time!  

Pro Tip: If you’ve already asked your audience what they want to know (see Step #2), start with the most requested topic. That way, you’re creating content that you know will be valuable.

Blogging is like any other skill — the more you do it, the better you’ll get. Your first post might not feel perfect, but it’s the starting point for something bigger.

So, take a deep breath, be brave, and hit publish.

#9. Promote Your Blog to Drive Traffic and Build an Audience

Writing a great blog post is just half the job — now you need to make sure people see it.

A lot of small business owners assume that if they publish a post, Google will magically bring readers to their website. While organic search traffic (visitors who find your blog through search engines) is great, it’s only part of the puzzle.

To get real traction, you need to actively share your blog across multiple channels.

Where to Share Your Blog: Social Media, Email, and More

• On Social Media: Post a snippet of your blog on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Threads. Add a strong call to action like, “Want to learn more? Read the full post here.”
• In Your Email Newsletter: If you have an email list, include a short teaser of your blog post and link to the full article. This keeps your audience engaged and brings them back to your website.
• In Facebook & LinkedIn Groups: Many industry-specific groups allow members to share useful blog content, just make sure it’s relevant and not overly promotional.
• On Your Website’s Homepage: Feature your latest blog posts on your homepage so visitors can easily find them.

Why Promoting Your Blog Matters

The more places you share your blog, the more chances you have to attract readers.

• Social sharing keeps your content fresh: Even if a blog post is months old, you can reshare it to bring in new readers.
• Email traffic is highly engaged: If someone’s on your email list, they already trust your brand. A blog post is a great way to keep them interested.
• A mix of traffic sources is best: Relying on just Google for traffic is risky. By promoting your blog across different channels, you make sure it’s always reaching new people.

Blogging isn’t just about writing — it’s about getting your content in front of the right audience. The more you share, the more impact your blog will have on your business. 

#10. Keep Your Blog Fresh: How to Update Content Regularly

Remember the content calendar we talked about above? This is where it comes into play.

Writing a blog post isn’t a one-and-done situation. Over time, things change — industry trends evolve, new data emerges, and your business grows. The last thing you want is for a potential customer to land on your blog, find an outdated post, and leave your site because the information no longer applies.

Think of your blog as a living resource — it should grow and adapt just like your business does.

Why Updating Old Blog Posts Improves SEO and Engagement

• Better SEO: Google favors fresh, updated content, so regularly revisiting old posts can improve your rankings.
• More Credibility: No one wants to read a post from 2019 with broken links and outdated stats. Keeping things current shows you’re actively engaged in your industry.
• Higher Engagement: Readers trust blogs that are regularly updated, making them more likely to return to your site.

Easy Ways to Refresh and Repurpose Existing Blog Content

• Review older blog posts every few months: Update stats, refresh outdated information, and check for broken links.
• Repurpose content: Turn older blog posts into social media posts, emails, or even new blog topics.
• Write new posts consistently: Whether it’s monthly, biweekly, or weekly, stick to a schedule that works for you.

A blog with fresh, up-to-date content is more valuable to your audience and more likely to help your business grow.

Starting a blog for your small business might feel overwhelming at first, but once you find your rhythm and start incorporating AI into your blog process, it becomes one of the best tools for building your brand, connecting with customers, and growing your online presence.

The key is to start simple, stay consistent, and use AI  to make the process easier. Whether you’re writing every word yourself or using AI-powered tools like Durable’s AI Blog Builder, blogging doesn’t have to take hours out of your week.

So go ahead, write that first post, hit publish, and start building a blog that works for your business. 

Try Durable’s AI Blog Builder Here →