Fresh content Ideas for Service Businesses

You run a business focused on offering a much-needed service to your audience, but regularly find yourself running low on ideas for how to market it.  How do you keep creating fresh content that puts your business in front of the right people?

Here are plenty of ideas to get your creativity reignited.

Service businesses include any business that largely provides a service rather than a product to its customer. You might have a handful of digital or physical products in your portfolio too but for the majority, you sell a service. If you’re a coach, a photographer, an accountant, a graphic designer, a nutritionist, an interior or garden designer, a social media manager, tutor, consultant, physio, event planner, travel agent, accountant, legal advisor as well as other service businesses, then this list of content will help you.

Content basics for service business

Whenever I talk about content and what to post, I always start with content foundations. So before you go on to peruse these fresh content ideas for your service business, revisit these questions:

• Who is your target customer?
• How do you help them?
• What is your key business goal? (What are you wanting to focus on selling)
• What messages do you need to communicate?

You may also find it helpful to create a handful of content pillars to help you organise and brainstorm your content ideas.

The best content ideas for service businesses

Your best content ideas will come from talking to your clients. Knowing their current needs and creating content that responds and helps is where your content sweet spot lies. So make a note to think about your own content in every interaction you have with a client.

Provide your service whilst simultaneously seeking out the content opportunity. One question or throwaway comment could be just what you need to fuel your next blog or social media post.

16 Content Ideas for Service Businesses

 

1. Real thoughts

Your unique voice, thoughts, and creativity set you apart. Be bold and share your insights; it’s what makes you special.  It could be a personal reflection, a trending industry topic, or a creative process.

 

2. Chat and share

One of the best tips I’ve seen recently is that instead of trying to educate and inspire, we could focus on walking the journey alongside our community. That would open up a lot of ‘this is what works for me’ style content rather than do this, stop doing that content. Sharing your journey to help others.

 

3. Give behind-the-scenes access

No one will understand what you can do for them unless you show them. So provide a sneak peek into your latest project, whether it’s a design concept, a coaching session, or a nutritious recipe. Tease your audience with intriguing visuals and hints of what’s to come.

 

4. Share a story of someone you’ve helped

Who have you helped? How did you help your client overcome their challenge? Obviously do not breach confidentiality. Change names, tweak the story, but give your audience an insight into the transformative work you can do.

 

5. True or False

Debunk industry myths and clarify the facts. Share a common misconception and provide accurate information. Encourage your audience to comment on whether they expected this to be true or false or ask them to share their own industry questions or myths for you to address.

 

6. Address your most popular questions

What are the questions you get asked most? And make a note to remember to record questions in future.  Pick one question and use it to fuel a piece of content.

 

7. Challenge the expected.

What does everyone in your industry naturally say? Can you challenge it and give a new perspective? Keep a kind and respectful tone and make sure your argument is supported with reasoning for your unique opinion.

 

8. Frame your uniqueness

If we’re talking unique content, there’s nothing more unique than you and what you bring to your business. Very likely there are many other people running a similar business to you, e.g. you’re a coach. But there’s only one person doing it your way, with your individual set of life and career experiences.

 

9. This is how you can work with me

The most obvious piece of content, yet the most forgotten. So many service businesses dance around the specifics of how their audience can become a client. You can share as much educational or inspirational content as you want, but only when you actually tell people that they can actually work with or buy from you will they act.

 

10. Unwrap the trends, news, industry changes

One of the most helpful pieces of content you can share has to be a summary of changes, trends and news… and what that means for your target customer. For me this has been reporting on Instagram updates and what that means for my audience’s content. I also share news and content information in my regular newsletter, The Inspiration Edit, such as AI developments which can help us create our content.

 

11. Your stories

Think about the personal anecdotes you could tell that could be of use or help to your audience. Talk about your ups and downs, lessons learned, and pivotal moments in your career that can inspire and support your future client’s journey.

 

12. Resource Reviews:

Share your favourite books, tools, or resources related to your industry. I’m always grateful to be able to extend my knowledge through reading or listening to a podcast.  Let your audience know how you have found these resources useful and how they can benefit your clients. Go deeper than a list of books and look at providing a short review with your opinion of why they are on your list.

 

13. What sets you apart.

The expected service in your industry is x. How you work is x. What’s the gap. You could even do this as a list of features and benefits. What you normally get and what you get when you choose me.

 

14. Interview or collaborate on a niche topic.

Who can you interview to give deeper value to an aspect of your work? Interview them as a live chat, then create a blog from the transcript, then you can break down the detail to a number of different posts or reels.

 

15. Decode industry jargon

This could be a really fun way to get your personality across. What are the words and acronyms that are used all of the time? Play with them, explain them and most of all simplify them. E.g. When someone says X, they really mean X.

 

16. Start a conversation

A genuine conversation with your community asking for their thoughts on a particular topic.

The main challenge is to keep showing up in front of your audience. Be that via email, posts and reels, stories or another channel. Show them what you can do, tell them how you will transform their lives. Take them behind the scenes, make connections and show that you are a trustable, likeable human who can make a difference.

There’s more content inspiration and tips every week in my email The Inspiration Edit. Subscribe now to get the next issue.

P.S. If you have a content challenge, consider a Content Hour where I can help you work through it, brainstorm ideas and come up with a plan.